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(176 n.o.) amd McMillan (142) establish new record Sri Lannka Battling for survival By Callistus Davy The choice came in the aftermath of New Zealand setting Sri Lanka a formidable target of 465 and then strucking two crucial blows to leave the home side at a shaky 111 for 2. The prized scalp of opener Sanath Jayasuriya was one of the two batsmen to be captured by the Kiwis. The target was an outcome of judicious unbeaten knock of 176 by New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming and a power-packed innings of 142 by 21-year old Craig McMillan both of whom teamed up to establish a new series record of 240 for the fourth wicket. Their alliance which totally undermined Sri Lanka’s chances was made in a duration lasting 53.1 overs and superceded a previous best of 192 between Asanka Gurusinha and Hashan Tillekaratne at Dunedin, New Zealand in 1994-95. The partnership of both batsmen seemed to have taken the Sri Lankans completely by surprise on a wicket that was slow with low bounce and turning. Off spinner Muttiah Muralitheran went through an embarrassing day as he was hammered to almost all corners of the field. For a player of Muralitheran’s class the stuff he bowled yesterday was absolutely rubbish, either dropping the ball short or over-pitching. The three wickets he claimed yesterday was more due to batsmen error than his effectiveness. His figures of 4 for 139 bore testimony. In the process of mauling the Sri Lankans, Fleming and McMillan posted their highest scores in Test cricket with the former surpassing a knock of 129 against England last season and the latter moving past a previous best 139 against Zimbabwe early this year. Fleming spiced his innings with 16 fours and one six while McMillan blasted 13 balls to the fence to add to a tally of six sixes. When New Zealand declared its second innings at 444 for 6 one hour before tea, Fleming had occupied the crease for a marathon 478 minutes in which he faced 332 balls. Only once did he come close to losing his wicket when with his score on 107 he stepped out and played the ball to close-in fielder Marvan Atapattu whose reflex return to run out the batsman was either dropped or interfered with by wicket-keeper Romesh Kaluwitharana from hitting the stumps. blocked from hitting the stumps by wicket New Zealand resumed from an overnight 260 for 3 and scored 184 runs in 180 minutes of batting before declaring. At one stage Sri Lanka looked like taking up the challenge scoring 60 runs in just 50 minutes of batting before tea, but the brakes were applied in the final session of the day when off-spinner Paul Wiseman struck the decisive blows for New Zealand accounting for Marvan Atapattu (16) and Sanath Jayasuriya (59). Atapattu was ruled out, caught "bat-pad" by close-in fielder Mathew Horne, after some hesitation on the part of umpire K.T. Francis. Jayasuriya scored his 50 in 48 balls but consumed 42 deliveries for his balance nine runs. Fijians run amock in Army's 38-7 triumph by Ravi Nagahawatte The soldiers had the Policemen guessing and watching for most of the game as their two "mercenaries"Taniela Kunarara and Maloni Thuruwa ran riot with the oval shaped ball.The Fijian duo touched down twice each and also contributed towards the rest of the tries (two) from which four were converted. The blank twenty one minutes of the first half ended when centre Kunarara scored under the posts after winger Naushad stormed ahead and sent a neat pass twenty metres from the try line.Fly half Kapila Knowlton who took all the kicks added the extra points to put Army 7-0 in the lead. Thuruwa initiated the second try ten minutes later when he set up the ball taking a penalty inside the opposition ten to which linkman Mahesh Abeysinghe put the finishing touches by scoring mid left.The former Isipathanian set up the third six minutes later when he attempted to sneak in off a five metre scrum, and Prop Karunaratne was there in a flash to secure the ball and take it over the line.Army led 19-0 at half time . Police commenced the second half with some hope when skipper Damith Jayawardane went over for a try in the twentieth minute of play.Fly half Ajantha Rodrigo, who messed up a thirty metre penalty in the first half, came good with the conversion. The aggressive Kunarara,who spent ten minutes in the sin bin for punching a player,scored his second try off a back- line move when Thuruwa sent the ball down the line. Second row forward Thuruwa showed the capabilities of a short distance runner, scoring off a forty metre burst fifteen minutes from the end.He scored the final try putting to use a five metre penalty which came Army way,and crossed the line when he forced his way like a "buldozer". Referee-Aruna Jayasekare Was dropping stalwarts solution to the problems? By Mahinda Wijesinghe EXCLUSION OF ROSHAN
