**Official** Sri Lanka Domestic Season 2013/14

[Maximas]

After encouragement from PEWS, I've decided to begin a SL domestic thread in the hope of generating a bit of discussion, even if it's just me and one or two others. I personally have only just begun to follow SL domestic cricket, so there are a lot of names to learn and the like, but

At this stage, the domestic season has already began, there has been 6 rounds of the limited over competition and at this stage Colts CC and Nondescripts CC are leading their respective groups.

Niroshan Dickwella, the unfortunately named young wk batsman is leading the runs, and Kuashal Silva and Upul Tharanga are also up there.

In the wickets, I don't recognise any of the names until Suraj Randiv lol, but none of the big names have had a huge start, although Ajantha Mendis is doing all right.

Here's the cricinfo home for this tournament, where all the goodies are available, and I'll make sure to post at the end of every round.

I think this thread should also cover any 'A' tours and general SL cricket issues, including their long search for a new coach with Graham Ford stepping down. The search has been hampered by the ****ty pay that any potential coach will have to deal with, as shown by Steve Rixon pulling out. I'm personally hoping Marvan Atapattu gets the gig, but Mark Davis also has a shoe in.

So come discuss guys!

 

[Prince EWS]

The only country in the world that just straight up gave its club cricket scene First Class status, I believe. Their domestic structure is always interesting because of that; unfortunately the standard of the pitches often isn't fantastic so it's hard to get a real grasp on players sometimes. If you average 30 with bat and bowl then you're a batting allrounder, although things have been changing to some extent in recent times, at some of the venues anyway.

In the wickets, I don't recognise any of the names until Suraj Randiv lol

Weerakoon and Dilruwan Perera have played international cricket in the last couple of years, but they're both spinners in their mid 30s so probably not quite what the national side was looking for.

 

[Prince EWS]

Hasantha Fernando played a couple of Tests at the dawn of time too I believe.

 

[Jarquis]

I remember in a draft once that PEWS talked me out of picking Lahiru Thirimanne in favour of Roshen Silva so he's on I always follow.
Good to see Kaushal in the runs.

Surprised you haven't heard of Tharindu Kaushal

 

[Jarquis]

Weerakoon and Dilruwan Perera have played international cricket in the last couple of years, but they're both spinners in their mid 30s so probably not quite what the national side was looking for.

Hasantha Fernando played a couple of Tests at the dawn of time too I believe.

Tbf, Sri Lanka are one of the less fashionable sides and have a lorry load of players with <10 caps in International cricket so expecting Max to recognise the name of a guy who took 1/47 in the ODI he played vs India in 2001 is a bit much.

I, on the other hand, recognise them all because I've spent far too many hours of my life researching draft picks for CPL/CWPL etc

 

[morgieb]

Hasantha Fernando played a couple of Tests at the dawn of time too I believe.

Looking at his Test stats, it's surprising he didn't play more given the dearth of quality seam bowling in Sri Lanka.

All these bowlers averaging 20 make ICC's squad selection pretty annoying

 

[Prince EWS]

Tbf, Sri Lanka are one of the less fashionable sides and have a lorry load of players with <10 caps in International cricket so expecting Max to recognise the name of a guy who took 1/47 in the ODI he played vs India in 2001 is a bit much.

Yeah wasn't having a go at him at all; just pointing out that there is some experience/quality in that top wicket takers list. Gun that he started the thread.

 

[Maximas]

Yeah the domestic pitches have been an issue for a while, Andrew Fernando wrote an article a while ago about how the domestic competition is pretty much all in Colombo, which means groundsmen have to prepare pitch after pitch really quickly and they turn into dustbowls within weeks, meaning spinners dominate and pace bowlers struggle a bit, although early in the season the pacers get a bit out of them, and the dustbowl situation only really sets in during the 4 day stuff.

