Van Dort carves out a strokeful century

By S. Dinakar

COLOMBO, AUG. 8. The tall left-hander walked tall at the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium, here, on Wednesday. Striking the ball elegantly on both sides of the wicket, finding the gaps with ease and marching to a strokeful hundred.

In Sri Lanka, they talk in excited tones about Michael van Dort, a lanky opener who is pushing hard for a place in the National side. ``Have a look at Van Dort, he's a cricketer with a future,'' a local journalist informed us the other day, and he doesn't appear to be far away from the truth.

There is an air of authority about Van Dort's ways at crease, and so composed was he during his 116 (169b, 19x4) that at no stage did he appear a man on trail. An attractive hundred it certainly was from him.

Van Dort's punishing knock was the highlight in the home team's 326 on the opening day of the three-day game between India and Board XI at the quaint ground. Skipper Thilan Samaraweera's 149- ball 76 (9x4, 1x6) was the other impressive batting display in the Board eleven effort.

At close, with bad light stopping play after just one delivery was bowled, India was zero for no loss.

More than the runs made, it was the manner in which Van Dort got them that captured one's attention. Well balanced, both, in offense and defence, he drove exquisitely off either foot through the covers, rose on his toes to flick with aplomb and presented an attractive picture while driving straight down the ground.

He was consistent against Pakistan `A' at home without going on to a big score, and today he corrected that blemish, if it can be called so on a sporting wicket.

Bumpy start

The start was a bumpy one for the Board XI, after Thilan Samaraweera called correctly - play was delayed by 30 minutes due to dampness in the pitch. Senior paceman Javagal Srinath, charging in, sent down a probing opening spell, getting noticeable away movement and bounce.

The Karnataka paceman snared the impulsive Avishka Gunawardene outside the off-stump with only the third delivery of the match, for 'keeper Sameer Dighe to take a simple catch.

Kumara Sangakkara, who made such a fine start to his international career before falling on harder times, walked in at No. 3 and did not last too long, the left-hander driving at a Srinath delivery for Dighe to be in the thick of things again.

At the other end, Srinath's pace-mate Venkatesh Prasad, on a comeback trail, kept the pressure, and it was a demanding opening spell from the Indians.

Chamara Silva, another young contender, played a rasping cover- drive off Srinath, but fell soon flashing at Prasad for Dighe to pouch his third catch of the innings.

The experienced Hashan Tillekaratne, tipped by many to occupy a middle-order slot in the Lankan line-up for the Tests, played an attractive flick off Srinath, but when he was looking good for more, attempted to cut left-arm spinner Rahul Sanghvi, who earlier in the day won the nod over leggie Sairaj Bahutule, bit only succeeded in the nicking the ball Dighe (once again).

Hashan was dismissed for 26 at the stroke of lunch and the Board eleven was 104 for four. And soon after resumption, Tillekeratne Dilshan got a mean delivery from Srinath that lobbed off his glove to Kaif at short-leg.

Productive partnership

Then came the most productive partnership of the innings with Van Dort and Thilan Samaraweera adding 61 off 94 deliveries for the sixth wicket. During this phase, Van Dort reached a well-deserved hundred sweeping Sanghvi to the fence.

He cut loose then, hammering the erratic Harvinder for three boundaries in one over, two cover-drives and a whip past mid- wicket, before making his exit off the last ball, slashing the paceman to Ramesh at gully. Van Dort's dominance can be gauged from the fact that he scored 116 of the 195 runs made while he was at the wicket.

A late developer - he made his school (St. Joseph's) eleven only once in five years - Van Dort blossomed at the Colombo Cricket Club and has moved pretty close to a Test pace. He now has five first class hundreds, two of them being double centuries.

After Van Dort's departure, Samaraweera took over, reaching his half-century, and striking Sanghvi for a huge six over long off. The off-spinning all-rounder had a highly successful outing against Pakistan `A', and his non-inclusion in the side for the Coca Cola Trophy reportedly angered the Lankan Sports Minister.

Suresh Perera (27), and Dinusha Fernando (24) struck some lusty blows but perished in a bid to gather quick runs. And Samaraweera was the last man out, Srinath taking the miscued hit off Sanghvi.

Srinath was the pick of the Indian bowlers, operating with fire for most part. Prasad played a useful supporting role, before a slight `twinge' prevented him from bowling - the injury is not reported to be serious and the paceman continued to field. Harvinder tended to pitch too short, while Sanghvi, who got a long bowl, did not appear threatening.

The fielding was pretty average with as many as three catches put down, two by Ramesh (gully and covers) and one by Badani (second slip). Prasad was the bowler to suffer twice, while Badani missed out on the other occasion.

Indian opener Shiv Sundar Das faced just one delivery before bad light stopped play for the day.

The scores:

Board XI: Michael van Dort c Ramesh b Harvinder 116; Avishka Gunawardene c Dighe b Srinath 0; Kumara

Sangakkara c Dighe b Srinath 4; Chamara Silva c Dighe b Prasad 11; Hashan Tillekaratne c Dighe b Sanghvi 26; Tillekaratne Dilshan c Kaif b Srinath 6; Thilan Samaraweera c Srinath b Sanghvi 76; Suresh Perera b Prasad 27; Dinusha Fernando c Kaif b Ganguly 24; Sajeeva Weerakoon c Prasad b Sanghvi 14; Ruchira Perera (not out) 0; Extras (b-3, lb-8, w-2, nb-9) 22; Total (in 86.5 overs) 326.

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-26, 3-45, 4-103, 5-134, 6-195, 7-254, 8- 297, 9-314.

India bowling: Srinath 16-1-68-3 (w-1, nb-7); Prasad 16.2-5-41-2 (w-1, nb-2); Harvinder 12-3-43-1; Sanghvi 32.5-5-143-3; Ganguly 6.4-2-15-1; Badani 3-1-5-0.

India: Shiv Sundar Das (not out) 0; Sadagopan Ramesh (not out) 0; Extras 0; Total (for no loss 0.1 over) 0.

Board XI bowling: Ruchira Perera 0.1-0-0-0.

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