Tharindu is the real deal for Wallasey
WALLASEY skipper Daniel Beaver tipped his cap to team mate Tharindu Kaushal after the overseas player dragged his side out of the mire with a seven-wicket haul to salvage a dramatic tie against Colwyn Bay.
Kaushal took a marvellous catch off his own bowling to take the final wicket and secure his side 15 league points in the Liverpool and District ECB Premier League.
The Sri Lankan international announced himself at his new club in just his second game for Wallasey contributing with bat and ball in a memorable performance at The Kevin McCullagh Oval.
Kaushal steadied the ship with the bat, contributing 40 runs coming in at No.6, and Beaver insists their innings was on a knife edge before the star announced his arrival.
“Tharindu (Kaushal) had a major impact on our batting display as he came in at a time when our innings could have gone either way,” said Beaver.
“He scored a really good 40 which helped us reach a reasonably strong total of 205.”
Beaver top-scored with 44 runs to his name and admits he thought he had given his Sri Lankan spinner the ball too early in the innings.
But Beaver’s decision was justified as Kaushal cleaned up the Colwyn Bay middle order, taking four wickets in his first eight overs of the 20 he bowled in total.
“It was a pretty topsy-turvy game all the way through to be honest. There were times when I thought we had lost and times when I thought we had won it,” said Beaver.
“We introduced him into the bowling attack a lot earlier than we would have liked. But it turned out to be the right decision as he cleaned up bowling that way he did.
“We wouldn’t have won without his contribution.
“They needed ten runs with four wickets left and I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that we would lose the game. But he took a few wickets and I started to think we could win it.”
Kaushal’s display with the ball snatched a tie from a seemingly perilous situation and with the result happening so infrequently, Beaver admitted he wasn't sure how to react when the final wicket was taken.
“When we ended up with a tie, there were no real celebrations on the pitch as I think everyone’s emotions had run out,” added Beaver.
“It was only Tharindu’s second game for us, the first didn’t quite go as he would have liked so it was great to see him play like that.
“And it was the first tie I have been involved in and when you think it is 15 points apiece, it isn’t the worst result. There are definitely lessons to be learnt from it.”