Potterne has re-signed Sri Lankan all-rounder Vinodh Perera for their 2022 West of England Premier League campaign.
Prolific domestic performer
Perera is a genuine all-rounder who, after two productive stints with Panadura Sports Club, and Kurunegala Youth Sports Club, is now playing for Nugegoda SWC in Sri Lankan domestic cricket.
Since his first-class debut over a decade ago (April 2011), he has played 67 domestic matches across the three formats. He has been a strong performer with the bat, particularly in recent seasons in red-ball cricket, where he averages 28.88 with 2 centuries. Whilst he has 47 wickets at 36.89 in his 30 first-class matches, it’s in white-ball cricket that he’s excelled with the ball, averaging 19.54 (List A), and 18.90 (T20).
An explosive batter and brisk medium-pacer, Perera has previously excelled for Panadura in both 2017/18 (309 runs at 30.90 / 14 wickets at 33.64) and 2018/19 (294 runs at 32.66 / 13 wickets at 37.46) seasons. He had found his “home” at Panadura, after stints with Sri Lanka Navy (2010/11), Kurunegala Youth (2011/12), and Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club (2016/17), before moving back to Kurunegala. He vindicated his move to Panadura Sports Club for the 2017/18 season by hitting his maiden first-class century on debut against KTC. Coming in at number 7, the all-rounder struck a brilliant 138 from 163 – an innings littered with boundaries (14) alongside 5 sixes.
The talented all-rounder who has also represented Anuradhapura District in Sri Lanka’s One-Day Competition was a star at Under-23 level, for both Tamil Union and SL Navy, before making his first-class debut in 2010/11, playing a solitary game for SL Navy. He moved to Kurunegala Youth the following season, playing a further 2 domestic matches.
However, he had to wait another 5 years before he returned to first-class cricket, this time for Bloomfield, where he averaged 23 and 47 with bat and ball respectively in 6 first-class outings. He has remedied these under-whelming numbers since, with his two centuries over the past few seasons, the obvious highlights.
Success abroad
Keen to showcase his talent abroad, he did just that during the UK 2018 season. Playing for Anston in the strong Bassetlaw and District League (Championship Division), he excelled, hitting 1,057 runs at 45.96 alongside 54 wickets at 23.52. Perera struck 2 centuries, including a quite sensational 160*, chasing down North Wheatley’s 311 in the final over. With Anston reeling at 172-6, Perera bludgeoned the ball to all parts, sharing a 139-run stand with the number 8 (who contributed 7 runs). The all-rounder returned to Anston in 2019 and continued to shine, striking 833 runs at 33.32 alongside 52 wickets at 18.48.
Potterne return in 2022
Last summer, he made the move to West of England Premier League outfit Potterne where he continued to shine, this time with 689 runs at 45.93 and 45 wickets at 18.07. Given his success, Potterne was swift to re-sign their Sri Lankan star for a second stint in 2022.