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Muralitharan takes two wickets in Sri Lanka win ADELAIDE, Jan 5 (Reuters) —Controve-rsial off-spinner Mut-tiah Muralitharan took two wickets in his tour debut to guide world champions Sri Lanka to a 24-run defeat of Australia A in a one-day match on Tuesday. Sri Lanka, led by a powerful 55 from Aravinda de Silva, hit 227 for seven in their 50 overs at the Adelaide Oval and dismissed Australia A for 203. The match was a warm-up for the triangular tournament with Australia and England. Muralitharan took two for 43, one of three Sri Lankan bowlers to pick up a brace of wickets. Muralitharan was bowling in Australia for the first time on Sri Lanka’s current tour, after being called for throwing seven times by Australian umpire Darrell Hair in the second test against Australia at Melbourne in 1995. It was a much better performance from the tourists than in their opening match against Australia A on Sunday when they were dismissed for a paltry 89 in 25.1 overs in an eight-wicket loss. After winning the toss, Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga elected to bat in 40 degree Celsius temperatures. Sri Lanka got off to a strong start with Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwit-harana putting on 62 before Tamanian pace bowler Gerard Denton bowled Kaluwitharana for 28. Jayasuriya scored 46. Sri Lanka stumbled slightly at 105 for three before de Silva and Ranatunga put on 71 runs for the fourth wicket. Ranatunga, on 38, then lofted a catch to Greg Blewett off the bowling of Brad Young. De Silva eventually fell to Shane Lee, who took one for 43. Ian Harvey led the bowling for Australia A with three for 35 off 10 overs. Damien Martyn, batting at number four, was the top-scorer for Australia A with 59. SCOREBOARD Did not bat: Pramodaya Wickremasinghe, Muttiah Muralitharan Bowling: Nicholson 3-0-24-0 (nb-1, w-2), Dale 10-0-43-0 (nb-1), Denton 5-0-24-1 (nb-1, w-1), Harvey 10-1-35-3 (w-4), Young 10-0-48-1, Lee 10-0-43-1 (w-1), Blewett 2-0-7-1 Australia A Bowling: Vaas 9-0-40-2 (nb-3), Wickremasinghe 10-1-28-1, Muralitharan 10-2-43-2, Chandana 10-0-41-2, Jayasuriya 8.5-0-36-1 (w-1). BCCSL President refutes Karachi report Sri Lanka Cricket Board (BCCSL) President Thilanga Sumathipala refuted the recent Reuter report compiled from Karachi, Pakistan which quoted Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Khalid Mahmood as saying the local Board alongside their sub-continent counterparts P.C.B. and BCCSL had called for life bans to be imposed on Australian cricketers Mark Waugh and Shane Warne. The two players were the leading characters in the match-fixing and betting scandal which flared when it was revealed they had illegally provided information to an Indian bookmaker on weather and pitch conditions during a one-day international match in Sri Lanka 1994. Sumathipala said "The foreign news agency reporter who had compiled that report from Karachi had wrongly quoted us also having stated that Mahmood will be pushing for life bans on Waugh and Warne at the ICC meeting to be held in Christchurch on January 10 and 11. Now that Khalid Mahmood has denied that Pakistan and India have ever made a statement to the effect of calling for the two leading Aussie Players to be banned, what it implies is that BCCSL had at no stage wanted them to be published with bans from the game. I hope to settle all these burning issues amicably during the New Zealand meeting which I will be attending as the Board President." The BCCSL President was also of the view the Aussie duo must be punished for their wrongdoing in a manner befitting and not with such measures as life bans. Meanwhile it is also learnt the ACB (Australian Cricket Board) is to conduct its own inquiry into betting and match-fixing allegations which has dogged world cricket in the past few months. (J.K.) Lankan swimmers to face two
international events The Sri Lankan swimmers are to take part in two international events this year. The national pool training in this regard is expected to commence this month. The 13th Asia Pacific Age Group Swimming and Diving Championships will be the first foreign event for swimmers. This event is scheduled to be held in first week of August in India. This event will be followed up by the 8th SAF Games which is to be held from August 25 in Nepal. The first event in the swimming calendar is the Age Group Relay Championships which will be held on February 6 at Ananda Pool. The last event in the Calendar is the Inter Club Gala on 13 October at Royal College Swimming Pool. Following is the national amateur aquatic sports union (NAASU) calendar for 1999. (All entries for these events should be submitted on or before the closing day to NAASU Secretary Wilfred Wickramasinghe C/o, National Olympic Committee, Reid Avenue, Colombo 7. Royal College emerged champions in the under 13 Horlicks Trophy Division II beating St. Joseph’s by 19 runs in the final at Mt. Lavinia yesterday. Royal scored 116 while the Josephians were bundled out for 97. Royal leg spinner HeshAan Morawaka was the match winner claiming six wickets for 18 runs. This was the first occasion Royal took the Under 13 Division II title. The team was coached by U.S.C. Perera. • SCORES: • ST. JOSEPH’S 97 (S. Warnakula 30, R. Wellington 18, A. Matthews 15, Heshan Morawaka 6/18, Navin Dias 2/17, Chaminda Heenkenda 2/22) (D.R.) The Asian Amateur Kabaddi Federation at its Congress held in Bangkok at the end of the 13th Asian Games unanimously elected M.T. Fernando. (Hony. Secretary SLAKF) as its Secretary General for the period 1999-2002. Fernando an old boy of St. Peter’s College who has won the College Colours for Rugger and Athletics. He represented CR & FC in 1st XV Rugger and Hockey. M.T. who later represented Anuradhapura District Football Association took-up to refereeing and became a FIFA Referee. He has officiated International Matches in Germany, Australia, South Korea, Kuwait, Dubai, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. He is a Referee Instructor of the Asian Football Confederation and presently the Deputy Secretary General (Technical) of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka. He is also the Hony. Secretary of the Dehiwela-Mt. Lavinia Football League. Dehiwela-Ratmalana Sports Development has also elected Fernando as its Hony. Secretary recently. (SOS) The inter-school cricket fixture between Lumbini MV and Isipatana ended in a draw at Colts grounds yesterday. Lumbini MV scored 258 for eight wickets declared and were 127 for three wickets at close. Isipatana replied with 255 for eight wickets declared with Manoj Fernando top scored with a fluent knock of 101. Ranil Dhammika took 3 for 49 while Chamara Perera and Damith Indimal took two wickets each. Ranil Dhammika made a brisk knock of 53 in Lumbini’s second innings while Manjula Priyantha centurian made a fine half century in the second innings. Lumbini 258 for eight wickets declared and 127 for three wickets at close (Manjula Priyantha 67, Ranil Dhammika 53 n.o., K. Rodrigo 2/26). Isipatana 255 for eight wickets declared (Manoj Fernando 101, Muditha Gayan 63, