A bowler’s thoughts

Every time a bowler runs into to bowl he has some idea of what type of delivery he is going to send down. He also has some idea of what type of player is at the other end waiting to have a go what he gets. The bowler can have control of his opponents reactions. He has little control on how the batsman will handle what he receives.

A bowler therefore, has got to have an idea of the batsman’s strengths and weaknesses and also the pitch conditions to maximize success. This has to be inculcated as part of every bowlers routine from a young age.

I have picked six of the world’s best batsmen and looked at a bowler’s assessment before he strides out to deliver.

Sachin Tendulkar: Must be classed as the number one in the world because of the boundless natural ability he has and the absolute determination to succeed. Peraphs it could be said that he has a combination of Steve Waugh and Brian Lara’s best qualities.

It is important not to let him settle down. Being a top order batsman it is the paceman’s duty to dislodge him. He is not afraid to play his strokes from the outset and if he does make the slightest mistake early it must be capitalized on. There is no way you can bowl anything loose at him, such delivers will be murdered.

Has shown signs of being somewhat uncomfortable when the ball deviates a reasonable degree off the pitch. His liking to drive on the up means he can edge or misstime on seaming tracks.

Classification: Absolute Class

Steve Waugh: The tougher the situation the better he performs. Could be classed as the number one batsman to score runs under pressure. He enjoys his batting and loves scoring runs.

From his early days he has put a high price on his wicket. Did have to work hard, particularly facing upto the short pitched delivery. Another player who has the absolute determination to succeed.

The main reason for his consistency is that he plays deliveries on their merit. There seems to be hardly any premeditated strokes. These days he loses his wicket at times due to a short lack of concentration. He has the ability to concentrate for long periods. The older a player gets mental fatigue sets in and reduces concentrating powers. Waugh has had a long and strenuous carrier.

Classification : Tough Competitor

Brian Lara: Lara has got tons of natural ability and is always looking to play shots. He is more in the entertainment rather than determined class. Plays fluently all round the wicket.

Since he does not fancy grafting runs, bowlers must be patient, bowl off stump line and wait for the great man to make the mistake. Being a natural stroke maker he too can always make that early mistake which the fielding team must take advantage of.

Plays with a high back lift. This also adds momentum going through with playing strokes even when a defensive stroke is required.

There is a fair bit of ego in his game. This can be his downfall. Yet on days that he makes a big score he looks a million dollars.

Classification: Natural Talent

Aravinda De Silva: Amongst the many innings he has played the century in the 1996 World Cup stands out.

De Silva is a player who spends a lot of time watching the ball and executes his strokes using minimum time. The hallmark of a top class player. Also uses minimal footwork. Because he brings the bat down with absolute precision the timing is most often perfect.

Unlike many batsmen brought up in the sub-continent, he is equipped to play on bouncy and seaming pitches. This is mainly due to the strong back foot play that he has cultivated. The cut and hook has helped pile up many runs. At times a sudden rush of blood has made him throw his wicket away. Is a player with the temperament to succeed on a big occasion.

Classification: Great Entertainer

Mark Waugh: Another one of the entertaining players. Makes batting look so easy when on song: He also uses minimal foot work to play his strokes.

Plays his shots so very late that it takes you wonder how he manages to do it. Waugh gets a lot of pace on the ball with just a dab, where anyone else would have to smash it to have the ball race to the fence.

Though it does not happen often, it always looks like his casualness will get him out. Plays well all round the wicket but is extremely strong on the leg side.

Classification: Casual Short-maker

Saeed Anwer: Although he has not been in top form in recent times and not been regularly in the Pakistan team he could still be regarded as one of the best opening batsman in the world.

He has made big scores against all the top bowlers. He has always been a steady player, not much back-lift and whips off the pads and drive with ease. Particularly on the off side.

Has the left-handers play of guiding the ball through the slip cordon. Sometimes a way in which he gets himself out. A very determined player who is always well focused.

Classification: Wristy Brilliance

Any bowler would certainly be happy to be part of a team that will consist of those six batsmen.

