Sports
Asalanka soaks up pressure of batting at five
Rex Clementine
at Pallekele
Number five is not the easiest position to bat in ODI cricket and very few have succeeded in the role. Arjuna Ranatunga, Mahela Jayawardene and Angelo Mathews are cases in point. Sometimes, with players seniority going up, they also move up the order absorbing the lion’s share of 50 overs of the innings. However, despite his elevation as vice-captain, Asalanka has remained at number five and has done a fabulous job for the team.
In the second ODI against Afghanistan on Sunday at Pallekele, Asalanka played a match winning role posting an unbeaten 97 and enabled the team to post a total of 308. Afghanistan could only manage 153 runs and lost the contest by 155 runs as Sri Lanka took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
In his brief career so far, we have seen Asalanka soaking in all the pressure during run chases and scripting some famous wins. But on Sunday, he showcased another aspect of his game in setting up a total. His choice of strokes, his decision making and smartness were all exhibited and he’s proving to be a vital cog in the side.Not too long before, it can be assured that Asalanka will take up a spot among the top ten batters in the official ICC Rankings.
After the World Cup flop, it was a vital series win for Sri Lanka. Afghanistan were a team on the rise following their World Cup heroics where they defeated three former champions – England, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. They finished the competition sixth and qualified for the Champions Trophy whereas Sri Lanka finished a disappointing ninth and were knocked out of the Champions Trophy.
“Very pleased with the effort to finish the series with a win with a game to spare. It’s not done yet. Ideally, we would like to complete a 3-0 sweep,” Asalanka told journalists at the post-match media briefing.
“Number five is a pressure position. At times you’ll have to come out to bat with the score on ten for three or with the score on 200 for three. I have played over 50 games and I have been getting a lot of input from the coaches about how to go about things. Pleased with the way I have done it,” Asalanka went onto say.
Sri Lanka were notorious for batting collapses as showcased during the World Cup and the Asia Cup prior to that. On Sunday though at 147 for four with 21 overs remaining in the innings, Asalanka addressed the issue.
“Although Kusal and Sadeera were dismissed in quick succession, they had maintained a good run rate. The plan was to bat till the 40th over. Janith Liyanage took the pressure off me and we were able to go at run a ball and that partnership enabled us to get to 300.”
Asalanka was left stranded on 97 not out and missed out on his fourth century. He was on 96 facing the penultimate ball of the innings and could manage only a single leaving fellow Richmond College player Wanindu Hasaranga with the last ball.
“I had the century in mind. I thought the ball went to the gap and wanted to get two runs. Wanindu wanted me to play the last ball, but I heard that call late. We were attacking at that point and we were looking at 320. When we were walking back we chatted that we were about ten runs short.”
The pitches at Pallekele have been tailor-made for batting with Sri Lanka scoring more than 300 runs in both games. Sri Lanka had the habit of preparing rank turners for home games in a bid to win contests but their weaknesses were exposed when they went for events like the World Cup where usually you get batsmen friendly tracks.
“After the World Cup, we spoke about pitches a lot. Wickets we played at home last year, we couldn’t post totals above 300. But since the World Cup, we have got good wickets. If we are going to get flat wickets for ICC events, we should play on flat wickets at home too. Our bowlers are also learning the art of bowling and containing sides on good wickets.”
During the second ODI, Afghanistan were in the hunt with the run chase going well as Rahmat Shah and Ibrahim Zadran posted half-centuries. But soon after the two experienced batters were dismissed, there was a sensational collapse
“The partnership between Rahmat and Ibrahim was a bit of headache. I was chatting to Kusal Mendis and we expected a close game. We wanted to keep overs of our best bowlers towards the end. We wanted to leave them with about 100 runs in the last ten overs. Once the dot ball pressure came they cracked under pressure. Wanindu was awesome today and so were the seamers to create that pressure.”
Asalanka was at the non-striker’s end when Pathum Nissanka became the first Sri Lankan to score a double hundred in the first ODI. He celebrated the moment by lifting up his subdued colleague.
“I really like to watch Pathum bat. Absolutely fabulous knock. I really enjoyed it. Nobody had scored a double hundred before. Glad I was out there in the middle when that happened.”
by Rex Clementine
A match saving hundred by Sonal Dinusha helped Sri Lanka salvage a draw in the second Test against India at the SSC yesterday. India won the series 1-0, having claimed the opening Test in Galle by 165 runs.
Sri Lanka were 429 for nine in their second innings, with Dinusha unbeaten on 133, when the teams shook hands and called off the game with the 15 mandatory overs about to begin.
Sri Lanka, who were forced to follow on after conceding a first innings deficit of 213 runs, began the final day staring down the barrel at 229 for six, leading by just 16 runs with three sessions to survive.
In young Sonal Dinusha, however, the hosts seem to have unearthed a gem. He batted superbly under pressure to ensure Sri Lanka earned a draw and picked up some valuable points in the World Test Championship.
