Sports
Sri Lanka express dissatisfaction after Gunathilaka ‘Obstructing the Field’ decision
Second Sri Lanka – West Indies ODI tonight
By Rex Clementine
Cricket contests between Sri Lanka and West Indies generally have been good natured but on Wednesday the teams were involved in an ill-tempered game as opening batsman Danushka Gunathilaka was given out ‘Obstructing the Field’ during the opening ODI at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua. He became the first Sri Lankan cricketer to be dismissed in that fashion.
Obstructing the Field is such a rare dismissal in cricket and only Len Hutton has been dismissed in that fashion in Test match cricket while there are less than handful of such incidents in all international cricket put together – Tests, ODIs and T-20s. It is one of the ten methods a batsman could be dismissed in cricket. Law 37 of Laws of Cricket says that any batsman to be dismissed in that fashion, there has to be ‘willful obstruction’.
Debutant Pathum Nissanka had set off for a run but Gunathilaka, who had advanced down the pitch, sent him back. He did not see where the ball was and while recovering to the crease, accidentally knocked on the ball.
Pollard, who is also West Indian skipper, appealed and umpire Joe Wilson referred it to the third umpire. His soft signal was out. The third umpire had enough evidence to overturn the decision but he opted to go with the original decision ruling the batsman out. It was all happening in double quick time and Gunathilaka was hard done by.
The Island
learns that Sri Lanka’s team management expressed their dissatisfaction with regards to the dismissal.
Usually, in ODI cricket, one of the on-field umpires and the third umpire are neutrals but in this age of the pandemic, the International Cricket Council has decided to field local umpires for all international games. However, as cricket moves forward while dealing with the pandemic, the need to get the best match officials follow quarantine processes and be available for international games has been felt.
There was lot of support for Gunathilaka with former West Indian captain Darren Sammy – who won two T-20 World Cups – tweeting in support of the Sri Lankan batsman. ‘Don’t think that was willful at all. I wouldn’t have appealed,” Sammy said.
The dismissal proved to be a bitter blow for the Sri Lankans – who collapsed and were shot out for 232 runs after being well placed at 105 for none. The run chase was child’s play for the hosts who reached the target with eight wickets and three overs to spare. Shai Hope made 110 and was involved in a 143 run stand for the opening wicket with Evin Lewis.
Sri Lanka were sloppy with their running between the wickets with Angelo Mathews and Pathum Nissanka being run out.
Nissanka, who has been a prolific run scorer in domestic cricket, was one of the debutant for Sri Lanka in the first ODI with Ashen Bandara being the other. Both players aged 22 are from Galle. Nissanka looked a very busy player pushing his seniors for quick runs while Bandara became the fifth Sri Lankan to make a half-century on debut. Sunil Wettimuny, Chamara Silva, Kusal Mendis and Ashan Priyanjan are the others.
The second ODI will take place today; also in Antigua with the game getting underway at 7pm Sri Lanka time. All-rounder Dasun Shanaka will be not available for selections as he only ends his quarantine on Saturday and his participation for Sunday’s final ODI too remains doubtful as he would have had little training under his belt.
Shanaka is not the only player Sri Lanka have missed during ODIs. Kusal Janith Perera, Avishka Fernando, Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis all are missing.
West Indies won the three match T-20 series 2-1. The teams will play two Tests after the ODI series.