The Island sports

Royal break Isipatana’s dominance

by Ravi Nagahawatte
Royal underlined their superiority in the ongoing inter-school rugby season with a glorious 14-10 victory over Isipatana, in the decider of Western Province Zone one which was worked off at the Sugathadasa Stadium Saturday (06).

Group champs....
Royal cleared their final hurdle and also the doubts of many as to whether they were really the best.However, the Reid Avenue boys will have to wait a few weeks more before crowning themselves as group champs due to the fact that a few of their matches still remain to be completed.Royal, thus ended a nine year jinx to regain the Milroy Fernando Memorial Trophy after having last won it in 1989 under Anura Dhammika.

Turned the tide
Royal shrugged off a pathetic display in the first half and came back to dominate the second as their forwards and three quarters "clicked" to turn the match in their favour.Trailing 7-10 during most of the second half,the Royalists reversed the score to read 14-10 through a desperate try by Viraj de Silva in injury time.The winger surged ahead after recieving a pass from a teammate following a maul, and and then used "brute" force to go over the line which lay ten metres ahead.Full back Rananjaya Gonaduwa made all the negative stories which are told about toe kicking vanish into thin air, as he came good with the conversion.

Retained possession
However, despite taking the lead early in the second half the Patanians found the going tough as the Royalists cut out all chances of giving their opponents the ball by retaining possession.The team opted for short taps and kicked for touch whenever blessed with a penalty,which seemed the wise thing to do.

First half Isipatana’s
Isipatana reigned supreme in the first half with their fleet footed set of three quarters who kept Royal guessing whenever they ran with the ball.The speedy Nishantha Kumara missed scoring twice within the first twenty minutes of play when two desperate tackles halted him from going over the line.The team went ahead in the thirtieth minute of play when they set up a ploy off a penalty and winger Hamish Gunaratne sent Amila Costa over the line following a back line move.Fly half Kodagoda fluffed the conversion.

Royal’s reply came in the very next minute when winger Chamith Perera slipped a couple of tackles and ended scoring mid left, after Skipper Shanaka Perera opted to work the blind side off a scrum in the opposition thirty.The try which came during injury time was converted by Gonaduwa.Royal led 7-5 at the "breather".

Isipatana’s only scoring in the second half happened to be an unconverted try by number eight Shamly Nawaz.

Referee: Anil Jayasinghe

Isipatana juniors won the under seventeen game when they beat Royal 10-8.

Short-sighted policies of selectors wreak havoc

By Mahinda Wijesinghe
Should selectors think in terms of only the next game, or should they act with the future, as well, at the back of their collective minds? Judging from the antics — this word has been specifically used — of our selectors over the years, it appears that the former attitude seem to predominate their actions. Take the South African tour. Sending a young, semi-fit (or unfit?) Nuwan Zoysa, who had not played a single first-class match for the season as well, to play Test cricket at the risk of permanent injury. Continuing to play Chaminda Vaas on the same tour until the eve of his operation when a replacement should have been called for earlier or better still, he could have been spared the south African tour. Time alone will tell the long-term damage done to these two fast bowlers thanks to the short-sighted policies of our selectors.

DON ANURASIRI AND JAYANTHA SILVA
This is not all. Possibly, to satisfy their collective consciences and appease the hoi-polloi, dramatic changes were made in the aftermath of the South African tour. Just as politicians reduce the price of bread, against all economic principles, on the eve of an election! Hashan Tilekeratne, Roshan Mahanama, Ravindra Pushpakumara and Kumara Dharmasena were amongst those axed. An 18-year-old schoolboy leg-spinner, Malinga Bandara, was brought in along with left-arm leg-spinner Niroshan Bandaratilleke against the New Zealanders. In fact, Bandaratilleke could have first been tried against the South African whose batsmen do not relish spin. Earlier, during the middle of the Zimbabwe series, left-arm spinner Jayantha Silva was axed and Don Anurasiri was produced from the hat — remember? As I write — on the second day of the second Test — Bandara has been sidelined after just a whiff of Test cricket. Then, Kalpage was brought back — and kicked out. Tillekeratne, consigned to the dust heap after the South African tour — not even in the 'B' pool — earned a dramatic recall along with Dharmasena, Mahanama, always a sore point with the selectors, remains in the scrap heap. Surely, was Hashan selected on the basis of some 70 runs he scored in a Mercantile game which his side lost as well? What are the principles involved in such ad-hoc selections? Luckily — for the selectors, that is — their actions are condoned officially by the Ministry of Sports.

