Tour of South Africa 2002-03                  Captain: Sanath Jayasuriya

Sri Lanka’s thirtiech Test tour

Third official Test-playing tour of South Africa by Sri Lanka

(October-November

                         2002)

Continuing the youth policy in their sixteen-man squad, the selectors discarded five bowlers from the England tour and named no less than eight fast-medium bowlers including three uncapped ones. The Wanderers pitch for the first Test was indeed fast and bouncy but South Africa’s fast bowlers were far better at inducing catches for their close fielders.

The second Test at Centurion was much closer. Veteran Hashan Tillakaratne scored an unbeaten century (104*) in Sri Lanka’s first innings, his tenth Test century and fourth since being recalled in August 2001. The rest perished, some to shocking umpiring decisions. Set a target of only 121 to win, the South Africans slumped to 73 for 6 as Dilhara Fernando took 4-49. Although Mark Boucher took the Proteas across the line, Fernando’s development was an encouraging sign in Sri Lanka’s quest to become a force away from home, on pitches less helpful to her spin bowlers.

Aravinda de Silva, accumulator of more than 6000 Test runs, missed his first tour since his debut in 1984.  He announced his retirement from Test cricket at the age of 36, having spent half his life playing international cricket, though he would not bow out completely until after the World Cup in four months’ time. This tour served as a useful familiarisation with the conditions Sri Lanka would meet in their attempt to regain the world one-day title.

Other Sri Lankan Tours

Previous tour

To England 2002

Next tour

To Zimbabwe 2003-04

Next tour of South Africa

2011-12

Members of the Test tour party (17  + 1)

Opening batsmen: Marvan Atapattu, Jehan Mubarak,. Sanath Jayasuriya, Avishka Gunawardene (reinforcement) .

Middle-order batsmen:: Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Hashan Tillekeratne, Russel Arnold

Wicket-keeper: Prasanna  Jayawardene

Spin bowler:  Muttiah Muralitharan

Fast bowlers:  Sujeewa de Silva, Dilhara Fernando, Hasantha Fernando, Chamila Gamage, Tharanga Lakshita, Ruchira Perera, Thilan Thushara, Chaminda Vaas.

Club representation

AF :  Air Force

B'fd: Bloomfield,

CM - Chilaw Marians

CCC: Colombo,

Ct: Colts Cricket Club

G  Galle

Ku: Kurunegala, 

NCC: Nondescripts,

SSC: Sinhalese Sports Club,

TU: Tamil Union

* Gamage may be more properly known as  MKGCP Lakshitha

Average age of  team at time of first Test match

(8 November  2002) :

   26  yrs  2 months

Key to type : 

LHB left-hand bat,

LBG leg break and googly bowler, 

OB off break,

SLA  slow left-arm bowler,

RFM right arm fast medium bowler

ODI -  member of the squad for the Castle one-day series.

Test Appearances made before the tour

Muralitharan 76,  Jayasuriya 75,  Tillakaratne 71,  Vaas 62,  Atapattu 59,  M Jayawardena 45,  Arnold  41,  Sangakkara 24,  D Fernando 11,  Perera 7,  Sujeewa de Silva 2,  Gamage 1,  Mubarak 1, H Fernando 0,  Thushara 0, Lakshitha  0,  P Jayawardene 0.

Management Team

Selectors

Guy de Alwis (chairman), Ranil Abeynayeke and Roger Wijesuriya ;  in consultation with captain Jayasuriya, coach Whatmore and strategic consultant Duleep Mendis.

Selection

Unavailable:  Aravinda de Silva had announced his retirement from Test cricket earlier in the week.

Tour Party Announced : 3 October 2002

The selectors named a sixteen-man squad discarding five fast bowlers from the 2002 England tour and naming seven fast bowlers, including three uncapped ones.

After the selection, skipper Sanath Jayasuriya made an appeal that 20 year-old fast bowler Kaushalya Weeraratne and wicket keeper/batsman Tillekeratne Dilshan should be picked. Chief selector Guy De Alwis refused to change the squad, and the Sports Minister, Johnston Fernando, refused to ratify it.

Additional player:  On 11 October Ruchira Perera was added as a 17th player when his fitness was confirmed.

The team was ratified only 48 hours before departure.

One-day squad announced :  18 November 2002.

Fast bowlers Sujeewa de Silva, Tharanga Lakshitha, Thilan Thushara Mirando and Ruchira Perera, batsman Hashan Tillakaratne and wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene would all return home early..

Time between selection and departure from Sri Lanka

  17 days

(3 October - 20 October)

Travel

Departure from Colombo was on Sunday 20 October 2002, flying in to Johannesburg on 22 October.

The squad underwent changes for the five one-day internationals which followed after the Tests: Upul  Chandana, Aravinda de Silva,  Pulasthi Gunaratne,  Prabath Nissanka and Thilan Samaraweera joined the team. They flew in on Monday 11 November.

Time spent in South Africa

   47 days

(22 October - 8 December)

On-tour selection panel

Sanath Jayasuriya (captain),  Dav Whatmore (coach),  Duleep Mendis (cricket adviser),  Marvan Atapattu (vice-captain)

Reinforcements

Avishka Gunawardene was brought in as cover for Jayasuriya  when he strained the ligaments in right ankle - however, Jayasuriya quickly recovered and Avishka did not play a match.

Fixtures/Results

† not first-class

§  one-day international

Time spent in South Africa before First Test: 

        17 days

(22 October - 8 November)

Test appearances on tour

2 -  Arnold,  Atapattu,  Dilhara Fernando,  Hasantha Fernando,  Sangakkara,  Jayawardene,  Muralitharan,  Tillekeratne,  Vaas

1 -  Jayasuriya,  Gamage,  Mubarak,  Perera.

0 -  WRS de Silva,  P.Jayawardene,  Lakshitha,  Thushara.

Match appearances

Highlights

•  Hashan Tillakaratne scored an unbeaten century (104*) in Sri Lanka’s first innings at Centurion

•  Sangakkara added 119 in 34 overs in partnership with Jayawardene.

•  Set a target of only 121 to win, the South Africans slumped to 73 for 6 as Dilhara Fernando took 4-49.

Tour Summary

Return to Sri Lanka

Muralitharan went to Australia for a hernia operation immediately after the Test series.

Sujeewa de Silva, Prasanna Jayawardene and fast bowlers Lakshitha, Thushara Mirando (who did not play any match) and Ruchira Perera returned home at the end of the Test series, reaching Colombo on 21 November. Tillekeratne was due to return but was asked to remain in the one-day squad.

The team arrived back in Colombo on Monday 9 December. They were due to leave the next day for a one-day series in Australia but departure was delayed by 24 hours. 

Time away from Sri Lanka

    50 days  

(20 October to 9 December)

Postscript

Dav Whatmore was concerned about whether their itinerary would bring the players to the World Cup well-prepared or tired out by too much cricket. There were high hopes that Dilhara Fernando, genuinely quick, would help Sri Lanka become a force away from home on pitches less helpful than in Sri Lanka