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Colts defeat SSC to emerge one-day
champions Colts Cricket Club beat SSC by 60 runs to clinch the 50 overs in the Division-1 Premier Limited Overs Day-Night final at the R. Premadasa International Stadium on saturdayday. Colts CC openers Sri Lanka wicket-keeper batsman Romesh Kaluwitharana (70), and Dulip Samaraweera (57), laid the foundation for a formidable score with a rollicking 123-run opening stand in even time before a late charge by Skipper Vaas and pace bowler Eric Upashantha enabled the Park Club to reach their eventual score of 276. Dashing ‘Kalu’ was in his element during his belligerent knock of 70 which came off 65 balls and with the help of nine fours. He was given good support from the other end by his less experienced partner Samaraweera who cracked 57 with the aid of six fours as the two batsmen put the wayward SSC new ball trio of Pramodya Wickramasinghe, Nuwan Soyza and new recruit Ruchira Perera to the sword in a merciles assault on the Maitland Place Club bowlers. During the slog overs, Chaminda Vaas, who made an unbeaten 41 off as many balls with four hits to the fence and Upashantha who remained not out on 27 with two hits to the ropes, were involved in yet another fluent unbroken 63-run alliance for the seventh wicket to propel them to a match winning total in the end. For SSC, in what turned out to be a real carnage of their bowlers by the ramapaging Colts batsmen on a ideal batting track, left arm pacie Ruchira Perera bagged 3 for 56 whilst his erstwhile colleagues received a pasting by the Havelock Park batsmen. Chief Scores: Colts CC 276/6 in 50 overs. (Dulip Samaraweera 57, Romesh Kaluwitharana 70, Sajith Fernando 14, Indika de Saram 14, Jeewantha Kulatunge 34, Chaminda Vaas 41 n.o., Eric Upashantha 27 n.o., Ruchira Perera 3/56). SSC 216 all out. (Upeka Fernando 38, Marvan Attapattu 43, Mahela Jayawardane 42 Danuk Hettiarachchi 6 for 43. Sajith Fernando 2 for 39) Man of the Match. Chaminda Vass. Negombo CC registered their 3rd win in their limited over division one tournament when they defeated Kandy CC by 65 runs at Police grounds Kandy. Nuwan Priyankara and Ranga Dias who were associated in a partnership of 120 runs for the 3rd wicket passed the way for a match winning total of 252 for 9 wkts in 48 overs. Ruwan, Lakmal and Lakmalka Fernando bowled remarkably well to capture 3 wkts each to bowl out the Kandy CC for 173 runs in 43 overs. Negombo 252 for 9 in 48 overs. Nuwan Priyankara 87, Ranga Dias 48, T. Nonis 26, Nuwan Fernando 26, Canaric Croos 25, Asoka Jayamaha 22, Ruwan Fernando 12 (not out). (S. Rhunuhewa 2/56, S. Weerasinghe 2/32). Kandy CC 183 all out 43 overs. (W. Herath 36, A Rhunuhewa 26, S. Rhunuhewa 23, H. Basnayake 20, Lakmalka Fernando 3/27, Lakmal Fernando 3/36, Ruwan Fernando 3/48). Kandy schools gear up for the season Kandy schools are geared for the 1998/99 inter school cricket season despite lack of playing fields. The season will get off to a start in few days time, with the opening game between St. Anthony’s and Kingswood at Katugastota on 1st and 2nd, then on 2nd and 3rd it will be Trinity who will play host to St. Peters, on 3rd and 4th Dharmaraja will play Royal at Reid Avenue. Details about Vidyartha, Sri Sumangala, Sri Rahula and St. Sylvester’s are not available, since they have not come out with there fixtures, yet. So, the batsmen will try their best to reach the peak while the bowlers will try to dislodge them. Cricket is a game full of records as they inspire — players to produce their best. Some of the feats go into the record books and are talked about by every cricket lover as soon as they are established. So this time there will be lots and lots of records from the hills. Sebastianites beat Police by 7 wickets in a Premier Division - I cricket Tournament match played on Saturday at the De Zoysa Stadium, Moratuwa. • Scores Police 208 in 46.4 overs. (A. Priyantha 87, R. Wimalasiri 41, Dinesh Samarasinghe 2/39, Anush Perera 3/26, C. Francis 3/35). Sebastianites 210/3 wkts., in 44 overs. (S. K. Silva 58, T. M. Dilshan 68, Manoj Mendis 50 n.o.). (R.P) Rahula MV set to repeat their