WHAT BRADMAN SAID ABOUT SELECTIONS
When a 3 or a 5-Test series is played, it is akin to a tennis or a table tennis player participating in a tournament where the winner is decided on the 'best of three or five sets'. Similarly, in a 3 or a 5-Test contest, the 'rubber' as it is called, has to be won to decide the winner of the series. That is, the side that wins most matches in the entire series. Hence, changing players mid-stream — unless due to injury, for instance — does seem short-sighted. The principle of dropping players after one game, whether it be in Test cricket or otherwise, is unwise. In my view, a player must be given an even chance. One match is not an even chance. Not even for Don Bradman! In 1946-47, on the resumption of Test cricket after the World War, the First Ashes Test was played at Brisbane. Bradman, after illness, resumed his career and there was much speculation whether this series would be his swan-song. Would he go to England in 1948 was on everybody's lips? So when Bradman went to bat, and at 28 was given 'not out' by Umpire Borwick (No, not Hair or Randall!) for a 'catch' by I kin at slip, and went on to score 187, some critics were saying that had he been given out at 28, The Don would have called it quits. 'It was a series' said The Don, 'surely I was not going to be dropped after one Test?' See what I mean? In the next Test, at Sydney, he scored a double century and established a fifth wicket partnership record, which still stands! Of course, his visit to England in the summer of 1948 is still considered the high-point in the history of Australian cricket. But, that is another story.

GUNARATNE, WEERASINGHE AND BANDARA
In defence, the present lot of Selectors can claim that they are following tradition! The dubious tradition of following the policy of 'let's play him and see' policy. The only exception was Marvan Atapattu. Maybe due to pressure from certain sections of the media, Atapattu was persisted with, and it has paid dividends. But, take the cases of some of the right-arm leg-spinners who have been picked — and dropped like hot potatoes. First it was Roshan Gunaratne who was picked to play against Greg Chappell's Australian side in the first-ever Test played at Asgiriya in 1982-83, despite the tourists having only the captain as a right-hander in the first six of the batting order! Result was the 21-year-old leg-spinner bowled less overs than Arjuna Ranatunga — who played as a specialist batsman — and did not capture a wicket — and never played Tests again. Then the selectors picked 17-year-old Sanjeewa Weerasinghe against India in 1985-86. He was the youngest to represent Sri Lanka in Tests and, at that time, the seventh youngest Test cricketer of all time. Well, Sri Lanka registered her first-ever Test win. Weerasinghe's match figures were 19-8-36-0 after having bowled to a side that boasted of batsmen of the calibre of Gavaskar, Srikkanth, Azharuddin, Vengsarkar, Amarnath, Ravi Shastri and Kapil Dev. Yet, when the next Test team was announced for the game in Asgiriya to be played 3 days later, Weerasinghe was omitted. He never played another Test.

Malinga Bandara What will his future be?

What does the future hold for young Malinga Bandara? In my view, he has good potential but is not yet ready for the big league. By the way, why has Upul Chandana another leg-spinner, whom much was being expected, consigned to the 'B' pool? Perhaps, it is better than being knocked completely out of all the pools, as in the case of Hashan, but then, Hashan was suddenly recalled........all very confusing!!

The theory that those who have played the game at the highest can only be selectors does seem hollow when one observes such happenings. Then comes the allegation that the team for the second Test was selected without a properly constituted Selection Committee meeting being summoned. What next?

'Try' scoring is Sanjeewa's business

by Ravi Nagahawatte
Just nineteen years and Havelock's winger Sanjeewa Jayasinghe can look back and be satisfied at how life has been to him. Into his first year of 'A' Division rugby, the speedster made it to the national Sevens pool. And what followed next overshadowed most of the big names in the sport as he shone during the ongoing league scoring ten tries. Jayasinghe's efforts probably makes him the highest try scorer in the tournament which is six weeks old.

The little known Jayasinghe made everyone sit up and take notice during the match against Navy as he touched down on four occasion - the lion hearted display included a solo effort from his own twenty five metres. Asked whether he had any fears when taking to club rugby, Sanjeewa replied in the negative. "You can't play rugby if your are frightened," said Jayasinghe. His view on school and club rugby:" While in school your knowledge of the game is limited, but once into club rugby you learn everything about the game," mused the youngster.

