Latest batting sensation Danindu Chirath Sellapperuma of St. Joseph’s College, Anuradhapura set an unblemished record by compiling the highest individual score in an Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament match in Sri Lanka on Monday.
The 15-year-old aggressive left-hand batsman rewrote Sri Lanka’s cricketing history with an epic unbeaten knock of 553 in their Under-15 Division Three Tournament fixture against Lyceum College, Anuradhapura played at the Salgado Grounds in Anuradhapura.
His trailblazing innings had a great amount of significance as he became the first cricketer to score over 500 runs in an innings in any age group of Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament encounter played in Sri Lanka.
Danindu easily overcame the previous highest score of 409 runs compiled by the Captain of Mahinda College Navod Paranavithana in an Under-19 encounter against Dharmasoka College played at Galle on March 11, 2020. In fact, on that occasion the former Sri Lanka Under-19 World Cup opening batsman had the honour of becoming the first schoolboy cricketer to reach 400 runs in any Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament fixture.
Paranavithana, of course, went past S. Thomas’ College, Kotte middle order batsman Michael van Hoff’s epic 356 scored against Lalith Athulathmudali MV in February 2009 at Kotte.
Thereafter in February 2020, Avishka Tharindu of St. Anthony’s College, Wattala hammered a massive 350 in an Under-19 encounter against Lumbini MV at Wattala. But the honour of scoring the first 300 plus score in an Under-19 match went to Indika de Saram, who smashed a brilliant 304 runs in 1993 from just 149 deliveries inclusive of 25 sixes and 19 fours against Sri Devananda College, Ambalangoda at the Uyanwatta Stadium in Matara.
Thereafter, Dhammika Vaas Gunawardena of Maris Stella College also joined the 300-club in schools’ cricket by scoring a magnificent 310 against St. Peter’s College, Negombo.
Earlier, former Sri Lanka Captain, Arjuna Ranatunga scored an unbeaten 315 for Ananda College against St. Mary’s College Negombo at the Negombo Esplanade in 1976 in an Under-15 match.
This was also the first triple-century in junior cricket. His record shattering performance came in 195 minutes with 12 sixes and 48 fours.
Meanwhile, two junior cricketers, Manoj Perera of Science College Mount Lavinia and Rehan de Silva of P. de S. Kularatne MV, Ambalangoda also made triple-centuries.