Tamil Union to support Debarawewa cricket for three years

Debarwewa Central College in the Hambantota district has a good cricketing heritage having produced a Test captain in Suranga Lakmal but has fallen on hard times trying to maintain their cricket activities. The school received a generous sponsorship from Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club for a three year period. The club will donate a sum of Rs. 250,000.00 to the school annually.

The Cricket team of Tamil Union, led by Lakmal visited Debarawewa Central College on a cricket development visit last week. Debarawewa Central is home to Lakmal and Test cricketer Dhananjaya de Silva.

The club also donated senior and junior playing equipment as well as playing kits for the 1st XI side for the upcoming season. This is part of Tamil Unions’ effort to support the development of Sri Lanka cricket from grassroots level.

The ceremony was followed by a friendly cricket match comprising of two mixed XI’s featuring both the cricketers of Tamil Union and Debarawewa Central College 1st XI. This match was played in front of the entire school comprising over 2,500 young boys and girls. This game has inspired aspiring young cricketers, both male and female, as they watched a proud product of the school take the field once more at the school grounds where his cricketing journey saw its humble beginnings.

Lakmal came to the club as a youngster and Dinal Philips (PC) was like a father figure to him looking after his every need. Soon, Janashakthi offered him employment and Lakmal went onto become Sri Lanka’s most successful fast bowler in Test cricket after Chaminda Vaas.

Lakmal has been with the club throughout his Sri Lanka career. He captained the club in 2015 when they won the League title and the one-day trophy in 2021.

This follows a long tradition at the Tamil Union C & AC in supporting cricketers from the south, commencing with Upul Sumathipala in the 1970s, to the Samarasekara brothers, Champaka Ramanayake, Upul Chandana and more recently Suranga Lakmal and Dhananjaya de Silva.

The principal of Debarawewa Central College Mr. W.A. Nimal in his address commended the Tamil Union in taking a raw talent and nurturing and developing him to become the captain of the Sri Lanka Test team. He also paid tribute to Lakmal for his achievements, and said it is an inspiration to all the boys and girls in the school. He concluded by thanking the Tamil Union for making this event a success and for their commitment to develop cricket.

Lakmal in his inspiring address encouraged the students to always march forward and achieve their goals. He expressed his gratitude to the school which had nurtured him, and to the club that has played an integral role in developing him as a cricketer.

Balan Asirwatham in his address emphasized that the Tamil Union which is the venue of the first ever Test match played on Sri Lankan soil has fostered cricket throughout generations irrespective of race and religion and has contributed immensely to the development of Sri Lanka cricket. Presently the Tamil Union operates as the headquarters of the Sri Lanka Women’s team, due to the wide range of facilities available at the club premises, including outdoor turf and cement nets, indoors nets, pool, and gym.

Incidentally, two long standing teammates at Tamil Union C & AC of Suranga Lakmal’s are World record holders in Test cricket. Muttiah Muralidaran the highest wicket taker in Test cricket history (800) and Rangana Herath the highest wicket taking left arm bowler in Test cricket (422).

The 123-year-old Tamil Union C & AC was officially represented by its Patron Former All Ceylon cricketing star Chandra Schaffter, President Ramesh Schaffter, General Secretary Balan Asirwatham, Former President and former Chairman Cricket Dinal Philips and several other club officials, along with members of the current cricket team.