Junior Peterites to tour India

For the last three consecutive years, in the Under-13 and Under-15 All Island Horlicks Tournaments, conducted by the Sri Lanka Schools’ Association, St. Peter’s has emerged as champions.

In the year 1998 the Under-13 cricket team led by Gihan De Silva captured the Horlicks Trophy in the All Island Horlicks Tournament.

The Peterite Horlicks Trophy Under-13 Division I All Island champion cricket squad for the year 1998 will tour Bangalore and Chennai, India and play tournament games against four junior schools from Monday, April 24. The Champion Under-13 Team will face St. Joseph’s High School, St. Paul’s and Combined Schools’ team during their stay in India.

This super squad is coached by L.H. Sunil - Level Four Advanced Diploma Holder. He is ably assisted and supported by the master-in-charge Janaka De Silva. The two of them and the dynamic sports co-ordinator Rev. Fr. Camillus Fernando will join the team in the cricket exposure tour to india.

The 20-member St. Peter’s Under-13 team to India are as follows: Gihan De Silva (Captain), Rakitha Rupasinghe, Shanaka Fernando, Dinesh Panditharatne, Rajan Thuraisingam, Sheehan Wijethunge, Sohan Borelessa, Kanishka Jayasumana, Janitha Hettiarachchi, Prajeeve Jansze, Hans Fernando, Dasun Randika, Delan Neydorff, Muditha Chinthaka, Ishan Perera, Mevan Samarasekara, Shehan Brohier, Asanka Jayaweera, Dilshan Fernando, Suranjith Perera.

Stars are only in the sky

By Ravi Nagahawatte

CR&FC coach Tulagase Tawita (Laga) says that the only stars that exist for him are in the sky.

As for the Samoan says that there are no ‘stars’ in his team.

“Some players have an attitude problem when they join the club. But I make it a point to show them that no one is more important than the game,” said Tawita. Tawita who started his coaching career in rugby here in Sri Lanka says that he encounters players from various walks of life.

Tawita has encountered the occasional tough nut to crack. At such times he makes it a point to drive in a message in order to put the trouble maker on par with the rest. The ‘Tawita way’ of doing things most often sees the whole group of ruggerites taking up the punishment when one player suddenly thinks that he is a star. “That’s my way of bringing down the ego of one player and making him aware that he is one of a team. This I do by stopping practices at any given moment and insisting on bursts of sprinting which brings everyone together,” added Tawita.

Says Tawita, “If anyone thinks that he is bigger than the game, he has to go”.

However there have been occasions when he has nothing when a player breaches a code of discipline.

“There are players who consume meals and smoke minutes before a game. I ask them how long they have been practicing these habits. If the player has been doing these things for the past eight to ten years then I do not change their regular habits. If I tell him to stop these regular patterns it will definitely change his rythm of play offect his game.

The only thing I say is to go and do it elsewhere so that the rest of the players cannot see these habits.

The 26-year-old recalled an incident of how he once had to deal with a tough Australian who played for CR.

“He was the typical Australian. Drinking the night away before a game and always wanting to do his own thing. He was hard to control. Gradually I closed in on him and succeeded in having a very personal chat with him. What bothered him was that there were too many coaches in the field. Too many ideas. Too many chiefs.

He was annoyed by all this. So I told him that I was his friend and he could tell me anything he wanted to. I also emphasised that I was also his coach and he should learn to draw the line between two. In a matter of days he was doing well and was with the rest,” reminised Tawita.

Says Tawita, “when a player tries to show that he is a star, I point out that stars only exist in the sky.

Old Trinitians are too powerful for Shenten Park CC

The Old Trinitians - a combination of present and past Trinitians, together with a couple of invitees - proved to be too powerful for the visiting Shenten Park CC team beating them by 80 runs at Asgiriya.

The visitors who hail from Perth in Western Australia possibly found the lack of bounce and pace in the wicket a problem and folded up rather meekly. Medium pacie Aluthge was the pick of the bowlers.

When the home team batted, Rodney Raffayel (41 with 5 fours) caught the eye, while Jayasena and Rangana also contributed substantially.

