Sports
Pace dominates spin in Sri Lankan attack
by Rex Clementine
When Singer boss Hemaka Amarasuriya headed the cricket board some 20 years ago, one of his keen interests was to build up a cricket academy at RPS like the one in Brisbane, Australia. The Queensland Academy was producing top notch cricketers at a rate and Amarasuriya had ambitious plans.
A keen sports enthusiast who loved both rugby and cricket, Amarasuriya wasn’t just interested in producing fine cricketers, but giving a professional outlook on them as well. The academy that he introduced taught players essentials of life such as managing finances, cricket history, etiquette and English among many other things.
Sadly, once Amarasuriya left office, the academy stationed at RPS ceased to exist. His visionary thinking should have been carried forward.
Along with the academy came the program called Pace Ace, a unit headed by Rumesh Ratnayake and supported by Champaka Ramanayake. Those days Sri Lanka were solely depending on Chaminda Vaas and the need to have more fast-bowling resources was felt.
Not only did the two coaches work with the next crop of quicks, but they also went headhunting for promising talents and were able to spot the likes of Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara, just to name a few.
Similarly, you see several young fast bowlers coming up in recent years and it seems that Sri Lanka’s fast bowling strengths are better than spin options. Usually, it is the other way around. You have got to give credit to SLC’s District and Provincial coaches who have done an excellent job over the years in grooming rare talents.
Hambantota district where just a handful of schools play the game of cricket has produced the cream of the nation’s fast bowlers in recent years. There is Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka and Pramod Madushan. Of course, there is also workhorse Suranga Lakmal, whose journey from Debarawewa to Derbyshire has been quite sensational.
The only captain to have won a Test match in Barbados, the fortress of West Indies cricket, is not Imran Khan, not Kapil Dev, not Arjuna Ranatunga but Lakmal.
It is the return of Dushmantha Chameera lead up to the World Cup Qualifiers that has enabled Sri Lanka to breathe easy. The quickest man in Sri Lankan colours is going to knock over the associate nations. He returned to international cricket this month after a seven-month layoff due to surgery and was quite a handful troubling the Afghans with his pace and not too often a Sri Lankan quick ends up as Player of the Series at home.
There maybe not much cricket left in Chameera as he has been constantly injured and rarely fulfilled his promise. The team management has carefully looked after his workload but even then he struggled with fitness and Sri Lanka will be hoping that he won’t break down this year which is very crucial with the Asia Cup and World Cup coming up.
Lahiru Kumara is capable of challenging Chameera when it comes to pace. Kumara at times struggles with his control whereas Chameera is on the money and tempts batters to take risks with his tight bowling.
The most improved bowler of them all is Kasun Rajitha, who has taken over Lakmal’s role since the tall quick retired last year. It is Rajitha’s discipline and his ability to move the ball that has proved to be handy and often he provides a breakthrough earlier on.
All the talk is about left-arm quick Dilshan Madushanka, who became the highest paid player in LPL with teams bidding for his services fiercely. He will take home a cool US$ 92,000 for just two week’s work. But the left-arm seamer who doesn’t get much attention is Binura Fernando. Standing at six feet and six inches, the former D.S. Senanayake College cricketer generates a steep bounce thanks to his height.
Matheesha Pathirana provides raw pace and his slingy action has not only earned him the nickname ‘podi Malinga’ but also has given Chennai Super Kings a quality death bowling option as they went onto win the IPL this season. The former Trinity player is yet to convert his success in franchise cricket into international cricket and questions remain whether he will be effective in the 50 over format.
The fact is Pathirana is just 20 and he will learn as he goes along and will win Sri Lanka lots of games in years to come.
Gradually, Sri Lanka’s attack has become pace oriented than spin. Wonder whether the curators should prepare pitches accordingly for home games. Not many pacemen barring Vaas and Malinga have had a major impact for Sri Lanka for a long period of time. You just get the feeling that all that is set to change.
The India and Zimbabwe women’s teams are all set to play an international fixture against each other for the first time when Zimbabwe tour India for white-ball fixtures this October.
The tour comprises three T20Is and three ODIs and will be Zimbabwe’s first visit to India; India are yet to tour Zimbabwe for bilateral fixtures.
The three T20Is will be played in Raipur on October 16, 18 and 20, and the ODIs are on October 23, 25 and 28 in Baroda.
The fixtures were announced by the BCCI on Wednesday, along with two home series for the India A women’s side against Australia A in September and England A in December. Both those series comprise three T20s, three List A games and one multi-day fixture.
The India Under-19 women’s team will also host Sri Lanka U-19 in June and July for three T20s and three 50-over games, and England U-19 in November and December for five T20 fixtures.
The Australia A men’s side will tour India for two multi-day fixtures and three one-dayers in September and October, while the Australia U-19 side will visit India for two multi-day fixtures and three one-dayers also in September and October.
[Cricinfo]
Sports
Fast bowlers to get more opportunities as new format introduced for Under-15 Division I tourney
The Inter-Schools Under-15 Division I cricket tournament will be conducted under a revamped format this year, with organisers shifting the focus back to limited-overs cricket while introducing new rules aimed at promoting fast bowling.
The tournament, organised by the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA), will see only the top-tier Division I competition played in a 50-over format. Meanwhile, Division II and Division III matches will continue under the one-day, four-innings structure.
SLSCA Secretary Saman Hettiarachchi said the changes were made following consultations with experts from Sri Lanka Cricket, with a clear objective of providing greater opportunities for pace bowlers.
