Certainly not nondescript

Nondescripts is an unassuming cricket ground, the only one of the five used for this tournament that hasn’t hosted a Test or ODI. But while it may not have held international matches, it certainly has an impressive production line of international players. Reading the honours board on the back wall of the pavilion is like a who’s who of Sri Lankan Cricket.

From recent times there are names such as Kumar Sangakkara, Malinga Bandara and Hashan Tillekeratne. Going further back you reach Rajan Madugalle, now a match referee, and Asoka de Silva, now an international umpire. Players from this club certainly don’t finish their international careers when they hang up their pads. It is fascinating to see one club that has brought through so many players – the saying in England used to ‘strong Yorkshire means strong England’, in Sri Lanka that could quite easily be ‘strong Nondescripts means strong Sri Lanka.’

I’m not the only one to have admired the list of names. I’ve heard players asking about the large mural that is painted above the bar, showing some of the club’s successful players. A cricketer’s development is not all about what happens on the field. It is also about taking an interest in the bigger picture, so hearing a player query the history of the club suggests these possible future stars understand more than just the bat and ball.

One of the greatest players in the club’s history is Aravinda de Silva, and the locals are very pleased to talk about him. With Sri Lanka have been trounced by Australia next door at the SSC, I went and watched the end of Zimbabwe against Pakistan. As I took a walk around the outfield, I was beckoned over by a group of people leaning over the wall – goodness knows why they don’t come in, it’s free after all. Anyway, they started with the usual questions – which country was I from, which team did I support, why was I here…you get the picture.

Then suddenly they’d heard enough about me – not the first time that has happened – and said: “This ground (pointing to the School’s ground next to the NCC) is where Aravinda played his cricket. He was so good, did you see his World Cup century, he smashed it everywhere. He used to do that here, too. The ball would fly over the wall all the time.”

de Silva was indeed a quality player. One of the innings I remember best was his Benson & Hedges Cup final century, in 1995, against Lancashire (apologies here to the Cricinfo office, who thought they’d escaped county references for at least three weeks) where he blitzed the bowlers to all corners. That innings was so good he won the man-of-the-match award in a losing cause. So, I can appreciate where the local fans were coming from.

There was a real joy on the faces of those people when they talked about de Silva. Sri Lankans love to talk about their cricketing heroes and this famous club has certainly given them a fair range to choose from – but Aravinda remains a firm favourite.