Edgar Gibbney shone for the visitors in an all round capacity.

OTSC - 215 in 44.2 overs. (Rodney Raffayel 41, N. Jayasena 54, J. Rangana 42, M. Samath 27, G. Vandergert 11; Edgar Gibbney 3/25, M Keating 3/38.)

Shenten Park - 130 (J. Bilich 19, D. Squance 20, W. White 19, E. Gibbney 37; C. Aluthge 4/27, S. Rupasinghe 2/25, R. Raffayel 2/4). - A.K.

Who is next to Lara and Tendulkar?

Out of the present international crickters, in 9 Test playing nations, only 12 have scored more than 10 Test centuries in their career. Out of these 12 , only 5 has scored more than 15 Test centuries. They are the Waugh brothers, Tendulkar, Azharuddin and our own Arvinda De Silva.

The chart below shows a comparison of all present Test cricketers who have scored more than 10 Test centuries.

Without any doubt all will agree that Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara are the best batsmen in the world at the moment. In order to find out who the No.3 is, this chart should be studied further.

Three columns have been provided for the number of centuries scored outside the home territory, number of ducks scored and number of innings before the first duck.

Steve Waugh, although having a higher average has been out for a duck on 17 occasions. He is aided by 38 unbeaten innings. However 12 out of his 22 centuries had been scored outside Australia. Azharuddin has scored only 9 centuries outside India out of 22. However he had been out for a duck only on 5 occasions. Aravinda has scored 9 centuries out of 18, outside Sri Lanka. Has been out for a duck on 6 occasions. His first duck came after 75 innings which is relatively an unknown Worid record.

It is upto the reader to analyse this chart and find out who the best batsman is next to Tendulkar and Lara.

M.L.FERNANDO

T I N.O 50S 100S 200s 300S CENT OUTSIDE DUCKS INNINGS BEORE 1 DUCK H:S Total Average

S. TENDULKAR (I) 76 121 12 24 21 1 - 13 7 6 217 6036 55.37

B. LARA (WI) 65 112 4 29 10 2 1 6 5 5 375 5572 51.59

S. WAUGH (A) 128 204 38 42 21 1 - 12 17 3 200 8373 50.43

M. AZHARUDDIN (I) 99 147 9 21 22 - - 9 5 7 199 6215 45.03

P. A. DE.SILVA (SL) 81 139 11 21 17 1 - 9 6 75 267 5621 43.91

M. SLATER (A) 62 110 5 16 13 1 - 5 9 44 219 4603 43.83

D. CULLINAN (SA) 56 90 8 17 9 1 - 4 10 7 275no 3573 43.57

G. KIRSTEN (SA) 60 105 9 21 8 2 - 6 9 15 275 4021 41.88

M. WAUGH (A) 103 171 13 38 17 - - 7 15 10 153no 6594 41.73

A. STEWART (E) 95 172 12 35 12 - - 7 7 40 190 6525 40.78

E. AHMED (P) 58 89 4 12 11 1 - 7 7 7 211 3282 38.61

M. Atherton (E) 95 175 6 39 13 - - 6 19 - 185no 6403 37.88

Swim coaches protest over Olympic selection

By Annesley Ferreira

Strong protests have been aired by two top swimming coaches over the selection of Sri Lanka’s male swimmer to the Sydney Olympics which begins on September 21.

It is learnt that the two coaches have called on the National Amateur Aquatic Sports Union (NAASU) of Sri Lanka to nominate Conrad Francis instead of Jayamal Wijeratne who was selected along with women swimmer Radeesha Daluwatte for the Olympics.

Daluwatte and Wijeratne were picked by NAASU at the request of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) which had wanted to groom young swimmers for the future.

Francis (18), is considered the better of the two male swimmers having won 3 Silvers at the last South Asian Federation (SAF) Games in Nepal in November 1999. Wijeratne, a 16-year-old, won a Bronze medal at the same event.

Francis is presently in Australia on a three year scholarship awarded by NOC which ends this year. The two protesting coaches say that it is only fair to nominate Francis for the Olympics as it could also cut down on the cost factor.

