Sri Lankan speedster Shaminda Eranga poised to light up SACA Premier Cricket
HE has sent chills through the spines of Test batsmen bowling for Sri Lanka. And now Shaminda Eranga is poised to terrorise South Australian club cricketers.
HE has sent chills through the spines of Test batsmen and now Shaminda Eranga is poised to terrorise South Australian club cricketers.
The Sri Lankan speedster, who has taken 57 wickets in 19 Test matches in an injury-plagued career, has moved to Adelaide for family reasons and will play for Prospect in SACA Premier Cricket this season.
The 32-year-old will play his first game for the Pirates in the opening round of the competition on Saturday.
Infamously suspended by the International Cricket Council in 2016 for a suspect bowling action, Eranga revised his technique and was cleared to bowl again last year.
“This is my first experience with the Aussies in club cricket, so I am looking forward to it,’' Eranga told The Advertiser.
“I’ve still got my pace, I can fire them down and hopefully I can take some wickets and help Prospect win a trophy this season. I’ll be giving 100 per cent for the club.’’
Eranga has moved to Adelaide from Sri Lanka to reunite with his drama-artist wife Savithri, who is studying in Adelaide, and four-year-old daughter.
Savithri is expecting the couple’s second child in January.
Eranga set a world record in 2012 by becoming the first bowler to take a wicket in his first over in all three formats of the game at international level — Test, 50-over and Twenty20.
He snared the wicket of Australian batsman Shane Watson with his first ball in Test cricket in 2011 — becoming the 15th player to achieve the feat.
But back injuries — and a suspect action — hindered Eranga’s international career.
Also a hard-hitting batsman who has made a first-class hundred, Eranga has played 19 One-Day and three T20 internationals to go with his 19 Tests.
Prospect president Tom Hastwell said Eranga had fallen into his club’s lap through his friendship with assistant coach Muditha Maduwantha, who is a former Sri Lankan first-class cricketer.
“We were incredibly lucky because to an extent Shaminda fell out of the sky for us,’’ he said.
“He was coming to SA to live with his wife and his manager knew Madu, who has a really strong connection with the Sri Lankan community in this State, so he contacted him to see if we would like him to join our club.
“We were very grateful because Shaminda is a Test cricketer who is still itching to play cricket.
“He’s a lovely guy, has already impressed with his passion and enthusiasm to do well and has really raised the bar for us from a cricketing sense.’’
andrew.capel@news.com.au
