Wirantha Fernando

Wirantha Fernando (6 February 1959 - 17 April 2000) was a Sri Lankan first-class cricketer and politician.

Cricket career

Fernando, who went to Prince of Wales' College in Moratuwa, captained the Combined Schools team in his youth.^[1] He represented the Sri Lanka Under-19 cricket team in a tour of Pakistan in 1976 and again in 1978, when the Australia Under-19 cricket team came to the island.^[2]

A right-handed middle order batsman, Fernando played for the Colts Cricket Club throughout the 1980s and had the distinction of captaining them in all five matches they played in the 1988/89 Lakspray Trophy, the first time the tournament had first-class status.^[3] He was the club's leading run-scorer that season with 208 runs at 52.00, which included three half centuries.^[4]

In the 1989/90 Lakspray Trophy, Fernando handed over the captaincy to Rupanath Wickramaratne and amassed only 130 runs in the three matches he played, but did score his maiden first-class century, an innings of 111 against Moratuwa Sports Club at the Colts Cricket Club Ground.^[5][5]

Fernando didn't play at first-class level in either of the next two seasons, then returned in 1992/93, with the Moratuwa Sports Club. He appeared in all five matches of Moratuwa's Saravanamuttu Trophy campaign, which saw them not lose a match and finish second in Group B.^[6] His own contributions were minimal, making 163 runs at 32.60.^[7]

Politics

A member of the People's Alliance, Fernando served as the Minister of Fisheries in the Western Provincial Council.^[8]

Murder

On the night of 14 April 2000, after a visit to Chilaw Hospital, Wirantha arrived at his sister-in-law's house in Kurana and along with his driver was involved in a confrontation with two cyclists.^[9] The cyclists later returned to the house, in a mob of 20 people, armed with knives and swords.^[10] They made their way into the house and attacked the residents.^[9] Fernando was the most seriously injured and was taken to Colombo National Hospital, where he later died.^[9]

References