Punchihewa Cricket Academy on tour

S M Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy sports corr

Ravi Punchihewa Cricket Academy from Matale will make a tour of India to play in the Raja Residency Invitation T20 under 13 cricket tournament to be held in Eggmore, Chennai.

Punchihewa Cricket Academy is the biggest cricket academy in the Central Province and it has on roll over 175 young cricketers who are put through their paces by former St Thomas College, Colombo Cricket Club and Matale Cricket Club cricketer Ravi Punchihewa who is now a match referee attached to Sri Lanka Cricket.

Punchihewa said that his cricket academy has a very high rate of success in the Indian soil, having won six championship titles which has brought honour to the little town Matale which is famous for its hockey.

The boys are mustard keen to learn cricket and the parents are equally enthusiastic and play a major role in making these foreign tours which give the cricketers the necessary exposure. Punchihewa Cricket Academy are the defending champions of this T20 cricket championship as they won it last year by defeating Vidyamander CC in the finals by a huge margin of 133 runs. Thus they will go out favourites to retain the title this year too. The team will be led by Mohammed Shamran of Greenwood College and will have Mohammed Shoib as his deputy. Both are very good allrounders who could be match winners. The other players who are expected to shine are allrounders Mohammed Amanullah, Rushan Liyanarachchi and Gimhan Fernando. In S Chandramohan and Chanaka Rajapaksa they have two good left arm spinners. The team will be accompanied by assistant coach Arvinda Bandara.

Director of the Academy Ravi Punchihewa is confident that his charges will deliver the goods as they have been tuned up for the occasion.