The much-anticipated 57th Annual Saints’ Quadrangular Tournament which  brings together four of Sri Lanka’s leading Catholic schools, St. Anthony’s College, Kandy, St. Benedict’s College, Colombo 13, St.Joseph’s College, Colombo 10, and St. Peter’s College, Colombo 04, for a weekend of spirited competition, camaraderie and nostalgia is scheduled to take place this weekend (weather permitting).

This year’s tournament is being hosted by the St. Peter’s College Old Boys’ Union (SPCOBU) during its Centenary year, marking 100 years since the Union was founded in 1927. The Centenary celebrates a century of service to the College and the Peterite community, under the theme  “Honouring the Past, Strengthening the Present, Inspiring the Peterite of Tomorrow.”

The origins of the ‘Saints Quadrangular Tournament’   trace back to 1963, during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of St. Benedict’s College. An open invitation was extended to schools across the country for a cricket tournament, and coincidentally, only the above three premier Catholic institutions joined

President’s Balika Nawala, won the girls’ hockey title at the All Island Schools Games, held recently at the Astro Turf, Reid Avenue. It was the second consecutive year the school had claimed the title.

Nethuli Dinethmi, who played a vital role in the team’s success, was named Best Player of the tournament.The victorious team is pictured here with the school’s officials, namely, H.P.M.P.D.Hasanthi Pathirathna, Principal, S.K.Tharsha Ranasinghe, Vice Principal, M.D.D. Aloka Dissanayake, Teacher in Charge of Sports, R.P.D. Dilrukshi, Teacher in Charge of Sports and Chathura Kalum Rupasinghe (Coach).

(Pic by Thushara Athapaththu)

by Rex Clementine

Sri Lanka were once pioneers in limited overs cricket, setting the bar so high that the rest of the world was left scrambling to catch up. And mind you, this was not confined to the 50 over format, where Sri Lanka tore up the coaching manuals, embraced an unconventional brand of cricket and took the world by storm.

Even in T20 cricket, despite not possessing an abundance of power hitters, Sri Lanka punched well above their weight.

Clever improvisation, fearless innovation and a willingness to back unorthodox talent helped them make the cricketing world eat humble pie. Fast forward to the present, however, and the picture is anything but rosy. Sri Lanka’s T20 cricket is in a sorry state, and there is no hiding the mountain of work ahead.

In Pakistan, their shortcomings have been laid bare, with the team repeatedly found wanting and left high and dry.

Successive administrations have tried every trick in the book to arrest the slide. Power hitting coaches have been brought in, psychologists engaged, players given unrestricted access to franchise leagues and emerging talent afforded regular exposure. Yet, for all these efforts, Sri Lanka’s players, particularly the batters, have struggled to raise the bar.

The series defeat to Pakistan was Sri Lanka’s fifth this year. Add to that the disappointments at the World Cup and the Asian Games and the picture becomes even more depressing. True, Sri Lanka returned from Japan with a bronze medal, but India provided a brutal reminder of the widening gulf between the haves and the have nots.

So, where do Sri Lanka go from here?

The Cricket Committee would do well to pick the brains of captains and coaches who have cracked the T20 code in recent years. There is no shame in learning from those who have mastered the format. The challenge is to identify a blueprint for su ccess and see how best those ideas can be adapted to Sri Lankan cricket.

Head coach Gary Kirsten himself has worked with successful franchises around the world. Perhaps he should be given a free hand to bring in specialist expertise if he believes that is what the team needs.

For all the disappointments in T20 cricket, fielding had remained one area where Sri Lanka could still hold their heads high. Alarmingly, even that department is beginning to unravel. The wheels appear to be coming off in a discipline that was once a hallmark of Sri Lankan cricket.

There were, however, a few encouraging signs in the final game against Pakistan. The manner in which Kusal Mendis went about his business was a breath of fresh air. The Sri Lankan captain struck at an impressive 181, combining clean hitting with the sort of innovation that has been conspicuously absent from the team’s batting.

Kamindu Mendis, too, showed signs of returning to form and Sri Lankan supporters will be hoping the pair can carry that momentum into the triangular ODI competition, also featuring England, which gets underway later this week.

Sri Lanka badly missed Pathum Nissanka, their highest ranked T20I batter at number nine in the ICC rankings. His absence robbed the batting line up of much needed quality and consistency. To compound matters, a troublesome hamstring has left his participation in the ODI leg uncertain as well.

The occasional flash of brilliance may offer some comfort, but it cannot disguise the larger malaise. Sri Lanka were once the trendsetters in limited overs cricket. Today, they are struggling to keep pace with the rest. Unless there is a serious rethink, the gap will only grow wider.