News

Do we think about tail-enders batting ability?

Published

3 years ago

May 12, 2023

Editor

In the game of Cricket, tail-enders are the ones who are at the bottom of a score sheet or the players who have a lower level of batting ability. Normally, in a match, if a side loses 6 or 7 wickets, their tail-enders start coming to bat and that batting team’s innings probably finish in a short time period. But there are some tailenders who show great resistance to the bowling team and frustrate the bowling team when these tailenders come to bat.

But most of the time these tailenders come and just throw the bat at deliveries and give away their wicket irresponsibly. Sometimes tail-enders or these proper bowlers don’t think about their batting because they think their duty is just bowling or sometimes teams and their management don’t pay attention to the batting of their tailenders or sometimes teams and their management think and talk about uplifting the batting ability of their tail-enders but not implement them in the practice sessions.

For example, history and records tell that Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and West Indies produce tail-enders with the worst batting ability while England, Australia, and New Zealand produce tail-enders with enough ability in batting. Also, the Indians produce tail-enders who have the ability in batting from the last few years.

If a side has strong tail-enders, that team can put extra 30-40 runs or more to their tally and that team will increase the confidence of their team and their batting department.

For solving this problem, basically, teams and coaches must put these tail-enders on nets and to side wickets and must practice them regularly or individually these tail-enders have to focus on their batting as well as their bowling. And that can increase the batting ability of tail-enders and can cause the success of a team. But this would not be a long-term solution or the most effective solution because it’s not easy to learn a skill when players come to the elite level and not easy to put a skill into muscle memory when players become adults.

Because of that, the best stage to uplift the batting ability of tail-enders is School Cricket. Most of the time in school cricket, the bowlers of a team don’t get a chance to bat in practice sessions and they just bat two, or three times a month in the middle and ask to do well in match situations when they don’t have enough batting practice and confidence. Because these school tail-enders carry this cycle for a longer period of time, they become typical tail-enders who don’t have the ability to bat, and who just have to hang around in the crease when coming to bat after they become elite international players. Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and West Indies face the consequences of this. For that school coaches must get the responsibility to train tail-enders in batting and coaches must influence their tail-enders to do training in batting individually. Also, school coaches can give batting tasks in practices as well as in matches for their tail-enders, and coaches must give confidence and uplift the confidence of their school team tail-enders.

By Chathushka Kalunayaka

Cricket

Tragedy Halts 66th Battle of the Babes in Kandy

Published

15 hours ago

April 2, 2026

Editor

The 66th edition of the “Battle of the Babes” big match between St. Sylvester’s College and Vidyartha College was abruptly called off on Wednesday after a tragic road accident claimed the lives of two St. Sylvester’s students.

The incident occurred as the students were on their way to witness the much-anticipated encounter at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. According to police, the motorcycle they were travelling on collided head-on with a bus.

One of the victims, Sachith Karunaratne, died at the scene. The other student, Nethula Nimdinu, was rushed to the Kandy National Hospital but later succumbed to his injuries.
The shocking news cast a shadow over the annual fixture, prompting authorities to take swift action. Central Province Governor Sarath Abeykoon reportedly suggested halting the match, after which the principals of both schools jointly agreed to call off the game midway.

St. Sylvester’s College confirmed the untimely deaths, paying tribute to the two students as committed and valued members of their school community.

Meanwhile, Kandy Police have launched an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the fatal accident.

Cricket

Sri Lanka Women’s U19 Squad Named for Australia Tri-Series Tour

Published

15 hours ago

April 2, 2026

Editor

Sri Lanka Cricket has announced a 15-member Women’s Under-19 squad for the upcoming Tri-Series tour of Australia, which will also feature England. The tour is set to provide valuable international exposure for the young Sri Lankan side as they prepare to face two strong cricketing nations in both One Day and T20 formats.

The team, led by captain Chamodi Praboda of Pagnagnanda MV, Monaragala, includes a promising mix of talent drawn from leading schools across the island. Several players from Devapathiraja College, Rathgama including Sanjana Kavindi, Nethagi Isuranjali, and Shashini Gimhani have earned selections, reflecting the school’s continued contribution to women’s cricket development.

Other notable inclusions are Vimoksha Balasuriya from Sinhala MV, Trincomalee, Umayangana Peiris of Princess of Wales College, Moratuwa, and Nethmi Upeksha from Maliyadeva Balika, Kurunegala. The squad also features players such as Aseni Thalagune (Mahamaya Girls School, Kandy), Chamodi Herath (Anura College, Matara), and Daria Dissanayake of Ladies College, Colombo, showcasing a diverse representation of emerging talent.

The team will play a total of six matches during the tour, including two One Day Internationals and four T20 games, scheduled on April 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, and 18. The squad is set to depart for Australia on April 3, 2026.

This tour is expected to play a key role in shaping the future of Sri Lanka’s women’s cricket, offering these young players a platform to gain crucial international experience.

Cricket

Sri Lanka Cricket Appoints New National Coaches for High Performance Centre

Published

20 hours ago

April 2, 2026

Editor

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced two key appointments to its National High Performance Centre as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s coaching structure across all formats and levels.

Former Netherlands coach Ryan van Niekerk has been named the National Bowling Coach, while Jordan Gregory will take on the role of National Fielding and Spin Bowling Coach. Both appointments will come into effect from April 15, 2026, with each coach set to serve a two-year tenure.

In his new role, van Niekerk will oversee fast bowling development across all national teams, including the senior men’s side. He brings valuable international experience, having served as the bowling coach and interim head coach of the Netherlands national team from 2023 to 2026. Prior to that, he worked as the assistant coach and bowling coach of the Netherlands men’s team.

During his time with the Dutch side, van Niekerk played a role in their participation in major global tournaments, including the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cups in 2024 and 2026.

Meanwhile, Gregory will be responsible for managing fielding standards and spin bowling development across all national squads. He previously worked as a fielding consultant with Netherlands Cricket and contributed to several international assignments, including the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2023.