UNDER 23 CRICKET NCC set for the kill against Moratuwa SC

The ICC has released the findings of the alleged suspect bowling action of Sri Lanka’s off spinner Sachithra Senanayake. The report says the bowler concerned exceeds the ICC permitted level of the 15 degree bending of the arm at the point of delivery.

An SLC news release reads, “Sri Lanka Cricket has received the ICC Bowling Action Legality Assessment Report pertaining to Sachithra Senanayake. It was conducted by the Cardiff Metropolitan University - Cardiff School of Sport in England.

“The Standard ICC Illegal Action Testing Protocol was used to assess the degree of elbow extension from the point of upper arm horizontal to ball release within the bowling action.

“15-degree elbow extension threshold was exceeded in the four deliveries considered to be suspect in the 4th ODI played at Lords.

“The report concludes that Sachithra bowled with an illegal bowling action and consequently he is banned from bowling in international cricket, effective immediately.

“This matter will be referred to the SLC Cricket Committee for their recommendation.”

Senanayake was reported at the end of the fourth ODI against England by on-field umpires Marais Erasmus and Ian Gould, TV umpire Chris Gaffaney, and match referee Jeff Crowe.

The umpires' report raised concerns over a number of deliveries that were considered to be suspect.

However once the tests were completed the bowler was permitted to represent the country till the findings of the tests were released. So much so as a cover-up off spinner Dilruwan Perera was drafted into the final squad for the third one-day international in case the report was released prior to the start of the match and the findings were negative.

Prior to his ban, Senanayake represented the country as their leading off spinner and was a part of the Asia Cup winning team and also played a leading role in Sri Lanka’s T-20 World Cup win in Bangladesh. He has played thirty five ODIs and taken 40 wickets, played 17 T20s and taken 18 wickets and played one Test without taking a wicket.

Prior to this, 29-year-old Senanayake, had his action cleared by the International Cricket Council’s biomechanical testing after it had been reported during a Sri Lanka’s A-tour of England.

Speaking on the issue, Secretary Sri Lanka Cricket Nishantha Ranatunga said, “We will have to begin remedial action immediately. First he will be seconded to the Lankan coaching department where he will undergo the initial work on his action. Only thereafter would we request the ICC to assess his action once again at one of their facilities”.

Meanwhile the national cricket selectors dropped opener Dimuth Karunaratne and fast medium bowler Nuwan Kulasekera and recalled experienced opener Upul Tharanga into the Test squad that will play against South Africa. Also left out from the England series is fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep.

Also back in the international arena is Dinesh Chandimal who will probably don the gloves behind the wickets in place of injured Prasanna Jayawardena.

According to a selection source, “Dimuth was dropped from the side mainly for two reasons. First, he is faced with a technical problem which he would have to work on. The second, though he has the consistency of getting on to his thirties and forties, he has failed to

NCC was set for the kill against Moratuwa SC when play ended on the second day in their Under 23 Division I cricket encounter at the NCC ground. They turned the game into their favour after undergoing some anxious moments in the morning session of play.

NCC in reply to Moratuwa SC’s score of 229, resuming on their overnight score of 48 for 2, was struggling on 128 for 6 at lunch but recovered to end their innings making a formidable 275 which came on the back of half tons by Tharindu Kaushal and Sahan Nanayakkara.

Later Kaushal and Nanayakkara ran through the Moratuwa SC when they went into bat the second time with the duo sharing eight wickets between them to bundle Moratuwa SC for a paltry score of 84.

NCC was left with a simple run chase of 39 runs and at close they were 15 for 2 needing another 24 runs for victory with eight wickets in hand when play begins on the final day today.

A swashbuckling career best knock of 260 in only 205 balls by Moors SC skipper Shehan Jayasuriya supported by another knock of 104 by Kaushalya Gajasinghe helped Moors SC, resuming on their overnight score of 486 for 8, pile up a massive score against Colts who went into lunch on 129 for 3 on day two in their Under 23 Division One cricket encounter at Braybrooke Place.

Shehan’s enterprising knock included 29 boundaries and 13 towering sixes and he was associated in two fruitful partnerships - first of 162 runs for the second wicket with Oshada Fernando which laid the foundation for a big score and the other of 153 runs for the fifth wicket with Kaushalya Gajasinghe.

Colts in their turn helped by half tons from Angelo Jayasinghe, Dinuk Wickramanayake and Shehan Fernando ended day two on 322 for 9.

Tamil Union has already taken a first inning lead over Ragama CC at the P. Sara Stadium. Tamil Union resuming on their overnight score of 69 for 3 went on to make 222 in reply to Ragama CC’s 202. Ragama CC batting the second time ended day two making 152 for 3.

Half tons by skipper Sanka Ramesh and Minod Bhanuka saw SSC resuming on their overnight score of 16 for no loss end the second day’s proceedings making a formidable score of 335 for 9 declared against Navy SC in the match played at the SSC ground.This was in reply to Navy SC’s 188 and batting the second time the sailors were 48 for no loss.

Half tons by Prashan Wickramasinghe and A.K. Tyron helped SLPA CC take a first inning lead over Army SC when play stopped on the second day at Panagoda.

