4G-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2017

• Lasith back on track but race bound to pick up

After a brief recess last week, Maris Stella College batsman Lasith Croosepulle, who sits at the top of the All-Island Schools segment, regained his usual pace with a weekly record in combined votes as the 21st week’s results of the Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2017 came out.

Lasith added 14,960 combined votes last week, taking his tally to a strong 165,289. This progresses his lead over Navindu Nirmal of St. Aloysius’ College, Galle to a healthy 29,084 as against last week’s vulnerable 16,563. However, the race is still on between the two who are keen to finish off on a high. 

Navindu added 2,439 combined votes in the ended week as his total reached 136,205. With six more weeks to go till the end it could be anybody’s call being an open competition.

Mohamed Najath of Zahira College remains in third place. The full list was pruned down to a Top 10 from this week and it will run the same way until the end of the competition in the first week of July.

Pulitha Yasas of Sri Sumangala College, Panadura seemed to be cruising with a tally of 4,259 votes in the Emerging Schools category, but the entry of Prabash Maduranga of Siri Piyarathana MV Padukka put his stranglehold at risk. Within two weeks Prabash’s count reached 1,821, trailing Yasas by 2,438.

The International Schools category had a major shakeup after Tariq Haniff of Wycherley International School ended the dominance of Shimraz Shahil of Alethea International School.

Important

Please note: Due to the Poya holiday falling on 8 June, readers should send their coupons before 12.00 noon on 7 June. This will be effective only for count 22 of the coming week.

Coupons will run for 26 weeks in the Sunday Times, the two English dailies the Daily Mirror and Daily FT, and the two Sinhala dailies Daily Lankadeepa and Ada, with the final week set from 2 July. Online voting for the Most Popular Cricketer can be done through Dialog Axiata’s digital online voting system portal at www.dialog.lk/cricket. 

The count of week 21 of digital voting was monitored and approved by auditors Price waterhouseCoopers.

All-Island Schools

Lasith Croosepulle (Maris Stella College) 165,289

Navindu Nirmal (St. Aloysius’ Galle) 136,205

Mohamed Najath (Zahira College) 61,918

Charana Nanayakkara (Thurstan College) 10,490

Santhush Goonathilake (St. Peter’s College) 9,189

Dinitha Basnayake (St. Benedict’s College) 6,603

Romesh Nallaperuma (S. Thomas’ College) 6,415

Helitha Vithanage (Royal College) 1,832

Nikesh Anjana (S. Thomas’ College) 1,512

Mohamed Rifaz (President’s College) 1,368

Emerging Schools

Pulitha Yasas (Sri Sumangala Panadura) 4,259

Prabash Maduranga (Siri Piyaratana Padukka) 1,821

Sahan Perera (Christ King Pannipitiya) 322

Imesh Basnayake (St. Peter’s, Gampaha) 305

Gimhana Dhanushka (Piliyandala Central) 130

Nipuna Ransika (P. de S. Kularatne MV) 98

Methushan Thilina (Kegalu Vidyalaya) 84

Suminda Lakshan (De La Salle Mutwal) 51

Raveen Yasas (Devapathiraja Rathgama) 44

Hirusha Mendis (Siddartha Central Balapitiya) 32

Tissara Dilshan Jayananda (National School Polonnaruwa) 8

Shrushee Adhishtana (St. Bernadette Kurunegala) 1

International Schools

Tariq Haniff (Wycherley International) 357

Shimraz Shahil (Alethea International) 331

Readers prizes go to: 

1. Mohan Saverimuttu, 235/9, Greenwood Terrace, Kerawalapitiya, Henadala, Wattala

2. F. Ramza, 12/28, Araliya Uyana, Gorakana, Panadura

3. Janani Perera, 27/158, ‘Big City’, Balika Niwasa Road, Rukmale, Pannipitiya

4. G.D. Mahinda Lal, 279/4, Ovitigama, Padukka