Ranil Abeynaike

Background

He was the son of Orville Abeynaike.

Education

Born at Mount Lavinia, he was educated at South. Thomas" College Mount Lavinia, in the Dominion of Ceylon (today Sri Lanka).

Career

Abeynaike was a right-handed batsman who bowled slow left-arm orthodox. Abeynaike made his first-class debut for the Mercantile Cricket Association against the Pakistan Under-25s. His first first-class match for Sri Lanka came against Tamil Nadu in the 1974/75 Gopalan Trophy.

A further first-class appearance followed in 1976, when he was a part of the Sri Lanka Board President"s XI team which played the touring Pakistanis.

A year later he appeared for Sri Lanka in a first-class match against the touring Marylebone Cricket Club, who he also made his List A debut against. In 1978, Abeynaike joined English county Bedfordshire, making his debut against Cambridgeshire in that seasons Minor Counties Championship.

Following the 1978 season, he returned to Sri Lanka where he made two List A appearances for the Sri Lanka Board President"s XI against the touring West Indians. Over the coming seasons he continued to play in England for Bedfordshire, playing Minor counties cricket from 1978 to 1982 (with the exception of 1980), making 38 Minor Counties Championship appearances, as well as a single List A appearance in the 1982 National Westminster Trophy against Somerset.

By 1983, Sri Lanka had Test status, but Abeynaike never gained full international honours.

He played for the Sri Lanka Board President"s XI in 1983 against the touring Australians, he later joined the, who he made his debut for in a List A match in the final of the 1988/89 Brown"s Trophy against the Nondescripts Cricket Club. He made a further List A appearance the following season, in a repeat of the previous seasons final. In the 1989/90 season, Abeynaike made eight first-class appearances for the club, the last of which came against the Cambrians Sports Club.

Achievements

• The won both matches.