Inter-Provincial Cricket

Club cricketers exposed to top class coaching

By Champika Fernando

The Sri Lanka national coaching staff with the exception of head coach Trevor Bayliss will be directly involved with the scheduled inter-provincial tournament which will commence with the Limited Overs tournament this weekend.
All members of the national coaching staff including assistant coach Stuart Law will be utilised in a bid to give the club cricketers a chance to experience first class coaching opportunity. Thus the SLC has put Sri Lanka shadow coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, Sri Lanka ‘A’ team coach Romesh Kaluwitharana, U-19 coach Naveed Nawaz in charge of three teams in addition to Avishka Gunawardene, Mahesh Weerasinghe and Lanka de Silva, who all have shown promise as club coaches.
“We won’t the resources to be evenly distributed and this would help club cricketers to experience top class coaching during the tournament which will then help raise the standard of the game,” said a Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) official.
The six-team tournament which was revived in 2004 includes all the leading players in the country including hosts of youth players and they will vie for Limited over and Twenty20 honours while only five teams are pitted for the four day tournament. SLC combined XI captained by Hans Fernando will not feature in the four-day tournament.
The six teams are captained by Thilina Kandamby (Basnahira North), TM Dilshan (Basnahira South), Upul Tharanga (Ruhuna), Kumar Sangakkara (Kandurata), Jehan Mubarak (Wayamba) and Hans Fernando (SLC combined XI).
The tournament which will run for at least for a four month period is expected to see a keen tussle as country’s leading stars will be in action.
The tournament will kick of with matches between Wayamba and Basnahira North at Kurunegala, Basnahira North vs Kandurata at P Sara stadium and SLC Combined Xi vs Ruhuna at Galle International Stadium on Saturday where the final of the limited overs tournament is scheduled for February 21. The T20 tournament is scheduled to commence on February 24 while the four day tournament is scheduled for March 18.
Basnahira North:
Thilina Kandamby (Capt), Angelo Mathews (Vice-Captain), Chaminda Vaas, Amal Athula-thmudali, Dilshan Munaweera, Gayan Wijekoon, Sachithra Serasinghe, Kaushal Silva, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara, Shanuka Dissanayake, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dhammika Prasad, Nuwan Pradeep, Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Darshanapriya, Roshen Silva, Sohan Borelassa and Angelo Perera.
Manager cum Selector: Anura Tennakoon. Coach: Chandika Hathurusinghe.

Basnahira South:

T.M Dilshan (Capt), Chamara Silva (Vice-Capt), Malintha Warnapura, Milinda Siriwarda-na, Hasantha Fernando, Gihan Rupasinghe, Prasanna Jayawardene, Nuwan Zoysa, Malinga Bandara, Suranga Lakmal, Janaka Gunaratne, Dilruwan Perera, Lahiru Thirimanna, Amila Prasad, Chinthaka Perera, Dinuk Hettiarachchi, Yohan de Silva and Ruchira Perera.
Manger cum Selector: Ashantha de Mel. Coach: Romesh Kaluwitharana.

Ruhuna:

Upul Tharanga (Capt), Dinesh Chandimal (Vice-Captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Indika de Seram, T.M Sampath, Dilhara Lokuhettige, Kosala Kulasekara, Tharanga Lakshitha, Lasith Malinga, Sujeewa de Silva, N. G. H. Cooray, Sachithra Senanayaka, Ashan Priyanjana, Gihan de Silva, Sajeewa Weerakoon, Lasith Fernando, Geeth Alwis and Umesh Karunaratne.
Manager cum Selector: Don Anurasiri. Coach: Mahesh Weerasinghe.

Wayamba:

Jehan Mubarak (Capt), Mahela Udawatte ( Vice-Captain), Mahela Jayawa-rdene, Jeewantha Kulatunga, Farveez Maharoof, Tissara Perera, Sameera Soysa, Ajantha Mendis, Shalika Karunanayaka, Isuru Udana, Rakitha Wimaladharma, Chanaka Welagedara, Rangana Herath, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Michal Van Dort, Madura Lakmal, Damith Hunukumbura and Kushal Janith Perera.
Manager cum Selector: Vinothan John. Coach: Lanka de Silva.

Kandurata:

Kumar Sangakkara (Capt), Muttiah Muralitharan (Vice-Captain), Chamara Kapugedara, Suraj Randiv, Kanchana Gunawa-rdena, Sanjaya Gangodawila, Jeewan Mendis, Tharanga Paranavithana, Kaushal Weeraratne, Chinthaka Jayasinghe, Thilina Thushara Mirando, Nadeera Nawela, Chaminda Vidhanapathirana, Kanishka Elvitigala, Sekkuge Prasanna, Thilan Samaraweera, Sachith Pathirana and Suresh Niroshan.
Manager cum Selector: Chaminda Mendis. Coach: Avishka Gunawardene.

SLC Combined Xl:

Hans Fernando (Capt), Banuka Rajapaksha (Vice-Captain), Kithruwan Vidanage, Udara Jayasundara, Romesh Buddika, W. A. Eranga, J. R. G. Namal, Sanjaya Fernando, Imesh Udayanga, Malinga Pushpakumara, Andre Berenjer, Charith Jayampathi, Lahiru Gamage, Arosh Janoda and Nilanka Premaratne,
Manager cum Selector: Brendon Kuruppu, Coach: Naveed Nawaz.

Schedule:

Sat Feb 6
Sri Lanka Cricket Combined XI v Ruhuna at Galle International Stadium
Wayamba v Basnahira South at Welagedara Stadium, Kurunegala
Basnahira North v Kandurata at Colts Cricket Club Ground, Colombo
Mon Feb 8
Sri Lanka Cricket Combined XI v Wayamba at Colts Cricket Club Ground, Colombo
Basnahira South v Kandurata at De Zoysa Stadium, Moratuwa
Ruhuna v Basnahira North at Galle International Stadium
Thu Feb 11
Basnahira South v Basnahira North at De Zoysa Stadium, Moratuwa
Sri Lanka Cricket Combined XI v Kandurata at Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground, Colombo
Wayamba v Ruhuna at Welagedara Stadium, Kurunegala
Sun Feb 14
Ruhuna v Kandurata at Galle International Stadium
Basnahira North v Wayamba at De Zoysa Stadium, Moratuwa
Basnahira South v Sri Lanka Cricket Combined XI at Moors Sports Club Ground, Colombo
Tue Feb 16
Basnahira North v Sri Lanka Cricket Combined XI at De Zoysa Stadium, Moratuwa
Basnahira South v Ruhuna at P Sara Oval, Colombo
Kandurata v Wayamba at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium