Sports
Cricket’s future in good hands says Under-19 coach Mubarak
by Rex Clementine
Sri Lanka’s Under-19s completed a tour of England last week where they played two unofficial Test matches and three one-dayers. While the Sri Lankans triumphed in the Test series, they lost all three limited over games. The tour highlighted several promising young talents and gave players a taste of what playing cricket in other conditions meant. Some of the younger members of the squad were getting out of the country for the first time and it was a whole new experience for them.
All three limited over games were closely contested and were won by England. Sri Lanka had wanted to give all the players they had taken on tour a game so in a way, they were handicapped as the full strength didn’t feature in these games.
“We were in the game on all three occasions. It was hard with all the rain as we didn’t know what a good score was. Not disappointed with the way we played though. Spirit of the team was very good and lot of positives to take from the tour,” Jehan Mubarak, who was on his first assignment as Sri Lanka Under-19 coach told The Island.
“What I would say is that everyone we took on the tour are equally talented. Some might develop at the under-19 stage while some others develop when they start playing club cricket. There are also players who develop when they are 25. Ranuda Somaratne is right up there among the players who impressed us. Anjala Bandara batted really well too pulling us out of tough situations and enabling us to post competitive totals during the one-dayers. The other wicketkeeper, Lahiru Dewatage, who kept in Tests also did well. Trevin Mathew has a lot of potential. Malsha Tarupathi and Duvindu Ranatunga, the two young guys, I see them playing a big part as well moving forward. They are still 16 and they will be available for the next World Cup.”
“Asitha Wanninayake looks a very good long format player with good temperament and ability to bat for a long period of time. Shevon Daniel scored an outstanding hundred in Derby that enabled us to get into a strong position. I expected him to do much better in the one-dayers but that didn’t happen.”
The standout performer among the players was Ranuda Somaratne, who smashed 65 and 120 not out in the first Test at Chelmsford. The Trinity College batter also posted two half-centuries in the one-day leg of the tour. Somaratna’s approach in the second innings of Chelmsford was impressive as Sri Lanka slumped to 48 for four in pursuit of 273 runs in 59 overs.
“The main thing was his intent and strike rotations. When you are chasing totals, it’s important to put the opposition under pressure. If the opposition doesn’t have to worry about boundaries, they won’t; mind it. Ranuda kept the pressure on England bowlers by picking up boundaries. The moment the target fell below 100, England went on the defensive spreading the field. The way Ranuda batted impacted how everyone else batted.”
Under 19 Cricket
Left-arm spinners Vishwa Peiris and Demion de Silva took five wickets each as St. Joseph’s cruised to an innings and 51 runs victory over St. Benedict’s in the Traditional Mack – Croner trophy cricket encounter at Darley Road on Tuesday.
St. Benedict’s came to the match having done well in the Tier B tournament matches but the spin might of the Joes was too hot for them to handle as they collapsed for 62 runs in the second innings.
The result somewhat exposed the gap between the Tier A and Tier B teams of the Under 19 Division I category as the team from Kotahena were bowled out within 25 overs. They were following on after being dismissed for 197 runs in the first innings, where Nushan Perera grabbed five wickets bowling the bulk of the overs for the Joes. He was adjudged the Best Bowler.
While Vishwa was the Man of the Match, Rishma Amarasinghe (Best Fielder) and Senuja Wakunugoda (Best Batsman) won the other individual awards.
The Joes made 313 in their innings with Senuja top scoring with 106 runs.
In the Division I Tier ‘A’ matches Gurukula (against St. Sebastian’s) and St. Anthony’s Katugastota (against Royal) registered first innings victories.
Maliyadeva took first innings points against De Mazenod in a tier B match.
(RF)
Organisers of the ICC T20 World Cup are sweating over after Pakistan refused to play nuclear-armed neighbours India in Colombo, a decision that has left administrators scratching their heads and staring at a potential financial googly.
The India–Pakistan contest, the jewel in the tournament’s crown, is the game that oils cricket’s economic engine. If the marquee clash is bowled out, the loss of revenue will have every stakeholder feeling the pinch from boardroom to boundary rope. Islamabad’s call to withdraw, taken at government level, has sparked fears the verdict will not be overturned.
Anticipation for the grudge match had reached fever pitch. Tickets vanished on day one of sales, while Colombo’s hotels were snapped up quickly. Five-star rooms that normally fetch 150 US dollars were hiked to 600 USD, some even soaring to 800 USD as the city braced for a carnival.
With the capital full to the rafters, tour operators shuttled visitors to nearby Negombo, an hour’s drive from the stadium, while others opted for apartments as accommodation ran dry. Flights, too, were booked well in advance, but uncertainty over the epic duel has now cast a long shadow.
“We haven’t had many cancellations yet, but we fear the worst. Everyone will take a hit if the game doesn’t take place,” aviation industry official Thusitha Perera told Telecom Asia Sport.
Gihan Wickramasinghe, representing Colombo’s hoteliers, echoed the concern. “Our hope is the match goes ahead. If not, we’ll have to refund bookings and the tour operators will be hit even harder.”
Tour operator Lisa Fernando said the anxiety was mounting. “Two groups from Dubai alone, 75 people, were coming. Corporate clients had planned trips down south as well. There’s a lot of money at stake and so much unnecessary stress.”
Indian fan Varun Kumar from Bangalore has already paid for flights and hotels but intends to travel regardless. “Sri Lanka has been on my bucket list. Whether the match happens or not, we’ll come to experience the country,” he said.
Sri Lanka Cricket remains optimistic the contest will be rescued before the final over is called. But if the showpiece is scratched, it would be a hammer blow to an economy only just finding its feet after years of setbacks, leaving the tournament badly caught behind.
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