Sports
Let’s make most of local coaches
Rex Clementine at Pallekele
Sri Lankan cricket has been ahead of times compared to some of our Asian neighbours over the years. In our formative years, Gamini Dissanayake was convinced that the team needed a foreign coach and quite a few of them were hired including Sir Garry Sobers to help the team in early days. At a time when the board was penniless, Mr. Dissanayake had businessmen around him like Killy Rajamahendran to fund these foreign coaches.
For about a decade then, several former local players managed the affairs of the team. Then in 1994 when visionary board chairman Ana Punchihewa took over, he felt the need to have a foreign coach again. He wanted to bring in Dav Whatmore, but he was going to cost the board US$ 100,000 annually. SLC at that point had a grand bank balance of Rs. 400,000.
It is not known to many that Mr. Punchihewa’s visionary project was funded by the Australian Cricket Board. Sri Lanka were going to tour Australia in 1995 and were getting a guarantee fee of US$ 100,000. The Aussies doubled the guarantee fee and as a result the board could afford Whatmore. It is well-documented how he changed the fortunes of the team.
In recent years, we have had a few local Head Coaches. Roy Dias was at the helm when Sri Lanka won a Test match in England for the first time in 1998 and Marvan Atapattu was in charge when Sri Lanka recorded a first ever series win in England in 2014.
Between those periods we have had some excellent foreign coaches. There was Tom Moody, a brilliant man manager and Trevor Bayliss, who brought the best of several star players. Both of them took the team to the World Cup finals and stepped down.
Under incumbent Chris Silverwood, the results maybe not very much in favour of him, but what he has done is to develop an excellent set of fast bowlers. Fast bowling is one area that has shown tremendous improvement in recent years credit to the former Yorkshire quick.
India were very late to obtain the services of a foreign coach. New Zealander John Wright was their first foreign coach in 2001 and since then they have had the likes of Greg Chappell, Duncan Fletcher and Gary Kirsten.
But currently, India’s almost entire coaching staff is local. The only foreigner in their ranks is our own Nuwan Seneviratne, a throw down specialist.
Can Sri Lanka be self-sufficient too moving forward? Some of the foreign coaching staff that we have hired in recent years have been well below par.
There was a hue and cry when they brought down a fielding coach two years ago claiming he is one of the best. But it turned out to be we were taken for a ride. The national cricket team’s fielding was horrendous in the recently concluded World Cup where they spilled as many as 16 catches. The drop catches cost them dearly and the team finished ninth in the tournament and were knocked out of the Champions Trophy.
A lot of people tend to agree that we may need a foreigner as Head Coach. Nobody is denying it. Maybe you can get a qualified physiotherapist as well from overseas, but rest, surely, the locals can manage. Since the arrival of Upul Chandana as Fielding Coach, the players are showing more energy on the field and his creative drills are a treat to watch indeed.
Recently, we recruited a spin bowling coach by the name of Craig Howard. You tend to think that in a country that has produced some quality spin bowlers, surely we should be able to hire someone locally. Rangana Herath is into coaching and you wonder whether he is available to do a stint. Apart from his expertise on spin bowling, the cool-headed Herath will be ideal to the dressing room atmosphere.
This is not an effort to run down Howard. Maybe he’ll be able to help our spinners. It remains to be seen. But the fact is we have made some poor choices with our foreign coaches in recent years. The fielding coach is a case in point.
SLC needs to be commended for they have hardly interfered with recommendations of our former captain who has been calling the shots on cricket-related matters for close to three years now. But all his choices haven’t been top-notch. There have been some very ordinary ones. Let’s make the most of local coaches. And save some dollars.
Chennai Super King’s (CSK) slim playoff hopes were crushed emphatically by Gujarat Titans [GT] in Ahmedabad on Thursday night as they sealed a top-two spot with an 89-run win.
Sent in to bat on a red-soil surface with pace and bounce, GT went all-in to post 229. Shubman Gill’s 23-ball half-century set it up for late fireworks from B Sai Sudarshan (84 off 53) and Jos Buttler (57 not out off 27).
In reply, CSK’s top five perished inside eight overs before Shivam Dube tonked 47 off 17 to briefly inject life into the chase. His dismissal left the door ajar for GT to knock over the lower order, which they did courtesy Rashid Khan to bowl CSK out in the 14th over.
In the game’s second over, Sanju Samson left the field to nurse a finger injury after Spencer Johnson’s hard-length delivery down the leg side suddenly swerved away after passing the batter. He left the field immediately, and didn’t return for the rest of the innings with Kartik Sharma taking over the wicketkeeping duties. The nature of his on-field injury meant Samson could return to bat in his original position, but he lasted all of one ball, nicking a Mohammed Siraj away-swinger in the very first over.
