One of the oldest cricket clubs in the country, Colombo Colts Cricket Club will have their work cut out this season if they are to challenge the top flight teams in Club circuit.
Bit of History
Founded in 1873 as the first Ceylonese Cricket Club in Sri Lanka, Colombo Colts CC played a significant role in promoting and popularizing cricket in Sri Lanka and can be credited with raising the standards of the game. Colts CC have been a dominant force in the domestic cricket circuits throughout the last decade and have won the coveted Premier League Trophy five times since 2000. They last won the championship in the 2011/12 season. Despite featuring a young line-up last season, they managed to finish as runners-up in the limited overs championship.
Key Players
Boosted by many national stars and junior national cricketers, Colts CC have a strong pedigree of talented players. National Captain Angelo Mathews, skipper for this season Dilruwan Perera, hard hitting batsman Kusal Janith Perera and fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara are unlikely to take part in a majority of the season due to their national commitments.
All-rounder Ishan Jayaratne will play an important role as he will be the acting skipper of the team and will be opening the bowling with Keshan Wijeratne. Jayaratne has accumulated 1179 runs and captured 117 wickets in his first class career.
Photo Album: Colts Cricket Club | Full Squad 2016/17
Former Youth Captain and middle order batsman Angelo Jayasinghe will play a major part in the batting line-up and will be looked at to provide some stability. Jayasinghe has scored 1688 first class runs thus far and will be seeking to better his record as the season goes on.
The former Josephian wicket keeper batsman Sadeera Samarawickrama will be another key member having scored 1193 runs in his short first class career.
Left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya will lead the spin department for the Park Club with off-spinner Akila Dananjaya during the 2016/17 season.
New Boys
Right-arm speedster Nisala Tharaka has shifted from Tamil Union this year to provide some depth in pace department, while promising right-hander Hashan Dumindu, transferred from Colombo Cricket Club, will bat in the top order as he. 21 year old Dumindu has accumulated 1586 runs in 24 games.
Coaching staff
Former Lankan off-spinner and loyal servant of Colts CC, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara will be coaching the Colts outfit for the fourth consecutive year and his deputy will be Wasantha Thushara while Krishantha Kumara will be the cricket manager.
