Connect with us

Sports

Jayasuriya blitz from an umpiring perspective 

Published

on

by Rex Clementine 

Kiwis hate losing to Aussies, Everton hate losing to Manchester United and Sri Lankans hate losing to India. In sports, there is a sensational feeling when you beat the big brother. Sri Lankan cricket at present may have fallen by the wayside but time was when India feared taking on Sri Lanka like the plague. There was one man who terrorized successive Indian teams – Sanath Jayasuriya. This week marked his brutal onslaught of Indian bowlers on his way to 189 – in the finals of the Champions Trophy in Sharjah. 

The attack by the Sri Lankan captain was so brutal that it demoralized the Indians and they hardly made an effort to chase down the target of 300 runs. They were shot out for 54 as Sri Lanka secured a 245 run win. Just one Indian batsman managed double figures. 

Australian umpire Daryl Harper officiated the game and he recalled the day in a chat with Sunday Island. 

“Sanath won the toss and immediately batted brilliantly, almost carrying his bat with 189 runs. He was devastating and never looked in trouble. I anticipated a double century but he was out chasing runs for the team in the penultimate over,” Harper said.

The World Record for highest individual score then was 194 – established by Saeed Anwar. With two over left, Sri Lankan fans not only expected Jayasuriya to break the record but go onto establish the first double hundred in ODI cricket. 

Tony Greig’s commentary was top class too. Thanks to YouTube, you can access it easily. “He’s hit that one into the gap and another four. He continues to plunder this Indian attack to all corners of the ground.” 

“Jayasuriya is having the party of his life here in Sharjah. It may well be his wife’s birthday, but oh boy, he is taking all the presents himself smashing all over Sharjah,” Greig said at one point. 

Sourav Ganguly, the Indian captain was a gutsy cricketer. With things falling apart, he brings himself on with Jayasuriya in devastating mood. The first ball he bowls, Ganguly dismisses Jayasuriya – stumped off a wide. Greig can not hide his disappointment. 

“We have been privileged to see one of the best innings. Someone could have told him that you could have made the highest score ever. There are Indians, there are Arabs, there are Sri Lankans and Englishmen. They are all cheering him. We have witnessed a great innings.”

As for Harper, he remembers things vividly although it has been 20 years since that memorable day. 

“India needed 300 runs to win on a very flat pitch. I was umpiring with George Sharp and we expected a serious run chase in the night session. Chaminda Vass demolished India by removing Ganguly, Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh and Kambli inside his fifth over,” Harper recalled. 

“The end came quickly with only RR Singh reaching double figures. My most disturbing memory came in the airport later that night. Several Indian players informed me that they could expect to be pelted with rotten fruit when they reached their home airports, such was the embarrassment of being bowled out for such a paltry score. That could never happen in Australia. I was shocked at the thought but began to understand the absolute passion of Indians for the game.”

“It was a fantastic final even if one sided. I counted myself lucky to be out on the field in the middle of the carnage,” Harper concluded. 



Sports

Moose signs up as cricket’s clothing partner

Published

on

Moose CEO Hasib Omar hands over the new Sri Lankan jersey to Dimuth Karunaratne, who will make a return to the ODI side in the upcoming three match series against Afghanistan. SLC Secretary Mohan de Silva and CEO Ashley de Silva are also in the picture

by Rex Clementine  

Singer had been a loyal sponsor of Sri Lankan cricket but a little heard company called Dilmah outbid Singer when the sponsorship was up for grabs in 2002. Singer boss Hemaka Amarasuriya wasn’t whinging and went on record saying that he welcomed local companies coming forward to back the sport.

Within a few years, Dilmah, an entity that was hardly known by most Sri Lankans became a global brand. That exactly is the strategy that Moose have adopted in their bid to become a global brand.

Moose a clothing company that is becoming quite popular among youth for their denims and t-shirts have been associated with cricket sponsorships in the last five years. On Thursday, they announced a four year deal with SLC to be clothing sponsor of the national cricket teams – both men and women.

Moose CEO Hasib Omar is a soft spoken young man who reminds you of the great Aravinda de Silva. But like in Ara’s case, beneath the soft exterior lies a sharp brain.