& HASHAN SRI LANKA DROPS ANOTHER TEST RECORD HOLDER Now let us take a look at what hard statistics do not show. Namely fielding. Although our selectors may not realise it, Mahanama is without doubt, if not the best, one of the best fielders in the covers and fit to stand shoulder to shoulder with Jonty Rhodes. Not only saving runs and taking incredible catches but also intimidating batsmen and giving so much of inspiration to the rest of the team. But, unfortunately one sees Mahanama quite often in the slips. Yet, one will never see Jonty Rhodes in the slips. Tillekeratne is another accomplished close-in fielder who also holds the Test record (jointly) for the most number of catches held in a Test by a fielder. Losing both players will naturally bring down the standard of our fielding, and with a weak bowling attack, it is going to doubly difficult attempting to dismiss Test teams twice. WHERE ARE OUR BOWLERS? ADMINISTRATORS
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE VACUUM? At the time of writing, end of day 2, the First Test is evenly poised. The pitch is not the bouncy type of track experienced in South Africa with bowlers of the calibre of Donald, Pollock hurling it down, and suddenly most of our batsmen are finding run-getting not as difficult. Though, batting fourth may not be that enjoyable. Maybe, Mahanama and Tillekeratne too may have found their feet under these conditions..... WHAT IS THE NEW
ADDRESS? THE RUGGERITE WITH A 'LION' HEART By Ravi Nagahawatte Ask Shantha whether one must have the "physique" to survive in the rugby field. "If you have fitness, stamina and morale you can bring down even an elephant", says the Havelocks player with a grin in his face which would melt ice. WHERE ONLY GIANTS DARE At present it's a minor hamstring injury. But four years ago a broken collarbone — the last in the series of four similar injuries — ruled him out for weeks while at school. Dharmaratne had performed dips obeying the commands of coach Nimal Leuke who had wanted to see whether there was a fracture after all. "In hospital my injury was confirmed and I cried. But it was not due to the pain but for the mere fact of not being able to make the team", he recalled. However, he was back at practice after two weeks of medication. His secret for the speedy recovery? Ayurvedic treatment and the consuming of Gonika leaves. The former Peterite has been a fighter all along. However, this attribute got out of hand during a rugby match played in 1994. Shantha along with his team mates got into a scuffle in their match against S. Thomas' which had dragged on for one minute. "I saw something wrong and was compelled to fight", recalled Dharmaratne. OF MIXED ORIGIN TAP RUGBY AROUSED
INTEREST NOT TO BE SELFISH STILL UNEMPLOYED Once while on a trip to Galle, Shantha unexpectedly ended up refereeing the Galle versus CH and FC Kabaragoyas match. "Somehow I did not encounter any problems' reflected Dharmaratne with lots of laughs. In accordance with his present coach's wishes Shantha will continue playing for the next seven years. "I will play for Sri Lanka some day," vowed Dharmaratne. The "Milo Dunlop" Malaysian Open Championship '98 which was played at the Jalan Duta Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from May 14 to 17 saw three junior boys from Sri Lanka playing this year. Fifteen year old Navin Samarasinghe the No. 1 seed from Sri Lanka came third in the Under-16 championships beating competition from the No. 1 seeds from Singapore, Hong Kong and India. Navin only lost to the No. I seed of Malaysia Marcus Yeap who ultimately won the gold beating his compatriot Kelvin Ho the Malaysian No. 2 seed. Navin was unfortunate to be in the same half as Marcus as, he was fancied to get the silver if he was placed in the bottom half as was Kelvin Ho of Malaysia. To make sure of the bronze Navin had to beat Junaid Nathanie the No. 1 player from India in his last match, which he won 9-6, 9-2, 9-2. Jayanath Marambe, who also participated in the same tournament lost in the first round to Aaron Chee and was the Runner-up in the Plate Event which was won by Liaw Wai Leong of Malaysia. Jayanath was placed 10th in the boys under 16 Event. In the boys under 14 Harrin Perera overcame Clovito Supsup of Malaysia in a marathon five setter 4-9, 9-2, 10-8, 8-10, 10-9 in the first round, but lost in the next round to Anurag Ghill of India 9-3, 9-0, 9-3. Boys under-14 was won by Soo Pak Hei of Hong Kong, who beat Siddarth Suchde of India in the final. Little Harrin Perera lost in the Special Plate Event to Joshua Sam 9-0, 9-7, 9-1. The special Plate Event was ultimately won by Auloke Mathur of India. In the boys under 19 Kenny Ng of Malaysia beat Kane Ingham of Australia to win the Under 19 title where Sri Lanka was not represented. Navin Samarasinghe who has been training in Malaysia for the last one month under the "International coach Major, S. Maniam, who is also the national Coach of Malaysia and the Chairman of Coaching for Asia, was also placed fourth in the Sport-excel Tournament which was played in the first week-end of April and won the Division championship in the Dunlop Milo National Tournament held soon after. Navin who is a student of St. Thomas's College, Mt. Lavinia has been picked as one of the brightest prospects in the Asian Junior circuit. REFLECTIONS By Sriyan
