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Romesh, Mahela see Sri Lanka total 424 Middlesex trailing by 111 runs on the third day against Sri Lanka were 123 for 3 after facing 46 overs. Earlier Sri Lanka completed their first innings at 424. Romesh Kaluwitharana 73 and Mahela Jayawardene 79 helped Sri Lanka swell its total. Chandika Hathurusinghe and Mario Vellavarayan too chipped in 20 and 32 respectively. Kaluwitharana reached his fifty in only 52 balls with the help of 11 boundaries. When he left the crease at 73 he had faced 84 balls and stroked 14 fours. Mahela Jayawardene and Romesh Kaluwitharana were associated in a partnership worth 97 for the sixth wicket. Middlesex’s Kettleborough when on 33 was ruled out caught by slip Hashan Tillekeratne by umpire Paul Adams. But Kettleborough stood his ground. Umpire Adams after a brief discussion with his fellow umpire reversed his decision and allowed Kettleborough to bat on. Kettleborough added only 5 runs before he was ruled out again. P. N. Weeks was unbeaten on 22 at close on the third day. SCOREBOARD Sri Lanka first innings (overnight 214-4) S.Jayasuriya c Dutch b Batt 24 Extras (b-8 lb-14 w-2 nb-10) 34 Fall of wickets: 1-56 2-127 3-211 4-211 5-237 6-334 7-354 8-377 9-397 Bowling: Bloomfield 22-2-74-2, Batt 22.5-1-103-4, Johnson 22-5-72-1, Tufnell 24-4-90-3, Goodchild 6-0-20-0, Dutch 13-4-43-0 Middlesex second innings D.Goodchild lbw b Pushpakumara 6 Extras (b-2 lb-3 nb-6) 11 Fall of wickets: 1-27 2-88 3-114 Bowling (to date): Perera 7-2-19-0,
Pushpakumara 10-2-33-2, Dharmasena 13-3-28-0,
Villavarayen 9-0-23-1, Middlesex were 172 for 5 wickets at tea on the final day with P. N. Weekes unbeaten on 44 and D. C. Nash unbeaten on 42. Middlesex made 313 on their first innings while Sri Lanka replied with a massive 424 in their match played at Lord's London yesterday. Rain delayed play earlier in the day and Middlesex resumed from their overnight score of 123 for 3 wickets. (Pushpakumara has taken 3 for 50 in 16 overs at the tea interval). PRESIDENT’S TROPHY K/O TOURNEY Carlsberg league champions CR and FC will play Police Sports Club in the President's Trophy Knockout Tournament which commences on August 13 at Longden Place. CR with 52 points became the undefeated outfit and had clear lead over Kandy SC which had 44.5 points. Kandy SC lost the league last in 1996 and managed to win it back last year. CH and FC one time a superb side were placed third with 37 points after beating Havelocks 13/6. CH too had a bad show this season, while having some well experienced players. Army side has to be watched this season trounced Petersons convincingly to be placed fourth with 23 points. Havelocks with a higher try aggregate occupied the fifth place with 21 points which is equivalent to Petersons. But, Petersons has a lower aggregate. Air Force and Police are the champions and runner up in the Plate Championships will fix in to the knockouts. Meanwhile, Kandy SC will play all their matches in Colombo and Sri Lanka Rugby Union has arranged necessary security arrangements during the knockout tournament while in progress. The quarter finals matches will be worked on August 13,14,15 and 16. Sports Minister S. B. Dissanayake will be the chief guest at the finals. • The draw is as follows: CR and FC vs Police All matches to be played at Longdon Place. Asia Pacific Swimming Championship The Sri Lanka Swimming and Diving team comprising of 31 members and seven officials arrived at the Kuala Lumpur Airport as scheduled. They were received at the Airport by officials of the Shah Allam International Aquatic Centre with a grand welcome and were driven Concord Hotel 50 km away from the Airport. The 12th Asia Pacific Age Group Swimming and Diving Championship contested by 17 Asian countries commences in August 7 and continues till Aug. 9. The Lankan contingent who had a hectic travel will be allowed to rest said the Chef de Mission Squadron Leader S. B. Senaratne. He further added that though this is a big contingent he had no difficulty in handling them asall of them are obedient. He also told the 'Island' that it is interesting to see many parents of the competitors chose to make it to Kuala Lumpur to witness their young one in action against international opponents. This is surely an encouraging factor, said Senaratne. There were few personal coaches who take care of competitors from Sri Lanka this too can be of immense help for our young competitors he added. FOR
