By Marlon Dale Ferreira

[caption id="attachment_131900" align="alignleft" width="453"] Yet, alas, 1,053 runs were scored on that so-called “green top” for the loss of only ten wickets in four days as all of the quickies of the two sides had to bend their back for no avail Photo SLC[/caption]

Sri Lanka included three pacies in the side with Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara, and Vishwa Fernando, all of them given a go for the first Test in Pallekele against the Bangladeshis, hoping that the evident green top of the Pallekele Stadium offered unprecedented assistance for fast bowling.

Yet, alas, 1,053 runs were scored on that so-called “green top” for the loss of only ten wickets in four days as all of the quicks from both sides had to bend their backs to no avail.

And by the end of day two itself, the Pallekele “green top” – that had bewildered even some of the past cricketers in the country who had played on actual green tops in the eighties and nineties -- had become something similar to the usual Khettarama-type life-less “flat top”.

Eight of 14 batsmen who batted in the first four days of the Test reached fifty or above and there were four centuries too. There is one double century in addition to two scores of above 150. What a heck of a green top that is?

An International Cricket Council (ICC) qualified curator speaking to the Morning Sports said, “These things happen when an international venue manager unofficially becomes the Head of the curators’ department.”

“Currently Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) does not have a national curator. The two most recognised curators that Sri Lanka had in the recent past were Anuruddha Polonowita and his understudy D.A.J. Sampath.

“Whilst Polonowita is now retired, Sampath is currently overseas in New Zealand.

“Even though a green top had been prepared for the current Sri Lanka versus Bangladesh Test match, it is evident that the ball is not seeming due to the spongy effect that prevents the ball from zipping through.

“There may be a bit of bounce, but the ball stops a bit and then takes off instead of zipping through off the wicket. These things usually happen when turf wickets at the venue do not undergo a proper yearly renovation programme. Also inappropriate rollers purchased and used that causes the bottom layer of the pitch to get damaged.

“Even though the top is green, the layers underneath appear though it has not been treated. This is like capping a decayed tooth with a gold crown when actually a root-canal filling needs to be done.

“Sri Lanka needs to ensure that a proper curating department is appointed and run by professionals who have qualified in this area to look after all the venues where club and even international matches take place.

“Most venues, it is reported, don’t even have their own nursery, unlike foreign venues which do have their own nurseries in place, which provide sufficient grass to prepare their own wickets.

“In Colombo, it could be safely said that various types of grass at almost all venues are purchased from ad-hoc individuals who loiter around the Borella Kanatta Cemetery.

If anyone requires any clarification regarding this fact, they could most certainly speak to Ms. Kalyani, the lady who is contracted to plant grass on most Colombo club pitches,” said the ICC qualified curator to the Sunday Morning Sports.

It is hoped that Prof. Arjuna de Silva, the Chairman of the committee appointed to overlook SLC until the next scheduled SLC ex-co AGM is held on 20 May, will ensure he restructures SLC before he departs, at least in this important department and assigns a correct horse for the correct course, as it is pertinent that a donkey could never be raced at the Epsom Derby where the race is always contested by thoroughbreds.