Two rookie pacies, one from a little known hamlet of Uthuru Magala, some 8 miles off Karandeniya, and the other from Katuneriya, a locality in Negombo, guiding their Division-II schools to the last hurdle in their journey towards Division-I promotion with an outstanding performance, was the highlight in this year’s Inter-school Under-17 Division-II quarter-final matches held during the last two weeks.

Prabath Chathuranga, a lanky right-arm paceman of Karandeniya Central, picked up six wickets to restrict favourites Thurstan College to a low score while Pasindu Lakshan of St. Sebastian’s College, Katuneriya, ripped through the batting line-up of St. Aloysius’ College, Ratnapura, with a fine eight-wicket haul.

There were similarities between these pacies and their schools.

Both schools had nothing for them to lose in these battles which had been often dominated by Colombo second string school players in their Under-17 category.

While a win would have put them close to Division-I promotion, a defeat could keep them in the company of all outstation schools that are vying for promotion along with Colombo’s ‘B’ teams, for another long year. And, incidentally both schools were playing on a turf wicket for the first time this year. And, most significantly, Chathuranga was playing in his fifth ‘hard ball’ cricket match.

The Under-17 Division-II tournament is the qualifying stage for numerous outstation schools to enter Division-I and it is also a stage for players of ‘B’ teams of Colombo schools to impress their respective school officials so as to get a place in their upper ‘A’ teams.

At the end of a hard fought league stage in the second round, six teams (‘B’ teams) from Colombo’s powerhouse and ten teams from outstations and Colombo suburbs had entered the knockout stage. When the tournament reached the last three matches last week, two Colombo Colleges and two outstation schools had shared the last four spots available.

While St. Sebastian’s edged out both Sri Buddhajayanthi MMV and St. Aloysius’ College in a row to enter semi-finals, Karandeniya Central turned tables on both the Colombo teams they faced. A three-wicket victory against S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, and a remarkable nine-wicket victory against Thurstan College made them book a berth in the semis played against Nalanda.

The tournament was played on matting wickets until the quarter-final stage and it is remarkable that these two outstation schools, who do not have turf wicket facilities, could produce outstanding performance on their very first match on turf in those quarter-final encounters.

Pasindu Lakshan, who said he was pursuing a cricket career without the blessings of his impoverished parents, picked up eight wickets including a hat-trick, to guide St. Sebastian’s to a remarkable 132-run victory over St. Aloysius.’

Prabath Chathuranga, who also captured two wickets in the pre quarter-final, rattled Thurstan batting bowling out them for 83 runs with a six-wicket haul in what turned out to be his fifth hardball match in the quarter-final.

Drafted from a non cricket-playing school Uthuru Magala Kanishta Vidyalaya for his capabilities with the soft ball, Chathuranga had become an integral part of Karandeniya bowling department in a short time.

Both these bowlers produced their best spells playing their first match on a turf wicket and their schools were banking heavily on these rookies hopefully to clear their last hurdle to enter the Division-I tourney.

Trying hard against odds to instill cricket culture in these outstation schools, the officials of the respective schools consider the semi-final berth in the Division-II tournament as milestones in their short cricket histories.