Dinusha had been Sri Lanka’s standout performer throughout the series, having made 100 and 84 in the first Test in Galle before following it up with 103 in the first innings at the SSC and an unbeaten 133 in the second essay to finish the series with 420 runs.
It was only the fifth Test for the 25-year-old, but he batted with authority and showed remarkable composure in a back to the wall effort.
India threw everything at him, including the second new ball, but Dinusha remained unmoved as he became only the eighth Sri Lankan to score hundreds in both innings of a Test, joining an exclusive list comprising Duleep Mendis, Asanka Gurusinha, Aravinda de Silva, T.M. Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Kamindu Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva.
The match saving hundred was Dinusha’s third in Test cricket and also his career-best score.
Dinusha could not have done it all by himself, however, as he received excellent support from Sri Lanka’s lower order.
He added 112 runs from 246 deliveries for the seventh wicket with Keshara Nuwantha as Sri Lanka batted through the entire morning session without losing a wicket.
India finally found the breakthrough in the first over after lunch when Nuwantha departed for a well compiled 46.
Dinusha then added 25 runs for the eighth wicket from 74 balls with Prabath Jayasuriya to keep Sri Lanka afloat. After Jayasuriya’s dismissal, Lahiru Kumara joined Dinusha and the pair added 47 runs for the ninth wicket from 170 deliveries, keeping India in the field for even longer and eating further into the time available for the tourists to force a victory.
Questions will be asked of India’s bowling attack after they were unable to run through Sri Lanka’s lower order on a fifth day pitch despite having the hosts six wickets down at the start of play.
Six-a-side school cricket is set to make a high-profile return to Moratuwa when the Old Boys’ Association of Prince of Wales’ College stages the Prince of Wales’ College 150th Anniversary Inter-School Sixes Cricket Tournament on August 29 and 30 at the De Soysa Stadium.
The two-day tournament is one of the major sporting attractions of the College’s historic 150th anniversary celebrations and
will bring together 16 leading school cricket teams for a knockout competition.
The tournament is aimed at reviving the excitement of six-a-side cricket, a format renowned for its fast pace and spectator-friendly nature, which has not featured regularly in major inter-school competitions in recent years.
The Old Boys’ Association believes the 150th anniversary provides the ideal opportunity to bring the format back to the forefront while celebrating Moratuwa’s deep-rooted passion for cricket.
Cricket has long held a special place in the hearts of Moratuwa’s residents, while Prince of Wales’ College boasts a proud cricketing tradition that has produced several outstanding players who have gone on to represent Sri Lanka at the highest level.
The organizers expect more than 5,000 cricket enthusiasts from Moratuwa and surrounding areas to witness the tournament over the two days, turning the event into a major festival of school cricket.
The opening ceremony on August 29 is scheduled to be attended by Kusal Mendis, one of the leading cricketers produced by Prince of Wales’ College and a member of the Sri Lankan national team.
The tournament will feature 16 schools, including Royal College Colombo, St. Joseph’s College Darley Road, Thurstan College Colombo, S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia, Dharmasoka College Ambalangoda, Prince of Wales’ College Moratuwa, Moratu Maha Vidyalaya, D.S. Senanayake College Colombo, Sri Sumangala College Panadura, Richmond College Galle, Mahanama College Colombo, St. Sebastian’s College Moratuwa, St. Peter’s College Bambalapitiya, Wesley College Colombo, Ananda College Colombo and Mahanama College Panadura.
With the competition being played on a knockout basis, the compact format is expected to produce plenty of attacking cricket and give emerging players an opportunity to showcase their skills in front of a large crowd.
Apart from the competitive aspect, the tournament is also intended to promote sportsmanship, friendship and fellowship among the participating schools.
The tournament will conclude on August 30 with a ceremonial awards presentation, with the participation of Eran Wickramaratne, distinguished invitees, representatives of participating schools, past pupils and members of the cricketing community.
The Old Boys’ Association has also expressed its appreciation to the corporate sector and event sponsors whose support has helped make the tournament possible.
Their contribution, according to the organizers, reflects the continuing partnership between Prince of Wales’ College, its alumni and the corporate community in supporting educational, sporting and development initiatives.
The six-a-side tournament is therefore expected to provide not only two days of entertaining school cricket, but also a fitting sporting celebration of 150 years of Prince of Wales’ College.
India 503/9 decl (Devdutt Padikkal 117, Dhruv Jurel 115; Asitha Fernando 4-106, Prabath Jayasuriya 2-132) drew with Sri Lanka 290 (Sonal Dinusha 103, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 80; Prasidh Krishna 3-52, Manav Suthar 3-85) and 429/9 f/o (Sonal Dinusha 133*, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 92; Ravindra Jadeja 3-94, Manav Suthar 3-121)
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