Sports
All paragon of virtues
By Rex Clementine
At Thursday’s parliamentary debate on the affairs of Sri Lanka Cricket, several MPs who have held the portfolio of Sports Minister were expressing their views and each of them went onto point out how the game prospered under their watch. The truth, however, is far from it. Barring a couple of Ministers like Mangala Samaraweera, Dullas Alahapperuma and Naveen Dissanayake, most Sports Ministers interfered with the affairs of the cricket board and did more harm than good.
S.B. Dissanayake was the most eloquent pointing out to the House how he ensured better payments for players and other comforts so that the game thrived. But what has been not told is that retired Scotland Yard mastermind and the current head of the Anti-Corruption Unit of the International Cricket Council Alex Marshall had exposed that S.B. Dissanayake had been paid handsomely by one cricket board chief from the money a foreign broadcaster owed SLC.
Then there was Johnston Fernando. He was a Minister who tried to be popular with the players. Cheap popularity can have disastrous outcome. In 2002, Sri Lanka had taken a 2-0 unassailable lead over Zimbabwe and the selectors wanted to rest a senior player and try out young prodigy Chamara Silva. The seniors went and complained to Fernando who in turn sacked the selectors and brought in a new panel telling them that the senior should play.
Poor Chamara Silva suffered in silence and had to wait for five more years to make his Test debut. It was a massive waste as Silva scored a match winning 150 in just his second Test match at the Basin Reserve as Sri Lanka recorded a come from behind victory against New Zealand.
Hours after being appointed as Sports Minister, C.B. Ratnayake conducted a press conference and called the Cricket Board the third most corrupt institution in the country. Police took first place and education came second according to him. However, instead of putting the house in order, Ratnayake packed the Cricket Board with his kith and kin.
We also had Gamini Lokuge, who defected from opposition to government and was offered the Sports Ministry. Lokuge, sacked the board, appointed his Secretary as the Competent Authority with a tour of India to Sri Lanka looming large.
It is a well-known secret that tours by India makes the cricket board richer. Each white ball game that India plays is worth US$ 2 million. Lokuge, signed a deal with a television company that had been blacklisted by SLC – Nimbus. True to form, the company defaulted on the payment and SLC was left high and dry. There should be another Parliament debate on this debacle.
The introduction of Dayasiri Jayasekara as Sports Minister in 2016 was a timely move. Sidath Wettimuny as the board president had got the blessings of the ICC to change the constitution of SLC, which was seen as a major stumbling block for progress of the game. Interested parties told then President Maithripala Sirisena to get the Sports Ministry under his SLFP watch and Dayasiri became Minister of Sports. He prevented constitutional changes, and we are struck in this mess because of his interference.
Dayasiri is also known for his ego. The Sports Minister giving his approval to the team selected by the national selection panel is a mere formality. There had been an oversight and the selectors had failed to get Dayasiri’s approval for the tour of India in 2017 and the Minister recalled the team back after the players had boarded the flight to Delhi. This incident made Sri Lanka Cricket the laughingstock at the world stage.
When the UNP got the Sports Ministry back, they put the young Harin Fernando in charge of sports. He had his school interests more than the national interests in mind and given every opportunity he was looking to promote a Josephian. It was such a shame that a Sri Lankan Test captain had to be unceremoniously dumped while on tour and the captaincy taken to St. Joseph’s without any protocol.
Fernando also messed with the electoral process blocking deserving candidates and promoting friends on faulty technical grounds.
All in all, most of these Ministers have promoted their personal agendas than serving genuinely. SLC no doubt needs censure, but this lot pointing fingers is like pot calling the kettle black for they have plenty of skeletons in their cupboards.
Central College produced a remarkable final day comeback to win the Battle of the North Big Match, defeating St. John’s College by three wickets after an outstanding eighth-wicket partnership between Murali Thison and Jesuthasan Nitharsan.
Central had been playing second fiddle to their arch-rivals for most of the match until the morning of the third day, when Thison and Nitharsan turned the game around with a match-winning unbeaten stand of 93 runs.
At the start of the final day Central were in a difficult position, trailing by more than 120 runs with only four wickets in hand. Overnight batsman Iyathure Kabishek, who had scored 21, was dismissed after adding 37 runs for the seventh wicket with Thison. From that point onwards, Thison and Nitharsan combined to frustrate the St. John’s bowlers, batting together for 12 overs to guide their team to a memorable victory.
Emmanouil Karalis in action in Rouen
Thison had already been a thorn in the flesh of the St. John’s batting line-up from the opening day, capturing 12 wickets in the match, including seven in the second innings. However, his superb bowling effort initially appeared likely to go in vain due to Central’s poor batting performance.
Central beat St. John’s by three wickets at the Battle of the North Big Match.
Central had struggled in their first innings, being bowled out for just 95 runs, with the highest individual score coming from Antanareshan Abishek who made 23. Only three other batsmen reached double figures, while Thison was dismissed for just one run.
In contrast, Thison rose to the occasion in the second innings, producing a magnificent unbeaten 81 that proved to be the cornerstone of Central’s successful chase. His innings came off 126 balls and included eight boundaries and a six.
Nitharsan played the perfect supporting role with a brisk unbeaten 44 off just 33 deliveries, striking five fours and two sixes to accelerate the scoring during the decisive stand.
Earlier in the innings, openers Jayaseelan Jenoshan (20) and Kabilan Amalan (45) had given Central a solid start, putting on 44 runs for the first wicket.
St. John’s had earlier gained the advantage with a first-innings lead, and in their second innings a brilliant century from Uthayanan Abijoyshanth — 121 off 105 balls with 15 fours and four sixes — helped them post a challenging total of 247.
Despite the odds being heavily stacked against them heading into the final day, Central’s determined batting display, led by Thison and Nitharsan, ensured a memorable turnaround and a thrilling victory in the historic Battle of the North.
The traditional Big Match between St. Sebastian’s College Moratuwa and Prince of Wales’ College Moratuwa ended in a draw after an absorbing contest at De Soysa Stadium Moratuwa on Sunday.
St. Sebastian’s produced a strong second innings batting display with five top-order batsmen scoring half centuries to finish on 279 for five wickets declared, setting their arch rivals a target of 230 runs for victory.
Prince of Wales struggled in their run chase and were reeling at 54 for five wickets at stumps after 28 overs when play concluded.
Batting first, St. Sebastian’s were bowled out for 214 runs with Chamath Wellalage providing the main resistance with a half century. Nethul Anuhas and Rusandu Silva shared the bowling honours for the Cambrians, claiming three wickets each.
Prince of Wales responded with 263 runs in their first innings to take a slender lead. Suwahas Fernando anchored the innings with a well-compiled 77 off 145 deliveries, holding the top order together. Opening batsman Palingu Perera also made a valuable contribution with 42 runs.
Milantha Silva was the standout bowler for the Sebastianites, delivering a marathon spell of 36.2 overs to capture five wickets for 100 runs. Koshendra Fernando provided good support, claiming three wickets while bowling 31 overs.
In their second innings, St. Sebastian’s mounted an impressive batting effort. Thivanka Fernando (50), Kaveesha Perera (52), Lashen Fernando (54), Koshendra Fernando (66 not out off 68 balls) and Chamath Wellalage (50 not out off 49 balls) all struck half centuries as the Sebastianites declared at 279 for five, setting up an intriguing finish.
However, the Cambrians lost wickets at regular intervals during their chase before the match eventually ended in a draw.
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