Trinity to maintain supremacy

Hafiz Marikar

Trinity College Kandy, was very successful and did extremely well in cricket last season, with eight wins in a row and ending up with ten outright wins, and emerged as the schools league champions. They also won the T/20 championship and became runner-up in the 50 over competition under the captaincy of all-rounder Akila Jayasundara.

In the on-going season under Niroshan Dickwella, they have pocketed eight wins, and are all out to repeat the last years performance. The eight wins are against Kingswood, St. Aloysius, Wesley, Isipatana, St. Servatius, Sri Sumangala, Kalutara Vidyalaya and Mahinda. They have also pocketed five first innings points against, D.S.Senanayake, Mahanama, Nalanda, Dharmaraja and St. Joseph's, and went down to Dharmasoka Ambalangoda on first innings on a matting wicket.

The remaining matches to be played in February are - St. Benedict's at Asgiriya on 7 and 8. Due to the Poya day the match was postponed, and today they are playing their traditional game with old boys, which is played following the school's prize giving, which is an annual fixture.

Then comes the games against Zahira at Asgiriya on 13 and 14, S. Thomas' on 17 and 18 at Asgiriya, Royal on 24 and 25 at Asgiriya. In March, St. Anthony's at Asgiriya on 9 and 10, (Limited overs) against St. Anthony"s on 17 at Katugastota. Trinity College, who gave of their best in last season's, inter-schools competition, was mainly due to the enormous backing, support and encouragement given by the Principal Brig. Udaya Araiyaratne, a great follower of cricket. Under his leadership, Trinitians have done well in every sport they play.

He provides the best for all sports apart from and guides the school. After his arrival as principal, Trinity has done well in all games.

At present, Trinity is demonstrating their excellence in cricket. They have a coach of outstanding repute who has learned a good deal of cricket coaching, Sampath Perera. He has been working hard

with the cricketers at Trinity, and improvement has come because they have worked on the basics.

Sampath joined Trinity in 2008. He was picked and recommended by former Trinity and Sri Lanka Cricket Captain Kumar Sangakara. From the day he took over, he has given his best.

The earliest referenced in records of Trinity, says it was only during the time of H.P. Napier Calvering, that Trinity had begun to be recognized by the Colombo schools and it was during his reign that

they began to play cricket seriously.

The first real effort at building up a school side came with Rev.J.Carter in 1982. He had been a real enthusiast and they first played Royal College 1893 and beat them in 1896 that was there first

win in cricket, played S. Thomas' first in 1898 and beat them for the first time in 1913. They started playing against Ananda in 1898, Wesley 1903, St. Joseph's' 1908 St. Anthony's 1914, St. Benedict's 1915 and Zahira in 1927.

Carter who gave the best for the school. He provided the necessary inspiration and enthusiasm and they achieved the best during his time and later he moved to Jaffna. At that time they arranged systematic practices twice a week. The boarders were grouped into four sets playing on the Bogambara and

Industrial school Grounds, with H.C.Jayasinghe who was the secretary of the Trinity Cricket Club.

A study of the game, at Trinity shows that from its early beings in the 1890's Trinity cricket faced, great handicaps but made considerable progress. But it was not till 1913 that it became unquestionably the equal of all schools in the country. In that year, for the first time, Trinity tied for the inter school championship under C.E. Simnitharachchy who later became the principal. Thereafter, the record at cricket is undeniably without peer. It got better and better every year, starting with the last two games of 1920 season. Trinity did not lose a match but won every one of them until half way through the 1925 season when this incredible sequence of victories was unexpectedly broken by St. Joseph's.

This series saw 29 wins in a row. Most of them being by an innings and spread over six seasons must surely be without parallel. At that time the best year was their Jubilee year of 1922 when under Percy

Maralande five matches were won by an innings.

This season's leader at cricket is stylish bat Niroshan Dickwella, who is doing an excellent job. He has scored over 800 runs and also has a good haul of victims behind the stumps.

