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Antonians - a fine all-round side in 2012

S M Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports Correspondent

By Courtesy http://www.dailynews.lk/2012/01/31/spo20.asp

St Anthony’s College, Katugastota fielding an all-round side could look forward to a highly successful season.

St Anthony’s College, led by all-rounder Kanishka Ranaraja have already sounded a warning to other schools by scoring an emphatic six wicket win over Dharmaraja College and also performed well against Royal College, Dharmapala College, Pannipitiya and Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa this week which they should have won if only time had not stalled them. All these matches played this term were away from home.

Kanishka Ranaraja who is playing in his fourth year started as medium fast bowler has improved tremendously as a batsman scoring a hundred against Vidyartha College. He scored 550 runs and captured 30 wickets last season.

The vice captain of the side is fourth year player and opening bat Manoj Sarathchandra who scored 730 runs last season including two centuries.

He may have reached 1000 runs if not for the fact that he missed five games due to injuries during the latter part of the season. He is the stumper of the side and had 45 victims last season.

Junior national player and all-rounder Saranga Rajaguru will be playing for the Antonians for the second year. He is one of the leading leg spinners in the schools today and has made many trips abroad with the junior national team. Though playing only in five matches last season due to junior national duty captured 35 wickets and scored 320 runs with his aggressive batting.

Two junior cricketers who need watching are two all-rounders Nimesha Gunasinghe and Sachin Bulathsinghala, both have just turned 15.

Nimesha Gunasinghe is a top class off spinner and a stubborn middle order bat. His bowling brought the Antonians their win over the Rajans. Sachin Bulathsinghala too is a fine off spinner and a stubborn middle order bat.

Their batting will largely depend on the performance of opener Yohan Woods, Manoj Sarathchandra, Nimesha Gunasinghe, Sachin Bulathsinghala, Madhushan Pussella, Romesh Macwin, Dinuk Herath, Kanishka Ranaraja and Saranga Rajaguru.

The bowling will be spearheaded by Kanishka Ranaraja and Dinuk Herath or Tharaka Jayasinghe. The other medium pacers are Charles Praveen and Chamal Gunasekera.

But the hopes of the Antonians will lie on their spin attack led by leg spinner Saranga Rajaguru and giving more teeth to the spin attack are off spinners Nimesha Gunasinghe, Sachin Bulathsinghala, Romesh Macwin and lending support will be leg spinners Bhuwaneka Wijetunga, Bhathiya Liyanage and Pubudu Wijewardena.

The team is coached by former Prince of Wales cricketer and Colombo and Badulla District coach of Sri Lanka Cricket Sujeewa Gunaratne who has taken over the coaching this year. He will be assisted by Lakshman Panditharatne.

The others in the squad are Damithra Panditharatne, Lakshman Walagampaya and Dilan Bandara.