By Callistus Davy
In what must be an extremely rare and extraordinary feat, a cricketer who opens the batting has gone on to claim a staggering 100 wickets, playing for the relatively obscure Sri Sumangala College in Hikkaduwa, located in the southern district of Galle, during the current inter-school cricket season.
Having played competitive cricket for less than a decade, Sri Sumangala College had never made a significant mark until Tharun Damsith de Silva emerged as a late bloomer whose potential was soon discovered and nurtured.
It didn’t take long for Tharun to rise to prominence, becoming arguably the most important player in the team.
“He was a batsman who opened the innings and bowled a kind of leg-spin at practices,” said coach Lakmal Dissanayake. “I knew there was something special about him, and he switched to bowling off-spinners. From what I see in him, Tharun has a bright future ahead as an all-rounder.”
With Tharun’s inclusion, Sri Sumangala College has ascended the ranks, earning their place in the national school cricketing fraternity. They’ve etched their names into the history books by winning the all-island Under-19 Division Three title with an unprecedented 16 wins in a row, possibly a world record, though debatable.
The milestone of 100 wickets was not traditionally a defining statistic in school cricket or one that stirred much curiosity until the mid-1980s, when legendary spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, playing for St. Anthony’s College in Kandy, brought attention to it and turned it into a benchmark.
Tharun’s best bowling figures came against Ananda College, Balangoda, where he claimed an astonishing 8 wickets for just 6 runs.
Sri Sumangala College receives support through a sponsorship from the Foundation of Goodness, spearheaded by former First-Class cricketer Kushil Gunasekera. The organization is a renowned humanitarian initiative aimed at uplifting underprivileged boys and girls in sports, among other social efforts.
One of the most valuable gifts the school has received through this sponsorship is a home ground of its own, complete with turf pitches, making it only the second school in the Southern Province to have such a facility after Mahinda College. The venue was made possible thanks to the generosity of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in the United Kingdom, where Gunasekera is an honorary member and highly regarded.
Sri Sumangala College now stands on the cusp of sporting immortality, as they prepare to face Mahinda Rajapaksa College, Homagama, in the all-island Under-19 knockout tournament final.
