Sports
Umpiring is a tough job and Dharmasena struggling to keep pace
Rex Clementine in Galle
Cricket’s finest writer Christopher Martin-Jenkins went onto become the President of MCC. It was he who invited Kumar Sangakkara to deliver the Cowdrey Lecture at Lord’s and it remains the best annual Home of Cricket speech ever. CMJ had a superb sense of humour to drive home some harsh truths about the sport. His take on umpires was interesting. He once wrote, ‘I never questioned the integrity of an umpire. Their eyesight, yes.’
There’s nothing wrong with Kumar Dharmasena’s eye-sight but he must be the first person to admit that he’s going through his leanest patch as an official. Several of his decisions have come under the spotlight particularly two of those that determined the outcome of two series.
Dinesh Chandimal was on 30 when he nicked Mitchell Starc to the keeper. The only guy who didn’t hear the nick was Dharmasena and of course Chandimal, who tricked the umpire by shaking his head. Australia could have reviewed but they had burned all their reviews just before that and had to bite the bullet.
Chandimal just didn’t stop after scoring a hundred but he went onto get a double ton and while doing so rubbed salt into Aussie wounds. His onslaught of Starc, whom he hit for three sixes out of the ground to reach the milestone was the last straw. You could see the pain in the Aussie faces. They were graceful to shake hands with the batsman for this was Chandimal at his best. Nothing from Starc though. He certainly has an axe to grind with both Chandimal and Dharmasena, the former for not walking and the latter for being incompetent.
Take nothing away from Chandimal though. After the let off he batted superbly and was a treat to watch, particularly that last wicket stand of 49 runs in which Kasun Rajitha contributed zero.
If Sri Lanka were laughing ear to ear in the Australia Test, they were reminded that this game is a great leveler in the next Test match against Pakistan. They were feeling the pinch on this occasion as Dharmasena turned down a leg before wicket shout of Abdullah Shafique. He was on four and went onto score a match winning 160 not out as Pakistan chased down a 342, a new record in Galle.
Shafique’s was an umpire’s call though and Sri Lanka had not much reason to grumble. Anyway Shafique was dropped thrice during his innings. So, Sri Lanka had themselves more than Dharmasena to blame. However, with Dimuth Karunaratne copping an almost similar dismissal in the second innings, you felt that the umpire was lacking consistency.
There were many other decisions that Dharmasena had got wrong. During the four Tests in Galle, four different umpires officiated along with Dharmasena who being the local umpire stood in all four games. Nitin Menon, Rod Tucker, Michael Gough and Marias Erasmus had decent games and Dharmasena’s errors were being exposed badly especially when the other umpire wasn’t getting many decisions wrong. Wonder whether fatigue had taken to Dharmasena?
It’s been a great run for Kumar Dharmasena as an elite panel umpire. He was a banker at HNB when his former skipper Arjuna Ranatunga as Board Chairman fast-tracked him as an international umpire. There was a howl of protest by the umpiring fraternity and the matter went up to Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge. Arjuna stood his ground backing his former team mate. His argument was that in a bid to encourage former Test cricketers into umpiring you had to give them incentives. Fair point.
But when the same Ranatunga, who was in Galle to witness the first Test between Australia and Sri Lanka, fears that his man is losing the plot then Mr. Dharmasena will have to do some soul searching.
We all remember West Indies winning the T-20 World Cup in 2016 after Carlos Brathwaite smashed Ben Stokes out of the park in that maniac last over. Not many remember that Dharmasena had saved the Windies thanks to his attention to minute details. That was his highest point in umpiring. The lowest point came three years later at Lord’s when he messed up the final.
All umpires make mistakes but Dharmasena is making them regularly. It’s been a great ride to see him making tremendous progress as one of world’s top umpires. But his recent blunders are too glaring. Umpires like Ruchira Palliyaguru and Ravindra Wimalasiri are waiting on the wings for an opportunity.
South Africa monstered the Tanzania side over in Windhoek, Muhammed Bulbulia and Jason Rowles hitting hundreds to get South Africa to 397 for 5, before their bowlers blasted Tanzania out for 68.
