The Prince of Queens Park
by Neil Edwards / Alan Rowley, 13th October 2002

Sting followers will have noticed that Chesterfield are advertising for a director of Cricket and Youth Development. While Chesterfield search for the right man for the new post, Bradman Ediriweera (pictured below) is on the look-out for a new contract.

He does this with the blessing of the Chesterfield chairman Mike Goodwin, and with a glowing tribute from Dave Adams in his 2002 season website report: " a truly fantastic natural talent ".

Brad has finished his fourth season of club cricket in the UK. He started in 1999 in Yorkshire, at Acomb, before going to Shifnal of the Shropshire League and Instonians in Belfast. In all he has scored 4,082 runs at 57 and taken 103 wickets at 20. Now he is able to take on a player/coach role, having obtained his ECB Level 2 certificate while in Chesterfield.

As a youngster in 1995, just coming out of the strong schools cricket in Colombo, he was reckoned to have the highest prospects, and was listed in the top ten youngsters who were to come over to the UK. Mahela Jayawardene was another in that list.

So far Brad has only made it to the Sri Lanka 'A' team (against South Africa and England) and still has to realise his full potential. At first-class level, he was hired by DS de Silva, the former test captain, as a replacement for Sanath Jayasuriya at the Bloomfield club. He moved back to Colombo CC to captain the first-class side at age 23.

And the name? Brad's father is a keen follower of international, especially Australian, cricket. Brad's brother goes by the name of O'Neil.

Another Sri Lankan on the look out for a contract for 2003 is 21 year old Duminda Perera (pictured right). A recent member of the Sri Lankan 'A' team that toured Pakistan, Perera has also been playing his cricket in the Yorkshire League.

A member of Acomb's side in 2000 and 2001, Perera is described as " a right hand opening or top-order batsman, an excellent fielder and a medium pace swing bowler ".

In the 2001 season for Acomb, Perera averaged 60 to finished third in the batting averages, alongside Simon Kellett (ex-Yorkshire), Collis King (ex-West Indies and South Australian Darren Reeves. He holds the Yorkshire Premier League highest score of 170 and his list of achievements include representing Sri Lanka at Under 19 level, captain of his first-class side in Sri Lanka and captain of the Sri Lankan Under 23 side in 2002.

Colleagues at Acomb describe him as " having immense concentration ", " good under pressure " and " dedicated and committed to the club ".