Wayamba Royal in the process of team building

S M Jiffrey Abdeen Kandy Sport Correspondent

It is going to be a very difficult season for Wayamba Royal College as they are in the process of team building as a result many of last year's players being not available this season.

Adding to their woes is that they do not have a good ground to practice and they will have to practice in a makeshift place which could affect their performances. Further they have to often play their home matches outside Kurunegala and at times out of the Province too. The grounds in Kurunegala are fully occupied and one home match they had to play at Peradeniya and the other matches at Giriulla. This is the problem facing Wayamba Royal College who are striving hard to keep themselves in reckoning.

The team will be led by all-rounder Tharindra Ekanayake, a third year player. A good medium pacer who will open the attack and he is also a good middle order bat with several good scores to his credit.

The vice captain of the side is Akila Withanage who is playing in his second year and will open the attack with his skipper and a good left hand bat. Perhaps the best batsman in the side is fourth year player Hasanka Lahiru Arachchi, a very aggressive batsman who goes for the bowling from the start and in one match he scored a hundred in 55 balls but yet found himself on the losing side. He is also the stumper of the side.

Tilina Sampath is another good medium pacer who could also open the attack and a hard hitting batsman.

Others who should be among the runs are Neomal Panditha, Yasodh Kavinda, Suneth Balasuriya, and Ravindu Tennakoon.

The pace attack will be in the hands of skipper Tharindra Ekanayake, Akila Withanage, Tilina Sampath, Neomal Panditha and Yasodh Kavinda.

The spin attack will rest with Arvinda Senanayake (leg spin). Lakshith Balasuriya (left arm spin) and 14-year-old Ravindu Tennakoon who bowls off cutters.

The others in the squad are, Chalana Ratnayake, Lakmal Herath, Tuan Faroon, Bhathiya Kumarasinghe, Avishka Jayasinghe, Chamath Wijesinghe.

The team is coched by former Dharmaraja College and Kandy Youths CC cricketer Sampath Silva who has a difficult task in moulding the side as most of them are inexperienced and from the junior side. Also helping the side are Wayamba Provincial Coach Lanka de Silva, Provincial Manager Ajith Ekanayake and the two Kurunegala District coaches Suresh Peiris and Prasad Ranawaka. Nihal C Dissanayake is the Master-In-Charge. Wayamba Royal in theprocess of team building