The Chesterfield Files
Well, now, Yahaluweni, a premier competition is by any other name is still a premier competition, minus at this stage a worthy trophy.

By this it is meant how the revamped provincial tournament is the premier competition in this country, if minus a worthy title and trophy. Maybe, as in other countries, they will get around to donating a trophy.

Australia have revived the Sheffield Shield, their Kiwi brethren across the puddle the Plunket Shield. Such trophies as the Sheffield Shield and Plunket Shield also have a first-class histories that are older than their country’s independence from the British Crown.

Across the ditch in India, the Ranji and Duleep trophies are long on-going events, South Africa are heavily sponsored by a television company, although their first-class history dates from 1888/89, England have the pennant for their county championship and Pakistan still muddle along, despite the continued terrorist threats. Why, even Zimbabwe is moving, ever so slowly back to normality with a provincial set up. But for the moment, Sri Lanka’s premier competition, to give it a name, is as yet without a prestige trophy.

Maybe someone, with a knowledge of history and sentiment, might think of offering a worthy prize for the provincial first-class tournament, a shield worthy of someone who in the last century strongly advocated a premier tournament such as this in the form of an super league styled tier to supplement the club system, Dr. Churchill Hector Gunasekara. A shield in honour of the good doctor and first Sri Lanka-born captain to lead a team on tour (of India), would at least give this pioneer and patriot his deserving place of honour, in the history of the game in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Cricket’s current Interim Committee, often the butt of criticism, have at least attempted to pull together a system that if it is allowed to prosper, can only benefit the domestic game long-term. The first-class, limited-overs and modern day mover and shaker T20 (or 20/20) are structures that need support from the clubs as it will add to their endeavours to develop the game.

There are though, areas of concern and allied with certain observations and criticisms. And looking at the composition of the provincial teams, a few questions regarding players arise.

Why, as an example, is Kosala Kulasekere, a Kandyan from Dharmaraja College playing for the southern province of Ruhuna? He is a good enough all-rounder to command a place in any provincial team, yet cannot play for the province in which he was born and raised, while Thilina Thushara Mirando from Ambalangoda in the Ruhuna Province is playing for Kandurata (which by the way, so the eagle eye in my family tells me, is incorrectly spelt on the media release from SLC).

Kanchana Gunawardane, Jewan Mendis, Thilan Samaraweera, S. Gangodawilla, S. Niroshan (Colombo), Suraj Randiv (Matara), Chinthaka Jayasinghe (Kalutara), Nadera Nawala (Maharagama), S. Prasana (Balapitiya), hardly make it a provincial team.

This begs the pertinent question of what selection process and criteria was used for the provincial teams. Looking at those just mentioned, it would seem more like a premier team than a provincial one.

It seems there are those within the SLC ranks who are still working towards getting rid of the clubs and having a provincial based competition islandwide. This gives the impression that there are provincial politicians, associations and other interested parties working towards achieving this goal. What is forgotten is how the club system supports the provincial, state or counties in other countries. It is why there are short-sighed goals and while the risks are high, the fallout can be nasty. Yet, rewards for the provinces will be greater than the risk or the fallout and the biggest winner will be the game of cricket.

It gives me the impression that the Colombo clubs have not seen such moves coming. Without a voice within the interim committee to express their misgivings, they will eye a possible dismantling of first-class status of their club structure with the provincial competition replacing. That is, unless SLC creates the club-based competition as second tier with first-class status.

Presently Colombo clubs will serve only as a feeder to the Western Province and do not have a vote at Sri Lanka Cricket. Instead, each province will have two representatives to the board, with a vote and the ability to elect a chairman. All other positions will be contract employee’s with SLC, who will have contracts renewed on performance.

Where the provincial system does make a lot of sense, is now the conflict in the north is over, for the first time since Sri Lanka was admitted as a full member of the International Cricket Council, Sri Lanka Cricket is in a position to develop the game islandwide. Previously, it had largely been restricted to a Colombo-based competition, because of the conflict in the north.

While Colombo might be the seat of government, there are those who explain how much of the future development and growth will be out of Colombo, hence the population growth will also be out of Colombo, facilitating a need to take the game to the new growth centres, as Colombo alone will not be able to sustain the game on an islandwide basis, developmentally or financially.

If handled correctly, the boom industry will be tourism and in a sense compliment the provincial system as the north opens up, Wayamba Province (Kurunegala), and the Central Province (Kandy), will become growth points and important stops along the way, just as will Ruhuna Province (Galle) serve as a important link to the deep south, for both the game of cricket and tourism.

What is important is the need for six Provincial teams to be established, each province having up to 15 contracted players from that province; any players left over could go into a yearly draft and any province can offer up to five contracts to players from outside their region. With of course the proviso the province finishing last would be given first option in the choice of the five players.

This would even up the competition very quickly and develop the strong provincial identity required to improve the standard of the game. Where this plan gets a bit tricky is when SLC have to redirect the current funding from the clubs to the provincial associations.

The Colombo clubs currently exist only because of the funding available from SLC, not one club is in a position to stand up and tell the SLC, "We don’t need your money as we are financially able to survive without you."

What is noticeable among the teams, managers and coaches and selectors, are how several names of quality players and coaches are missing; names who you would think make a difference. The pity is that former players who could make an input, such as Marvan Atapattu now coaching Singapore, and Sajit Fernando, skipper of the Premier League winning side Tamil Union, is not even considered as a player or coach. Now here is a guy who had he played elsewhere, or smiled nicely at the selectors, should have played around fifty or so Tests and even 200 ODIs.

It seems to me there is a certain agenda among some in the ranks of selectors and administration in this country who do not want such players who have talent and ability to earn recognition. And he is decidedly more talented than Chamara Silva. He captained the Sri Lanka ‘A’ side in 1998 against South Africa ‘A’ and also the Sri Lanka Under-24 side in 1995 against the Dale Benkenstein-led visitors from South Africa with Bob Woolmer as coach and spoke highly of his ability. He is another who has been denied a rightful place as a Test player. Benkenstein should have captained South Africa after the Hansie Cronje match-fixing fiasco. He did a good job as captain of Durham, leading them to county titles in successive years.

Sajit Fernando led the Tamil Union Cricket Club to the club first-class Premier League title, but when you read such reports, it makes you wonder why he rarely gets a mention.

Lastly, there is happy news coming out of Magonna. Grass is growing at the venue at the Surrey Village. As explained last year in these files when the problem of a lack of turfing at the venue was highlighted, it was an issue that was a legacy from those who were in power before the current SLC interim committee was placed in charge. On Friday, in response to an email, and making a visit to see a fiend at Kalutara, a cover of grass was seen to be growing.

The problem has been as outline by a contact at SLC, and this along with a brief on-site inspection explains how some people are trying to hoodwink the public over what is happening. What their reasons are only they will know, but when Surrey County Cricket Club officials arrive on the island later this month they will be pleased to see the facility ready for use.