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Cricketers safe after disaster

20/ 1/2005

MIDDLETON Cricket Club professional Sajith Fernando and amateur "Dave" Kumara are both safe and well following the tsunami disaster which hit parts of Sri Lanka.

Also safe is former Middleton pro Ruvin Peiris who is now paid man with Lancashire League club Church.

There was no news of the cricketers or their families for some time after the giant wave hit land, but agent Champaka Ramanayake, who was pro with Unsworth a few years ago, has now reported they have been seen safe.

Champaka was not as lucky as the others. He lost relations in the disaster and his family lost all they had.

Middleton Cricket Club quickly launched an appeal to help him out and money raised will be sent direct to Champaka rather than to the national appeal fund.

Club chairman John Burton said: "We felt we had to do something to help. It was a relief to learn Sajith and Dave Kumara are safe but tragic to learn about Champaka's family.

"His story is really amazing. The family lost everything, but he said all his mother was worried about was the loss of a small present she had bought for the birth of a baby. His brother was only worried about the English language books he had lost."

Kumara is expected to be back with Middleton this summer.

Lancashire League officials have learned that Pasan Wanasinghe who played for Radcliffe last season and will be with Haslingden next season is also fine.