Sri Lanka cruise through warm-up as bowling coach hails ‘intensity’

Sri Lanka’s preparations for their upcoming One-Day International (ODI) series against the West Indies couldn’t have gone much smoother.

In a limited-overs warm-up fixture against a Jamaica Select XI at Chedwin Park yesterday, the visitors produced a thoroughly professional performance.

They first piled up 335 for seven in 46.2 overs, then skittled the hosts for 108 in 31 overs, before both sides agreed to an impromptu second innings to squeeze extra bowling practice into the day.

For Sri Lanka’s assistant coach, Ryan van Niekerk, the real victory wasn’t just the scoreline. It was the attitude.

“Sometimes warm-up games can sort of amble along,” van Niekerk said. “So just the intensity that we played with really stood out for us. We’ve got some good processes in place.”

After seven weeks of intense training, van Niekerk was eager to see his charges get meaningful time in the middle, and he got exactly that.

Sri Lanka’s top order cashed in on a fairly placid Chedwin Park surface after deciding to bat first, with Charith Asalanka retired out on 61, Kamindu Mendis made 65 before retiring out, and Janith Liyanage chipped in with 60 of his own. 

The trio batted with patience and purpose, each spending 15 to 20 overs at the crease, exactly the kind of workload van Niekerk was hoping for.

“A lot of the guys got a long amount of time on the legs, which is really good,” he said. “All the seamers got six, seven, eight overs under their belt accordingly.”

For Jamaica Select, Shalome Parnell was the pick of the bowlers with three for 65, while Andre McCarthy bagged 2 for 40 and Anthony Dacres 2 for 21. 

In reply, the Jamaican side crumbled thanks to seamer Dushmantha Chameera, who took three for eight, and Dunith Wellalage, three for 10.

The duo tore through the batting order, with only opener Nicholas Lewin getting 34 and wicket-keeper Daniel Beckford scoring 37.

So complete was the victory that Sri Lanka asked Jamaica to bat again, a rare sight in warm-up cricket, simply to give their bowlers more overs in the middle. The home side reached 64 for one in nine overs before stumps were drawn.

Van Niekerk revealed that the early arrival in the Caribbean was a deliberate strategy. 

With an 11-hour time difference to navigate, the coaching staff wanted time to acclimatise.

“Sometimes you get to a place like the West Indies, and you don’t get a chance to get warm-up games and time on the legs, and get rid of the jet lag,” he said. “We’ve had two really good training days at Sabina Park, and this warm-up game just put those processes and plans in place.”

As for the approach heading into Wednesday’s first ODI at Sabina Park, the coach didn’t mince words.

“To win,” he said flatly, before adding: “We’ve come up with a plan. We’ve come with some really good intentions and a way that we want to play our ODI cricket as a group. Putting that into place on this tour is a big thing.”