Keswick Cricket Club has completed the signing of a new professional for the 2025 season.
He is a 25-year-old Sri Lankan Raveen Yasas, who the club believes will enhance the balance and playing skills of the 1st XI as well as working across all areas of KCC in the development of young players.
Raveen is a left-handed batting all-rounder who plays for the powerhouse Chilaw Marians in first class cricket in Colombo.
Making his mark on the Sri Lankan domestic cricket scene after 25 games he is averaging 40 (two centuries and nine fifties) with the bat and developing as an all-rounder with his effective left arm spin.
He spent, what was only his first season as a professional in the UK last summer, when he played for Earby CC in the North West Cricket League where he amassed 911 runs and took 52 wickets.
In addition to his role as a player Raveen has gained his level 2 England Cricket Board coaching qualification and is keen to coach and develop the junior side of a thriving club which has three junior teams at Under 11, 13 and 15 age levels and with junior practice sessions virtually every evening of the week.
This is in addition to a renaissance in the club’s women’s and girls’ squad (county champions last season) and three senior sides competing in the premier divisions of the Cumbria Cricket League and the Eden Valley Cricket League.
Andrew Bryson, head coach and Keswick club chairman, said: “We are delighted to welcome Raveen to Keswick.
“We set out to look for someone with the skillset that would give us a different point of attack with both bat and ball and our new signing fits the bill perfectly.
“Having a left-handed batsman in the top order and a left arm spin bowler adds immensely to our already strong line-up.
“Raveen will be working across our coaching programmes to help develop the next generation of Keswick Cricket Club cricketers.”
The new Sri Lankan professional replaces a fellow countryman, Risith Upamal, who has now joined a club in the Birmingham area after three years at Keswick.
Prior to that, Geeth Kumara who will again be returning to Colne CC, Lancashire for 2025, had 10 years at Keswick and gets regular bookings to sub pro with clubs across the Cumbria League.
Raveen joins a club and a team at exciting times with ambitious plans for a major rebuild and extension of the cricket pavilion in Fitz Park and a 1st XI that is knocking on the door of its first ever championship in the CCL Premier Division.
