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Jayasuriya deputy, Kalpage in, Mahanama out Sri Lankan cricket selectors in an unprecedented move aimed at shaping the country's future, named explosive opener Sanath Jayasuriya as deputy skipper and dropped Roshan Mahanama from a 14-member squad to face New Zealand in the first Test which begins in Colombo on Wednesday. Jayasuriya takes over the vice captaincy mantle from Aravinda de Silva, who held the post since 1992, while Mahanama makes way for the selector-nudging Mahela Jayawardena. The dramatic shuffle of names and positions is the first act of the new-look Selection Committee headed by Duleep Mendis whose exit from managing the national side brought forth the initial tidal wave. Mendis said the changes have been made taking into view the future of the national team. "This is a grooming process. As for the vice captaincy, we feel that right now the most suitable is Sanath Jayasuriya", said Mendis referring to the most drastic change in the team. Mendis however said that Jayasuriya will not be thrust into the role of captain in any emergency situation, the task of which he remarked may fall on a more senior member. Also hit by the new turn of events is allrounder Kumara Dharmasena while making a notable entry into the squad is Kalutara schoolboy Malinga Bandara, a leg spinner who represented Sri Lanka at the Youth World Cup held in South Africa early this year. Bandara is joined by former St. Benedict's College allrounder Pradeep Hewege, uncapped left arm spinner Niroshan Bandaratilleke and new fast bowlers Suresh Perera who hails from Isipatana and Indika Gallage, a product of Sri Sumangala College Panadura. The shake-up has also brought in allrounder Ruwan Kalpage who has never been able to find a regular slot since losing his place to Dharmasena for a tour of Pakistan in the middle of 1995. But Kalpage is more likely to perform the duty of a batsman in veiw of the squad not having the services of an additional batsman, a slot that could have been filled by Russel Arnold who is recovering from a thumb injury. Sri Lanka Squad-
Kingswood
earns 16 - 11 win Kingswoodians earned a 16-11 win over St. Sylvester's College, in their Inter-School Central Zone rugby tournament game played at the Nittawella grounds. It was the Kingswoodians who took control of the game from the start for a 11-3 lead at lemons. Their running of the ball was excellent and their forwards were good in feeding the ball to backs. Sylvestrians C. I. Lenadora scored the try and the two penalties were put over by S. Niyadagala. Sam Samarasekara refereed. Sri Lankan match switched from Sydney to Melbourne MELBOURNE, May 21 (Reuters) - The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) has switched a one-day match between Australia and Sri Lanka early next year from Sydney to Melbourne because of the large Sri Lankan community in Australia's second largest city. ACB chief executive officer Malcolm Speed said Sri Lanka, the current one-day world champions, had asked for the switch and England, who will also tour Australia, had agreed. "The Sri Lankan Board was keen to see a match against Australia in Melbourne and we are very pleased we have been able to alter the programme after discussions between the three boards," Speed said. To accommodate the switch in venues, the ACB was forced to reshuffle five of the 15 matches in the triangular limited-overs tournament between Australia, Sri Lanka and England. Sri Lanka have also delayed their arrival date by three days and reduced the number of warm-up matches from four to three, while England have added a match against the Bradman XI on New Year's Day. The changes mean: - The Australia v Sri Lanka match scheduled for Sydney on January 28 will be played in Melbourne on February 7. - The England v Australia match scheduled for Melbourne on January 31 will be played in Sydney on February 5. - The England v Sri Lanka match scheduled for Sydney on February 2 will be played on February 3, same venue. - The England v Sri Lanka match scheduled for Perth on February 5 will be played on January 29, same venue. - The Australia v Sri Lanka match scheduled for Perth on February 7 will be played on January 31, same venue. - The Sri Lanka v Australia A match scheduled for Brisbane on January 1 will be replaced by England v Bradman XI in Bowral, same date. Revised itinerary: 1998 Oct 29 England v ACB Chairman's XI, Perth Oct 31-Nov 3 England v Western Australia, Perth Nov 7-10 England v South Australia, Adelaide Nov 13-16 England v Queensland, Cairns Nov 20-24 First test, England v Australia, Brisbane Nov 28-Dec 2 Second test, England v Australia, Perth Dec 5-8 England v Victoria, Melbourne Dec 11-15 Third test, England v Australia, Adelaide Dec 17 England v Prime Minister's XI, Canberra Dec 19-22 England v Australian XI, Hobart Dec 26-30 Fourth test, England v Australia, Melbourne 1999 Jan 1 England v Bradman XI, Bowral Jan 2-6 Fifth test, England v Australia, Sydney Jan 3 Sri Lanka v Australia A (D/N), Perth Jan 5 Sri Lanka v Australia A (D/N), Adelaide Jan 8 England v Queensland (D/N), Brisbane Jan 8 Sri Lanka v Australia A (D/N), Melbourne Jan 10 England v Australia (D/N), Brisbane Jan 11 England v Sri Lanka (D/N), Brisbane Jan 13 Sri Lanka v Australia D/N), Sydney Jan 15 England v Australia (D/N), Melbourne Jan 16 Sri Lanka v Australia Country XI, New South Wales Jan 17 England v Australia (D/N), Sydney Jan 19 England v Sri Lanka (D/N), Melbourne Jan 21 Sri Lanka v Australia, Hobart Jan 23 England v Sri Lanka (D/N), Adelaide Jan 24 Sri Lanka v Australia (D/N), Adelaide Jan 26 England v Australia (D/N), Adelaide Jan 29 England v Sri Lanka, Perth Jan 31 Australia v Sri Lanka (D/N), Perth Feb 3 England v Sri Lanka (D/N), Sydney Feb 5 England v Australia (D/N), Sydney Feb 7 Sri Lanka v Australia, Melbourne Feb 10 First limited-overs final (D/N), Sydney Feb 12 Second limited-overs final (D/N), Melbourne Feb 14 Third limited-overs final (D/N), Melbourne |
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