35th Bata-Sunday Times Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year speaks out

Text and pix by P.D. De Silva
“The 19th of September was the happiest day of my life,” said W.W. Lasith Lakshan of St. Thomas’ College Matara, who walked away with three awards at the 35th Bata-Sunday Times Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year awards night held at the Museaus College Auditorium.

Lasith was named the ‘Best Batsman,’ ‘Best Allrounder’ and ‘School Boy Cricketer of the Year’ in the Emerging Schools category at this year’s Schoolboy Cricket Awards conducted by the Sunday Times.
Lasith gained admission to Grade 6 of St. Thomas’ College Matara where he learnt the ABCs of the game from cricket coaches Imal Liyanage and Sisira Weerasinghe. He learnt the finer points of the game subsequently from coaches P.I.W. Jayasekera, D.P.M.C. Waidyarathna, Amila Witharana and Charith Palliyage, his coach at present.
It did not take long for his mentors to identify Lasith’s inherent talents  and entrust him with the captaincy of STC Matara’s under 13 Division I team in 2009, Under 15 Division I team in 2011 and the Under 17 Division I teams in 2012 and 2013. He leads the Under 19 cricket team this year.
Lasith was a member of the Under 15 Southern Province team in 2010 and 2011 and a member of the Sri Lanka Schools team that toured Malaysia in 2011. He was also a member of the Southern Province Under 17 team and the Sri Lanka Schools Under 17 team which toured England in 2013. He is presently a member of the Southern Province Under 19 team as well as the only schoolboy cricketer from Matara to be included in the Sri Lanka Under 19 squad this year.

Lasith is grateful to his team mates for their support which helped him score 1,448 runs, including four centuries and five half tons,  capture 55 wickets and  latch on to 20 catches during the last under 19  season, which brought him into contention for these awards.
Lasith has been supported at all times by his parents W.W. Nihal Ranjith and K. Chandralatha, younger brother Sandeepa Lakshan, Principal and teachers of St. Thomas’ College Matara and the Old Thomians Cricket Club, who together have helped him bring glory to his alma mater and Matara.