"In appreciation of their achievement, the SLC has decided to immediately help the school’s cricketers. They will be provided with the most needed cricket gear as an immediate measure," an SLC spokesman told The Island yesterday.

"As soon as the plight of the school was brought to our notice by The Island, the SLC decided to help them. We will be providing them with a bag of cricket gear (four pairs of gloves, four pairs of batting pads, keeper gloves, balls and two bats) as instant aid. We will also provide funds for them to purchase a matting from a convenient place," the spokesperson said.

"Whatever level their match was played, their achievement was praiseworthy. And this help is just as an appreciation of their fantastic knock. This donation is apart from a big school cricket infrastructure development project awaiting the Eastern Province," he said.

The Under-15 team of SMV smashed a swashbuckling 665 for one wicket in 50 overs against Rotavewa Kanishta Vidyalaya in a Division III Inter school match recently. While two of their batsmen scored double centuries a third one missed his by just 18 runs.

Incidentally, one of the openers (Ishara Sandakelum) who got out for 208 (70 balls) is said to have played in his first ever hardball tournament match.

Meanwhile, the SLC will launch a cricket development program in the Eastern Province shortly.

"SLC was invited by the newly elected Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan and M. L. A. M. Hisbullah to promote cricket in the province. Several officials including Arjuna Ranathunga visited Eastern Province recently and a decision was taken to develop infrastructure facilities of at least one school from each district and to train cricketers of fifteen schools from the province," the spokesman said.