Canada lost both games against what was billed as the Sri Lanka Development XI in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Details of the first two games will follow in due course. The Sri Lanka Development XI comprised players who had been in contention for places in the Sri Lanka U19 squad at the upcoming ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh.

So hungry in-season local cricketers met a Canadian squad on Saturday that had not been in town for many days and most, if not all, had not played an outdoor game for 3-4 months. The Development XI batted first and thumped 372 runs from 50 overs, doubtless in rather warm conditions that would have added an extra element of acclimatizing to the young Canadians in the field. Canada replied with 136, so lost by about 236 runs.

So some situations to contend with in game 1 that are far from unknown by various Canadian senior national team players in the course of the last 20-30 years. Indeed, Canadian U19 teams playing in ICC U19 World Cup warm-up games in different places in the last 10-15 years have faced similar challenges.

On Monday the Development XI made 308 and Canada replied with 163. So some progress. Less runs conceded and a few more runs scored. Trying to hit the 200-run barrier in using up all the available overs is, often, a starting goal for out-of-season Canadian touring teams. The next level of hope, or plan, is that runs will begin to flow on more freely on pitches conducive to stroke-play.

A game against a Sri Lankan Army Xi is scheduled for Tuesday, so the chance to see some different opposition on a different ground before the Canadian squad moves off to Bangladesh.

The RBC CIMA Mayor’s XI made a sticky start in the first Cricket Across the Pond tour to Sri Lanka in the summer of 2015. The Mayor’s XI struggled to 34 all out after 14.4 overs in the first game against schools opposition. The Foundation of Goodness (FOG) quickly knocked of the runs. A second game was then played that ended in a tie. The FOG XI made 127/9 from 20 overs then the RBC CIMA Mayors XI clipped 127/5 in 20 overs.

RBC CIMA Mayors Xi then overhauled Central College of Pilyandalu’s 143/8 (25 overs) with 144/8 after 23.3 overs. Opener Emanuel Khokhar lead the Mayors XI batting with 65.

So a long journey can produce the odd struggle or two, even when touring during the height of the Canadian outdoor cricket season. A comment that could upset a few snow cricketers in different parts of Canada, but there are distinctly different conditions with field and wicket for snow cricket.

Scoring detail for the first two games in Sri Lanka is expected to be available later today. Cricket in certain schools is at the heart of the historic and modern era development of the game in Sri Lanka, as can be seen from game records available on the Sri Lanka Cricket website. (EN)