Monday 22nd August, 2011

England use Cambridge don’s plan Coach faults lack of to keep Sachin’s bat silent!

BY S. VENKAT NARAYAN do best to a certain ball in a Our Special Correspondent certain situation. Leamon, 39, was recruited NEW DELHI, August 21: by Flower shortly after he England is using a retired became England’s coach in application for batting woes Cambridge mathametician’s 2009. He is also a qualified plan and modern technology coach. “It helps us in strategy and BY REX CLEMENTINE playing against the number 1 team to keep India’s, and possibly in the world we believe that we are the world’s, greatest batsman selection. I’ve checked the t’s true that have done a much more capable side than this Sachin Tendulkar’s bat quiet programme against more well in the last three World for sure.” in the ongoing Test series than 300 Tests and it is accu- ICups, reaching the finals in 2011 Atapattu’s sentiments are against the Indian cricket rate to within 4-5 per cent,” and 2007 and the semi-finals in 2003 backed up by the fact that several team, according to reports Leamon said. with the eventual winners sealing batsmen have been dismissed play- reaching here. Apparently he has chroni- their fate each time. However, a ing loose shots. India, ranked number one cled every ball bowled in Test remarkable stat that’s hard to On Saturday, Mahela in Tests before arriving in cricket for the past five years, ignore is that the team has done Jayawardene and Kumar England, are being subjected dissecting to the last detail extremely badly after each World Sangakkara had taken their third to a humiliating defeat in the how each pitch and player Cup. partnership to the 70s see- current Test series. They perform in different circum- Two weeks after the South ing off some tough by the have lost their number one stances and situations. Leamon does use video African World Cup in 2003, Sri seam bowlers. Sangakkara then rank in Tests to England. data but he makes greater Lanka played a quadrangular tour- gave charge to the left-arm spin of England has relied on use of Hawk-Eye ball-track- nament in Sharjah – Cherry Xavier Doherty in a bid to improve drawing Tendulkar outside ing system. Blossom Cup – and failed to reach the run rate, but was caught by a his off-stump in the early part “It’s all about asking the the finals and their opponents hap- tumbling Brett Lee at long-on. In of his innings rather than let him get his runs on the right questions, which can be pened to be Kenya, Zimbabwe and the same over, Chamara Silva onside. This ploy is the result a short cut to six months of Pakistan. A month later they host- missed a straight one and soon of a computer simulator work. A lot of the old ways of ed a tri-nation tournament at afterwards gave plan, created by team analyst looking at the technique of Dambulla involving New Zealand an ugly charge and was . Nathan Leamon, the former opponents leads to guess- and Pakistan and failed to reach Upul Tharanga, who had scored a the finals again. professor of mathematics at work—feet position, how they hundred in the previous game too Cambridge University. hold the bat. Hawk-eye Then having was guilty of throwing away his reached the finals Leamon told a London enables you to come up with wicket. newspaper in an interview answers. of the 2007 World The selectors pruned the squad Cup in the published today: “We feed “We classify balls in cer- to 14 from 16 for the last two ODIs into the simula- tain ways and how opposing Caribbean, Sri has questioned the application of in and one of the players Lanka played tor information batsmen deal Sri Lankan batsmen. to be left out was Dinesh about pitches with each type. It Pakistan in a three Chandimal, the promising top match ODI series at spotlight brings much more than what we have and the 22 play- is unusual for order batsman. Chandimal had Abu Dhabi two good money as experienced today,” Atapattu ers who might anyone not to failed to get going in the series and weeks later. well? added. play, and it plays have an area in while many felt that it was right for Although Pakistan Sri Lanka’s Apart from the third ODI, the game a num- which they don’t had been knocked batting coach which they won, Sri Lanka were him to be dropped from the team, it ber of times and have some sort of out of the first Marvan