The Secretary of the Regional Cricket Board in Kandy, Mr. Janaka Pathirana, said that 30 such concrete wickets will be constructed in the Kandy Region which includes the districts of Kandy, Kegalle and Nuwara Eliya and the cost of each wicket will be around Rs. 50,000.
Kandy Regional Cricket Board has already constructed these practice wickets at Kegalle Police grounds, Vidyartha College (twin wickets), Sri Rahula College, A. Ratnayake MMV, Nugawela Central, Wickremabahu MMV Gampola, Kandy Police Grounds (twin wickets), Wattegama MMV, Poramadulla Central (twin wickets), St. Sylvesters College (twin wickets) and Dharmaraja College (twin wickets). The balance concrete wickets at Kegalle Esplanade, Sri Sumangala College, Nawalapitiya Anuruddha Kumara V, Bowalawatte SC, Kelani Valley, Dickoya, Darrawela, Radella, Warakapola MV, Dunbar grounds, Hatton, TRI Talawakelle, Galagedara Central, Ampitiya College, Madawala Madeena NC, Peradeniya Campus and Zahira College Gampola will be completed before August 30.
Mr. Janaka Pathirana told this correspondent at a press briefing that these practice wickets have been donated on the understanding that they should be made available to other clubs and schools whenever the necessity arises with the written consent of the Regional Cricket Board. This provision of practice wickets has been the brain child of the President of the Cricket Board Mr. Thilanga Sumathipala in his capacity as the Chairman of the National Cricket Development Committee (NDC). The Secretary of the NDC Mr. Malcolm Perera has been up in the hills regularly to identify places where this facility will be put to optimum use and he was assisted by Janaka Pathirana and Tilina Tennakoon (Chairman - Kandy Regional Board).
Once these wickets are completed, the problems of practices for schools and clubs without these facilities will be solved.