By ROY WARD
LIKE any well-weathered top-order batsman, Jeevantha Kulatunga knows how to take the good conditions with the bad.
After 20 years of playing Sri Lankan first-class cricket and a couple of Twenty20 international matches for Sri Lanka, the 39 year old ventured out to Springvale South for this Dandenong District Cricket Association turf 1 season.
He admits he found the opening rounds of the season as challenging as any of his previous campaigns as he adjusted to playing cricket at club level.
“The first thing I found difficult was that we would train on artificial wickets and then play on turf,” he said. “There’s a big difference between the two surfaces and that was hard, especially when the turf wickets were wet and green in the first few rounds.
“Then in the matches there are no side-screens and people would park their vehicles behind the bowler’s arm and watch the match from there.
“Of course, you can’t say anything because you will be sledged, so I just minded my own business. You just have to put mind over matter and focus on your own batting.”
The Bloods and Kulatunga have long talked about him spending a season with the side as he was childhood friends with wicketkeeper Manoj Hettiarachchi and developed a friendship with captain-coach Craig Slocombe during Slocombe’s regular visits to Sri Lanka.
But the move came to a head when a delegation of Bloods officials visited Kulatunga in Colombo last year.
“I had a contract with the Sri Lankan Cricket Board for the past few seasons and when you are contracted you must play first-class cricket in Sri Lanka. This year I wasn’t under contract so I thought I would go and have a look at Australia.
“It was a big change after two decades of playing in Sri Lanka.”
Kulatunga has made 414 runs at 46 from 10 matches, figures that he hoped would be a little better after making three scores over 70 in the past four matches without notching a century.
He said he hadn’t put pressure on himself to post big scores nor let his opponents distract him, instead looking to put the Bloods in a winning position.
“I hardly let anyone under my skin. I’ve seen it enough when playing league cricket in England. You have to be smart enough to handle it.
“I hardly put pressure on myself. I just look to winning the match for the team, instead of worrying about my average or how I’m batting. You can’t let your ego stand taller than the team.”
The Bloods haven’t had the most successful of seasons but still remain hopeful of making the turf 1 finals and Kulatunga expects to play a big role in the team’s charge to the post season. “I’m really enjoying my stay and my cricket. But [as an import] when you don’t score runs and the team loses — it hits you badly. It’s a different feeling when the team is winning.
“I haven’t had any big hundreds yet. I’m a bit . . . not disappointed, but I would have liked to get a big score so I’m looking to finish the season with a big one.”
Kulatunga also said the Bloods officials and players were excellent hosts and he had enjoyed a “brilliant time” with the club, both as a player and helping with coaching some under-15 players.
While other DDCA players will move on to football season or other winter endeavours, Kulatunga will head home for the final four matches of the Sri Lankan first class season before playing in the Sri Lankan Twenty20 Premier League, where he teamed with players such as Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara and John Hastings in the past season.
“We have had it for two years now and it’s been brilliant.
“We used to have a local Twenty20 competition, like Australia had before the Big Bash.
“I’ve been lucky. I played in an amazing team last year with players like Jayasuriya and Sangakkara.
“I have a couple of clubs in Sri Lanka keen for me to play with them in the final four matches, so I will have to go straight back when the DDCA season ends.”
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