And yeah, it has really only been in the last 2 years that I've started seriously following international cricket (rather than just the Aussie summer), so If a SL player played under 10 matches before 2011 and then dropped off I probably don't know who they are! Doesn't help when you only get the first letters of their several Christian names rather than their full name

 

[Riggins]

Go Harsha Vithana Go

 

[Prince EWS]

Yeah the domestic pitches have been an issue for a while, Andrew Fernando wrote an article a while ago about how the domestic competition is pretty much all in Colombo, which means groundsmen have to prepare pitch after pitch really quickly and they turn into dustbowls within weeks, meaning spinners dominate and pace bowlers struggle a bit, although early in the season the pacers get a bit out of them, and the dustbowl situation only really sets in during the 4 day stuff.

Yeah indeed. They just expanded the Colombo club cricket scene into a First Class competition when they got Test status, rather than creating a new competition for it. It'd be like Bangladesh not bothering with their national league and just having four day Dhaka PL matches between those clubs, for example. It was an interesting way of going about it; it has its pros and cons but the standard of the pitches has definitely dragged it down a fair bit.

 

[Dan]

I, on the other hand, recognise them all because I've spent far too many hours of my life researching draft picks for CPL/CWPL etc

I recognise quite a few thanks to SL spinners being h4x in ICC since pretty much forever. Sajeewa Weerakoon was always a favourite, Senanayake (Sachithra) Senanayake and Herath (Rangana) Herath were always good fun to sign. Loved the old ICC naming system.

Keep an eye on Umesh Karunaratne. Averages 35 with the bat and 20 with the ball in his career so far, and is h4x in ICC 2010 for my Warwickshire side.

 

[Maximas]

The round robin phase of the Premier limited overs tournament is now over with SSC, Colts, Nondescripts and Ragama going through to the semis.

Mahela made a comeback and hit a quick 90 to set up a win opening the batting for SSC, hopefully his form continues and he can go into the tests in the UAE with some good knocks under his belt, albeit in the wrong format.

Jeevan Mendis took a five wicket haul for Tamil Union as well.

Here is the full wrap up of the rounds matches from Andrew Fernando which gives a more comprehensive report on the matches

 

[Maximas]

Nondescripts have quite easily defeated Colts by seven wickets in the first semi final of the Premier league, Angelo Perera starred with an unbeaten 64 (50) while Dickwella, Tharanga and Jehan Mubarak provided good support in the chase of 175, overhauling the target in just under 30 overs. In the first innings, Milinda Siriwardarne top-scored with a good 59, while the 20 year old offspinner Tharindu Kaushal (former SL under 19 player) took 4 wickets.

 

[Prince EWS]

Tharindu Kaushal's had a great tournament.

 

[Maximas]

Looks like he's overtaken Akila Dananjaya as SL's premier young spinner, also averages 20 in FC cricket. At least his tournament has been a lot better

 

[Maximas]

SSC have just defeated Ragama in the second semi final to move into the final of the premier league with Nondescripts. It was a close game, the difference being an unbeaten century from Kaushal Silva who combined with no 10 Dhamika Prasad to put on an unbeaten 9th wicket partnership of 54, earlier, Prasad took 3 wickets to limit Ragama to 238.

 

[hendrix]

There's a domestic team called Nondescripts?

 

[morgieb]

There's a domestic team called Nondescripts?

Yeah.

 

[Maximas]

There's a domestic team called Nondescripts?

Yeah, as pointed out by PEWS earlier, the SL domestic competition is just their old club system, so the teams are named like clubs rather than provinces or whatever

 

[Maximas]

The final of the Premier league was won comfortably by SSC over Nondescripts. Having scored 278 Nondescripts were always behind in the chase after losing their in form openers Dickwella and Tharanga early. For Nondescripts, Jeehan Mubarak topscored with 55 before he was run-out, essentially ending all chance of them winning the match, while earlier Farveez Maharoof picked up 3/38 off his 10 overs. Chamara Kapugedara starred for SSC with the bat, scoring 70 off 57 balls, with the ball Charith Jayampathi took 4 wickets and broke the spine of the Nondescripts batting line-up.