Archives

by Kasturiarachchi Warnakulasuriya

BCCSL quadrangular tournament is being played now. This is a heavy program involving school cricket, club cricket, Sri Lanka A team and BCCSL Development XI. In short, this can be considered as the feeding ground for future national cricket. So it is a very important event, to promote the game. At this instance, it is heartening to see that the new interim committee is committed to a revival of junior cricket. To achieve that inspiration, this tournament can be made, a go-getter.

Meanwhile this article is to emphasise how this event can be made useful to achieve dual purpose. Still there is a weak aspect in our national cricket. We have not yet experimented our tail-end batsmen for a good exposure, so that they can contribute their mite to keep the score board ticking for a good score at the end of a particular innings.

All these practice matches are being held according to the pattern of international cricket. The result being, our tail enders are unable to get a good batting chance as they are sent to the crease at the last moment. That's why Murali, Nuwan, Charitha Buddhika and Suresh, though they are experienced bowlers, they are unable to put in good scores, at the last moment, in get of a good total.

This is not a common feature in Sri Lankan cricket. Look at the Sharjah Inaugural match concluded recently. Pakistan played the penalty at the last moment, as their tail enders could not contribute to the mainstay of the recognised batsmen. The match ended with five overs remaining as the tail enders could not survive, against our talented bowlers. This has been the sorry state of affairs in many a Sri Lankan side over the years.

This invisible, uncared circumstance can be corrected if domestic practice match pattern is slightly changed, so that our tailenders are promoted in the batting order so that they can achieve enough match practice as to mould the art of surviving at the crease, to face tough deliveries. These things cannot be done at the last minute practice matches, when a team is expected to take wings for a foreign tour. If you practise this now you can hunt two birds from one stone - an achievement of two purposes.

Giving exposure to cricketers and also moulding the tailenders to be good, reliable batsmen too. These practice tournaments can be easily made use to rectify this never-corrected mistake, to achieve big scores using not only the key batsmen but also our bowling department too.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager