Royal field star studded team this year

Thushan Jayasuriya

Royal College, a school in the forefront of the under19 division one arena, is on its way to dominate this season with their coloursmen studded line up.

This season, Royal College started their victorious journey beating Isipatana College by 10 wickets. Their matches against Richmond Galle, St.Benedicts, Mahinda Galle and D.S.Senanayake College Colombo ended with Royal taking major honours .The Reid Avenue School will field a formidable team with nine coloursmen in their ranks .

The team is led by second year coloursman Devind Pathmanathan who is in good form.Last season he captured a total of 59 wickets.This season, he took eight wickets in three matches.In 2011, he captured 63 wickets with his left arm leg spin. He is also a dependable batsman who scored over 300 runs last year.

Third year player Milan Abeysekara will be his deputy.This stylish left hander has excelled with his aggressive batting. He cracked a total of 745 runs in the last season.His highest individual score was against Thurstan College (112 runs).This season he has scored a total of 345 runs with a highest individual performance of 101 not out against Mahinda College, Galle. And as a wicketkeeper Abeysekara took 48 catches and 16 stumpings last season which gave him a tally of 64 victims.

They have an experienced opening pair in Isuru Gunatilleke and Roanaka Ahangamage.Gunatilleke scored 683 runs last year with a top score of 97 not out against St.Joseph's and also made a fine 67 in the big match against S.Thomas’ Roanaka Ahangamage has given of his best to keep Royal College on winning track.This second year right hander scored 453 runs last season. His best performance was 131 runs against Thurstan College.

All rounder Poorna Aluthge has been another tower of strength to the Royal College under 19 first XI.With his superb batting he has been able to make his school proud.This dazzling right hander has scored a total around 300 runs with a best score of 40 runs against Trinity College Kandy.Not only with batting, but also contributes to the side with his fine bowling.Poorna captured 40 wickets in 17 matches last year.This season he took a match bag of seven wickets against Isipatana College.

Third year coloursman Heshan Kumarasiri is an unforgettable name when it comes to cricket at Royal College.This fine right hander made some sparkling knocks last season totalling 750 runs with a top score of 137 runs against S.Thomas'College, Mount Lavinia which helped them to amass the highest total in the Royal-Thomian series of 413 for nine wickets.In his first year (2011) he scored exactly 1000 runs including four centuries with a rare feat of twin centuries against Trinity College Kandy when he made 103 and 100 not out at Reid Avenue.

Right hander Sampath de Silva is another fine player for the Royalists who is playing in his third year. Sampath supported the side with his aggressive batting performance in the dying stages in the tournament. Last season he scored around 380 runs with a highest score of 151 runs against S.Thomas'College, Mount Lavinia in the mini battle . This season he scored 288 runs with a best score of 74 not out against D.S.Senanayake College, Colombo.

Anupa Tillekeratne, right arm fast bowler is a utility player in the bowling department who plays in his third year. He took 24 wickets and seven catches during last season. Unfortunately, he couldn't do much as he had to undergo injuries in the current season.Tillekeratne will share the new ball with 16 year old Chamika Karunaratne who had a fine season last year he hit more than 300 runs including three 50s against Ananda, St.Peter's. and St.Joseph's and also captured over 30 wickets. The Reid Avenue school's forte is their spin attack of Devind Pathmanathan left arm leg spin , Poorna Aluthge (off spin) and left arm leg spinner Harith Samarasinghe who has shown impressive form this season including a six wicket haul against Isipatana.

The Royalists are being coached by Neil Rajapakse who is taking great pains to mould them in to a formidable outfit.

He is getting all the support from Director of Coaching Dilip Somaratne who coached Royal successfully for three years from 1990 to 1992 which included two big match wins in 1990 and 1991.

Royal is one of the oldest cricket playing schools with a cricketing history of over 130 years.

It has produced nine Sri Lanka Captains C.H.Gunasekara Snr, Edward Kelaart, L.D.S.Gunasekara, Sargo Jayawickrama, Derrick de Saram, C.I.Gunasekara, Sathi Coomaraswamy, Gamini Goonesena and Ranjan Madugalle.

It has also produced some of the finest cricketers who have represented Sri Lanka with distinction Carl Van Geyzel, Russell Heyn, Robert de Kretser, Mahesh Rodrigo, Channa Gunasekara, Daya Sahabandu, Fritzroy Crozier, Darrell Lieversz, Nihal Kodithuwakku and in recent years test cricketers Ashantha de Mel,Jayantha Amarasinghe, Rohan Jayasekara, Roshan Jurangpathy and Jehan Mubarak who have brought honour to the school with their dazzling displays in the field in addition to the above named national captains.

The Royal College under 19 first XI squad consists of Devind Pathmanathan(Captain), Milan Abeysekara(Vice Captain), Poorna Aluthge, Roanaka Ahangamage, Sampath de Silva,Chamika Karunaratne, Isuru Gunatilleke, Anupa Tillekeratne, Heshan Kumarasiri, Shaminda Dias, Hashen Ramanayake, Harith Samarasinghe, Geeshath Panditharatne, Shanuka Kodithuwakku, Dulith Hettiarachchi.

Coach : Neil Rajapakse
Asst.Coach : Gamini Perera
Director of Cricket : Dilip Somaratne
Master-In-Charge : E.G.M.Rajakaruna