KitSports » Roshan Mahanama

Samaraweera’s contribution

kit-sports editor — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 00:56:34 +0000

The contest for the Observer-Mobitel Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year is turning out to be a keen tussle for supremacy. With the month of March, better known as the big match month among schoolboys, coming to an end, last few weeks of voting for the Observer-Mobitel Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year titles, will attract greater attention.

Winning a major title at Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year contest would undoubtedly change the life of any schoolboy cricketer, opening new horizons. Experiencing such glory would bring them closer to winning the Sri Lanka ‘cap’ that would open the big league for them.

For some outstanding schoolboy cricketers, winning a major award at the Mega Show is even more than playing for Sri Lanka. Many past winners have even gone to the extent of becoming Chief ICC Match Referee, ICC Elite Panel Umpires and international coaches.

The latest in that elite Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year family to prove his credentials as a coach of international repute is former Sri Lanka Test batsman and ex-Ananda cap Thilan Samaraweera.

Under the guidance of head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, Samaraweera has done a tremendous job in sharpening the skills of Bangladesh batsmen who gave a torrid time to Sri Lanka bowlers in the second Test played at Saravanamuttu Stadium.

As the batting consultant of the Bangladesh team, Samaraweera has proved his class. Having lost the first Test at Galle to the hosts by 259 runs, Bangladesh would never have dreamt of winning the second Test.

Perhaps, their only intention would have been an honorable draw at Sara Stadium and stop Sri Lanka from going for a 2-0 clean sweep. But Samaraweera injected that gutty feeling to the Bangladesh batsmen – to believe in them and capitalize on the mistakes of Lankan bowlers. The visitors did just that to register their first ever Test victory over Sri Lanka. Most importantly, that came at a memorable time for Bangladesh – in their 100th Test!

Bangladesh made only 312 all out and 197 all out in the respective innings to lose the first Test. Yet, the visitors bounced back to win the second Test by four wickets and square the two-Test series.

First, the restricted Sri Lanka’s first innings to 338 all out and came out with their best batting performance on tour to make 467 runs. That handsome lead eventually became the deciding factor of the Test series.

Inspired by their performance in the second Test, Bangladesh did well to win the first ODI in Dambulla by a massive margin of 90 runs. Once again, it was the Bangladesh batsmen who gave Lanka a torrid time, scoring a commanding 324 for 5 in 50 overs.

Full credit should go to former Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year winner Samaraweera who was mainly responsible in transforming the Bangladesh batting to a formidable position, along with the support of Hathurusinghe.

Samaraweera has a proven track record as a classy batsman right from his school career at Ananda College, Colombo. His outstanding performances in successive years earned him the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year titles in 1994 and 1995.

Since the inception of the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year contest way back in 1979, only six players had won the main title two times each and exactly half of them are Anandians!

Heading that elite brand of cricketers is Sri Lanka’s world cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga (1980 and 1982). Beside Samaraweera and Ranatunga, Roshan Mahanama (Nalanda -1983 and

1984), Lahiru Peiris (Ananda – 2004 and 2005), Bhanuka Rajapaksa (Royal – 2010 and 2011) and Charith Asalanka (Richmond – 2015 and 2016) have won the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year title two times each.

In less than three years after winning the title for the second time, Samaweera made his Sri Lanka debut in the Champions trophy ODI against India in Sharjah on November 6, 1998. Although he did not get an opportunity to bat, he had Indian wicket keeper bat Nayan Mongia (51) as his first ODI scalp.

Samaraweera’s Test debut too had also been against Indian, but on a memorable note. He made a debut Test century in Sri Lanka’s third Test against India at SSC grounds in August/ September 2001. Coming in as No.8 batsman, Samaraweera made 103 not out on his debut, facing 175 balls in 201-minute stay, hitting ten fours.

In fact, Samaraweera was the fourth Sri Lanka batsman to score a century in the home team’s first inning of 610 for 6 declared with Marvan Atapattu (108), Mahela Jayawardene (139) and Hashan Tillakaratne (136 not out) making merry against the Indian bowling.

Despite making his debut, Samaraweera showed class of a seasoned batsman and was associated in an unfinished 194-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Tillakaratne as Sri Lanka emerged victorious by an innings and 77 runs. Samaraweera’s rock-solid batting and tantalizing off spin bowling enabled him to cement his place in the Test team.

Representing Sri Lanka in 81 Tests, Samaraweera had aggregated 5,462 runs with 14 centuries and 30 fifties. In fact, he is among the top Lankan batsmen who had maintained an impressive Test average of 48.76. Although Samaraweera was better known as a Test batsman, he had also represented Sri Lanka in 53 ODIs with a top score of 105 not out.