performances A school which has reached great heights in the field of cricket over here in the hills is Sri Rahula College. They have fared extremely well in the last couple of seasons. They have a knack of doing something different in comparison to other school teams in the hills. They play their opening game on Tuesday and Wednesday over Harischandra MV Kandy. Sri Rahula is one of the oldest Buddhist Schools in the country and this school was famous for Football and Hockey at one time, and have produced several top class players. Sri Rahula College has produced several good cricketers in the last couple of years, who have brought honour and fame to their alma-mater. They play in the Division II inter school cricket tournament along with Kandy schools like Vidyartha, Dharmaraja, Kingswood and St. Anthonys, and to say non of these schools give fixtures. Once again the Sri Rahula side is coached by that famous cricketer and cricket commentator Aubrey Kuruppu, who played for St. Thomas’ College, Saracens CC, Central Province and also was a member of the Sri Lanka Board XI, in the Gopalan Trophy game. Sanath Senavirathne is the Master in charge and their Principal Cecil Wijeratne has given the best of support. This year the side is led by fourth year player Chandrasekara Telwadana, a left hand bat, last season he made the highest score in Kandy 176 against St. Thomas’ Matale. He is a fine all-rounder and much is expected from him, his deputy will be Senavirathne Bandara, a 3rd year player a dynamic all rounder. He too is an aggressive left hand bat, right arm medium pacer, and a good wicket keeper. The other seniors in the side are Amila Ilangakoon (left hand bat), Indika Ranaweera (right arm opening bowler) and a hard hitter, Buddhika Premadasa a solid opening bat. The other batsmen in the side are Anuruddha Wekadapola, Gihan Mahakumbura, Chanaka Samarakoon, Maduka Gunawardena, Upul Samarakumara, Pradeep Vishnka. The spinners are Janaka Ekanayake, Chinthaka Ratnayake, Nuwan Perera, Sampath Bandara, Milinda Jayasinghe, Manula Kumara, Indika Premaratne who are pacemens. They play there first match on 29-30th vs Harischandra MV in Kandy, on January 4-5th vs Ananda Sastralaya, at Peradeniya, follow it up with matches against Moratuwa Vidyalaya, Raddoluwa MV, Royal Panadura, St. Johns Panadura, St. Thomas’ Matale, St. Mary’s Kegalle, Piliyandala Central, Gurukula MV. So much can be expected from them this season. National Volleyball finals today The much awaited Lion Stout National Volleyball Championship ‘A’ Division men and women finals will be spiked off today 2.00 p.m. onwards at NYSC indoor courts, Maharagama. The Puttalam District nominee, Nattandiya United led by Channa Jayasekera will play SLTB from Colombo District in the men’s final. The final is expected to be closely contested and a five setter is on the cards. The womens final scheduled at 2.00 p.m. will see Siyane Tharu Gampaha and Caravan SC from Colombo fighting for honours. The Sports Minister S. B. Dissanayake will be the chief guest at the finals. Results of Semi-finals are Women Caravan Sports Club defeated Kandy Central Province Team 3-0 (15-0, 15-2, 15-0) Siyane Tharu SC defeated Matara SC 3-1 (13-15, 15-2, 15-8, 15-13). Men Nattandiya United SC defeated Gampaha Vijitha SC 3-2 (15-2, 13-15, 14-16, 14-16, 15-12). Sri Lanka Transport Board SC defeated S.L. Army SC 3-2 (13-15, 8-15, 15-6, 15-11, 19-17). Women’s 3rd place won by Kandy Central Province Team. HAVE YOUR SAY The Kandy RFC rugby administration should clean up the mess, set the house in order this season under their new president Chandra Wijenayake. The most senior person in the side, Dunstan Silva should have been appointed captain. Why is the Kandy SC building contractor not paid his dues, which is running into nearly rupees two lakhs. The club is also in darkness since the electricity is disconnected because of unsettled bills. Even the water bill has turned ‘Red’, but the Kandy Municipal Council is sympathetic and had given time for the club to pay up in instalments. The former club secretary who did a fine job last season was axed at the year’s AGM held recently. It seems that the Kandy SC office-bearers are selected by two people and their cronies find it to the executive committee. If not for Malik Samarawickrema (a Trustee) and Chandra Wijenayake (Trustee turned President), the club would not exist. The highly publicised carnival aimed at raising funds too is said to be an utter flop. Even the club bar is run without a licence. The credit of victories achieved by the club should go only to the dedicated players. Though there are a few honest officials, many occupy the Ex Co merely for personal