COMMONWEALTH GAMES The Netball Federation has picked a very strong team for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games which will be held from September 9 to 21 in Malaysia. An impressive number of five junior World Cup players who made it to Canada have got the nudge of the selectors. Once again dashing centre Shenika Herman has been overlooked while a host of senior players like past skippers Deepthi Alwis, Vajira Pushpakumari, Sandya Jayasuriya, Priyanka Peiris have not been selected. The team is one of the youngest sides to be selected for a tournament of this magnitude, with two teenagers. The captain of the team is expected to be selected next month. Jayanthi S. de Silva is strongly tipped to lead the team. The Lankans are grouped along with World champions New Zealand, Cook Islands, South Africa, Wales and Malavi respectively. Following is the team selected:- Jayanthi de Silva, Samitha Kumari, P. D. N. Prasadi, Deepthi Rupasinghe, Damayanthi Jayatillake, Harshani: Vijayalath, Ratna Victoria, Manoji Preethika, Arunika Udayani, Nazlim Hazzim, Madavi: Samaratunge and Niroshani Samandrika, stand by. Thushari Kodituwakku, Sujeeva Shamali, Nilmini Malkanthi, coach Lourdes Jayasekera, Assistant, Hyasinth Wijesinghe. Manageress: Rani Munasinghe. Umpire - Sunimal Kurumbalapitiya - Head of delegation Tamara Herath and consultant Pamala Bertram. Two fine all round performances by Senaka de Silva and Nalinda Dissanayake enabled Lanka Bell trounce Mount Lavinia Hotel by 149 runs in a Mercantile "H" Division cricket encounter played recently. Taking first lease of the wicket, Lanka Bell managed to post a challenging total of 217 for five wickets in 30 overs. Silva and Dissanayake contributed with (25) runs each. Their opponents were skittled out for 68 runs in 21 overs. Once again de Silva and Dissanayake causing the damage to run through the hoteliers innings. Scores: LANKA BELL 217 for 5 wkts in 30 overs. (P. Rajapakse 48, B. Ranasinghe 27, S. de Silva 25, N. Dissanayake 25, R. Careem 28 n.o., H. Indunil 20 n.o.) MOUNT LAVINIA HOTEL 68 all out in 21 overs (R. Dahanayake 22, N. Dissanayake 3/16, S. de Silva 3/22). (AN) The Rugby circles question as to why only one player from Kandy Sports Club is included in the rugby pool in preparation for the Commonwealth Games to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia next month. It is surprising to see only a single player from Kandy and how he was included to the pool when others were overlooked. The original there were pool consisted of five Kandy players which was prune down to 14. The other surprising note is as to how a player who was never in the sevens pool was taken in Kandy SC which lost the league to CR and FC had sent an official letter to the Rugby Union stating its inability to release the five players for trials last week owing to preparations for their crucial league match. (AN) Havelocks Sports Club Rugby coach Tony Amit has tendered his resignation to the Club authorities yesterday. Amit who served the club for almost two seasons decided to quit as coach. According to reliable sources it is understood that his resignations was handed over as he was not given a free hand to perform his job and few Park Club players too were not satisfied with the set-up at the Club and the way they were treated. Amith a former Zahirian later took up blowing. After doing a long service as with the whistle he took up to coaching CH and FC which helped them bag many titles before joining Havelocks as coach. (AN) Don't cry for Roshan Mahanama now! The Sri Lanka cricket team to tour UK has already left, leaving behind puzzling questions and an enormously talented player. We can cry our hearts out but nothing will change. But let us at least find out who is accountable for this, in our ‘transparent’ society. The basis of selection of Pramodya Wickremasinghe is now pretty obvious to anyone. It is based on something other than his performance and capability. Who is accountable? Pramodya failed to take a single wicket during the entire Nidahas tournament, whereas Mahanama almost won the trophy for us. Pramodya goes on tour and Roshan stays at home. This is tragic. This action defies all logic and those responsible cannot be allowed to fool the people anymore. We have a right to know the truth! Be that as it may, the tragedy that befell Roshan Mahanama began