Sri Devananda - a fresher laden side

S M Jiffrey Abdeen- Kandy Sports Correspondent

With many of last year's regular players not available Sri Devananda College, Ambalangoda may find going tough this season but they are determined to make a good impact.

Like Dharmasoka College, Sri Devananda College too has put the coastal town of Ambalangoda on the sporting map. Both these schools have excelled in table tennis, badminton and swimming apart from other sports. The national table tennis champion for women for the past six years Ishara Madurangi is from this school. Both these schools are co-education institutions and they have given top priority and cricket is one of them. Leading Sri Devananda Collee this season is all-rounder Umesh Udayanga who will be playing in his third year. He will spearhead the side's attack and as a right hand top order batsman he scored 405 runs last season. Much will depend on his performances for the team's success. The vice captain of the side is Sakun Kanchana de Silva who will be also playing in his fourth year. An attacking right hand batsman who scored 320 last season and also captured 25 wickets with his right arm off spinners.

Wicket keeper batsman Yoshan de Silva is another player who did well last year scoring 350 runs.

The fortunes of Sri Devananda College will depend on how this trio will perform on the field along with Mahesh Sanjeewa who scored 300 runs and Lahiru Prasanga who also did well to score 275 runs during the season.

The rest of the players from the junior squad and they are being tried and will have to prove their mettle. The other batsmen in the side are Dhanuka Madhusha, Nilakshan Dilhara and Sachintha Hashan.

Spearheading the attack will be skipper Umesh Udayanga and Mahesh Sanjeewa and for extra pace there is Arvindu Udara Chulani Anjana who has been also opening the attack when the necessity arose and Ranush Kanchana. Sakun Kanchana de Silva an off spinner is the main spinner of the side followed Lahiru Prasanga (off spinner), Danuka Madhushan Silva (leg spinner), Nilakshan Dilhara (off spinner) and Nimesh Mendis (leg spinner). Their slow bowling appears to be weak but should pick up as the season progresses.

The others in the squad are Chatura Milan (bat), Chathura Dananjaya (left arm spinner), Wathsala Chathuranga (left arm spinner) and Hirantha Fonseka (bat).

The team is coached by former Galle CC and Singha SC cricketer Suraj Sanjeewa with Ratnasiri Batuwangala as the Master-in-Charge.