Lack of grounds hampers school cricket in Kandy

S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen Kandy sports correspondent

Most of the cricket playing schools in the hill capital may run into problems in playing their inter-school matches on schedule and may have to either play their matches during the week or on their opponents grounds due to unavailability of venues.

At least three grounds in Kandy are not available at present which will put the pressure not only on the schools but also on the venues available.

St. Anthony’s College grounds at Katugastota is under repairs and may not be completed before the end of the season. In any event this venue requires an overhauling to make it fit to play important matches. Thus the Autonians will be compelled to play their matches at the University grounds, Peradeniya and their big clash against Trinity College at the Asgiriya Stadium.

Dharmaraja College grounds at Lake View is still under repairs which commenced two years ago.

The school authorities and the Old Boys with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Cricket have done a good job and when completed it will certainly be one of the most beautiful venues in Sri Lanka atop a hill with a climb of nearly 1000 feet from the city of Kandy.

The grounds has been expanded by lowering it a little and a retaining wall constructed towards the Kundasale side to prevent the washing off of the soil during rain.

This was a very costly affair. It is understood that the planting of grass has been completed in the grounds but this has to take root. This grounds will be equipped for the first time with turf wickets. Here again it will take time and this venue may not available for the current this schools cricket season. Rajans may have to play their matches at either Peradeniya or at Police grounds for the present.

Open Prison camp grounds at Pallekelle is presently under water with the Mahaweli river which flows on one side overflowing its bank. This being part of the Victoria Reservoir, the water levels will not subside easily.

Last year too there was a similar problem and the waters remained in the grounds for months causing damage to the grounds but the Prison authorities quickly attended to the damages and made it available for cricket matches. But to do anything the water level should go down which is beyond their controls. This is also the cheapest venue in the hill capital and the schools and clubs patronise it regularly.

At present Trinity College is the only school which is comfortably placed with the Asgiriya Stadium available at their disposal with the grounds being done up and the facilities upgraded for the recent cricket test match between Sri Lanka and England.

There are indeed lucky to be blessed with a ground of this standard which is the only school ground in the world which is a test venue and whenever there is a test match Sri Lanka Cricket pumps large sums of money to make it fit for the test match and some of these requirements are not required for school matches.

Thus schools like St. Sylvesters College, Vidyartha College, Sri Sumangala College, Sri Rahula College, Madina Central College, Al Ashar College will have to depend largely on either Police grounds or the University grounds along with St. Anthony’s College and Dharmaraja College to play their home matches.

There is a deadline imposed to complete the Schools Lemonade trophy cricket matches before the commencement of the Limited over matches. Thus the schools will be hard pressed for venues. Some of the schools have not finalised their school fixtures as they cannot find suitable venues.

The problem does not end there as the two clubs from Kandy playing in the P. Sara Trophy cricket tournament - namely Kandy Youths Cricket Club and Kandy Cricket Club too will have to complete their matches before the deadline with matches being played every weekend. Adding to the problems will be that Division III cricket tournament of the Kandy District is due to commence shortly in which at least 24 teams will be involved.

It is evident from above that both clubs and schools are going to have a hard time in looking for venues to play their matches and never have they faced a problem of this magnitude.