Lasith creates history in polling; tops the 200,000 mark

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

The overall leader Lasith Croosepulle of Maris Stella College, Negombo became the first to reach the milestone of 200,000 votes in the history of the competition, as the Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2017 competition reaches its 23rd week.

Lasith, who usually has a good following, added 11,042 combined votes to take his tally to 208,071 votes and take a overwhelming lead of 67,653 in the all-island segment – the best margin recorded in the competition’s history. With this development, Lasith becomes a clear contender to finish off the race in style, considering his present lead and the continuous flow of combined votes. Last week, Lasith and second-in-line Navindu Nirmal of St. Aloysius’ College, Galle had a deficit of 58,575, but by this week it swells further, making the leader’s future quite safe with a few more weeks to go.

Navindu, in the meantime, added 1964 combined votes to take his total count to 140,418 but stands far behind the leader. His progress was not as hot as the beginning and his weekly addition keeps dropping. Unless his followers flock together to perform a miracle, Navindu has a slim chance to topple Lasith. Mohamed Najath of Zahira College continues to remain in third place.

In the emerging schools segment, a clash is on the cards between leader Pulitha Yasas of Sri Sumangala College, Panadura and Prabash Maduranga of Siri Piyarathana, Padukka. Yasas added 607 combined votes in the ended week, to move his tally up to 4926 while Prabash added 1057 to move to 3522. The deficit stands as 1404 in favour of Yasas at the moment. The international schools category, which had a major shakeup after Tariq Haniff of Wycherley International School ended the dominance of Shimraz Shahil of Alethea International School two weeks ago, is dominated by the former.

Coupons will run for 26 weeks in the Sunday Times, the two English dailies – the Daily Mirror and DailyFT – and the two Sinhala dailies – Daily Lankadeepa and Ada – with the final week set from 2 July. Online voting can be done through Dialog Axiata’s digital online voting system portal to vote for the most popular cricketer via www.dialog.lk/cricket. The count of week 23 of digital voting was monitored and approved by auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers.

All-Island Schools:

Lasith Croosepulle 

(Maris Stella College) 208071 

Navindu Nirmal (

St. Aloysius› Galle) 140418 

Mohamed Najath 

(Zahira College) 62435 

Charana Nanayakkara 

(Thurstan College) 10501 

Santhush Goonathilake 

(St. Peter›s College) 9373 

Dinitha Basnayake 

(St. Benedict›s College) 6925 

Romesh Nallaperuma 

(S. Thomas› College) 6415 

Helitha Vithanage (Royal College) 1838 

Nikesh Anjana 

(S. Thomas› College) 1702 

Mohamed Rifaz 

(Presidents College) 1412 

Emerging Schools:

Pulitha Yasas 

(Sri Sumangala Panadura) 4926 

Prabash Maduranga 

(Siri Piyaratana Padukka) 3522 

Sahan Perera 

(Christ King Pannipitiya) 720 

Imesh Basnayake 

(St. Peter›s Gampaha) 348 

Gimhana Dhanushka 

(Piliyandala Central) 130 

Nipuna Ransika 

(P. de S. Kularatne MV) 98 

Methushan Thilina 

(Kegalu Vidyalaya) 84 

Suminda Lakshan 

(De La Salle Mutwal) 53 

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)522 

Shimraz Shahil 

(Alethea International) 463 

Readers’ prizes go to: Sisil Vijitha, 129F, Abanvita, Gampaha

T. Seneviratne, 99, New Road, Kottawa, Pannipitiya

Lal Wijekulasuriya, 8A, Flower Road, Colombo 7

W. de Silva, 320/10/1, Rathnarama Road, Hokandara North