gain and glory. A senior Ex Co official who could not be a part of the stigma over the CR vs Kandy ugly incident resigned in protest. Bede Fernando, The fans are now eagerly looking forward for president elect Wijenayake and his committee to bring back the club to its past glory. The Game of Bridge in Sri Lanka With the assistance and the patronage of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, the Bridge Federation of Sri Lanka will launch, in 1998, an educational and promotional campaign to promote and popularise the game of bridge in Sri Lanka. This campaign will consist of a program to promote bridge in provinces, in schools and universities, social and recreational and professional institutions and of publicity and training activities in Sinhalese, Tamil and English and providing library facilities and journals etc. The main aim of the BFSL this campaign is to make Sri Lankan a leading bridge playing nation in the 21st century. Having only about 200-300 active players affiliated to bridge clubs and societies, Sri Lankan has already won important victories at international tournaments, defeating more powerful opponents. With a carefully planned development program, reaching top levels in international and Olympic bridge is a goal quite within our reach. Bridge as a sport Bridge is a game with unique features. More often than not, a bridge player is fanatically addicted to the game and regards it as the most fascinating game of relaxation invented by man. But among those who are not familiar with the game, it suffers a false image as a game of chance based on the random distribution of cards and as a gambling game. But this is an unfortunate misconception. Modern bridge is not a game of chance but a game where intelligence and high skill plays a capital role. Bridge may be, at an informal level, played for stakes: but in an age where betting pervades popular games, modern bridge is, by its very nature, a game having the least appeal to the gambling fraternity. As for chance or luck, it is an element arguably present in any game of skill. In bridge too, it is chance that determines the random distribution of card and the strength of a hand. But the exceptional quality of bridge as a card game is that it’s rules of play and the modern system of biding has made bridge a fascinating game communication. The distribution of cards becomes only the form in a battle where players struggle to outwit their opponent by achieving maximum understanding of their partners as well as the hands of the opponents In the game an elaborate system of etiquette prevents players from passing any information other than what is permitted by the use of fifteen words which during the play becomes a unique "language’ . In duplicate bridge which is played at a tournament level where all players play the same hand by turns, the gods of fortune are banished and the element of chance is totally eliminated allowing more skilled players to get maximum points and to minimise opponents’ chances of victory. It is a game where the mind, so to speak transcends the limitations imposed by the chance factor. Like most card games bridge too is a team game. It is played by four players and is a contest between two pairs. Equipment needed for its play are very few. A pack of cards a small table and chairs and a notebook to keep scores are all that the players need to get started. Once the players master the rudiments of the game constant study and a keen interest in the aspects of the‘ game are all what is needed to achieve a high proficiency in the game. All the 52 cards of the pack are used in the play. A game begins by dealing the pack to the four players . Every player gets a hand of 13 cards and the game begins with an auction which is a contest between the two teams to determine the trumps and the level of play. Once the auction is over play begins. In this second stage of the game the team that makes the successful bid in the auction has to get the required number of tricks while the opponents can win by preventing this. A complex and an interesting system of scoring leads the players in to a contest with fluctuating features allowing sharper minds and cooler intellects to prevail over their opponents. Bridge offers unlimited possibilities for calculations of risks in situations where extreme mental sharpness and quickness in arriving at the correct decisions are required. A player faces