Having taken a wicket off the first ball in GT’s defense of 230, Siraj then saw Ruturaj Gaikwad loft him through the line over the covers, and then walk across to scoop him for six. In his next over, he saw the CSK captain whip him nonchalantly over the midwicket fence. Siraj, though, remained unperturbed and removed him with a length ball that ducked back in to crash into the stumps. One ball later, he silenced the home fans rooting for local hero Urvil Patel by having him top-edge a flick straight down Prasidh Krishna’s throat at deep backward square leg.
At the start of the ninth, CSK were 72 for 5. It took Dube all of two overs to get the fans excited. Having endured a poor season, he began by thumping left-arm seamer Arshad Khan for 6, 4 and 4 in an over that went for 19. He went into overdrive in the next, thumping Jason Holder’s hard-length delivery over long-on for six. And when Holder went full, Dube’s long levers helped scythe the ball behind square. Overs 8-10 fetched 37. But one ball after launching Rashid over deep midwicket, Dube was out to him when Gill, running back from cover, pulled off a stunner. CSK lost their last four wickets in the next three overs, with Rashid finishing with 3 for 18.
Long before his catching brilliance and the direct hit to run out Kartik, Gill began like a bullet train, surging to a 23-ball half-century to lay down the marker, even as Sai Sudharsan buckled down to play second fiddle. He was run-a-ball for his first 22 deliveries en route to a seventh century stand with Gill – the most by an opening pair in the IPL.
Gill survived on 51 despite feathering an attempted pull with none of the opposition appealing for caught behind. But it didn’t cost CSK a lot as he fell soon after for 64. Once Gill perished, Sai Sudharsan carried on to bring up his fifth consecutive IPL fifty – joining Virender Sehwag, David Warner and Buttler to this feat.
Sudharsan would eventually fall for 84, along the way surpassing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s tally to take back the Orange Cap.
Buttler, who came in after Gill’s wicket, launched into the bowling from the get-go. He took particular liking to Noor Ahmad, depositing him deep into the stands to quickly offset a brief slowdown. Amid the carnage from one end, left-arm seamer Gurjanpreet Singh held away, mixing his cutters with wide yorkers to finish with 4-0-31-0, the figures taking a dent only because his final over went for 15.
Buttler too got to his half-century off 23 balls when he scythed two attempted wide yorkers from Anshul Kamboj to the cover boundary. Kamboj went for 56 off his four overs, along the way conceding the most sixes in a single IPL season. It left CSK needing a mammoth 230, which they never looked like challenging on the night.
Brief scores:
Gujarat Titans 229 for 4 in 20 overs (Sai Sudharsan 84, Shubman GIll 64, Jos Buttler 57*; Mukesh Choudhary 1-36, Spence Johnson 1-47, Anshul Kamboj 1-56) beat Chennai Super Kings 140 in 13.4 overs (Mathew Short 24, Rutraj Gaikwad 16, Kartik Sharma 19, Shivam Dube 47, Anshul Kamboj 19; Rashid Khan 3-18, Mohammed Siraj 3-26, Kagiso Rabada 3-32) by 89 runs
[Cricinfo]
15TH STAFFORD MOTORS – MCA G DIVISION T20 LEAGUE CRICKET TOURNAMENT
Brandix Apparel and Maliban Biscuits two undefeated teams will clash in the final of the Stafford Motors sponsored MCA G Division cricket tournament final to be played at the MCA ground on Sunday [24] morning. The winners will remain undefeated and take home the ‘Honda Trophy’.
In the league stage Brandix Apparel playing in group G defeated Millenium IT ESP by 61 runs, Stafford Motors by 60 runs and Sitecore by 7 wickets to qualify for the knock out stage. The game against Coats Thread Exports was not played as the result wouldn’t have changed the group’s rankings. In the knockout stage Brandix defeated Pyramid Wilmar by 12 runs in the pre-quarter final, Future Life Holdings by 72 runs in the quarter final and Stafford Motors by 70 runs in the semifinal to reach the final undefeated.
Maliban Biscuits ‘B’ playing in Group A in the league stage, defeated WSO2 by 8 wickets, Sysco Labs by 6 wickets, Jetwing Travels by 136 runs, Hayleys Group ‘C’ by 9 wickets and CDB ‘B’ by 4 wickets to reach the knockout stage. Maliban beat Fairfirst Insurance by 7 wickets in the pre-quarter final, Allianz Insurance by 4 wickets in the quarter final and Star Garments by 3 wickets to reach the final undefeated.