long time ago when a ‘bright spark’ promoted him as an opener. Here was a young cricketer, just out of school, one of the most attractive stroke makers in the country, an elegant attacking batsman and a brilliant fielder to boot. As an opener, Roshan was forced to curtail his attacking strokeplay and gradually became an ordinary player. He was then shoved down to various positions in the batting order and therefore had to adapt himself to various situations and thereby was gradually pushed out of the team. If Roshan has any defects in his technique, surely he has enough experience to overcome it; he wouldn't need any advice on that. He proved it in the last innings he played. So, who is accountable for Roshan's tragedy? Who was this ‘bright spark’? Who are the other responsible for Roshan's tragedy? If we go through all the articles written by so called experts and critics during and soon after the South African tour, they were all highly critical of the inclusion of senior players in the team. Who were these senior players they were referring to? Surely not Arjuna, or Aravinda, or Sanath? Then who? Surely they were referring to Roshan as on of them. They, these critics and so called experts, ‘pushed’ Roshan out of the team and now they are crying for his inclusion! They would criticize any team selection but would not name their probable team or whom they would select! I challenge these expert critics to name their team and tell the people where Roshan would fit in. Let me help them on. It will be Sanath, Marvan, Mahela, Aravinda, Arjuna, a vacant no 6, Romesh and Muralitharan. This leaves room for another spinner who would probably be Bandaratilleke, and 2 places for 2 opening bowlers, one of which of course will be taken by Pramodya, our prime strike bowler! If Roshan occupies no 6, where will Hashan go? Besides it will be at the exclusion of an all-rounder such as Kumar or Upul. This is the only position available for Roshan now. For a 5-day test match, an extra bowler or an all-rounder would be preferred. So that's the picture! If Roshan gets in, we will have only Mahela as ‘new blood’ in a top heavy batting department, and with each failure of the team, the critics will once again cry out for young blood! There is no escape. Then where do the rest of the young blood go? Russel Arnold is almost forgotten. Which position will he occupy? Opener? No way, Haturusinghe will be the next in line. Then what about the other — Hemantha Boteju, Pradeep Hewage, Indika De Saram, Avishka Gunawardene (poor lad got only one chance to prove himself!), N. Nawaz — could the experts please tell us where these youngsters will fit in our team? Our batting is our forte, but our bowling attack (attack?) is pathetic. Pramodya keeps handling the new ball, and that's all he seems to be doing. What happened to Eric Upashantha, Dulip Leanage? Why all this secrecy in a transparent society? Coming back to Roshan Mahanama, the tragic ‘below the belt’ blow was inflicted long time ago by some ‘bright spark’, and during and after the South African tour by our own ‘experts’ and critics through the newspapers. Don't you cry for Roshan Mahanama and shed crocodile tears any more. He is a true son of the soil and will be in the hearts of the people of this country forever. Roshan, you epitomized that true nature of life. You have fallen. But a true sportsman knows how to get up and try again. We know you will. The members of the Sri Lanka cricket team are all heroes and deeply loved by the people. They do not belong to the selection committee nor to any one person, but to all of us. We go to see them in our thousands, to watch them play, to shout them on, to touch them, and to encourage them throughout a match, because they are ours. If so, we have a right to question the selection of the team and a right to know the answers. We want to know from someone as to who is accountable for all this folly and heartbreak? We now know one lot and a ‘bright spark’. Who are the others? Mr. Minister, please enlighten us. One of Millions HAVE YOUR SAY Numerous people have opined, through your columns, the injustice caused to Roshan Mahanama following his failure to make the tour party to old blighty. Well, the best that should be allowed to happen is to leave the selection of the teams to the officials who have been voted into the selection committee as they are all men of integrity and knowledge of the