It is now understood that NAASU has decided to conduct two trials, on May 11 and 22, to pick the two swimmers for the Olympics.

Meanwhile The Sunday Times learns that a leading official from NOC is clamouring for a passage to the Olympics.

Conrad has also the experiences of having taken part in several Asia Pacific’s and the last Asian Games held in Bangkok.

Manisha and Samanthi in Fed Cup Team

Twenty-year-old Manisha Abeyawardene and 16-year-old Samanthi Wijesekera were included into the Federation Cup Team to represent Sri Lanka in Osaka, Japan. The team was finalised after the National Selectors and the Sports Ministry officials agreed that on principle selection should be based on local tournament participation. Initially Manisha Abeyawardene was included into the Fed Cup Team but due to differing opinions between the Sports Ministry officials and the selectors, Abeyawardene was kept out of the team. However, Saranga Sangakkara pulling out from the team resulted in two vacancies being created within the team. The selectors once again nominated Manisha Abeyawardene and schoolgirl Samanthi Wijesekera as their choice to represent Sri Lanka. These two players were approved after a meeting between the Sports Ministry and the selectors.

Abeyawardene and Wijesekera will now join Non-Playing Captain Oosha Chanmugam and National Champions Vajira Premaratne and Sobhini De Silva in this Asia/Oceania Qualifying Group 11 competition which will bring eleven countries to Osaka, Japan. The event will begin on the 24th of April. The eleven countries competing will be divided into a pool of 6 and a pool of 5. Round Robin matches will be played among these countries in each pool.

At the conclusion of the round robin, the top two nations in each pool will be drawn to play off to decide which two teams are promoted to the Asia/Oceania Qualifying Group 1 in 2001.

The countries participating in the Asia/Oceania Group 11 are: Fiji, Iraq, Jordan, Malaysia, Pacific Oceania, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

To further promote Tennis - Ganendran

Born to a family of tennis players, Ganendran Subramaniam, who started his tennis career at the age of 8 like a duck taking to water, has proven beyond doubt to give back to the sport what he has derived from it.

Gana as he is popularly known, followed in his father’s footsteps and thereafter his brothers Ravi, Suresh and his sister Kashini all played top tennis.

At 16, Gana played Junior Wimbledon and was a member of the Sri Lanka Davis Cup team in 1991 having won many major titles.

His interest in the sport did not go unnoticed where he attended many coach workshops in various countries. He married Rita in 1995 who has been a source of inspiration in helping him being what he is today.

He started his own business in February 1997 “R & G sports” and became the sole agent for “Fischer”, “Adidas”, and “Prince”, sports materials. He is hoping to start another agency in the near future.

He is a tennis professional and now a successful businessman supporting the promotion of the sport in various ways. Gana is a Level 2 Coach, advising the customers.

He has sponsored junior tennis players, Roshan Peiris and Upendra Walgamapaya and Kushani Daluwatta in Squash.

Gana was proud to assist the Davis Cup tournament held for the first time in Sri Lanka sponsoring the Fischer balls in February this year.

He wishes to thank Suresh Menon, the ITF Development Officer for Asia, who has given him a lot of encouragement and had the fortune of being assistant coach to him in 1998 in the ITF junior team in Brunei.

When it comes to stringing racquets, Ganendran as a tennis player with experience said there is no need to have a certificate.

A knowledge of playing tennis, badminton and squash is sufficient when a customer asks for advise regarding tension.

Ganendran who has played tennis at the highest level ad- vises the players in the selection of recquets.

For coaching a certificate or a high standard of playing is essential.

Gana adds that his wife does stringing at their shop and she too can give the correct advise. Stringing is a job that needs expertise.

Ethapane takes root Down Under

Golfers at the Royal Colombo Golf Club will remember Dileepa Ethapane, a long hitting quick talking and speed walking personality who had a crop of close friends who made up regular 4-ball games in a great speed of Camaraderie.

