Somachandra de Silva

Somachandra de Silva
Cricket information
Batting style Right-handed batsman
Bowling style Right-arm leg break googly
Career statistics
Competition Tests ODIs
Matches 12 41
Runs scored 406 371
Batting average 21.36 19.52
100s/50s 0/2 0/0
Top score 61 37*
Balls bowled 3031 2076
Wickets 37 32
Bowling average 36.40 48.65
5 wickets in innings 1 0
10 wickets in match 0 n/a
Best bowling 5/59 3/29
Catches/stumpings 5/0 5/0
Source: , 14 August 2005

Dandeniyage Somachandra de Silva (born 11 June 1942, Galle) is a former Sri Lankan cricketer. He bowled leg spin, and captained the Sri Lankan cricket team for two Test matches in 1983, as the regular captain, Duleep Mendis missed the tour of New Zealand due to injury. De Silva enjoyed the captaincy, making two half-centuries and taking three wickets with tight bowling on pitches that didn't suit his bowling style. However, New Zealand won the series 2-0. He had played internationals before, however, taking part in the 1979 cricket World Cup where Sri Lanka recorded their first international victory - beating India by 47 runs. De Silva took three wickets for 29, including Dilip Vengsarkar and Mohinder Amarnath, as India crashed to 191 all out.

De Silva was in many ways unlucky - when Sri Lanka was finally awarded Test status, he was nearing his forties, which naturally shortened his career. However, he played all the first 12 Tests that Sri Lanka played, before retiring at 42. Had he been ten years younger, he would perhaps have been more recognised as Sri Lanka's first genuine all-rounder - that title instead went to Ravi Ratnayeke. De Silva also played minor county cricket for Lincolnshire and Shropshire, and later became a coach of the Sri Lankan cricket team. He is currently the interim chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket.[1]

Somachandra De Silva was educated at Mahinda College, Galle and at Prince of Wales' College, Moratuwa. [2][3]Somachandra's elder brothers D. H. de Silva and D. P. de Silva were also Ceylonese first class cricketers.[4]

References


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