these challenges in an ever changing interplay of cards, probabilities and playing sequences which can neither be foreknown nor duplicated. This is the special appeal of bridge and the reason why it produces so many addicts who speak glowingly of bridge as a sport. Special feature of bridge is that it is a game which could only be played with rules of good sportsmanship, correct deportment and, above all, with irreproachable ethics. They are so much a part of the game that their violators automatically become outcasts in bridge culture. In this it is unlike many other popular sports where the developing spirit of competitiveness has affected the standards of sportsmanship. Bridge is therefore is an ideal medium in character building and promoting a more human world culture. A game of bridge is a contest which is highly competitive and competition in bridge requires equilibrium and resilience, both physical and mental, notably when one is playing at the highest level for nine hours a day for a fortnight. Bridge is also a sport ideally suited to computer based technology. Students of computer science will find in it a recreational activity sharpening their critical faculties. The game itself is extremely modern since it uses the latest video technology, internet and latest computer technology where the pack of cards could be entirely dispensed with. Bridge is a game which is ideally suited to special recreational needs of senior citizens. In this stressful world retirement may often accompany physical deterioration due to sudden termination of established work patterns associated with employment. Separation from friends and acquaintances in old age may also bring in loneliness as well as marginalisation within family and social circles. But today many families are becoming increasingly conscious of the special needs of their elder members. Particularly, at this stage of the life of a person, an active mental life is essential to preserve mental health. And the role of mind sports in preserving the mental balance and contributing to physical health has found greater acceptance today. It is easily learnt even at old age and provides leisurely social company. Bridge as an international sport. Bridge has now become an Olympic sport. In 1996 the International Olympic Committee (IOC ) granted recognition to the World Bridge Federation as a recognised organisation under Rule 29 of the Olympic Charter IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranach coming forward to "officially welcome the WBF as part of the Olympic movement. With Olympic recognition bridge is again gaining wide acceptance as a mind sport, and attracts support from governments. World Bridge Federation Bridge is played by more than 1.5 million players all over the world. It is already a part of the curriculum of the school in many countries including Japan, China and United States. Recently the UNESCO has agreed to sponsor an international promotional campaign in the schools. National bridge federations are organised under the World Bridge Federation (WBF). Formed in 1958 Its present membership comprises of 106 national organisations and more than 8,000,000 registered individual members, participate locally, nationally and internationally under them. These organisations are divided into seven Zones based on geographical affinity and ease of participation in tournaments. They conduct zonal championships to choose representative teams to participate in the Bermuda Bowl and Venice Cup World Championships. Sri Lanka belongs to the Zone 4, the Bridge Federation of Africa, Asia and Middle East (BEFFAME). Recognising that there are three distinct geographical regions within this enormous territory the PFFAME council commissioned in 1995, three Sub Zones within the Zone Found 1) Africa Sub Zone. 2) Middle East and Zone and, 3), South Asia Sub Zone. This has promoted more cohesion, administrative co-ordination and increased promotional activities. These sub zones hold their biennial Sub Zonal championships is appropriately named SAARC Bridge Championships. Its landmark inaugural Championships was held in Mumbai India in 1997 and Sri Lanka has obtained the opportunity of holding the next one in 1999. Our Bridge Federation is now making preparations for this significant event. It is an important international sports and cultural event in the region. |
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