By JARROD POTTER
LIFTING the shield as a national champion vindicated two years of hard work for Ashley Chandrasinghe.
Chandrasinghe, from Narre Warren South, posted three significant innings in School Sport Victoria’s 12-and-under boys cricket victory in Bendigo last week.
He rated his 39 against Northern Territory and the 29 he worked around the field in the all-important match with cross-border rivals New South Wales, but for Chandrasinghe the best innings of the carnival was his 57 not out against South Australia.
Arriving at the crease 2/17 and his side in uncustomary trouble, Chandrasinghe took charge – working the singles in a 67-run stand with Fergus O’Neill.
“At the start we were doing pretty well but then we were 2/17 and I went in and I made a partnership with someone else. Just had to stay in and keep the partnership going.
“There were a couple of stages where I had to tee off a bit and lucky I didn’t go out.”
He batted through the innings to push Victoria to 6/186 from its 50 overs.
With a single off a cut shot late in the match, Chandrasinghe moved to 50 and lapped it up.
“I wasn’t supposed to get a single off that ball and it was the last ball and I was meant to give the other guy the strike,” Chandrasinghe said. “But it wasn’t a very good ball so I thought I could hit it away.
“I felt very happy – getting $100 from my dad was pretty good as well that was the deal – and feeling that I’d done a great achievement.”
Victoria continued to steamroll the competition and with its defeat of the ACT on Friday, the best state clinched the biggest title in junior cricket with a 5-0 whitewash of the competition.
“Pretty surreal I guess this team is better than last year’s and we had a feeling that we had a chance of winning,” Chandrasinghe said.
“I guess when we beat New South Wales we had a really good chance of winning.”
It’s back to the local ranks for Chandrasinghe now – plying his leggies and batting talents for Hampton Park and also representing the Dandenong District Cricket Association in the Victorian Metropolitan Cricket Union’s Keith Mitchell Shield competition.
Chandrasinghe wanted to thank his family and his faith in God for guiding him throughout his cricket journey so far.
