Harangala MV, first school from Kotmale to play senior level cricket

Jiffrey Abdeen Kandy sports corr

Harangala Maha Vidyalaya lying in the Kotmale Valley, with no facility at all have started playing cricket at senior level this year, thus becoming the first school to do so from the area.

The hardships undergone by the cricketers to play cricket will have to be seen to believe. To start with they have no grounds to practice or play their matches in their area. Their home grounds is located at Open Prison Camp, Pallekele which is around fifty kilometres from Kotmale. They do not have their own transport and have no money to hire buses, thus they leave home around 5 a.m. with their breakfast and the day’s lunch parcelled. They also carry their cricket equipment in public transport often much to the dislike of the bus crew and fellow passengers.

The school has no money to pay the expenses incurred in playing a match such as travelling, meals, umpires fees, ground fees and the cost of match balls. The boys share the expenses and hardly have any money for incidental expenses which is a luxury for them.

Having partaken the breakfast they brought with them, they play the match and the lunch too which was cooked before dawn too is partaken by them during the lunch break.

But the problem starts in the night looking for dinner and accommodation and on most occasions it is bread and dhal curry. The night is spent in some temple with sheets spread on the ground and often keeping a batting pad for a pillow.In the morning the breakfast is plain tea and bread and with that they play the match. Fresh problems crop us during the lunch interval as they do not have the money to buy lunch packets on the second day. In one match a benefactory supplied them with lunch packets and in another they had a glass of water for lunch and took the field.

They started playing cricket at junior level when Nuwara Eliya District Parliamentarian Naveen Dissanaika provided them with cricket equipment worth Rs 50,000. Naveen Dissanaike has his roots in Kotmale where lies his ancestral home and is the son of former President of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka late Gamini Dissanayaka who played a major role in Sri Lanka gaining test status.

Two years ago Harangala MV had a windfall coming their way when the President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his programme ‘Gamata Kreedawa’ (Sports to Villages) through the Presidential adviser on Sports D. S. de Silva distributed cricket equipment to schools in the Central Province in 2010. Harangala MV were the recipients of two bags of cricket materials which they preserve like gold.

This is the hardships faced by them in playing cricket but they continue playing the game for the sheer love of it and have many talented cricketers who have graduated from softball cricket.

There is a greenhorn laden side led by wicket keeper batsman Prapesh Kantha – a stylish bat and stands well-behind the stumps. From he way he performs on the field, it is quite evident that natural talent is oozing from him.

The vice captain of the side is Shashika Prabath who is a good bat and a right arm medium pace who will open the attack.

Perhaps the best batsman in the side is Shanitha Lalinda who is an aggressive batsman who scored 182 against Poramadulla Central College in their opening match.

The other capable batsmen in the side are Janitha Jayawickrema, Gayan Kasanka, Nalaka Sampath, Nadeera Chanuka, Udara Dananjaya, Prabath Wijesinghe and Nalinda Wickremasinghe.

The new ball attack will be opened by Gayan Kasanka and Nalaka Sampath followed by Shashika Prabath, Janitha Jayawickrema and Nadeera Chanuka. There are only two spinners in the side, with both bowling off spinners in Madusanka Ratnayake and Prabath Wijesinghe. They come for matches with just 11 players and often in case of injury there is no substitute as on the players who could contribute to the cost of the match could play or make the trip. Without money how are they going to travel, and pay the other expenses involved.

The team is coached by former Ginigathena MMV cricketer Saman Jayantha with Saman Jayawardena as the Master-In-Charge. Both perform their duties on a honorary capacity, often dipping into their pockets to make up the difference in the event of shortfall of cash.