PREVIEW

By Srian Obeyesekere

Sri Lanka will be strengthened by their 2 points on triumph in their first outing win over Ireland in a muscling up for a repeat success against less fancied Oman in their second day match tomorrow in Kandy’s hill capital’s Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium, but in that thrust the Lankan camp will certainly be not happy of the overall picture of a wobbly middle order and opposing teams using spin as a weapon including underdogs Ireland having a go at their batsmen. This worrying factor to oppositions having unearthed the Lankan batsmens weak area Achilles Heel to fire at prioritising spin is best reflected by the fact that Ireland dried up Sri Lanka of boundaries for a good part of eight overs from the 7th to the 8th which is certainly not the dictates of this tight fisted short format mode of the game which is by and large driven by the bat.

In that phase of the game Ireland was certainly on until Kamindu Mendis blasted them out of contention by a 19-ball 44.

Sri Lanka’s continuing middle order disarray is a bleeding area that needs immediate plugging. That it has been further confounded by a lack lustre Dasun Shanaka’s failurelze to assert his authority to lead by example from the front as his first ball timid dismissal against Ireland in taking strike after the horses have bolted from the stables is a muck up that needs serious assessing by the Lankan decision making men.

The absence from further duty of star all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga who was the spade worker in triggering a rampant Ireland’s fall, is another blow to Sri Lanka’s world cup hopes as the hosts face off on a head to head two wins against an Oman side that has been coached over the years by former Sri Lanka test captain Duleep Mendis, a scintilating batsman during the 1980s early days of Sri Lanka’s entry to the ICC fold.
Oman which has developed few potential players, will for their part be looking to spring a surprise on the Lankans.