A cold and blustery early spring day is a far cry from what Sri Lankan duo Chaminda Gamage and Mohan Bandara are used to during the cricket season.
But, Homers' new recruits have battled through the elements and are reaping the rewards, sitting pretty at the top of the Horsham Cricket Association ladder.
MATT CURRILL sat down with the pair to chat about their 'dream' venture to Australian shores.
Mohan and Chaminda, I hope you're both settling in well here. Why don't you tell me a bit about how you got into cricket and how you ended up in Australia?
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Mohan Bandara: I started playing cricket at the age of 14, and then I played under-15's, under-17's and under-19's (for Central College Kuliyapitiya).
Then I was lucky to get into university. It's so hard to get into a state university in Sri Lanka. Students find it difficult to get into university, maybe only 10 per cent of students go to university.
When people get to university, they give up cricket and other sports, to focus on their studies. But I loved cricket so much, so I started playing with the university in my first year. I was concerned more about cricket than my studies.
In my second year (at university), I had a nasty injury with my shoulder. I had to give up cricket for six months. I thought that I might not play again, because it was so nasty.
Anyway, I got back into cricket again, and I was trying to improve. Luckily I've been alright after the injury, so I kept playing with them (university club).
I graduated with a Bachelor of Computation and Management this year, and I was lucky enough to get (the chance) to come to Homers.
I feel so lucky to be a part of Homers.
It was a dream of mine to come to Australia and play. It was a big dream of mine. I'm so lucky to be here, because Australia is a great sporting nation.
How about you Chaminda?
I started at under-17's, playing school cricket and then I ended up playing first-class (cricket) in the Sri Lankan Major League with the Chilaw Marians Cricket Club. Two years ago, we were the champions.
At home, I was a contracted player with the Chilaw Marians Cricket Club.
I wanted to come and play in Australia. It's such a big difference here.
I had travelled to Malaysia to play cricket before. The Sri Lankan cricket board sent a team to play the (Malaysian) national team there.
I feel very lucky to come to Australia, and our Homers players are really good too.
So what was the cricket like back in Sri Lanka?
MB: There are not a lot of clubs in Sri Lanka. We have 12 major clubs and 12 B Grade clubs, and there are other local clubs.
The cricket is so good, in the local clubs as well. But there are no many clubs you can find.
If you want to go far in cricket, you have to move to Colombo, in the centre of the country. If you wish to make the national team or anything like that you have to move to Colombo.
Chaminda, you said you played a bit of first-class cricket. What was that like? Did you come up against any international players?
My club Chilaw Marians have Isuru Udana (42 international caps), Shehan Jayasuriya (38 international caps), Malinda Pushpakumara (four test caps) and also Asitha Fernando. They are all in the Sri Lankan national team.
Who was the best batter you had to bowl to?
CG: I had to bowl to Kumar Sangakkara - former Sri Lankan captain and equal fastest man to 10,000 test runs - when he played in the major league. It was hard, and it was a challenge.
MB: I worked with the Sri Lankan cricket (board) as a net bowler. I bowled to the England (national) team and to New Zealand. When they have the major leagues (playing) as well, I would go down and bowl to them.
It was a great experience to be with them and chatting with the players. They gave me some tips.
The best experience I had was I bowled out Jos Buttler - England's vice-captain and widely regarded as one of the world's best wicketkeeper-batsman - in the middle of the nets in Pallekele. I bowled one that just came in, and he asked me to bowl it again.
The next ball he hit me for six.
It was great to be with them and sharing that experience. It's a good memory for me.
It's pretty hot today, but how have you found the weather and the pitches here? There were a couple of dodgy weekends at the start of the season.
MB: After coming here we struggled with the weather, it's so different from the Sri Lankan weather. We struggled with the cold weather and the wickets too.
We are adapting day by day, and we keep practising.
We haven't played on artificial wickets before. They were banned or neglected (in Sri Lanka) because it wasn't good for cricketers' development. There's no cricket on hard (artificial) pitches.
It's hard as a bowler because there's not a lot in it.
Do people talk about Australian cricket much back in Sri Lanka?
MB: People like Australia so much. The cricketers want to play here because they hear some many things about it and the cricket is so good. Most people have a dream of coming here.
We're having a great time here because the people are all really good and we're really enjoying it.
- Nominate a member of your club for our weekly Friday cricket profile; email details to matthew.currill@mailtimes.com.au or phone 5362 0000
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