A fourth year player has won the Lion, the highest award offered by the school at cricket. Niroshan is a technically correct batsman, talented stroke maker. Played for the Sri Lanka Youth team He is leading from the front. He received the best batsman's prize yesterday at the prize giving. A.A. Anas - won the best bowler's award and the special award for representing the Sri Lanka under-19 team, tour of India went to Dickwella and H.D.Wanniarachchi.

The deputy skipper who is a talented bowler Janishka Premasinghe playing his fourth year. With over 50 wickets this season with his off spin, was a member of the Sri Lanka Youth side and earned him the best all-rounder award.

The most experienced player in the side, and last year's is skipper Akila Jayasundara. Playing his sixth year, he pocketed 106 wicket, in his second year of his cricketing career at the age of just 16 years. In that season he missed four games due to junior national trials. A gifted all rounder, won the coveted Lion at the same age of 16.

He won the 2011 best fielders award and the Cricketer of the year award along with the highest award of the school the Ryde Gold Medal, which is awarded to the best all round student of the school went to him. This presentation came yesterday Friday, at the Prize giving, which came form the chief guest M. Imam a distinguished old boy,

This season, Akila's presence is much felt to the side. Last year he was adjudged the best schools captain. This season he has scored nearly 500 runs and taken over 40 wickets. From 1894 the presentation was for the best all rounder, the first to win was E.C. de Alwis, from that point on, there was a break until it was revived for Kandyans only in 1901 and thereafter continued till 1907. But in 1903, it was not awarded. The winner were T.B.Ellepola, C.B. Aluwihare, R.S. Tenakoon, P.C. Dedigama, M.B. Ekanayke.

The Ryde Gold Medal came in 1908, and it first went to J. Andrew, followed by C.E. Simmithirachchy, R. Aluwhare, R.C. Edwards, N.F.L.Moonemalle, S.B. Yatawara, A.P. Maralande, R.Gibson, H. Delwita, K.B. Sangakkara, S.A.Odayar, O L. Z Abdeen, O.L. Izadeen, T.B.Marambe, M. Wanduragala, Lakshman Kadirigamar, A.S.Pilimatalawa, Nimal Maralande, Jayantissa Ratwatte, M. V..C Perera, M.V.M. Mushin, M.T.M. Zaruk, Harindra Dunuwille, Ajith Abeyarthne, R.Sangakkara, A.Unnathene, M. Rajasingham, G.T.A.Samaranayake, C.Y. Ching, R.M.W. Jayasekara, T.K. Congreve, T.S. Dinesh, T.D. Dassanayake, T.B. Ellepolla, G.T. Dissanayake, A.D. Ratwatte, S.G. Ekanayake, A.U. Athureliya, Thushata Weerasuriya, Senani Gunarthne, F.C.S. Jayawardene, P. Hearth, D.N. Athureliya, A.I. Ranhotti, D de Silva, A. Ranaweera, M.R. Dissanayake, H.D. Athaputu, Kumar Sangakkara, U.R. Atiyagoda, I.S. Gamanpilla, K.T.B.Halpe, G.C.B. Welikumbura, M. Madumapatabandi, M.M. Muneer, C.M. Fernando, C.S. Dumbarange, B .M.E.D. Basnayake, B.C. Wadiyatilake, A.D. B Bulunuwewa, M.V. Wijeisnghe and D.C. Bandara. There was no award in 1981 and 2000

The others who have contributed there best this season for Trinity are Heshan Wanniarachchi a fourth year player and a fine all-rounder with over 400 runs. Ron Chandragupta is another fine all-rounder, Rajitha Jayatunga a good knowledgeable batsman, Dinuk Wickremanayake a good player, scored a fine century against Sri Sumangala and has pocketed 667 runs.

Bhayuiya Pallihewardana a fresher is one of the opening bats. Amirth Srimaham a left arm opening bowler has taken 36 wickets, Alwin Fernando, Madushan Subendran are two good pace bowlers. Left arm spinner Lakshan Jayasinghe is also grooming well and has taken 35 wickets in the matches played this season. Others at practices are Laksitha Dassanayake, Aruna Jayasinghe, Pubudu Samarasinghe, Aviska Dissanayake, Dimal Koswatte, Nushan Weerasinghe to name a few.