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Clash
of the rugby titans
By Aubrey
Kuruppu It is a fact that over the last couple of years Kandy SC has been a trifle vulnerable away from their beloved mountain fastness. To be sure, they have won in Colombo, but by the same token, they have also lost games to the CR and the Army in the metropolis. Games, which Kandy SC may well have pulled off had they been played at Nittawela before a packed, shrieking, fanatical and even hysterical crowd (Shades of the Soccer World Cup and South Korea!). Kandy SC is a team that has plenty of Sri Lankan players - too much, in fact. This has allowed the think-tank of the club to rest certain players and experiment with others. The back division in particular has a wealth of talent and, good as he is, even the likes of Indrajith Bandaranaike (a Sri Lanka Skipper of not very long ago) is not certain of making the starting line up. Centres Vithanage and Mallikarachchi had a good outing against the Havies, with the former, in particular, showing good speed and a hawk-like eye for the gaps. Sanjeeva Jayasinghe and Hettiarachchi on the wings display contrasting talents. Jayasinghe has blazing speed while his big-made partner is, in a sense, more difficult to bring down. With such an array of talent in the back division, one wonders why Kandy SC doesn't open out the game more. Their forwards, with Omar, Buksh, Jayasena and Skipper Basnayake leading the way, have played well. They are quite a formidable sight when hounding the ball. One thing in Kandy SC's favour is that this season, the Army has not really made waves as they did the last two seasons. However, this could be ominous. They do have a couple of new faces but basically ninety per cent of last year's very successful side are still there. Vajira Jayatilleka, Sithara Fernando, Naushad and Skipper Ajith Pieris should shine for the Army in the back division. Flanker Karunaratne possesses the biggest threat among the forwards. When these two sides met last at Nittawela, it was almost six of one and half a dozen of the other. Two crucial factors in this equation are that this game will be in Colombo and that Sanjeeva Jayasinghe will be foremost in Kandy's ranks. The Army game may not be the calm before the storm (CR&FC). It could well be the storm itself. A win for the soldiers cannot be ruled out. But you can bet on it that the champions will sell their souls dearly. The
daggers are drawn
Between August of last year and March of this year Sri Lanka won all nine test matches they played. The vanquished included, India, Bangladesh, West Indies, Zimbabwe and Pakistan. Then in the opening test against England exchanges finished even but the Sri Lankans had the opposition on the mat, asking them to follow on. Very little criticism during that period of time! Hardly any mention of faulting players, administrators or management! In fact many were running around praising their own tails!! The two flows that have haunted Sri Lankan cricket always were only temporarily treated. Like a cancer it was going to loom its ugly head sooner than later. A weakness to play the short rising delivery. A weakness to handle the moving ball. An attack without punched and potency to dismiss batsman. Analyze the debacle in England and it is these deficiencies that caused the downfall. Sri Lanka will be forced to reckon in test cricket and be able to perform well consistently in England, Australia and South Africa, only after they produce players who can play the rising and moving deliveries and produce bowlers who are genuinely capable of dismissing batsmen on any given surface. No amount of shouting or writing will help until a sequence of corrective measures are carried out. Disasters of this nature will occur time and time again. The present crop of batsmen in the National team are capable, talented and intelligent enough to be able to develop, to adjust and adopt as the situation demands. It must be drilled into Russel Arnold, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena, that they must master and master perfectly the art of playing the rising and moving delivery. These three players who are mid-stream in careers are good at their chosen Art. When it comes to an International team game being good is often not good enough. To strive for excellence is the necessity! During his tenure at the helm Sanath Jayasuriya has been a captain whose approach can be classified as defensive. In one day cricket should you have a team of players who can defend brilliantly and strangle the opposition then satisfactory results could be achieved. He has applied a similar approach to this long game too. Often the field placing is defensive, declarations have been delayed to be safe of not losing, worry to bat first and get runs on the board - all to ensure a loss is averted. On many occasions the embarrassment has been averted by Muttiah Muralitharan. The great off-spinner has bowled brilliantly, for lengthy spells and more than not borne the brunt of the attack. His being absent in the opening test and partly fit when he played in the next two, did put the attack totally off balance. Chaminda Vaas has (Hopefully temporary) lost his ability to swing and reverse swing, making matters worse. Dilhara Fernando's appearance and progress through his bowling spells was the only comforting factor. To obtain top status in world cricket Sri Lanka needs short term, medium term and long term plans. Plans that must be geared to provide the requirement for the team, the team only and not individuals! Into whose
pocket did the Ministry money go? Is this SLBF
monthly accounts valid? Where are
the monies due from present and former Office Bearers? Rs. 15,000.00
not accounted since 1994 by SLBF Vice- President? Why a National
team for a Inter-state tournament in India? How crazy |
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