game. Arjuna in an interview has adduced certain reasons, apparently allowed by the selectors to voice the opinion on all behalf, for the selection of 18 players on the tour. Arjuna's reasoning has been quite valid in that he states that the youngsters should be tested on a tour of the old blighty before the next ‘world cup’. How can these youngsters be tested other than on tour of this nature where they get the feel of the ‘longer version’ of the game with the ‘shorter version. The local cricket circuit is certainly not the testing ground for such a selection as we do not regularly participate in four day games. Besides, he has not dismissed the criteria for selection of Roshan if he does well in the "A" side matches against South Africa. But, alas, Roshan has given it a veritable miss by seeking leave for two months — an obvious escape route to dodge the issue. Recently, some writer has given details of Roshan's performance after his double century against India and to say the least the performance has been pathetic. Roshan is now reaching a stage where he should give way to other youngsters who are knocking at the door before they reach a stage when they will be sidelined for selection. This applies to many others in the team vis a vis the ‘longer version’ where they are exposed with their technique in not being able to cope with the intelligent bowlers in the international scene. It is sad to state but the most exposed is Sanath Jayasuriya who is limited in his array of stroke play. Fortunately for him, because of his eye and sleek of foot he had been scoring his runs in the ‘shorter version’. (pardon me other than his 340 against India which all Sri Lankans enjoyed seeing his patience in amassing those runs). In my opinion, he needs to make use of the batting crease to move around to be in position to play his shots offering a straight bat. What happens is that either he is not right up to the pitch of the ball or right back (he does not use the space between the batting crease and the stumps to good advantage) and as a result he is either too late or too early to play the shot and matters are made worse when his bat does not come down straight with the full splice of the bat not being offered to the ball (when the balance is not right the tendency is to hit across and sky the ball. Often his downfall either being L.B.W. or caught in the outfield). These are little faults that we lesser mortals notice in our great cricketers which I believe would be taken in good spirit. In this respect it is by far, more profitable to Sri Lanka cricket to send Sanath Jayasuriya for technical aberration of his technique than to send Roshan Mahanama, for Sanath is younger and can give Sri Lanka a lot more to the game. Roshan is recognised as one of the best fielders in the international arena and it is through sheer hard work he has achieved this and all applause to him. Similarly others can achieve these milestones given the opportunity and, therefore, let us not make a big issue of the dropping of Roshan for others can gain the same recognition with experience. After all Roshan did not reach the pinnacle overnight. There are quite an array of young cricketers waiting on the wings other than those who have made the tour. Should not they receive the recognition as well. A brief analysis of the tour party will expose the critics who spoke against the selection of certain cricketers on the tour party. Much of their chagrin players of the calibre of Hashan, Chandika and Pramodya are doing fine. We the armchair critics should not criticise the selection as the selectors are quite capable of assessing the capabilities of players under given playing conditions. Some sports writers once penned to mention that when Romesh was dropped the question had been asked why nobody bothered and why the hue and cry now when Roshan is dropped. Obviously, the selectors thought since Romesh was failing it was best to try out others vying for a wicket keeping berth and having not come up with a suitable replacement the selectors have fallen back on Romesh and he has not looked back ever since. Let us hope that Roshan will show the same grit and determination and show the selectors results and not depend on public outcry to get into the team. Remember Romesh was a prolific scorer in the domestic scene. M. C. Gunatillake — Weuda — Kurunegala. |
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