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by Leslie Fernando

More tours and matches against Test playing nations - that's the way Sri Lanka can forge ahead in the women's cricket sphere said Norma Izard - the Manageress of the MCC women's cricket team that had short tour of Sri Lanka.

Norma's assessment of the Lankan girls is somewhat correct as the Lankan girls who represented the national team won two matches out of three while the Sri Lankan 'A' team lost by a narrow margin of 19 runs.

Norma who hails from Kent county said that she was highly impressed with the attitude to the game by the young women cricketers from Sri Lanka. "They are keen and dedicated and very enthusiastic about the game - vital ingredients for a country to carry the game forward." said Norma Izard, who has had the privilege of playing at Test level and being the manageress of the team on 12 international tours.

Besides playing a string of one-day games on their short tour of Sri Lanka, the women cricketers from England indulged in a round of coaching the Sri Lankan national team plus club cricketers.

The Lankan girls are young and they need time to learn the finer points of the game. "Women's cricket here in Sri Lanka is in the capable hands of a tireless worker in Gwen Herat - the President of Women's Cricket Association who is the guiding light of women's cricket.

Norma Izard, who is on her third foreign tour is also a honorary member of the MCC, has travelled a lot on cricket tours and was of the view that having gained entry to the big league in 2005 in South Africa, it would take another four to five years for Sri Lanka women to match the world's best.

Over 30 players selected from clubs in the Women's Cricket Association of Sri Lanka, attended the coaching clinic conducted by some of the MCC players who are level one and level two coaches. At the Moors SC grounds the level I coach Natalie Williams, Community Sports Coach in Warwickshire and Level 2 coach Bev Nicholson, Financial Consultant in Yorkshire, said that they have obtained the coaching licences from English Cricket Board. Both said that Sri Lanka women's cricketers should perform well in the future as they possess the basic knowledge of cricket and are raring to go.

Gwen Herat, the President, WCASL and Sir Lanka Cricket Women's Committee said that our players performed well against the MCC team.

The women's cricketers will begin training under Bernard Perera, Sri Lanka coach in preparation for the Asia Cup to be held in India at the end of this year.

There is a possibility of the West Indies women's cricket team touring Sri Lanka before the Asia Cup, said Gwen Herat.She said that for the first time a English umpire Collin Wilson umpired in all four matches. It is an achievement for WCASL.

Herat said that her ambition is to take Sri Lanka women's cricket team to play at Lords. "I will do it, but it takes little time," added the Sri Lanka women's cricket boss.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.