Brandix Apparell led by Tharaka Sampath Silva will be selected from, Janaka Weerapokuna, Pradeep Kumara , Shashika Udesh, Dayan Idunil, Lakshan Fernando, Sasitha Ashan, Akila Dhanuddhra, Dulaj Silva [WK], Sampath Jayalath, Kalpa Udesh, Pasal wickrasingha, Sameera Alvise, Dinusha Nishan, Nirmal Fernando, Dinesh Priyankara
Maliban Biscuits ‘B’ led by Tharindu Siriwardene will be selected from Gihan Ranasinghe [WK], Anjula Perera, Chamara Rathnayake, Dilan Alwis, Dilip Sandaruwan, Chathuranga Dewapriya, Mohomed Shilmi, Sameera Lakmal, Dilantha Sanjeewa, Nadun Kumara, Tharindu Fernando, Asiri Samarasinghe, Kelum Madushanka, Aruna Nuwan
Stafford Motors and Star Garments vie for third place
Sponsors Stafford Motors and Star Garments , the two teams that were unfortunate not to reach the finals, will battle it out on Sunday afternoon in the playoff for third place.
The Stafford Motors team led by Shanaka Sampath will be selected from Dhammika Kumara, Vishwa Rajapaksha, Sanjaya Fernando, Sanjeewa Vishan, JanithnSilva, Vihanga Malith, Nethum Manawaduge, Dulshan Attanayake, Annesley Perera, Venura Nisalitha, Ravindra Lal, K A Samantha, Lakshan Fernando, Asanka Kumarage, Gajindu Yasas [WK]
Star Garments led by Rishantha Anushka will be selected from Shakila Dulshan [WK], Randu Nawanjaya Fernando, Nadeesha Akash, Suwahas Yapa, Yohan Dewapriya, . Dunik Perera, Sanjaya Mihiran, Dhanuka Dulanja, Chathuranga Dilshan, Niranjan Fernando, Ganidu Charulochana, Sudesh Wilhara, Thushara Appuhami, Nadun Wijenayake
Brandix Apparell Team
Paceman Hirun Manyuga produced a devastating spell to claim six wickets as Rahula, Matara bundled out St. Thomas’, Matara for just 69 runs before cruising to a seven-wicket victory in their Under 17 Division I cricket tournament match played at Uyanwatta Stadium on Thursday.
Manyuga spearheaded the bowling attack with a match-defining six-wicket haul to put Rahula firmly in control after St. Thomas’ struggled against disciplined bowling. He received fine support from Pawan Dulsara and Jineth Methmira, who chipped in with two wickets apiece to complete the collapse.
Rahula made light work of the modest target, with Manyuga capping a fine all-round performance by top scoring in the run chase with an unbeaten 26 runs to guide his team to victory in convincing fashion. His impressive bowling figures read 7.3-1-19-6.
At Campbell Place in Colombo, Dunal Sendanayaka produced a match-winning unbeaten innings as Nalanda recorded an impressive six-wicket victory over St. Joseph’s in their opening Group match of the Under-17 Division I Cricket Tournament.
Chasing a revised DLS target of 125 runs, Nalanda reached the target comfortably, with seven overs to spare, thanks largely to an outstanding knock by Sendanayaka.
The Nalanda batsman stood firm after the visitors made early inroads, reducing the home side to 26 for two wickets. Sendanayaka then combined effectively with Hasarel Rabel to produce a decisive 81-run partnership for the third wicket, which turned the contest firmly in Nalanda’s favour.
Sendanayaka remained unbeaten on a superb 74 off 80 deliveries, striking six boundaries and three sixes in a commanding innings. Rabel provided solid support with a patient 31 runs off 64 balls. For St. Joseph’s, Thisanga Perera was the most successful bowler, claiming two wickets for 16 runs.
Earlier, after being put into bat, St. Joseph’s struggled to build momentum as wickets fell at regular intervals. Useful contributions from Lesandu Wijethunga (23) and Disinu Samarasinghe (24) helped the visitors post 122 all out in 34 overs.
Nalanda’s bowling effort was spearheaded by left-arm spinners Umasha Abhilash and Binulka Mansith, who claimed three wickets apiece to restrict the Josephians to a modest total. Vidun Gamage also chipped in with two wickets.
Scores
St. Joseph’s
122 all out in 34 overs (Lesandu Wijethunga 23, Disinu Samarasinghe 24; Vidun Gamage 2/40, Umasha Abhilash 3/30, Binulka Mansith 3/04)
Nalanda
128 for 4 in 29.2 overs (Dunal Sendanayaka 74n.o., Hasarel Rabel 31; Thisanga Perera 2/16)
Meanwhile at BRC ground, Ananda Sastralaya Kotte pulled off an exciting two wicketa victory over Lumbini. (RF)
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