Despite a later start, Sanjeewa took to rugby at the age of sixteen. The former Science College player made rapid progress in the initial stages and went on to make it to the first fifteen pool in the very first year. "I went for practices because my friends and Coach, Kamal Jayawardana, encouraged me. At first I did not practice. I watched the game and figured out what was happening", said Jayasinghe who had taken seven to eight months to master the basics.

Being an athlete helps
Being a naturally gifted athlete made all the running easy for him. But surprisingly his most unforgettable moment in the field happens to be a beating which he received from an opposition team, and not the memories of scoring a grand try. "I got pummelled by the players of the opposition team in our match against Wesley, when I went to intervene and settle a fight. I still remember the whole incident" recalled Jaysinghe.

Popular for his jokes
His carefree attitude towards life has made him more or less a joker among his friends. "I like to spend my time joking" said the wing three quarter who opined that he had not changed a bit since his small days. Infact his friends, who are equally jolly like him, had once taken him for a ride - an incident which he recalls with lots of laughs. "I was told to come to a certain place to go for a party. I bought a gift and went to the so called place to meet my friends, but finally no one turned up. Later in the night, my friends came home to tease me", reminisced Jayasinghe who relates the whole incident as a friendly prank tried on him.

...Vowed not to meet girls
But there have been times where he has been made to look a fool by individuals who had ulterior motives. Once Jayasinghe had met a girl at a party and later the two had arranged to meet at a certain place. However, he had been left to kick his heels as the girl had not turned up. "I will never go to meet girls like this," said Sanjeewa with a tone which for once lacked his usual exuberance. But whenever he gets angry with someone, its only for a matter of a few days as Sanjeewa himself takes the initiative to review the friendship. "I cannot stay in anger for long," quipped Sanjeewa.

Only child
Sanjeewa is the only child in the family and lives with his mother in a house in Mount Lavinia. He eats anything which is given to him, but if there were almost everything he will opt for a food preparation which has yams and leaves.

Realistic
Though currently unemployed, Sanjeewa is quite optimistic that he will get a good job. "I want to achieve a certain level in society", reflected Jayasinghe while engaging himself in deep thought. "And coming to my rugby I want to better my skills further".

Tackling his delight
When asked what gives him the best of feeling while on the rugby field, Sanjeewa shotback that it was when he tackled an opponent. Speaking about the foreign giants he has to face in the field, Sanjeewa had this to say. "I always go for the ankles. Otherwise there is no chance," concluded Jayasinghe.

REFLECTIONS

FRANCE '98
The 'Big Boot' before the showpiece

By Sriyan Obeysekere
France '98 or World Cup soccer '98, has even before its launch three days from now, witnessed one of the biggest kicks. The booting out of the man who transformed Brazil back to its Cup rhythm at the last World Cup in 1994. The last minute discarding of the 1994 hero Romario whose five goals made him that in kicking the soccer famous black nation back on World Cup track after a 20-year long hiatus since winning in 1970 in Mexico. Romario stands out as three times winners, Brazil's most illustrious player since the legendary Pele. The shockwave left by the sudden dropping of Romario, intense in effect to the soccer world and the soccer crazy Brazilians in particular in the fading of a hero was they would be deprived of watching two greats playing side by side.

The pre-tournament fever built up in expectation of a Romario-Roneldo showpeice has grown ever since the discovery of the lightning like discovery. Roneldo, likened to Pele before travelling to France has vowed to break the existing individual record of 13 goals at a World Cup achieved by Frenchman, Juste Fontaine going by his astounding performances since his emergence.

That as it maybe, on the whole, France '98 sport's greatest showpiece is wide open with several front runners for the big stake in Germany, Italy, Argentina and 'dark horses' like Cameroon and Nigeria in the waiting wings to spring a surprise.

Looking for a 'dark horse', Cameroon, who made their presence felt in a big way in the last two Championships once shocking favourites Argentina with the likes of Roger Milla in its ranks in 1990, looks the best bet.

Outcome apart, the 33-day spectacle starring 32 countries will bring live to the homes of 37 billion viewers around the globe (twice as many as the Olympics) 64 matches spread in 10 stadiums of a breathtaking game that it is today for its transformation in image by the likes of Pele, and Diego Maradona among others who graced the stage.

While reigning champions Brazil go out as favourites, however, the France '98 stage has suddenly been transformed into a guessing game following Brazil's lack lustre warm-up against Spain. It ended in a 1-all draw where experts were of the opinion the champions lacked coheism where three selfish individual monopolisation came in for sharp criticism.

Nevertheless, the Ronaldo's much talked of skills are predictably going to leave a mark this World Cup whatever the ultimate results.