Lahiru leads Randev by over 600 votes
602 votes is what Randev Pathirana needs, if he wishes to topple Lahiru Wickramasinghe, who stays safe as the leader for the second consecutive week of the 35th Bata-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2014 contest. Wickramasinghe of De Mazenod College Kandana ousted Pathirana last week and gained an advantage of 456 votes and by this weekend he has progressed further by 601 votes as the competition reaches its 12th week.
The third place is where Akila Lakshan of Royal College Panadura has found refuge in. He is almost 20,000 votes behind the top two in the main competition and leads Ravin Sayer of Trinity College Kandy by a healthy margin of 4171 votes. Competition can be stiff among the contenders from fifth to eighth. The places are held by Priyamal Perera, Nimesh Gunasinghe A.K. Tyronne and Kusal Mendis respectively. One of the top achievers for the week is Madushan Chameera of Isipathana College. He was never near the top ten until this week. He began his journey right at the bottom and by the 12th week he has braced all the odds to reach the tenth position.
Danushka Lahiru of Vidyaloka Vidyalaya Galle is experiencing a wonderful time, leading the Emerging Schools contest for the 12th consecutive week. However the difference between Lahiru and second place Lahiru Vimukthi of Sri Sumangala College Panadura is a mere count of 353 votes.
Romesh Madushan of Leighton Park continues his dominance in the International Schools category, with a strong lead of 8152 votes and place is more or less secured unless Rasanjana Mallikarachchi of Lyceum Nugegoda comes out with a surprise. The top two in this segment are strong contenders unlike Farshath Fazal and Nimasha Perera who are way behind them.
Coupons of the 35th Bata-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2014 will appear on Wijeya Newspaper’s dailies, the Daily Mirror and Lankadeepa and also its weekend English issue, the Sunday Times. Readers will be able to send in as much as coupons in favour of their favourite schoolboy cricketer until end of May.