bowled out inside 50 overs for has been argued that he should tells us likely weakness. If the round of that World Atapattu after scores of 191, 208 and 132, all after have remained in the squad consid- outcomes.” bowlers can hit Cup, they managed the team conced- electing to bat first and have gone ering the grace other young players England the right block to win that series. ed a 3-1 advan- onto suffer crushing defeats. such as Chamara Kapugedara have believe twice an over, it After that, Sri tage to the tour- “The batting has been disap- enjoyed over a period of time. Tendulkar large- markedly Lanka were beaten ing Australians pointing to tell you the least. We Atapattu, however, said that ly gets his runs increases the by England 3-2 at with one game know the potential but from what there were a few technical issues on the onside chance of suc- home in a five match ODI series. to go found fault with the applica- we have seen, we have not gone with Chandimal and that he was until he has cess,” Leamon Now in 2011, the Sri Lankans tion of his batsmen. “It is nothing onto show what we are made of. better off out of the team looking made 50. They Sachin Tendulkar explained. have suffered defeats at the hands to do with technique or anything, What we lack is consistency in at the bigger picture. “He needs to have denied him “Of all the of both England and Australia. but application,” Atapattu a former application. If we apply ourselves sort out a few technical issues the advantage Indian players, What could be the reasons for Test told journalists after consistently well, I think we would before he hits the big scene again. completely in the ongoing we have executed our plans such debacles soon after the World Sri Lanka lost the series. “After all do well,” he added. There is nothing wrong with his series. best to Tendulkar. We have Cup? Are the players taking these we haven’t batted the full quota of “It is disappointing to see the hitting. He is a fantastic hitter of Of the 261 balls bowled to bowled brilliantly at him,” he added. games too lightly? Do they lack 50 overs other than on one occa- personnel in the team and their the ball and probably the best hit- Tendulkar by England’s fast According to an insider in motivation with the World Cup sion. It goes to show that we performances. We look at the team ter in the country today. He needs bowlers till the Edgbaston the Indian team, Tendulkar over and no immediate fear of los- haven’t used our quota which is a and say this is one of the best bat- to fine tune certain things before Test, 254 have pitched outside his off-stump, six have been did work out what England ing their place for the next World must in ODIs. Being a team ranked ting line ups in the world and no he faces a good bowling attack like in the line of the stump and were doing to him by the time Cup, which among glamour and at number two, we should be doing doubt about it. Although we are the Australians next time around.” just one beyond leg-stump. the third Test match was Tendulkar, world’s greatest played at Edgbaston. run-maker ever and on the Tendulkar realised that he cusp of his 100th internation- was being made to reach out Under-17 Division I Cricket al hundred, has so far got to deliveries, that the strokes Sri Lanka strengthen 34,12, 16, 56, 1, 40 and 23 from he was attempting were going seven innings for a combined on the left of the cover field- total of 182 from the series at er—an indication that he was a pitiable average of 26.00. playing beyond his body. batting for dead rubber Devananda secure Leamon, nicknamed He was getting out to “Numbers” by England play- catches in the slip cordon as well as leg before because his BY REX CLEMENTINE and then Brett Lee picked up four ers, breaks down the target head was falling outside the on Saturday. Even left-arm area of the pitch into 20 line of off-stump. Sri Lanka will bring in all-round- spinner Xavier Doherty has troubled knockout stage berth blocks, each 100cm x15cm, in In order to counter these er Jeevan Mendis for today’s fifth the Sri Lankans and was the Man of his software and bowlers tactics, Tendulkar took a mid- and final One-Day International the Match after picking career best begin to get a better idea of against Australia at the R. Good all round performances Under-15 