The 40-year-old had been working with some Australia Test players ahead of their 2016 tour to Sri Lanka, in his brief consulting stint at Australia’s National Cricket Centre in Brisbane. In 2013, he had a successful season with Worcestershire in the English country championship and made a top score of 144 not out against Leicestershire at Leicester on August 28, 2013

Kusal Mendis one bright spark in the English cold

kit-sports editor — Thu, 26 May 2016 00:35:15 +0000

One of the few positives to emerge from the current tour of England by the Srilanka Cricket team Kusal Mendis is the batting of Kusal Mendis at the vital number three position.

It is a key spot in the batting order and it has been occupied by batsmen in the caliber of Roy Dias, Ranjan Madugalle, Asanka Gurusinha, Roshan Mahanama, Russell Arnold and the greatest of them all Kumar Sangakkara.

Since Sangakkara’s exit from international cricket last year Sri Lanka has been struggling to find a suitable replacement to fill in that big void. Upul Tharanga was tried out in that position, Dimuth Karunaratne was experimented with, failing which they gave it to Lahiru Thirimanne and then to Udara Jayasundera.

Now that pivotal position in the batting order has been given to Mendis who has so far responded with great promise. Making his Test debut against West Indies in October last year Mendis scored 13 and 39 at the P Sara Oval. On the current tour to he has been given that position and he has answered with three half-centuries – two in the side games against Essex and Leicestershire and in the first Test against England at Leeds which incidentally happened to be his maiden Test half-century.

“I had a great start on this tour, and that puts me in a good position to play the games coming up,” said Mendis. “Everyone said it was a good innings, but they also gave me some advice on the weaknesses – especially about foot movement. We’re very disappointed as a side at how the match turned out, but we’re hopeful of doing better.”

Mendis was one batsman who was prepared to take the fight to the English bowlers who reigned supreme in helpful conditions.

Barely 21, Mendis represents an exciting talent that has emerged from the schools which is very rare these days. A product of Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa, Mendis won the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year award in 2013 before going onto lead his country in the Under 19 Cricket World Cup the following year.

He made his first-class debut for Bloomfield in the Premier League in 2015, but although he was in the national selector’s radar for some time it was not until he made a tour of Hyderabad in September for the Moin-ud-Dowla trophy that paved the way for his entry into the national team. With scores of 156, 52 and 47 he came into contention for a place in the home series against West Indies and now he has been given a further extension in the ongoing series against England to cement his place in the number three slot.

Mendis himself knows that there is a wide gap to bridge between playing first-class cricket in Sri Lanka and Test matches.

“It’s a big difference. I’ve only really played club cricket before this. I haven’t played in the A team. I was in some development sides. It’s a big challenge to score runs,” said Mendis. “But I’m glad I am able to be here. I did well with the development team in India last year, so that gives me a little confidence.”

Playing in England is not all new to this exciting right-hander. “I played for a club called Southgate in the Middlesex league. I got a lot of good experience from that, partly because I was on my own,” said Mendis.

“I learned a lot about how to adjust to conditions and how to deal with that initial disappointment of not knowing them very well and also about how to play when it’s cold. I had to do that alone, and got a lot of useful experience from that,” he said.

But being with the national team Mendis is not all alone, he has plenty of support coming his way.

“Everyone helps me – the captain, the vice-captain, the coach – everyone. I’m the youngest, but no one treats me differently. Whether I’m doing well or had a bad game I feel that support,” said Mendis.

“No one has tried to change my technique much. They’ve just asked me to play as I was. Mentally there were a few changes. The advice was mainly about mentally adjusting. They told me about being patient at this level, because it’s five-day cricket. That was something they stressed.

“They’ve also told me about how to respond when bowlers talked to me. If we go to argue with them, we lose our concentration. It’s important to focus on the game,” he said.

The current tour of England is proving to be a learning curve for young Mendis who is keen to secure a permanent place in the team.

“I’ve played in the number three position before – for club and development teams. It’s a big responsibility. I’ve been thinking about what is possible for me and what needs to be done there,” said Mendis.

“I have to contribute runs to stay in that position and the team. I try to bat the same way every day, with allowances for the pitch. Some wickets you can score quickly and others you can’t.”

There’s no doubt the Mendis is a strong legside player and the opposition will be keenly noting it. To be able to overcome that and score runs is the key to a good player and Mendis has all the ingredients to succeed.