Minuwangoda Nalanda Central’s Kavindu Maduranga 1st to capture 100 wickets in Division III
Establishing two records in a single season is Kavindu Maduranga of Nalanda Central College, Minuwangoda. The vice captain of the side, he was the first to claim 100 wickets in the history of the century-old school and also the first to capture 100 wickets in the Singer Division III Schools Cricket tournament.
An orthodox left-arm spinner Maduranga has taken 101 wickets with an average of 9.23 runs per wicket. His best was a match bag of 14 for 74 against Bandaranaike Central School, Veyangoda. He has claimed nine 5-fers. Maduranga’s a century of wickets came off 13 games with a pre-quarter-final match to be played in the knockout round.
He is a useful batsman who has scored over 300 runs so far this season. Last year, Maduranga scored 535 runs and claimed 51 wickets, and was adjudged runner-up to Best All-rounder at the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year contest.
A heady bowler who warms up in his first two or three overs to get his line and length, and then starts attacking the batsmen with sharply turning leg-spinners, coupled with a dangerous arm ball. His main weapon is the arm ball, which he delivers at varied pace, which the batsmen have difficulty in reading. When he starts to operate, the other end bowlers always support him in keeping the batsmen quiet.
He always prefers to bowl to an attacking field and, of the 101 wickets, over 60 wickets have come from close catching positions. A fine team man who always lends a helping hand to the juniors both in batting and bowling. The strong batting lineup of Nalanda Central School always gives its ace bowler Maduranga a good score to bowl at.
According to Maduranga, it is due to the support he receives from his teammates on the field, which has helped him immensely in reaching the 100 wicket milestone. He learned the basics of the game from coach Omila Wickremasinghe who was his coach from Under-13. Maduranga said he is a coach who guides the cricketers of the school in a way that every cricketer pays a high respect. He is not only the coach, at times he is like a father who looks into their welfare, and even the cricketers come to him seeking his advice on personal issues.
Maduranga’s dedication, sacrifice and application to the game is the result of this achievement and goes out to play the game hard, maintaining the best traditions of the game.
An A-Level student with an another season of school cricket ahead of him, this keen cricketer’s target is to give his best as an all-round cricketer to his team, and don the national cap to bring honour to the school as the first national cricketer from Nalanda Central School.