Dimantha a haul of 141 wkts

Anushka WITHANAGE

Last year Anushka Dimantha Samaratunga of Isipatana College captured 85 wickets and this year he has already captured 141 wickets with one more match - the big one against the traditional Big match rivals Thurstan remaining.

In fact at last year’s big match he had a 7 wicket haul. He beat the 14 year record held by Nimesh Perera, the St Sebastian cricketer in the 1995/96 season when he captured 134 wickets.

His statistics are quite amazing. Five 10 wicket hauls against Joseph Vaz Wennapuwa (13 for 89), St Thomas’ Mt Lavinia (11 for 105), Mahanama (15 for 47), Zahira (10 for 105), Lumbini (13 for 72) and Aloysious (11 for 80).He has captured more than 5 wickets in 19 occasions.

But he never really threatened to pose a serious danger to the opposition and was considered just another left arm spinner in the bowling line-up.

He came under the guidance and supervision of coach Suranga Wijenayake. The former Cambrian, Bloomfield, Sri Lanka under 19 and Sri Lanka ‘A’ team player was able to soon identify the talent and potential of this youngster as they began to work on strategy that would lay the foundation for a successful career. Wijenayake himself a Left arm spinner during his days paid special attention to fine tune his technique and rhythm.

The results came almost immediately and Anushka Samaratunga could easily be considered as the finest exponent of this art in the school scene this season.

Wijenayake believes that with his high arm action and his wicket to wicket style of bowling he could go far in the Sri Lanka cricket scene. Another advantage he carries with him is that he could also turn the ball and vary it so that there will be much more impact at the time of delivery.