Anura Nandana Ranasinghe (13 October 1956 – 9 November 1998) was a Sri Lankan

cricketer Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

, who represented Sri Lanka at international level 11 times.

School times

Ranasinghe won the best schoolboy cricketer award during the 1974–75 cricketing season when he first played cricket for Nalanda College Colombo.

International career

Ranasinghe created history in 1975 when he became the first schoolboy to play in a World Cup when he represented Sri Lanka in the inaugural tournament in England at the age of 18 years. He played in all three matches against West Indies, Australia and Pakistan in the 1975 World Cup for Sri Lanka, scoring a total of 19 runs in three innings and conceding 65 runs from ten overs. A shoulder injury meant that he was not considered for the 1979 World Cup. He was named in the 12 for the inaugural Test match where

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

played against Sri Lanka, but was left out on the morning of the game in favour of Lalith Kaluperuma. He did play in two ODIs against England, but his fortunes were the reverse of Sri Lanka's – in the first ODI, he scored a quickfire 51, but was

caught Caught is a method of dismissing a batsman in cricket. A batsman is out caught if the batsman hits the ball, from a legitimate delivery, with the bat, and the ball is caught by the bowler or a fielder before it hits the ground. If the catch ...

by Geoff Cook just as Sri Lanka needed to up the run rate to chase England's total. They finished six runs short of victory. In the second, Ranasinghe recorded a

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...

, and yet Sri Lanka won by three runs – although his nine economical overs, conceding only 37 runs, had some say in the win. His ODI performances may have played a part into his call-up for the 1981–82 tour of Pakistan. He didn't play the first Test, but came in for Ravi Ratnayeke in the second, the selectors wanting to bolster the batting. Despite the Sri Lankans doing well, Ranasinghe contributed little, scoring only eleven runs in two innings and bowling twelve overs for 40 runs – also taking the wicket of

wicket-keeper In cricket, the wicket-keeper is the Cricket player, player on the fielding (cricket), fielding side who stands behind the wicket, ready to stop Delivery (cricket), deliveries that pass the batsman, and take a Caught, catch, Stumped, stump the ...

Ashraf Ali. He was dropped again for the third Test, but returned later in 1982, for Sri Lanka's 1982–83 tour of India. His first innings was another disappointment, as he was dismissed for a duck, but a rearguard 77 against

Kapil Dev Kapildev Ramlal Nikhanj (pronunciation: Help:IPA/Hindi and Urdu, əpil deːʋborn 6 January 1959) is an Indian former cricket team captain. He is regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders in the history of cricket, he was a Fast bowling, ...

and Dilip Doshi ensured that Sri Lanka could draw the match. That was his last international game of cricket, however, as the South Africa tour meant that his career was curtailed.

Ban

Ranasinghe's career, however, was cut short by deciding to tour

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

in 1982–83, which resulted in him getting a 25-year ban from all cricket. When the ban was lifted in 1990, he returned for a few games, but then retired.

Death

Ranasinghe died of a heart attack in Colombo, aged 42. Nalanda Junior Old Boys Association (NJOBA) organises Old Ananda Nalanda Test Cricketers' Limited Over Encounter and it is named after Anura Ranasinghe.

References

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Cricket stars pay homage to Anura Ranasinghe. An article written by SA'ADI Thawfeeq to Dailynews Paper
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ranasinghe, Anura 1956 births 1998 deaths Burgher Recreation Club cricketers Sri Lankan cricketers Sri Lanka One Day International cricketers Sri Lanka Test cricketers Cricketers at the 1975 Cricket World Cup Alumni of Nalanda College, Colombo Cricketers from Kalutara