Obeyesekere As in the first innings,Sri Lanka must be regretting the wickets of Atapattu and Jayasuriya despite the newly promoted Vice Captain scoring 58 in the second essay.Jayasuriya's presence on the final day could have made all the difference.But as it was after a bludgeoning start followed by subdue soon after Marvan Atapattu departed,Jayasuriya fell for what was a rash edge. Overall, in evaluation, it is not easy for a new look side by way of new faces and a revamped batting order necessitated by changes, to get its act together at once. It is with time that the team fits in to place. Though of course the main dents in the Sri Lankan camp were the failures with the bat of newly promoted vice captain Sanath Jayasuriya and his co-opener Marvan Atapattu who went for 10 and a duck respectively. This, more than anything gave New Zealand the superior advantage it wrested by the third day with Sri Lanka's batting being the stumbling block in building up a healthy first innings total. Had Jayasuriya and Atapattu lived upto expectations or atleast one of them Sri Lanka would not have slipped into this abyss where the New Zealanders did not fail to capitalise on the pathetic total posted by the hosts in driving home their advantage. As it is the brunt of the batting fell on new No. 3 Mahela Jayewardene and Aravinda de Silva in stabilising the innings with the former performing admirably while de Silva was prised out just when he seemed getting into his stride. Skipper Arjuna Ranatunga along with Romesh Kaluvitharana got into the rescue act thereafter but Ranatunga paid the price of sweeping against the inswing of Simon Doull without getting in line and resultantly exposing his leg stump. Ruwan Kalpage paid the same penalty as Ranatunga with a similar stroke. Kalpage's was a stroke of complete indiscretion exposing both middle and leg stump playing against the off spin of Daniel Vettori. The Lankan batting line-up perhaps lacked the presence of the solidifying effect of Hashan Tillekeratne down the order. True, Tillekeratne played a first bad shot in that disastrous second test against the South Africans. But his fighting half century in the first test, braving the body blows Allan Donald hurled down in grafting that knock was all deserving of a place in the No. 6 slot for the stability the dour left hander is capable of bringing to a batting side. Playing at home, Sri Lanka has by the third day's play of the First Cricket Test match at the time of writing surrendered the initiative to New Zealand at the R. Premadasa Stadium. Can Sri Lanka last the fourth and fifth days on a deteriorating wicket that is expected to make batting difficult. At the end of the third day's play, Sri Lanka's chances look very gloomy with New Zealand sitting pretty with a lead of 280 and with 7 wickets in tact. A 400-plus total in sight with Sri Lanka in all probability facing the prospect of having to bat out one and a three quarter days. While debutant Niroshan Bandaratilleke launched his test career on a very auspicious note in becoming the 78th bowler in test cricket to claim a wicket in his maiden over and the fourth Sri Lankan to do so, as the game wore on the 'Kiwi' of newly coined 'Super Caps' as it is thrived on sloppy fielding in further wresting the iniative that had come in the way of the half hearted Lankan first innings batting showing. Captain Stephen Fleming in the process displayed great maturity with the bat since taking over the captaincy reins from Lee Germon during a crisis ridden year in 1996 when his first stint in that role was in the home series against the Sri Lankans. To save the match, the Sri Lankan batsmen will have to produce a most disciplined effort where 'occupation of the crease' would be vital. Western Command clinch Navy Hockey Title As a part of an ambitious programme launched by Vice Admiral Cecil Tissera, Commander of the Navy to review sports activities in the Navy which was dormant for nearly a decade, Sri Lanka Navy Sports Board organized the Inter-Command Hockey Championships over the last week-end at Welisara with Rear Admiral D. W. Sandagiri, Chief of Staff gracing the final day awards ceremony as the Chief Guest. The hockey tournament, which was conducted with the Stewardship of Commander S. Dasanayake, Chairman Hockey for four consecutive days, saw Western Command snatching the championship from Southern Command helped by a solitary goal scored by veteran T. M. N. B. Tennakoon in the second half of the game. RESULTS: |
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