Education
He was educated at Trinity College Kandy, and made his debut in first class cricket for Sri Lanka Under–25s against Tamil Nadu Under–25s in 1980-1981.
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Ravi Ratnayeke
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Ratnayeke played 22 Tests and 78 ODIs from 1982 to 1990, his Test best bowling performance of eight wickets for 83 runs at Jinnah Stadium (Sialkot) Pakistan was a Sri Lankan Test record at the time, and was also vice captain to Arjuna Ranatunga. Ratnayeke was described by Cricinfo writer Johann Jayasekera as able "to bowl with a lively pace and move the ball in favourable conditions", and also as "a competent batsman". Opening the bowling with Ashantha de Mel, Ratnayeke took three wickets, and impressed the Sri Lankan selectors enough to go on tour of England in 1981.
Playing six of Sri Lanka"s fifteen matches on tour, Ratnayeke took nine wickets, five of which came in one match against Sussex.
When Sri Lanka played their first Test match in February 1982, against England, Ratnayeke did not feature in the XI, though Wisden Cricketer"s Almanack said after the series that leaving Ratnayeke out "gave their captain an unbalanced attack in which only De Mel was more than medium pace". He did play a tour match for the Sri Lanka Board President"s XI, taking five wickets for 120, and when Sri Lanka went to Pakistan the following month, he played the first and third Tests and all three ODIs.
Ratnayeke was said to "improve as the tour progressed" by Wisden, though he was noted as a bowler who gave little support to Sri Lanka"s main three. Ratnayeke retired from cricket at the age of 30, at the end of the 1989-1990 season.
Shortly after, he emigrated to Perth, Australia, where he played grade cricket.
He and his family later moved to Melbourne, where he gained a job with Amcor, a packaging company.