MAS had been the clothing sponsor of SLC for the last 16 years and Moose has outbid them signing a four year deal that will take them through all bilateral series, ICC events and Asian Cricket Council tournaments.  The partnership brings together two of the nation’s main strengths – cricket and apparel industry.

Continue Reading

Sports

Dimuth’s return to ODIs, a welcome move

Published

on

by Rex Clementine  

After more than two years of stubborn resistance, the selectors have been forced to bite the bullet and admit that their strategies have been faulty and the top order of the ODI outfit needs stability. Hence the return of Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne for white ball cricket for the upcoming three match series against Afghanistan and he should retain his place for the World Cup qualifiers later next month in Zimbabwe too.

One of the troubles with the 50 over side is that the batting department has been found wanting not able to bat out the 50 overs. Dimuth provides the stability opening the innings with his ability to bat through the 50 overs. Other stroke makers can bat around him.

In 2021 April, Dimuth Karunaratne posted his career best Test score of 244 against Bangladesh. A month later, Sri Lanka’s white ball team was touring Bangladesh and Dimuth was sacked from the captaincy as the leadership of the white ball teams was handed to Kusal Perera. It was a left field choice. That was an experiment that didn’t last long.

Not only was Dimuth removed from the captaincy he lost his place in the side as well. It didn’t dawn to the selectors that the batters will be encountering the same bowlers and in Karunaratne they had a man who was in good touch, having smashed a double hundred against the Bangladeshis. The result was catastrophic. Sri Lanka lost the series and in both games they lost, the batting had collapsed.

It is these senseless moves that has resulted in Sri Lanka being forced to play the qualifying round of the World Cup.  By the time the selectors wisened up, the horse had bolted. The recalling of Dimuth is an admission by the selectors that they had got their act wrong in axing him.

It will be early winter in Zimbabwe in June and with day games teams will encounter some dew in the morning and need to adjust accordingly.  On paper, Sri Lanka should go through, but they are a team that has got everything to lose having won the World Cup once and featured in two other finals. For smaller nations, this is a massive opportunity and if they win, there’s nothing like that but if they lose, they can always try next time. Not for Sri Lanka though, who have featured in every World Cup since the tournament was launched in 1975.

Complacency is the only thing that Sri Lanka need to guard themselves against. A mindset that this is not a tough challenge could see them losing the plot as we have seen it happening to many teams time and again.

In Chris Silverwood the team has someone who knows what to expect in Zimbabwe as he started his coaching stint there having overseen Mashonaland (Harare).  The Head Coach will be tapping into the brains of his contacts in Zimbabwe as to what his team can expect when they travel for the qualifiers.

Continue Reading

Sports

Russian doubles player cleared of match-fixing two years after Roland Garros arrest

Published

on

Yana Sizikova has a career-high ranking of 44 in women’s doubles

Russian doubles player Yana Sizikova has been cleared of match-fixing two years after her arrest at the French Open, according to her lawyer.The 28-year-old was arrested at Roland Garros in 2021 as part of an investigation into match-fixing allegations dating back to the 2020 edition of the Grand Slam.

Sizikova, ranked 50th in doubles, has continued to play on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour since her arrest and will compete at this year’s French Open, which starts today.

“After two and a half years of investigation, the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office definitively closed the case on 11 April 2023, considering that criminal proceedings could not be initiated, as the facts of which Sizikova was accused could not be established,” her lawyer Frederic Belot told Reuters.

Officials began investigating in October 2020 after suspicions of “organised fraud” and “corruption in sports”.

A source close to the investigation told the BBC at the time the inquiry focused on a first-round match in which Sizikova and American partner Madison Brengle lost 7-6 (10-8) 6-4 to Romanian pair Andreea Mitu and Patricia Maria Tig.

Suspicions were reportedly raised after betting companies noticed hundreds of thousands of euros had been wagered on a break of serve in the second set.Sizikova was released a day after her arrest in 2021.In July 2022 she and fellow Russian Anastasia Potapova won the Prague Open, while Sizikova reached two other finals last year.

(BBC Sports)

Continue Reading

Trending