Cricket coaching has become a fashion in most of the cricket playing towns today. The parents send their tiny tots to learn the finer-points of this noble game, so that, someday or other, their ambition is to see their sons end up as the ''Most Valuable Players in the World''.
The cricket crazy parents, undoubtedly spend lots of money on these private tutors. Coaching is good, but, it should be done properly and intelligently.
I personally feel that little ones below 10-11 years should play cricket with a tennis ball and enjoy it rather than taking tuition in cricket under private tutors. Let the little fellows break a window or two at home. Take it up in a good spirit. The danger of coaching little ones is that these tiny tots learn too much of technical cricket and book cricket from the inception. This may curb their natural instincts, stroke play, and powerhitting. If this practice of too much coaching at a very tender age prevails, I doubt very much that there will be Aravinda de Silvas, Arjuna Ranatungas, Sanath Jayasuriyas, and Romesh Kaluvitharanas in the future for Sri Lanka. Their coaches never suppressed free-play and natural abilities. This was their secret of success.
Anura Ranasinghe - natural gifted player
When I was a graduate teacher attached to a leading Colombo school about three decades ago, I coached a junior team, who became all-island under 12 champions. I cam across a fearless, gifted little boy who used to punish the ball to all corners of the ground. He did not care whether it was pace or spin. For him, attack was the best form of defence. He was a bit unorthodox. Be- fore correcting him, I thought, I must show this little fellow to my ''Guru''. Mr. Gerry Gooneratne, former Sri Lanka National Cricket coach and the man who put Nalanda on the cricketing map of the World by producing Stanley Jayasinghe, who excelled for Leicestershire and Ceylon. In addition to Jayasinghe, Gooneratne produced at least two dozens of Sri Lankan cricketers.
Gerry Gooneratne's advice
At my request, Mr. Gooneratne had a close look at this boy. The advice he gave me was not to disturb his style of batting, and allow him to continue his free flowing strokes and natural gifted way of attacking the ball.
This tiny-tot was none other than that brilliant fearless - gutty Sri Lanka cricketer Anura Ranasinghe, who unfortunately became a victim of the rebel South African Tour and cut short a bright and promising career.
Teach them it's a gentlemen's game
Coaches have a big responsibility. Not only the technicalities of cricket, must they inculcate as good habits, but teach the young ones fair-play and justice and above all, instil in their minds that cricket is a gentlemen's game and a team game.
Ananda - Royal
Ananda who were bundled out for a paltry 61 runs in their first essay scored a respectable 165 for 4 wickets and forced a draw in their inter-school cricket encounter concluded at the picturesque Singhalese Sports Club grounds, Colombo.
Ananda were up against some fine bowling by Asanka Sanjeewa (5 for 19), Thushan Amarasuriya (3 for 5) and Anuk Samarakkody (2 for 8) in the first innings.
In the second innings Rasika Ranasinghe (56 n.o.) and Jithendra Perera (53) helped Ananda to save this game.
For Royal, skipper Kavinda Nanayakkara scored a brilliant century.
St. Sebastian's - St. Sylvester's
St. Sebastian's College, who are enjoying a very successful season inflicted a 10-wicket victory defeat on St. Sylvester's Col- lege, Kandy, in their inter-school cricket encounter played at Moratuwa. Their victory was very creditable as they went into this match without their skipper that superb all rounder and a future prospect for Sri Lanka Nimesh Perera, who is on National Duty leading the Sri Lanka Under-19 team against India.
D.S.S. - Thurstan
A well-compiled century by Muditha Maduwantha (105) was the main highlight of the drawn game between D. S. Senanayake and Thurstan. Nalin Pradeep (56) ably supported Maduwantha to build up a big total for D.S.S. 289. Thurstan scored 255 for 9 and 89 for 4 in the second innings. The match ended in a draw.
Nalanda - Dharmapala
Twin fifties and four for 67 by Sanjaya Devapura (Dharmapala) was the main feature of the inter-school cricket encounter against Nalanda which ended in a tame draw at Pannipitiya.
For the Nalandians, D. Fernando (60) and D. Dayaratne (82) excelled.
St. Benedict's - St. Peter's
St. Benedict's - St. Peter's school cricket encounter ended in a draw at Kotahena. Chasing a target of 191 runs in 25 overs, St. Benedicts were 107 for 5 wickets at the close of play.
For Peterite Gavash de Alwis, it was again a good match. In both innings he scored over hundred runs (1st innings 76 and 2nd innings 30 n.o.) and maintained consistency. He scored a swash buckling century against Royal a couple of weeks ago. Malinda Warnapura and Indika Zonal shared 4 wickets each and in the second innings Warnapura was unbeaten with 23 runs.
Rally Tissera, Benedictine skipper batted well for his 72 runs.
STC - SJC
S. Thomas' - St. Joseph's inter-school match ended in draw. The main feature of this encounter was the century made by debut maker Thomian opener Umesh Paramasivam.
Royal - Wesley
Royalists showed an improvement against Wesley restricting them to 111 for 7 at close of play to end the match in a draw.
Wesley were given an impossible target of scoring 218 in 28 overs. (7.78 runs per over). They settled down for a draw as wickets started tumbling at regular intervals.