Tanzania had begun encouragingly, although South Africa were always scoring quickly. They had taken two South Africa wickets inside the first 14 overs, and had South Africa at 93 for 2 at one stage. But then Bulbulia and Rowles came together, to take the game rapidly away from the opposition, with a 201-run partnership that came off 176 balls.
Rowles was the more aggressive of the pair in the end, clobbering five sixes and ten fours in his 125 not out off 101 deliveries. Bulbulia hit one six and ten fours in his run-a-ball 108. Paul James also produced a rollicking finishing knock, crashing five sixes and two fours in his 46 off 18.
Tanzania could not get off the blocks in the chase. South Africa took their first wicket in the second over, and just did not stop striking, the wickets spread between all five bowlers used.
Rowles added to his outstanding performance by claiming two wickets for 14 with his left-arm spin. Bayanda Majola also took two wickets, for six runs.
Brief scores:
South Africa Under-19s 397 for 5 in 50 overs (Jason Rowles 125, Muhammed Bulbulia 108, Jorich Van Schalkwyk 47, Paul James 46; Simba Mbaki 2-85) beat Tanzania Under-19s 68 in 32.2 overs (Simba Mbaki 17; Bayanda Majola 2-6, Jason Rowles 2-14) by 329 runs
(Cricibfo)
Pakistan quick Ali Raza rattled Scotland with his pace early on, before left-arm wristspinner Momin Qamar helped take down the middle order. Scotland showed some mettle, particularly during a 68-run seventh-wicket partnership that raised their total to a creditable 187.
But it was clear they were outgunned. Many Scotland batters were uncomfortable against Ali’s pace, and struggled to read Pakistan’s wristspinners. Raza deservedly emerged with the game’s best figures, taking 4 for 37 – two of those wickets having come in a memorable first over. Qamar took 3 for 46. Scotland’s highest scorer was captain Thomas Knight, who ground out a 72-ball 37, before Qamar slipped a beautifully-flighted delivery past his defences.
Despite some gutsy batting from Finlay Jones and Manu Saraswat down the order, Scotland always seemed headed to a sub-par score, even given the seamer-friendly conditions in Harare. When they lost two wickets in the first over – Raza bowling Theo Robinson and Max Chaplin with outstanding deliveries – they were in danger of being skittled quickly. But they battled through until the 49th over.
Pakistan’s chase was mostly straightforward. Scotland’s seamers got some movement with the new ball, and Ollie Jones was able to extract two wickets by the 12th over. But No. 3 batter Usman Khan struck 75, and Ahmed Hussain – who had earlier taken a sublime catch – joined him for a 111-run stand that made the game safe. They got home with six wickets to spare, in the 44th over.
Brief scores:
Pakistan Under-19s 190 for 4 in 43.1 9vers (Usman Khan 75, Ahmed Hussain 47; Ollie Jones 2-41, Manu Saraswat 2-46) beat Scotland Under-19s 187 in 48.1 overs (Thomas Knight 37; Ali Raza 4-37, Momin Qamar 3-46, Abdul Subhan 2-36) by six wickets
(Cricinfo)
ICC Youth World Cup
After in-form openers were dismissed cheaply skipper Vimath Dinsara held the middle order together with a top score of 95 runs for Sri Lanka Under 19 to post 267 for five wickets against Ireland in their Group A Youth World Cup encounter at Windhoek on Monday.
Ireland’s new ball bowlers dismissed Dimantha Mahavithana and Viran Chamuditha for one digit scores after Sri Lanka decided to bat first. The Sri Lankan openers had posted a record breaking first wicket stand against Japan in their first World Cup encounter at the same venue two days earlier.
Sri Lanka were 59 for three wickets when Royal College batsman Dinsara joined Kavija Gamage to steady the innings with a stand of 80 runs. While Kingswood batsman made 49 before being run out, Dinsara went on to add another hundred runs partnership with Mahanama batsman Chamika Heenatigala.
Dinsara was dismissed five runs short of the three figure mark in the 46th over.
Heenatigala remained unbeaten to post 51 in 53 balls.
Dinsara’s knock which came in 102 balls included six fours and a six.
For Ireland Oliver Riley took two wickets.
U – 19 World Cup: Rowles, Bulbulia star in South Africa’s big win over Tanzania
U – 19 World Cup: Raza, Usman steer Pakistan to victory over Scotland
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