Romesh Suranga outstanding soccerite, spiker and cricketer-by Dilwin Mendis

St. Anthonys College Wattala Cricket Pool 2021 posed for a photograph just after an under 19 tournament match. Romesh Suranga is standing 7th from left in the back row. (Dilwin Mendis, Moratuwa Sports Special Correspondent)

Source:Dailynews

Cricketer, athlete, volleyball player and third year player, left hand opening bat, right arm off spinner and safe fielder in any position Pathmaperuma Arachchige Don Romesh Suranga has brought honour and fame to his Alma Mater St. Anthonys College Wattala. Romesh was born on 1st September 2001 and his parents Dinesh Prasanna and Anusha Ranjani admitted their son to their neighbouring school Seventh Day Adventist High School in 2007 to the Grade One and he joined one of the prestigious Catholic Educational Institutions in the island St. Anthonys College Wattala after passing the Ordinary Level Examination.

Whilst at his first school he took part in the School Inter House Athletic Sports Meet when he was in Grade Four and he swept the board in 50, 75 and 100 metre races and in the next year he represented his school in the relay events at the Divisional and Zonal Meets. He was under 17 Schools Athletic Champion by winning 800, 1500 metres and triple jump but he could not get a place in the Zonal Meet and in 2017 he was the Schools Athletic Champion.

Then in 2018 he was a member of the 4×100 Relay Team and they won at the Divisional, Zonal and District and in the Inter House Meets he won 800, 1500 and 5000 metre races and won in the Divisional Meets and at his former school he played volleyball in the under 16 age group at St. Anthonys he represented under 18 and 20 age groups and they won at the Divisional Tournament. When he was at his former school he joined Kandana Sebastian Cricket Club and came under Asela Sampath and played few friendly matches

In the first year in the under 15 he captained the team and scored 460 runs with three fifties and claimed 27 wickets with two five wicket hauls and he was selected for the Gampaha District under 15 Cricket Pool but could not play in the Prima Cup. In the following year captaining the under 17 team he scored 340 runs with two half centuries and opened batting and bagged 24 wickets. He joined Mercantile Cricket Association and under Mr. Nimal they won the Finals and in the under 15 Nelson Mendis Trophy Tournament they won the third place.

Then in 2018 he joined St. Anthonys College Wattala and came under Safraz Farook and in his first year itself he scored 240 runs in 15 matches and in the following year he got 318 runs with two fifties and claimed 27 wickets with one five wicket haul and got selected for the Gampaha District Cricket Pool. This year under Harshana Silva they participated in the under 19 Limited Over Tournament conducted by Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association and in the Quarter Finals they lost to Ananda College Colombo. Romesh playing in six matches scored 112 runs and captured 13 wickets and scored 44 runs versus Devapathiraja College and against St. Servatius College Matara he took 6 for 36 runs. His Master in Charge is Rev. Fr. Nuwan and the Principal is Rev. Fr. Marl and they were very supportive for cricket. In addition in 2020 he played for the Burgher Recreation Club Colombo Tire “A” Tournament and for “ICON” Campus in the Red Bull Tournament in 2020.