An unbeaten ton by Pasindu Laksanka and supported by half tons from Kelum Nanayakkara and Kavindu Ashan enabled Air Force end day two making 278 for 9 in reply to Negombo CC’s 153 to take a first inning lead at Kadirana. At NCC

229 (Shanuka Dulaj 71, Hashan Chamara 37, Kasun Chamara 21, Deshan Dias 18, Krishan Weeraratne 39 n.o.: Saranga Rajaguru 4 for 45, Tharindu Kaushal 4 for 79) (Deshan Dias 33, Dhanuka Madushan 26: Sahan Nanayakkara 4 for 17, Tharindu Kaushal 4 for 33)

(Tharindu Kaushal 75, Sahan Nanayakkara 51, Mohamed Dilshad 29, Pawan Wickramasinghe 19, Kaveen Bandara 16, Ruvindu Tilekeratne 24 n.o.: Chemila Obeysekera 6 for 53, Hashan Chamara 2 for 41) At Braybrooke Place (Shehan Jayasuriya 260, Kaushalya Gajasinghe 104, Oshada Fernando 48, Nipuna Kariyawasam 16, Irshad Umar 26 n.o.: Akila Dhananjaya 4 for 157, Julian de Zylva 2 for 85, Shehan Fernando 2 for 87)

(Angelo Jayasinghe 63, Dinuk Wickramanayake 63, Shehan Fernando 58, Harsha Rajapakse 38, Sadeera Samarawickrama 28, Sanitha de Mel 28, Charith Sudaraka 25 n.o.: Shehan Jayasuriya 3 for 59) At P. Sara Stadium

(Eranga Ratnayake 96, Supeshala Jayatileke 30, Tharindu Rukshan 24, Lahiru Malintha 19, Lahiru Jayaratne 15: Thineth Manishka 3 for 69, Minhaj Jaleel 2 for 22, Shifran Muthaliph 2 for 41) (Lahiru Milantha 61, Jason Perera 27, Dhananjaya de Silva 24, Janith Liyanage 36 n.o.) (Pramod Liyanagamage 47, Shifran Muthaliph 40, Isuru Buddika 33, Ron Chan- dragupta 33, Manoj Sarathchandra 23: Amila Aponso 4 for 70, Tharindu Rukshan 2 for 24, Lahiru Jayaratne 2 for 59) At SSC

(Madura Madusanka 46, Ishan Abeysekera 40, Avishka Peiris 26, Sameera Chathuranga 24, : Chamika Karunaratne 3 for 38, Dasun Shanaka 2 for 20) (Akash Senaratne 24 n.o., Yohan Zoysa 20 n.o.)

(Sanka Ramesh 89, Minod Bhanuka 53, Dasun Shanaka 45, Kavindu Kulasekera 32, Vishwa Deemantha 26, Pathum Madusanka 38 n.o.: Kalhara Peiris 3 for 39, Ishan Abeysekera 3 for 63) At Panagoda

(Shehan de Silva 63 n.o.: Aravinda Premaratne 5 for 21, Anuk de Alwis 4 for 48) (Lakshitha Madushan 29, Dilshan Kanchana 27, Lakshan Edirisinghe 21, Sachintha Peiris 17: Anuk de Alwis 5 for 51, Aravinda Premaratne 3 for 44)

(Prashan Wickramasinghe 73, A.K. Tyron 66: Nadeesha de Mel 4 for 67, Lakshan Edirisinghe 3 for 17, Sachintha Peiris 2 for 36) At Kadirana

(Akeel Inham 33, Shehan Madusanka 30, Sewwinda Silva 22, Malshan Gunasinghe 20: Pramoda Chathuranga 4 for 24, Kasun Rajitha 3 for 32, Dushan Vimukthi 2 for 33)

(Kelum. Nanayakkara 52, Kavindu Ashan 51, Udara Ranasinghe 38, Pasindu Laksanka 104 n.o.: Shehan Madusanka 4 for 62, Malshan Gunasinghe 2 for 67) build on those starts. That is another drawback that stood against him whilst experienced Tharanga was nudging with a string of good performances in the recent past.”

He also added fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekera is injured while Prasanna Jayawardena also has not recovered from the thumb injury he sustained during the first Test in England.

Now with Tharanga making it into the national squad, the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team who are scheduled to leave the country today for their tour of England will take wing under Ashan Priyanjan.

The National Selectors now have decided to include Lahiru Jayaratne as replacement to Upul Tharanga while the void created by the pulling out of vice captain of the ‘A’ tour Thisara Perera will be filled by fast bowler Ishan Jayaratne. Tharanga has played fifteen Test matches for Sri Lanka at an average of 28.52 and last played the longer version of the game way back, against England in Galle, where he made sixteen runs.

The first Test will be played in Galle from 16 to 20 July while the second Test will be played at the SSC grounds from 24 to 28 July.

The Test squad: Angelo Mathews (C), Lahiru Thirimanne (v/c), Upul Tharanga, Kaushal Silva, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardena, Dinesh Chandimal, Kithruwan Vithanage, Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera, Ajantha Mendis, Suranga Lakmal, Shaminda Eranga, Dhammika Prasad and Chanaka Welagedara.