Sri Lanka ‘A’ signed off a near-flawless campaign this week, outplaying New Zealand ‘A’ with the assurance of a side batting on a different pitch. The islanders not only completed a 3-0 whitewash in the limited-overs leg, but also sealed the unofficial Test series 1-0, wrapping up the second game in Galle by an innings before lunch on day four, a result that underlined skill and depth.

It was Ashan Priyanjan’s first assignment as Head Coach of Sri Lanka ‘A’, and the former international came away convinced that several players are no longer knocking politely but banging the door down for national honours.

“There are several of them who stood up when the chips were down,” Priyanjan told The Island. “I feel each one of them is ready to step up to the senior side and deliver.”

Sri Lanka ‘A’ were made to earn their stripes. Throughout the one-day series, they found themselves in tight corners but refused to throw in the towel. Even with the series in the bag, there was no easing off the accelerator. In the third ODI, a dead rubber on paper, they chased down 303 with more than three overs to spare.

The second game had already set the tone. A muscular 368 for nine was posted, with several young batsmen cashing in once they got their eye in, showing the kind of appetite selectors crave.

“Our plan was simple, keep churning out 300-plus totals,” Priyanjan said. “The Powerplay wasn’t our issue. It was the middle overs, between the 11th and 40th, where we had been losing momentum. We addressed that and the results followed.”

Flat decks offered value for shots, but they also demanded sharper thinking from the bowlers, a test Priyanjan believes his attack passed with distinction.

“When you play on good batting surfaces, bowlers have to go back to the drawing board,” he noted. “It was a proper workout, a learning curve and a necessary one.”

The red-ball leg provided its own narrative arc. After the opening unofficial Test in Suriyawewa petered out into a draw, Sri Lanka ‘A’ hit back hard in Galle. Top-order batter Kamil Mishara compiled a fluent 174 at better than a run a ball, while left-arm spinner Dilum Sudeera ran through the visitors with a ten-wicket match bag, a performance that turned the game on its head.

“Our bowlers learned the art of containment in Suriyawewa when the opposition got on top,” Priyanjan said. “That experience helped them in Galle. And it’s encouraging to see batters hungry for big hundreds, that’s the currency at the highest level.”

Fielding, often the poor cousin in development squads, was another box ticked emphatically. Priyanjan was quick to credit improved fitness levels for sharper work in the ring and on the boundary.

“Our fitness standards were high, and that reflected in the fielding,” he said. “The players have put in the hard yards, full credit to them.”

With India ‘A’ due in Sri Lanka in June before a tour of Ireland, the nation’s young cricketers have been kept busy.

by Rex Clementine

Sri Lanka Cricket is set for yet another changing of the guard, with long-serving president Shammi Silva expected to step down on Wednesday, clearing the decks for an interim administration to take charge of the game’s affairs.

Silva, a heavyweight in cricket’s corridors of power, has been part of SLC’s fabric since 2017, including a seven-year stint at the top. But after weathering a few storms, the veteran administrator appears ready to declare his innings.

A former multi-sport athlete at Nalanda College who later turned out for Colombo Cricket Club, where he now serves as President, Silva rose through the ranks to occupy the game’s most powerful seat locally, often elected unopposed. Yet, in recent years, the tide has turned.

Pressure has been mounting since Sri Lanka’s underwhelming campaign at the 2023 World Cup in India, when critics sharpened their knives. Matters came to a head when then Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe removed Shammi Silva and installed an interim committee, only for the move to backfire spectacularly.

The International Cricket Council promptly suspended Sri Lanka for political interference, a bouncer the government failed to sway, forcing a hasty reinstatement of Shammi Silva.

The latest wave of discontent followed Sri Lanka’s failure to reach the semi-finals of the recent T20 World Cup, co-hosted with India, a campaign that left fans and stakeholders alike questioning the direction of the game.

Sources indicate that current government officials have since met Shammi Silva, laying out the mood on the street. In those discussions, he is understood to have agreed to step aside. After chairing Tuesday’s Executive Committee meeting, he is expected to call time on his tenure the following morning.

His committee may well follow suit. Insiders suggest a clean sweep is on the cards, with an interim body likely to be appointed to steady the ship until fresh elections are held.

Among the frontrunners to take over are Eran Wickramaratne, a former cricketer turned opposition politician and Suresh Subramaniam, the former head of the National Olympic Committee. A clutch of respected former players including Sidath Wettimuny, Kushil Gunasekara and Roshan Mahanama are also expected to be part of the new set-up.

The incoming administration is tipped to fast-track governance reforms, including the adoption of a new constitution based on recommendations by Justice Chithrasiri. The blueprint, long in the making, aims to bring transparency and professionalism, mixing cricketing expertise with specialists in finance, law and administration.

The push for reform gained momentum when several leading figures, including spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan, took legal recourse in a bid to clean up the system. The retired judge’s report is seen as a roadmap to drag SLC out of troubled waters and into calmer seas. (www.telecomasia.net)

‎St. Joseph’s College will start as marginal favourites when they take on formidable Royal College in the much-anticipated Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ cricket final which gets underway at the P. Sara Oval today.

‎There is very little to separate the two sides in terms of batting strength, with both teams boasting line-ups capable of piling on big scores. However, it is in the bowling department that St. Joseph’s appear to have a slight advantage, thanks largely to their well-balanced and potent spin attack.

‎Led by Rishma Amarasinghe, the Josephians possess arguably the strongest spin combination in the competition. Jaffna’s Vigneswaran Akash, who brings valuable Sri Lanka Under 19 experience, spearheads the spin unit, while Nushan Perera and Vishwa Peiris have been consistent throughout the season.

‎Royal, meanwhile, will depend heavily on the spin duo of Himaru Deshan, a former Holy Cross Kalutara player, and Ramiru Perera. Their pace attack is expected to be handled by Nitesh Jayasinghe and Mahiru Kodituwakku, who will share the new ball responsibilities.

‎Royal’s batting line-up is packed with firepower. From skipper Rehan Peiris to Hirun Liyanarachchi, Dushen Udawela, Sri Lanka Under 19 captain Vimath Dinsara, Ramiru Perera, Thevindu Wewalwala and Udantha Gangewatta, they have a host of players capable of turning the game with big scores. Their dominance was evident in the semi-final where they posted over 400 runs against Trinity College in their push for first innings points.

‎St. Joseph’s will counter with an equally strong batting unit. Aveesha Samash, who struck back-to-back centuries in the semi-final, will be a key figure, alongside Yenula Dantanarayana, Senuja Wakunegoda and Pamoda Dalpadado.

‎With two evenly matched sides and high-quality talent on display, an exciting contest is on the cards, though St. Joseph’s slight superiority in spin could prove decisive in determining the outcome of this keenly awaited final. (RF)