As we look towards a dawn of another new year in the calendars, the sporting arena records this as a start of another sporting season. A fresh start; a time for new hope, to face new challenges and succeed in them. While we speak, the cricket frenzied nation is on the verge of setting the stage up for the 2012/2013 Schools cricket season to get underway in full strength.
While preparations are going on steady, the legitimate heirs of the School Cricketing arena who hail from the hill-capital of the country are readying their troops for battle. We take a look at the two time champions and triple crown winners Trinity College in our pre-season round up.
Brief History
Trinity college was one of the institutions to embrace cricket as a sport, the earliest speaks of a rich history of over 100 years since its inception in 1910. Over the past century in cricket, Trinity has achieved and surpassed milestones of glory and had the privilege of producing cricketers who brought fame to the country such as Ravi Ratnayaka, Kaushalya Weeraratna and of course former national skipper Kumar Sangakkara.
The 21st century has been Trinity’s revolutionary time frame and last year’s season marks the pinnacle of its journey as Trinity gained the rare feat of achieving the Triple Crown for their dominance in all three formats of the game. The year of 2010 marks the beginning of Trinity’s supremacy. Under the captaincy of Akila Jaysundara Trinity College registered 10 outright victories that set a new record for the most number of outright victories and as well as the one for the consecutive outright wins which is 8 in a row.
2011/12 – recap
Overseeing the mark left by his predecessor, Niroshan Dickwella went on to achieve greatness trodding in paths which no one had ever. As skipper, leading a team of talented individuals, Dickwella achieved the rare feat of being the champion side in all three formats of the sport. His team kept the record for the most number of outright victories which previously set by Trinity itself which counts up to 11. While regaining the league title, Trinity College held possession of the one-day champion’s title having ending up as runners-up in two previous occasions.
Above all of these achievements, Trinity’s big-match victory will be a feat that would be remembered and praised for a lifetime. Breaking the long standing hoo-do0 of 25 years, Trinity College conquered their big-match counterparts St. Anthony’s College to an innings and one run. Dickwella will be remembered for his achievements, as he was adjudged Best Schoolboy Cricketer, Best Captain and Best All-Rounder which prophesies a bright future for him.
Pre-Season Run-up
Trinity’s is yet to begin their essay this season having played less than four games this season. The hill-capital lads pre season run up is worthy of praise as they were able to conquer foreign teams. Having been crowned as T20 champions, Trinity College was nominated to represent Sri Lanka in the Schools Invitational T20 Champions held in Aligarh, India. The T20 tourney which ran in pararell with the T20 World Cup had the teams representing all parts of India and foreign teams from the Indian sub-continent.
Though being not able to proceed further than the quarter-finals, they were able to leave their mark surpassing the local talent. Trinity was able to register several records under their name as they progressed through the tourney such as the highest innings total in a school’s T20 game which was 256 runs in the allotted twenty. In the same game, Rajitha Jayathunga went down in the Indian cricketing records for scoring the fastest 50 in just 10 balls and Lakshan Jayasinghe for his record haul of 7 wickets for 5 runs.
Prolific Coach Sampath Perera on Term #5
If there is any person who deserves credit for the team’s progress and its achievements, it is none other than Coach Sampath Perera. At a time when Trinity’s cricket was in a gradual decline, it was this gentleman’s inspiration that took the team to the place where it stands in the present day. A product of D.S Senanayaka College, Sampath Perera was a renown first-class cricket player who played for Bloomfield and BRC prior to taking up coaching.
Guiding a team to league championship titles in two consecutive years is no ordinary feat and it takes ones fullest commitment. Alas, Sampath Perera has been successfully able to revolutionize the declining to a match winning outfit.
Lionsman Dinuk Wickeremanayaka to Lead the Lions
To lead a team in a cricketing season requires a whole deal of dedication leadership. Fourth year player & Lionsman Dinuk Wickremanayaka will be leading the Lion contingent this season. A versatile middle-order batsman, Dinuk has showcased qualities of a great personality in and off the field. At crucial times when the team needed the breakthrough, the captains of the past two years have always resorted to Wickremanayaka.
One would always remember Dinuk’s breathtaking stand of 150 which he accumulated last season against St. Joseph’s at a very needy moment. At a point when his team was struggling at 58 runs for the loss of five wickets, it was Wickremanayaka together with Akila Jayasundara who put up a partnership of over 200 runs to play Trinity safe. That would be one innings which Dinuk would remember a lifetime.
Dinuk will be leading his team this season keeping in mind the great feats of his predecessors Dickwella and Jayasundara and will be engraved with the mindset of an achievement even higher.
Fresh Outfit This Year
Trinity’s company this year is one of a different nature than other season as they field in a fresh and new outfit. One of the main strengths of Trinity over past seasons have been their batting department and this time too we see a potentially powerful batting line-up.
Filling Dickwella’s position at the top, wicket-keeper batsman Lakshitha Dassanayaka pairs up with Bhagya Palihawadana as openers. The duo, known for their aggressive style of batting have laid the foundation at all possible times for those big three- figure stands which Trinity builds.
The Super Trio: Chandragupta, Jayathunga & Wickermanayaka
The two colorsmen of the side Ron Chandragupta and Rajitha Jayathunga with skipper Dinuk Wickremanayaka will strengthen the Lion’s middle order. Much will be expected from the third-year Chandragupta who bats at the number three spot as his stands would be the deciders in their encounters to come. Deputy skipper and all-rounder Rajitha Jayathunga who has had a great record on books last season will be the player to look out for. In addition to his batting record, he has proven vital over the past few years and will want to make his final run a memorable one.
Wickeremanayaka who battled out many pressurized situations in the middle-order will find countering such moments not at an obstacle even while shouldering responsibilities of his captaincy.
Bowling Department
Over the past decade, there has been a vast improvement in the bowling arena of the lads of the hill-capital. This year we see a mixed pace-spin attack, a comparatively different one when compared to all other years.
Lakshan Jaysinghe; Most valued Possession
One of the team’s most valued possessions would be their spin bowler Lakshan Jayasinghe. Coming in to the cricket season last year, he ended up leaving records not just at home, but also on foreign soil. Having picked up over 50 wickets last season, Jaysinghe will be leading the spin-attack this year. Above all Jayasinghe’s performance in Trinity’s famous big-match win last year was his best. Just as his past mentor, skipper Wickremanayaka will resort to this young lad even at crucial moments knowing the fact that he would never let his skipper or his team down.
Other options for spin would be freshers Raveen Sayer and Charith Sudaraka as well as skipper Wickeremanayaka who could be handy with the ball.
Ballastic Amrith Srimahan will take duties as opening paceman in the side. The gangling six footer, who would be playing his full season this year ,would have intentions of bamboozling his opponents with the his sheer pace. Madushan Subendran will be assisting Srimahan in pace this year for the lions.
Final Words
Two time league champions and Triple Crown holders Trinity College Kandy will be at full strength this season with intentions of reaching beyond the achievements of the past season. Playing less than five matches yet, it is too early to make predictions. Skipper Dinuk Wickeremanayaka will want to retain the Triple Crown honor once again for another year while trying to reach out for the unreachable.
Brace yourselves; the Lions are ready to roar!
Click Here to view the Pictures of Trinity College Cricket Pre-Season Training
