Amila Aponso
CountrySri Lanka
FullnameMalmeege Amila Aponso
Birth date23 June 1993 (age 33)
Birth placeColombo, Sri Lanka
BattingRight-handed
BowlingSlow left-arm orthodox
RoleBowler
Internationaltrue
Internationalspan2016–2018
Odidebutdate21 August
Odidebutyear2016
OdidebutagainstAustralia
Odicap173
Lastodidate20 October
Lastodiyear2018
LastodiagainstEngland
Odishirt32
T20idebutagainstBangladesh
T20idebutdate18 February
T20idebutyear2018
T20icap76
Lastt20iagainstEngland
Lastt20idate27 October
Lastt20iyear2018
Club 1Ragama Cricket Club
Year 12015–present
Club 2Sri Lanka Emerging Team
Year 22016–present
Club 3Colombo Kings
Year 32020
Columns4
Column 1ODI
Matches 19
Runs 110
Bat avg 13.33
100s/50s 10/0
Top score 14
Deliveries 1423
Wickets 110
Bowl avg 137.70
Fivefor 10
Tenfor 10
Best bowling 14/18
Catches/stumpings 10/–
Column 2T20I
Matches 23
Runs 20
Bat avg 20.00
100s/50s 20/0
Top score 20
Deliveries 260
Wickets 24
Bowl avg 219.75
Fivefor 20
Tenfor 20
Best bowling 22/29
Catches/stumpings 20/–
Column 3FC
Matches 343
Runs 3506
Bat avg 312.04
100s/50s 30/2
Top score 368
Deliveries 37,097
Wickets 3193
Bowl avg 321.22
Fivefor 310
Tenfor 32
Best bowling 37/71
Catches/stumpings 319/–
Column 4LA
Matches 439
Runs 4106
Bat avg 48.15
100s/50s 40/0
Top score 436
Deliveries 41,862
Wickets 456
Bowl avg 422.07
Fivefor 40

Malmeege Amila Aponso, or Amila Aponso (born 23 June 1993) is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer, who played for the Sri Lanka cricket team. He played first-class cricket for Ragama Cricket Club. He is a past pupil of St. Sebastian's College, Moratuwa.[1] In June 2021, Aponso moved to the United States to play in the Minor League Cricket tournament.[2]

Domestic career

In April 2018, he was named in Dambulla's squad for the 2018 Super Provincial One Day Tournament.[3] In August 2018, he was named in Dambulla's squad the 2018 SLC T20 League.[4]

He was the leading wicket-taker for Ragama Cricket Club in the 2018–19 Premier League Tournament, with 47 dismissals in nine matches.[5] In October 2020, he was drafted by the Colombo Kings for the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League.[6]

International career

Aponso took 31 first-class wickets at an average of 20.9 in the 2015 season, and was rewarded with a place in the Sri Lanka A squad to New Zealand, later that year. After series of good performances in domestic arena in 2015 and 2016, he had to wait until Sri Lanka's main spinner Rangana Herath retired from limited-overs cricket.[7]

In August 2016 he was added to Sri Lanka's squad for their One Day International (ODI) series against Australia.[8] He made his ODI debut for Sri Lanka against Australia on 21 August 2016. He took his first international wicket by dismissing Aaron Finch.[9] Sri Lanka lost the match by 3 wickets, but commentators praised the bowling performances of Aponso.[10]

He was part of the Sri Lankan team that won the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2017 by defeating Pakistan in the final.[11] He was the top wicket-taker for Sri Lanka in that tournament with 12 dismissals.[12]

In February 2018, he was named in Sri Lanka's Twenty20 International (T20I) squad for their series against Bangladesh.[13] He made his T20I debut for Sri Lanka against Bangladesh on 18 February 2018. He took his first T20I wicket by dismissing Tamim Iqbal.[14]

In May 2018, he was one of 33 cricketers to be awarded a national contract by Sri Lanka Cricket ahead of the 2018–19 season.[15][16] In November 2019, he was named in Sri Lanka's squad for the 2019 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Bangladesh.[17]

References

  1. ^ "Amila Aponso". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  2. ^ "Amila Aponso to migrate to the USA". The Papare. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  3. ^ "SLC Super Provincial 50 over tournament squads and fixtures". The Papare. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  4. ^ "SLC T20 League 2018 squads finalized". The Papare. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  5. ^ "Premier League Tournament Tier A, 2018/19 - Ragama Cricket Club: Batting and bowling averages". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  6. ^ "Chris Gayle, Andre Russell and Shahid Afridi among big names taken at LPL draft". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Pakistan win a thriller, Zol ton not enough for India". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  8. ^ "Sri Lanka pick 18-year-old Avishka Fernando in ODI squad". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  9. ^ "Australia tour of Sri Lanka, 1st ODI: Sri Lanka v Australia at Colombo (RPS), Aug 21, 2016". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  10. ^ "When Aponso did what Zampa couldn't". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  11. ^ "Sri Lanka Under-23 Squad". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  12. ^ "Cricket Records | Asian Cricket Council Emerging Teams Cup, 2016/17 | Records | Most wickets | ESPN Cricinfo". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  13. ^ "Sri Lanka pick Asitha for T20 series, Jeevan Mendis returns". ESPN Cricinfo. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  14. ^ "2nd T20I (N), Sri Lanka Tour of Bangladesh at Sylhet, Feb 18 2018". ESPN Cricinfo. 18 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  15. ^ "Sri Lanka assign 33 national contracts with pay hike". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  16. ^ "Sri Lankan players to receive pay hike". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  17. ^ "Sri Lanka squad for Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2019 announced". The Papare. Retrieved 12 November 2019.