Off spinner Danuka Nirmal Peiris excels for St Joseph Vaz
All round Cricketer, Right hand middle order bat, Right arm off spinner, Safe fielder, First Eleven Captain 2021/22, National Youth League Under 19 Poolist and Sara Trophy player Danuka Nirmal Peiris Linton Pulle has brought honour and immense glory for his alma mater St.JosephVaz College Wennappuwa with his deeds in the field of cricket.
Danuka who hails from Athgala Katana was born on 2nd October 2002 and admitted to St.Annes Primary School Dankotuwa in 2008 when Mrs.K.M.V.Fernando was at the helm of the school During this period there were no sports activities in this school but from his smaller days his forte was cricket. In the meantime he passed the Grade Five Scholarship Exam with flying colours and was drafted to St.Joseph Vaz College Wennappuwa. His parents Lucian Peiris and Mrs.Manjula Damayanthi encouraged their son to take up to cricket and admitted to the school Cricket Academy and he came under Tharanga Liyanapathirana and Nuwan Ruchira in 2013 and in 2014 he was selected to the under 13 team and he opened bowling. Then his Coach M Ruchira noticing his talents for spin bowling asked him to bowl off spin. Then in the following year playing for under 13 he took 16 wickets with his off spin. His last year in under 13 was in 2016 and he claimed 18 scalps and they reached the pre quarters.
Then in 2017 playing in the under 15 team in two matches he bagged eleven wickets with 9 for 54 against Helambawatawala Vidyalaya. His last year in the under 15 was in 2018 and he claimed 16 wickets with one five wicket haul and he played for the Prima Cup for Puttalam District and North Western Province.
In 2019 he was in the under 17 team and took 12 wickets and the coach was Mr.Liyanapathirana and they came up to second round. In his final year in the under 17 he was the Deputy Skipper.
His first year in the first eleven team was in 2018/19 season and he scored 108 runs and claimed 25 wickets with one five wicket haul and played for the Big Match versus their arch rivals St.Marys College Chilaw. He was the Vice Captain in 2019/20 season and in the absence of his skipper Nipun Dananjaya he led the team in six outings and in the same year he represented the North Western team in the Inter Provincial team and in the 2020/21 season it was a Limited over tournament consisting of six matches and they reached up to Quarter finals and in 2021/22 season he captained the team and in the Limited over tournament they played only four matches and his Coach was Amila Sampath and his MIC was Mr.Nandana a and his Principal was Rev.Fr.Priyanjeeva Gunaratne.
Later he played for the Hettipola Sports Club in the Sara Trophy Tournament and he was down to play for the under 23 tournament for Negombo Sports Club and due to A Levels he kept away.