Going on to achieve his dream of donning the blue and gold cap, a dream even he agrees wasn’t realistic as young boy in shorts running around the Junior ground. He has now been appointed Vice Captain of the Royal College cricket team for the year 2009/10 and will be functioning as acting captain of the team in the absence of star player Bhanuka Rajapakshe who is touring with the Sri Lankan under 19 team.

Life at Royal was never smooth sailing. After donning the Blue and Gold cap in 2007 where Royal was thrashed by their arch Rivals S.Thomas', Maneesha had problems with his grip and was eventually dropped from the 1st XI team. Having to prove his worth and make a comeback, he did it in style. From the jaws of being dropped in the year 2008 he took an astonishing 14 wickets at the "Mini Battle of the Blues" just two weeks before the Big one to be named in the starting XI taking the field at the SSC. "This by far is my biggest achievement, to have come back from the suffering of being a dropped coloursman to prove my worth in the team" he recalls.

The turning point from being the boy to carry water and the junior who the seniors play around with came when he took 7 wickets for 36 runs against St.Sebastians College Moratuwa. "This was the turning point of my career from which I never looked back" Initially in the side as Royals left arm stock bowler Maneesha was never looked at as a batsman. He doesn’t have the required technique to play in the top order nor the experience to look at him as a dependable middle order batsman.

But guts were never the factor that was considered and proved them he did when he played the "wall" defying an ambitious Trinity College attack last season to hold on for more than two hours. “The most important knock that I have played as far as I believe is the knock against Trinity College last year. I only scored 2 runs, but me and Ramith Rambukwella put an important 40 run partnership for the last wicket and more than that held on to the wicket for about two hours. In a weary, turning pitch I guess that partnership was difference in the end where we won the match by 50 odd runs"

A kid still growing up, taking on a big man’s role…asked him what the strangest occurrence he came across as a cricketer at Royal College. His answer was not something being the ardent Roy-Tho fan that I was privy to, "The strangest thing I have ever come across was in the Roy-Tho this year where I picked up four wickets in just seven overs in the 1st innings, yet going wicket less in the 2nd innings after bowling a staggering 46 overs in an single inning. All together I bowled 53 overs in this years’ Roy-Tho which I believe must be a record for the series"

When asked about his most cherished victory he said, "The greatest win was the superb last over victory over Ananda College last year. I contributed to that win with an eight wicket match bag.” He says ever so proudly

And his memory didn’t fail him when I asked him about his most cherished bowling spell he adds, “I believe the spell that I bowled against Nalanda College is my best spell so far picking up 5-12 in the 2nd innings when Nalanda was chasing 160 and we ended winning the game”.

Speaking about his plans for this year after having been appointed Vice Captain of one of the schools that cricket is almost religion and he quips “For me the job is not done yet. It's just started yet. Playing my last year for my college, I just don't wanna look back again until we Royalists bring that glamorous shield back to Ried Avenue. Winning an Royal Thomian is an once in a life time memory. Preparation is needed, mentally and physically. It's just the start of a new season… and it's a new beginning. One thing is for sure,I won't let my alma mater down."

And suddenly the charm the mild mannerisms were gone..!!!