Division I Cricket dle and leg stump guard in four for 28 on Saturday. where to aim against a partic- the second innings of the Premadasa Stadium today to by Udayanga de Silva (67 and Australia are likely to rest one of ular opponent. Edgbaston Test, and stood strengthen their batting. With 3/30) and Gihan Madusanka (38 their three seamers, possibly St. Anthony’s rout The software records how outside his crease. Australia having already won the and 4/22) powered Devananda Johnson as 21-year-old right arm many times a ball is pitched He thus became surer of series 3-1, today’s final game will be a paceman James Pattinson is expect- College to a six wicket victory Ananda Sastralaya in each block and the result- over Thurstan College in the his off-stump and his off-side dead rubber with the hosts’, the los- ed to get a game. ing shot. This data is then Inter- School Under-17 Division I strokes were now going to the ing finalists of this year’s World Cup Despite not doing anything wrong A century in 82 balls by used by England bowlers to right of the cover fielder. fighting for their pride. second round match played at Damithra Panditharathne was work out the best areas to in the series, the axe unfortunately Ambalangoda yesterday. England then tried to Whether to play six or seven bats- looks likely to fall on Nuwan the highlight as St. Anthony’s bowl to exploit each bats- desist Tendulkar from follow- men has been an intense point of dis- The victory secured Kulasekara as Sri Lanka look to College, Katugastota recored a man’s weakness. ing his change in batting tac- cussion between the national selec- Devananda a place in the knock- bring in the additional batsman for massive 288-run win over Ananda On the basis of this data, tics, and Matt Prior immedi- tion committee and the team man- out stage. They went into the Leamon helps England’s the last game of the series. Sastralaya in the Under-15 ately came up to the stumps agement and after Saturday’s batting match with just one victory coach Andy Flower and cap- Sri Lanka: (Probable XI) Upul under their belt and earned the Division I cricket encounter to James Anderson to force debacle where the hosts were bowled played at Sri Jayewardenepura tain Andrew Strauss to see the little master back into his out for 132, their lowest total against Tharanga, T.M. Dilshan (Captain), much needed second victory to complete the second round and Ground, Kotte on Saturday. clearly which players might crease. Australia in Sri Lanka, the team (Wicketkeeper), book a place in the knockout Scores: management look to have convinced , Chamara stage. St. Anthony’s 365 for 8 in 50 Silva, Angelo Mathews, Jeevan the selectors that playing seven bats- Scores: overs (Damithra Panditharathne men is the right formula. Mendis, Shaminda Eranga, Seekkuge Thurstan 183 all out in 48.3 100, Kanishka Uggalpaya 78, If they are to avoid 4-1 humilia- Prasanna, and Two major upsets in tennis nationals overs (M.M. Jaleel 69, Kavindu Dananjaya Weragoda 62, Pulasthi tion, Sri Lanka will have to bat well . Kulasekara 26, Rajith Perera in the men’s doubles at against the Australian seamers, who Bandara 42; C. Janaranga 3/55, A. BY REVATA S. SILVA Australia: (Probable XI) Shane 31n.o.; Udayanga de Silva 3/30, Madugalla 2/44, this year’s Tennis have bowled well throughout the Watson, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Gihan Madusanka 4/22, Akila de Ananda Shastralaya 77 all Pakistan’s Era Ashiq Nationals in Colombo yes- series and have come up with match Ponting, Michael Clarke (Captain), Silva 2/13) out (Thilina Leelarathne 23, and Tanveer Ashiq ousted terday. Meanwhile, winning performances. Michael Hussey, Devananda 184 for 4 in 39.4 While picked up Yashoda Rashmika 13; Chalana top seed pair of T. Sharmal Dissanayake was (Wicketkeeper), Brett Lee, John overs (Gihan Madusanka 38, career best figures at Pallekele, the Udayanga de Silva 67, Rishika Salgadu 3/22, Dilan Harshana Dineshkanthan and Rajeev beaten by Nishangan Hastings, Xavier Doherty, Doug other left-arm paceman Doug Theekshana 30n.o.; D.A. Kalpana 2/18, Uditha Mahindarathne 2/03) Rajapakse in straight sets Nadaraja 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 in the Bollinger and James Pattinson. Bollinger bowled well at Hambantota 2/20) (RF) U-16 finals.

Monday 22nd August, 2011