Sri Lankan in hat-trick of trophies
Published Date:
26 August 2008
By Duncan Atkins
A SRI Lankan cricketer has enjoyed a fantastic maiden season in the Whitby area by landing three trophies.
Gihan Perera (27) was part of Whitby CC's Andy Hire League Division B winning side which also claimed glory in the Hunter Cup final.
He made it a hat-trick when Ugthorpe, who he plays for in the Esk Valley Evening League, clinched the title after a play-off decider against Mulgrave.
And the tally could well extend to four as Ugthorpe have reached the semi-finals of the Robin Holmes Trophy too.
As well as the team success, Perera has amassed nearly 1,800 runs throughout the season, including two consecutive unbeaten centuries for Ugthorpe totalling 309 runs.
Yet remarkably, he said he has found runs difficult to come by as a result of the wet summer.
But the good news for the village side is Gihan, who has also been passing on his wealth of wisdom to youngsters at Whitby and Danby in coaching sessions, may possibly return next season.
If so, he will be exclusively theirs as Whitby are joining a new league which does not allow overseas players.
Perera has played county standard cricket back home in Sri Lanka for a side based in the capital Colombo – one of his team-mates was spin bowling legend Muttiah Muralitharan.
He is also no mug with the ball, having taken 67 wickets for both sides.
He said: "This season has been a new experience for me.
"Sri Lanka is very warm, this league is slower and the wicket is wet which makes it difficult to get runs but I've enjoyed it."
Perera, who is staying at Ugthorpe Lodge until the end of the season, said his favourite player is Sri Lankan batsman Aravinda de Silva.
The full article contains 302 words and appears in Whitby Gazette Tuesday newspaper.
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Last Updated:
25 August 2008 11:55 AM
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Source:
Whitby Gazette Tuesday
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Location:
Whitby