Sports

No regrets on turning down Test captaincy – Tilan Samaraweera

Published

5 months ago

2024/05/13

Thilina Walpola

Tilan Samaraweera

by Rex Clementine

These days, the trend seems to be that every Sri Lankan cricketer wants to be captain. After barely spending three years representing Sri Lanka, players tend to think that they are eligible to become captain. Being Sri Lanka’s captain seems to be the crown jewel in the sport at present. In the last T-20 Sri Lanka played, against Bangladesh in March, apart from captain Wanindu Hasaranga, there were five other players who had already captained Sri Lanka. However, time was when natural succession was the rule of the day.

Sri Lanka were in England in 2011 and with captain T.M. Dilshan injured and out of the third Test at Rose Bowl, the captaincy was offered to Tilan Samaraweera. In over 40 years of Test cricket, less than 20 men have captained the nation in Tests but Tilan turned down the ultimate honour.

“There was no vice-captain named before the team departed to England. Suddenly when the captain was injured it was offered to me. I wasn’t interested. I had captained Sri Lanka ‘A’ and SSC, but when it comes to the national team there was a natural line of succession. We knew when Sanath (Jayasuriya) was captain, next in line was Marvan (Atapattu) followed by Mahela (Jayawardene) and Kumar (Sangakkara). Being contemporaries with Kumar and Mahela, I had no chance to captain Sri Lanka, My time was over. I am fine with it,” Samaraweera told The Island.

The dynamics of Sri Lankan cricket was such at that time that a vice-captain may have not been named deliberately as the administration was content with ‘divide and rule’ policy.

Having played alongside Sanga and MJ, Tilan’s numbers often do not get the accolades they deserve. In 81 Tests he scored over 5400 runs at an average of 48 and he retired as nation’s sixth highest run scorer in Test match cricket.

Late Michael de Zoysa (bless him) doesn’t often get credit to his contributions to the game but Tilan has an interesting story. Having started as an off-spinner Tilan wasn’t going to make massive progress but he was given a break at SSC by de Zoysa.

“I was batting at number seven for SSC and Michael called me up and said now that Arjuna Ranatunga is retired, we want you to bat at five. Those were massive boots to fill. When Mahela was not available for SSC, Michael wanted me to bat at number four. As a result, big runs followed in domestic cricket and I was called up to the senior side as a specialist batter.”

It’s been a struggle for Sri Lankan cricket in the last decade with the team ranked in bottom half of ICC standing across all three formats. Tilan has had a stint as Sri Lanka’s batting coach and has an interesting theory.

“Current players are fitter than us. I don’t see lack of commitment or focus. They are immensely gifted too. But what they lack is game intelligence. That’s a huge part in international cricket,” he says.

“When I went on a tour to England in 2002, I was a reserve and had little playing opportunities. But I returned home with much knowledge. When you talk to the likes of Aravinda de Silva, Hashan TIllekeratne, Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu on how they see the game and adjust to situations, it was a massive learning experience.”

“Similarly, I played the first couple of seasons of domestic cricket for Colts and the learning curve at that stage of my career was massive.”

Tilan currently lives in Melbourne and he is contracted with Cricket Australia. He was the Assistant Coach of the Australian side that won the ICC Under-19 World Cup in South Africa this year.

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South Africa stun serial winners Australia to enter World Cup final

Published

2 hours ago

2024/10/18

Priyan

Anneke Bosch played plenty of sweeps in her unbeaten 74 (Cricinfo)

South Africa Women 135 for 2 in 17.2 overs (Anneke Bosch 74*, Laura Wolvaardt 42; Annabelle Sutherland 2-26) beat Australia Women 134 for 5 in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 44, Perry 31, Tahila McGrath 27, Marizanne Kapp 1-24, Ayabonga Khaka 2-24, Nonkululeko Mlaba 1-31) by eight wickets

South Africa showed ’em all how it is done – with the papare band blaring at the Dubai International Stadium in front of a sparse crowd.

A collective bowling effort was followed by a strong batting show, led by a 96-run partnership between captain Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch. They registered an eight-wicket win in the first semi-final to send Australia packing from Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, thereby ending their run of seven successive finals in the competition.

Australia’s first ICC competition after Meg Lanning’s retirement ended up in the knockout stages, with the six-time champions also missing Alyssa Healy, who suffered a foot injury against Pakistan.

South Africa first restricted Australia to 134 for 5 despite a late surge, and then romped home by eight wickets with 16 balls to spare to make a massive statement and enter their second consecutive T20 World Cup final.

The clarity in South Africa’s thinking was evident at the toss, when they inserted Australia in a crunch game. Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka got enough swing with the new ball. In fact, Khaka did not even have to find out about the purchase to pick up a wicket. Her first ball in the game was a length ball that shaped away a touch and Grace Harris slashed into the hands of backward point

Nonkululeko Mlaba and Co celebrate Tahlia McGrath’s wicket (Cricinfo)

Kapp had extracted enough movement both ways in the opening over. In her second, she saw a free hit being dispatched through square leg by Georgia Wareham. But she used the outswing to undo the batter, the DRS coming to South Africa’s aid. Kapp bowled one on good length around the fifth stump and Wareham couldn’t resist the slash. The on-field umpire missed the edge but Kapp and wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta knew.

Kapp was getting so much assistance that Wolvaardt gave her a third straight over inside the powerplay. Australia managed only 35 for 2 in the first six overs, their lowest in the phase in this T20 World Cup, and ended up facing 19 dots.

Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath are called ‘McMooney’ by fans for their numerous rescue acts with the bat. They joined forces when Australia were 18 for 2 after three overs. McGrath ended the powerplay with two fours off Nonkululeko Mlaba’s over, but it felt the ball was not coming onto the bat. Wolvaardt exploited that by bringing spin on from both ends and McGrath’s next boundary was only in the 11th over. She fell a couple of overs later, hitting Mlaba straight to cover to end her 50-run stand with Mooney.

At that stage, it seemed Australia had the perfect base for take-off. Mooney, on 37 off 38 then, swiped one through square leg in the 16th over to end another boundary-less phase of 29 balls. In the process, she became the ninth woman – third from Australia – to 3000 T20I runs. But in a bid to steal a non-existent run – coupled with a Kapp brilliance – she was run out for 44 off 42 balls.

Despite that, Australia managed to get a strong finish, scoring 31 off the last three overs, thanks to Ellyse Perry and Phoebe Litchfield. But given what followed, it was not strong enough.

Like Australia, South Africa also faced 19 dot balls in the first six overs. But they hit five fours and a six in that phase to finish on 43 for 1, the highest by any team against Australia in this T20 World Cup. But while Australia scored 21 in their nine attacking shots in the powerplay, South Africa managed 32 off ten. It began with Tazmin Brits unafraid of using her feet against Ashleigh Gardner and then against Megan Schutt, too. Brits hit Gardner for a six, clearing the leaping Annabel Sutherland at the rope.

Sutherland, though, struck with her first ball, getting a length delivery to skid and rattle Brits’ off stump. The time was ripe for Australia to apply the squeeze, but Wolvaardt and Bosch had other ideas. The former first clubbed Sutherland over midwicket before Bosch hit back-to-back boundaries off Sophie Molineux in the sixth over. Wolvaardt also swung her Adelaide Strikers team-mate Darcie Brown over long-on for a massive six.

Intent was writ large throughout South Africa’s chase with Bosch attempting a couple of reverse hits and being nimble on her feet against spin. South Africa had hit a four in every over from the third to the eighth. It was followed by three boundary-less over but Bosch broke the shackles by hitting Wareham for a four and six off back-to-back deliveries. She then went 4, 2, 4 against Gardner in the next over to bring up her fifty.

Wolvaardt fell – holing out to long-off – with South Africa only 14 away. Bosch duly finished it off to remain unbeaten on 74, her best T20I score.

Only earlier this year, South Africa had defeated Australia for the first time in T20Is. Who knew that would be a precursor to something massive like this, and put them a step closer to their maiden world title?

Brief scores:

(Cricinfo)

Sports

West Indies make two changes for series decider at Dambulla

Published

2 hours ago

2024/10/18

Thilina Walpola

West Indies opted to bat first in the deciding third T-20 International against Sri Lanka at Dambulla on Thursday

West Indies opted to bat first after winning the toss in the third T-20 International against Sri Lanka at Dambulla on Thursday.Sri Lanka decided to play the same team that won the second T-20 International on Tuesday. West Indies, meanwhile, made two changes bringing in wicketkeeper Shai Hope and spinner Fabian Allen in place of Andre Fletcher and Shamar Springer.

Sri Lanka are looking for their first ever bilateral series win over West Indies in T-20 cricket.

“It looks a very dry wicket. Hopefully we put a good total on the board and defend it. We would be happy with a total of 140 and maybe if we get 135 we should be in the game,” West Indies captain Rovman Powell said at the toss.

“We would have batted first too. We played well in the last game and we need to continue the same here. Pathum Nissanka was having a niggle but he has pulled through and good to go,” Charith Asalanka, the Sri Lankan captain said.

West Indies won the first game by five wickets on a belter chasing down the target of 180 in the last over. Sri Lanka squared the series by winning the second game by 73 runs. It was Sri Lanka’s biggest win over West Indies.

Chasing a target of 163, West Indies were shot out for 89, their lowest total against Sri Lanka.

Dunith Wellalage making his debut excelled picking up three wickets for nine runs. Pathum Nissanka was named Man of the Match for his 49 ball 54.

Sri Lanka are ranked eighth in T-20 cricket and a series win over third placed West Indies will help them make progress in the rankings.

Sri Lanka:

Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (Wicketkeeper). Kusal Perera, Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka (Captain), Bhanuka Rajapaksa. Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana and Nuwan Thushara.

West Indies:

Rovman Powell (Captain), Roston Chase, Shai Hope (Wicketkeeper), Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Fabian Allen and Shamar Joseph.

Umpires:

Prageeth Rambukwella (SL) and Ruchira Palliyaguruge (SL)

Third Umpire:

Ravindra Wimalasiri (SL)

Match Referee:

Ranjan Madugalle (SL)

Sports

Sprinters to flex muscles on day one

Published

3 hours ago

2024/10/18

Thilina Walpola

Merone Wijesinghe

All Island Schools Games

by Reemus Fernando

The All-Island Schools Games Athletics Championship will commence with a card of eight field event finals but sprinters are likely to steal the show in the heats and semi-finals scheduled for day one at the Sugathadasa Stadium today.

The All-Island Schools Games is the final major track and field competition for school athletes for the year 2024. Most of the top athletes who skipped the recently held Sir John Tarbat Senior Athletics Championship due to various reasons are set to return to represent their schools today.

Ananda College, Colombo sprinter Merone Wijesinghe who won the 100 metres gold at the recently held South Asian Junior Athletics Championship, Leeds International sprinter Induwara Weeraratne, Anandian Indusara Vidushan are among the fastest sprinters to watch when they take part in heats and semi-finals.

In field events, young prodigy Dilni Rajapaksha of Lyceum International Wattala is expected to start from where she left at the Sir John Tarbat Senior Athletics Championship.

She has made headlines for her impressive feats at the top-level competitions this year. If she strikes form, she will be among the athletes to break records on day one in field events.