Damindu Ashan – a promising cricketer

Dilwin Mendis- Moratuwa Sports Correspondent

Seventeen year old fourth year coloursman wicket keeper batsman Damindu Ashan of Royal College, Panadura is having a bright future in cricket.

He commenced his cricket career in the under 13 age group and his first coach being former Moratu Vidyalian Sumith Prasanna.

In his second year he was the vice captain and scored 402 runs and in the under 15 age group in his first year he scored 387 runs with four fifties and in his second year he scored 484 runs which included two centuries.

At the very young age Sumith Prasanna absorbed him into the first eleven cricket team and his first year itself he scored 492 and followed by 565 runs in the second year and in the third year he made 560 runs. These scores came in seventeen matches including the Big Match. So far this season in seven matches he has made 394 runs with three fifties with the highest score being 97 against Maliyadeva College.

In wicket keeping he has claimed 33 victims with 25 catches and 8 stumpings.

He is currently playing in the under 17 division one cricket tournament which has come to a temporary halt and so far he has scored 632 runs in nine matches with four not outs and making two centuries and a double hundred with a Bradmansque average of 127.

Damindu Ashan became the first under 17 cricketer to score a double hundred in this age group when he scored an unbeaten 205 against Vidyartha College, Kandy.

He is representing the Kalutara Physical Culture Circle Cricket team in the Sara Trophy and he is picked for the Schools Under 19 cricket trials. How he fared in the under 17 tournament.

Holy Cross – 32
Kalutara Vidyalaya – 27
Tissa Central – 65
Revatha – 07
Sri Sumangala 32 n/o
St. John's – 43
Moratu Vidyalaya – 102 n/o
St. Anthony's, Wattala – 122 n/o
Vidyartha – 205 n/o
Average – 127
Total – 635