Ranuda  Somaratne set for bigger things

by Rex Clementine

When Ranuda Somaratne was pulled out of the school season during the limited overs leg this year and played in the Super Provincial tournament for Dambulla, you sensed  that here’s someone who has been highly rated. MJ wasn’t  the only former Test captain who was impressed by Somaratne, who hails from Kurunegala and at the age of 19 has already represented Sinhalese Sports Club.

Somaratne first represented St. Anne’s College in his hometown. He attended the cricket academy run by former Test captain Sanath Jayasuriya. There his talent was spotted and was referred to former Trinity College player Bilal Fassy. Soon, the player received a scholarship from Trinity and hasn’t looked back since.The specialty about Somaratne is that he’s a 360 degrees player. His square drives and cover drives are elegant while his pulls and cuts are brutal. There’s a bit of Arjuna Ranatunga when he late cuts. But his signature shot – the flick – using supple wrists reminds you of Mohammad Azharuddin or VVS Laxman.

Not that you can not find other players who can execute all these shots but those who succeed are the ones with good temperament.  That’s what makes Ranuda Somaratne a cut above the rest. He reads situations well and adjusts accordingly and that’s what was on show in England last months where Sri Lanka triumphed in the unofficial Test series.

In Chelmsford, after Sri Lanka Under-19 had been set a target of 273 in 59 overs, the game looked out of their reach when they slumped to 48 for four. But Somaratne kept attacking and as a result England had to spread the field to avoid too many boundaries being scored. Eventually the tourists pulled off a sensational win with three wickets in hand. The number four batter was unbeaten on 120 off 115 deliveries with 12 fours and one six.

Somaranta had scored a half-century in the first innings as well and he was the most consistent  batsmen from either side notching up two more half-centuries in the one-day leg.He will be sitting for his GCE Advanced Level exam soon and once he’s done with that, you get the feeling that he will be drafted into either the Development Squad or Sri Lanka ‘A’  with all those calling shots in cricket agreeing that this is a player who needs to be fast-tracked.