Joes end season in style

Supun PERERA

St Joseph’s College Colombo Under 19 cricketers ended their cricket season this year in style by winning the Lemonade Knockout tournament and finishing runners up in the Munchee T-20 Cricket tournament.

The Champion Josephian team

The team was led by that dynamic allrounder Roscoe Thatil and remained undefeated this season and had three outright victories to their credit.

This was creditable considering that they were without two of their regular players Chathuranga Kumara and left arm spinner Supechala Jayatilleke who were on National duty against the visiting U-19 England team.

After winning the major honours in the annual Battle of the Saints’ cricket encounter, Joes went on to defeat the Peterites in the Limited over encounter with a convincing 73 run victory after a lapse of two years.

This was followed by the Lemonade Limited over tournament; where the Josephians had one way traffic defeating St Benedict’s, St Mary’s Kegalle, Ananda, St. Sebastian’s Moratuwa in the preliminary round and trounced the favourites Trinity College Kandy to win the final and annexed the Knock- out plum after a lapse of 13 long years.

The team had the maximum support from the school authorities ably led by the sports loving Rector/Principal Rev. Fr. Sylvester Ranasinghe who is the guardian angel of cricket at St Joseph’s. The names of Prasan Leanage, Viran Perera, Cricket Manager Susilough De S. Wijayaratne (What a fantastic job he has done with a young side) and coach Dilan Ramanayake needs special mention.

In recognition of this achievement the school authorities have rewarded the team with a tour to Mumbai, India in the May. “We are losing four players namely Skipper Thatil, Chaturanga Kumara, Dinal Dambarage and Kevin Bernadus next season.

But we will be having seven players remaining for the next season.” Observed Susilough De S. Wijayaratne.