Pioneering effort to bear fruit next month :

LPL semi-hardball cricket, a new concept

By Ranjan Anandappa

A new concept, ‘Lanka Premier League Semi-Hard Ball Cricket’ which could be described as neither softball nor leather ball cricket, but something in between was launched at the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel by two entrepreneurs and cricket enthusiasts, Nishantha Hettiarachchige and John Daran with the support of Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella who has backed the idea to the hilt.

The new project also had the blessings of Sri Lanka Cricket, as one of SLC’s Vice Presidents Mohan de Silva who was also present at the launch of a tournament, saw many positive aspects in the new format of the game.

De Silva said that it was a special day for cricket in Sri Lanka with the dawn of a new concept, which he believed would go a long way. “They have found something new, not only a new format, but many more things ,such as ,the semi-hard ball for the first time in history. It is slightly heavier,harder and comes quicker than the usual tennis ball and gives almost the same bounce of a normal hard ball. This permits the stroke- maker to go for his shots unlike facing the tennis ball where a batsman has to wait for the ball to reach him. The semi -hard ball should also help develop women’s cricket in the country. Almost every cricketer begins with a touch of softball cricket. For instance our present paceman Lasith Malinga who has made his mark in the International cricket arena is just one example. I hope that the new format with the semi-hard ball will enable us discover many more players.

The Lanka Premier League (LPL) will feature two innings of 8 overs each, with each team fielding eight players. Furthermore, the most unique aspect of the LPL games is the use of the semi-hard ball, which is a hybrid of the regular soft tennis ball and the leather hard ball used in professional matches.

Minister Keheliya Rambukwella who was the chief guest at the launch, thought that the new concept is something out of the ‘box’ and thought that it could help the under pre-village lads who are keen in playing the game specially in the outstations. He continued saying that once he visited some needy schools in Kandy with former Sri Lanka ‘Test’ star Aravinda de Silva in view of improving their cricketing infrastructure by preparing turf pitches etc. but the school authorities found the maintenance part of these pitches a difficult one. There are extremely talented players among the rural folk and this new concept of cricket will encourage more people to play and the talented youngsters could be easily identified for the future of the game.

Nishantha Hettiarachchige the Founder/ Director of LPL Entertainment said that the game of cricket has spread to every nook and corner in the country irrespective of caste, creed or religion which has helped to produce many top class cricketers to take the game forward. “Like so many Sri Lankans, we have been playing cricket since we were young, and as adults, we realise the need for a league which would facilitate the transition of amateurs to professionals hard ball cricketers. The LPL was born out of our desire to provide a platform for aspiring cricketers around the country who do not have the opportunity to showcase their abilities due to the high cost of resources and consequent limited accessibility” said the founder of the concept Hettiarachchige.

“All, LPL games are played with a semi-hard ball, which is named ‘tuff’ and was pioneered in Sri Lanka. The variation enables players to adopt proper techniques while playing and gives a chance for the bowlers as well,’ said John Daran who is also a Founder/Director of the Project. Thilina Thushara a Sri Lanka player who is down to represent a team in the tournament said that “There are a multitude of extremely talented cricketers in the country, and all of them begin playing using a softball. However, many of them never make it to the next level of cricket as the transition from casual softball cricket to the professional level of playing with the leather ball is difficult. So, the LPL gives them the opportunity to demonstrate their talents in conditions which emulate the setting of a professional cricket match, while making it far more accessible.

The Lanka Premier League Semi Hard Ball 8 a side Cricket Tournament is scheduled to begin from October 3 to 6 at the Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium. The participating 12 teams have been divided into four groups.

Group ‘A’: Ten Super (Colombo), Uva United (Bandarawela), Eagles (Anuradhapura)
Group ‘B’: Super Six (Ragama), Kandy Lanka (Kandy), All-Rounders (Katunayake)
Group ‘C’: Pirambady (Jaffna), Ceylonians (Panadura), Young Lions (Kuliyapitiya)
Group ‘D’: Nawaralla (Arangala), Panthers (Avissawela), Super Youth (Dankotuwa).