All this came to a sudden end when his business enterprises started to shake and tremor forcing him to pick up his bags, his family and seek greener pastures. “Australia here I come”, he said at his farewell party as he flew off to Sunny Green Pastures. “The beginning was bloody tough”, he said. But with his pronounced tenacity and family togetherness he came off superbly in the land of great opportunities. Today he is a financial planner for AMP Insurance, one of the biggest in Australia.

Dileepa is strongly established so much so that he has had the time and extra funds to encourage and develop his son Pradeepa to be an accomplished golfer at age 17.

Pradeepa is a delightfully pleasant, tall and broad shouldered boy who plays off 2. His success has been meteoric. After 3 months under an expert he was playing off 15. He then joined the Greg Norman Golf Foundation and started inching his way to recognition ending runner-up in the Junior Tournament. He is now playing in Amateur Championships with success. Just recently he was picked to play in the Gantas Classic at Santury Cove where he partnered Greg Norman. His light eyes are on a professional career and he is now under the direct supervision of Jim Barden a renowned coach. Papa Dileepa caddies for him in competitive games and this may spell disaster for the young man. Dileepa plans a visit to Sri Lanka with son Pradeepa to afford him an opportunity of having a shot at the National Title.

Rover pinpoints…

A leading schools’ sports association held its annual general meeting last Saturday. Fine! But the strange part is that almost all of them were re-elected to carry on the bandwagon in almost the same position. Isn’t there anybody from the juniors to take over from the seniors?

The relaying of a certain ground with inferior equipment, not made use in the country of manufacture, Rover learns which is also not suitable for Sri Lanka is been carried out for a tidy commission. It is also learnt that electronic equipment imported as new is in fact second hand! Somebody is making double commissions? Over to you Mr. Minister.

The annual general meeting of the umpires took place at the BMICH, but an objection arose on the grounds that the statement of accounts was not made ready, which showed that Rs. 16,495 not accounted for. Much pressure was brought on the Treasurer to stand down. For who’s benefit was it?

The Sri Lanka A team was instructed to have practices at the CCC grounds, but when they arrived no practice wickets were arranged for them and they had to rough it out on an under-prepared wicket. Rover also learns that the snacks served for the A team cricketers were of not good quality.

Rover learns that a Sports Ministry official who boasts more power than the Minister himself has taken possesion of 43 acres of land from Wellawaya. One wonders as to how this official had got the money to purchase same.

A driver of a motor vehicle who participated in the road races, it is learnt has made a false declaration, with a more powered engine. This has drawn a lot of protests and an inquiry is going on.

Since many protests are made of a high powered official holding office very much closer to the Minister of Sports, one wonders why no action is taken, since it is a well-known fact that this official had done many favours to his master in Atlanta. He is a know-all with no sports qualifications.

Does he favour certain persons locally for the favours he had derived being entertained in USA. What double standards.

Women’s hockey pool picked

The Sri Lanka under 21 women’s hockey pool comprising 25 players has been picked to participate in the Asian Cup hockey championships in Malaysia from May 3 to 14.

This pool was picked after several trials held by the Sri Lanka Hockey Federation. All players picked are requested to be present at the Astro Turf on Monday, April 17 at 3 pm. to attend the residential coaching camp till April 30. The pool picked comprises:

Maura Aluvihara, Sudesika Perera, Nirosha Wijesuriya (Vijaya College), Shiroma Athurupahana, Hemamali Kuninjala (Sanghamitta BMV), Bijini Gunawardena, Sherin Sammugaraja (Visakha), Denasa Perera (Sirimavo BMV), Badrul Inaya, Sunji Lakruwani (Yasodhara), Rosini Weeraratne (Mahamaya), Jayalaksmi Kaluarachchi, Sunethra Perera (Rahula), Inoka Ganhila, Thanuja Ranasinghe (St. Anthony), Wasana Ekanayake, Nelum Piyasena, Shyama Ranasinghe, Ayesha Serasinghe, Chathurangani Inosha, Buddhika Ratnayake, Kawsalya Fernando (Seethadevi BMV), S. M. Mulafar will be the coach.

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