Sri Lanka: Champaka still going strong (30 September 1998)

30 September 1998

Sri Lanka: Champaka still going strong

The Daily News

Former Sri Lanka fast-medium bowler Champaka Ramanayake still has visions of returning to the Sri Lanka team in the near future.

At 33, when most sportsmen start to think of retirement, Ramanayake has kept himself in trim condition playing competitive cricket for Unsworth CC in the Central Lancashire league, and enjoying his best season with them so far.

Having signed up with the club last year, Ramanayake took 90 wickets at an average of 14.20 from 25 matches in the recently concluded season with 12 five-wicket hauls, which included 6 for 60 v Radcliffe as best.

In addition to his bowling, Ramanayake proved his capabilities as an all-rounder by scoring 750 runs at an average of 35 inclusive of seven fifties, the highest of which was an undefeated 67 against Stockport.

Unsworth finished eighth out of 16 in the final table, but Ramanayake had done enough for the club of his own to be granted a benefit and a renewal of his contract for another season.

Sri Lanka club players like Ruwin Peiris, Dileepa Wickremasinghe, Yasas Tillekeratne and Suchitra Alexander, who were playing league cricket with Ramanayake in England, Australian Ian Harvey and West Indian Roger Harper turned out for Ramanayake's XI against a Rest of the World team in his benefit match played at Unsworth.

Ramanayake played the last of his 18 Tests for Sri Lanka against South Africa, five years ago. He finished with 44 wickets at a cost of 42.72. He last appeared for his country in the Asia Cup tournament at Sharjah in 1995. He played 62 one-day matches and took 68 wickets (avg. 30.13).

Since then, Ramanayake has, apart from playing for Unsworth, coached the United Arab Emirates team and regularly turned out for Tamil Union in the Sara trophy tournament.

Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)