”We opted for the limited-overs format for Division I in consultation with Sri Lanka Cricket. The lower divisions will copete in the innings format as we have observed matches ending early without utilizing the full quota of overs,” Hettiarachchi told ‘The Island’.
A key feature of the revised rules is the compulsory allocation of overs for fast bowlers. In a full 50-over innings, a minimum of 20 overs must be bowled by pacemen. Additionally, during the first 10 overs, at least eight overs must be delivered by fast bowlers. If an innings is reduced to 30 overs or fewer, at least six of the first eight overs must be bowled by pace.
”It was made mandatory to give more opportunities to pacemen,” Hettiarachchi explained.
Meanwhile, the official draw for the Division I tournament has been released, featuring 70 teams divided into 16 groups from Group A to Group P for the preliminary round. Each team is guaranteed multiple matches during the opening stage.
Defending champions St. Joseph’s College headline Group A, where they will meet Nalanda College, Dharmapala College, St. John’s College, Lumbini College and De La Salle College.
With traditional cricketing powerhouses spread across the groups, it will be interesting to see how the first round pans out in the new-look tournament.
Under 15 Division I Tournament First Round Groups
GROUP A
St. Joseph’s College, Colombo
Nalanda College, Colombo
Dharmapala College, Pannipitiya
St. John’s College, Nugegoda
Lumbini College, Colombo
De La Salle College, Colombo
GROUP B
D.S. Senanayake College, Colombo
S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia
Presidents’ College, Kotte
Wesley College, Colombo
Carey College, Colombo
Sri Dharmaloka College, Kelaniya
GROUP C
St. Anthony’s College, Wattala
St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa
Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Kottawa
St. Peter’s College, Colombo
C.W.W. Kannangara MV, Colombo
Ashoka College, Colombo
GROUP D
St. Benedict’s College, Colombo
Royal College, Colombo
Gurukula College, Kelaniya
Lyceum International School, Wattala
Bandaranayake MMV, Gampaha
St. John’s College, Panadura
GROUP E
De Mazenod College, Kandana
Isipathana College, Colombo
Christ King College, Ja-Ela
Thurstan College, Colombo
Ananda Shastralaya NS, Kotte
St. Joseph Vaz College, Vennappuwa
GROUP F
Mahanama College, Colombo
Piliyandala MMV, Piliyandala
Ananda College, Colombo
Sri Jayawardenapura NS, Kotte
Presidents College, Maharagama
St. Thomas’ College, Kotte
GROUP G
Wadduwa MMV, Wadduwa
Sri Sumangala College, Panadura
Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa
Moratu Vidyalaya, Moratuwa
Revatha College, Balapitiya
Royal College, Panadura
GROUP H
Dharmaraja College, Kandy
St. Mary’s College, Kegalle
Kegalu Vidyalaya, Kegalle
Kingswood College, Kandy
Vidyartha College, Kandy
Ibbagamuwa MMV, Ibbagamuwa
GROUP J
Maris Stella College, Negombo
Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala
Harischandra College, Negombo
Maliyadeva Adarsha MV, Kurunegala
Galahitiyawa MMV, Ganemulla
Sandalankawa MMV, Sandalankawa
GROUP K
St. Anthony’s College, Kandy
St. Sylvester’s College, Kandy
Trinity College, Kandy
Royal College, Polonnaruwa
St. Thomas’ College, Matale
Jaffna Hindu College, Jaffna
GROUP L
Sri Pangnananda MMV, Raddoluwa
St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala
St. Mary’s College, Chilaw
Sri Sumangala NS, Wariyapola
St. Peter’s College, Negombo
St. Xavier’s College, Marawila
GROUP M
Devapathiraja College, Rathgama
St. Aloysius College, Galle
Holy Cross College, Kalutara
Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda
Kalutara Vidyalaya, Kalutara
Vidyaloka College, Galle
GROUP N
Mahinda College, Galle
Tissa MV, Kalutara
Rahula College, Matara
Debarawewa NS, Debarawewa
St. Thomas’ College, Matara
Meepawala Amarasuriya MV
GROUP P
St. Servatius’ College, Matara
Richmond College, Galle
Sri Devananda College, Ambalangoda
Karandeniya MMV, Karandeniya
P. De S. Kularathna MV, Ambalangoda
President’s College, Embilipitiya.
by Reemus Fernando
With the success the seven MCA men’s cricket tournaments have achieved, the Executive Committee of Mercantile Cricket Association (MCA) have decided to give Women’s Cricket in Sri Lanka a boost by introducing a hard ball Women’s Cricket Tournament for the corporate sector.
With the international recognition women’s cricket has gained at present, it is no secret that there still are many talented lasses aspiring to reach the zenith of the game.
Even with the measures Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) the game’s governing body through the Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA) have taken to promote girls cricket in schools, a considerable number of talented players, specially in the provinces do not have an opportunity to be recognized.
It is the MCA’s belief that with the introduction of a MCA Women’s Cricket Tournament, the corporate sector will be encouraged to field teams, and in doing so will give a hand to talented lasses and school leavers by providing them with employment as well as the opportunity to realise their aspirations in the Women’s Cricket arena.
At present in addition to the seven major Men’s tournaments the MCA organise the
Mercantile Six-a-Side tournament, the Over-40 Sixes competition, the 20×20 league, and the esteemed MCA Inter Academy Invitational tournament,
As an initial step, the MCA will be conducting a Women’s six and side soft ball cricket tournament for the corporate sector teams on Saturday 23rd May 2026 at the Mercantile Cricket Association grounds.
For further information please contact Chamara on 0759592488 or Prasad 0759809777.
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