Kurunegala Youth CC lift Major Club Three-Day Plate trophy

Kurunegala Youth Cricket Club, led by Captain Sameera Sandamal, won the Major Club Three-Day Plate Championship organised by Sri Lanka Cricket, completing an impressive comeback in the tournament.

Kurunegala Youth entered the Plate segment after finishing last in Group B of the Major Club Three-Day Tournament with 38.84 points. Badureliya (44.29 points) and Tamil Union (40.095 points) also qualified from the same group. However, Kurunegala Youth outperformed their rivals to emerge as Plate champions.

From Group A, Panadura SC (42.705 points), Nugegoda SC (41.905 points) and Chilaw Marians CC (28.7 points) joined the Plate competition. All teams started the Plate segment with equal bonus points and competed against teams from the opposite group. Kurunegala Youth remained unbeaten to secure the title.

Their only outright win came in the final match, where they defeated Chilaw Marians CC by five wickets at the Surrey Grounds, Maggona.

Kurunegala Youth’s highest total was 404 runs against Tamil Union at the NCC Grounds, with Gayan Maneeshan (160) and Sameera Sandamal (106) scoring centuries. Maneeshan missed the final match due to a leg injury.

Captain Sameera Sandamal was the key all-rounder for Kurunegala Youth, scoring 335 runs in 15 innings, including a century, and taking 14 wickets. His best innings was 106 off 153 balls against Tamil Union, while his best bowling figures were 3 for 26 against Moors.

Sandamal leads from the front

Captain Sameera Sandamal played a pivotal role in Kurunegala Youth’s title-winning campaign, emerging as the team’s leading all-rounder. He scored 335 runs in 15 innings, including a century, and captured 14 wickets with his right-arm spin.

His best batting performance was 106 off 153 balls against Tamil Union CC, which included 14 fours. His best bowling figures in the tournament were 3 for 26 against Moors SC.

Sandamal, who has played 53 first-class matches, has scored 1,967 runs, with five centuries and four half-centuries, while also taking 41 wickets.

Lakshan Edirisinghe was the leading run-scorer for Kurunegala Youth, registering a century and three half-centuries. He also hit the most boundaries for the team, with 48 fours and 15 sixes.

All-rounder Chamikara Edirisinghe impressed with the ball, recording best figures of 6 for 91 against BRC and match figures of 7 for 158 against Badureliya.

Wicketkeeper Manoj Sarathchandra excelled behind the stumps with 16 catches and seven stumpings, the best by a wicketkeeper in the tournament.

Young openers Yohan Maddage and Lakvin Abeysinghe shared a vital 136-run partnership in the final against Chilaw Marians CC.

Kurunegala Youth Cricket Club’s title-winning campaign was further strengthened by the guidance of head coach Prasad Ranawaka and manager Ajith Ekanayake, whose leadership played a key role in the team’s success.

The Kurunegala Youth Cricket Club squad consisted of Sameera Sandamal (captain), Danushka Dharmasiri, Yohan Maddage, Kasun Ekanayake, Rashmika Madushanka, Manoj Sarathchandra (wicketkeeper), Aravinda Premaratne, Lakshan Edirisinghe, Dinushka Malan, Lakvin Abeysinghe, Lochana Somaratne, Nadith Dissanayake, Gayan Maneeshan, Gayana Weerasinghe, Chamod Sandaru, Lahiru Jayaratne, Dilhara Polgampala, Madhava Warnapura, Chamikara Edirisinghe, Ranitha Liyanarachchi, Randheera Ranasinghe and Dulanjala Mendis.

The team officials were Manager Ajith Ekanayake, Head Coach Prasad Ranawaka, Physio Ranuka Jayaratne, S. S. S. Senarath (masseur), Asitha Bernard (analyst) and Sumith Gunawardena (scorer).