Ragama CC’s Janith Liyanage staged a virtual single handed battle with the bat, but fell short of steering his side to victory in a lost cause in the big stakes final against NCC in the recently concluded Sri Lanka Cricket Limited Overs Major Club Tournament.

However, the 25-year old former St. Peter’s College, Colombo, product, did have the consolation of the rich reward of the Player of the Tournament on a tournament average of 138 per innings having scored a century and five half centuries in six in six innings.   It did illustrate that valour in defeat is as much a defining element in cricket’s player success stories.

Speaking to Sri Lanka Cricket website www.cricket.lk, Janith attributed his success as a batsman to his commitment to the game through sheer practice. For Janith, practice is the password to becoming a better player..

SPEND 4-5 HOURS DAILY AT THE NETS

“I would put down my success to becoming the Player of the Tournament due to sheer commitment and  hard work practicing in getting better and better. I put in about 4 to 5 hours a day at the nets. It has enabled me to forge my career as an all-rounder.” he said while making a point to praise Sri Lanka Cricket for paving the way for players like him to be recognised by conducting such a tournament.

Janith said that he started playing cricket at Lalith Athulathmudali Vidyalaya as a Grade-6 student where his coach was Ravindra Weligoda. He went on to join St. Peter’s College as a Grade-7 student where he was coached by Ravindra Ravindra Devapura and Nelson Mendis and subsequently under Keerhi Gunaratne.

BIG DREAM FOR A NATIONAL CALL UP

“I earned a call up to represent Ragama CC thanks to my coach Keerhi Gunaratne. On joining the club I was also helped along by Roshan Abeysinghe,” he added.

An employee at EWIS Company, Janith’s big cricket dream is all about further impressing and catching the national selectors’ eye to representing the Sri Lanka national team.

“My big dream is to practice harder and further develop my game and make it to the Sri Lanka team,” Janith rounded off.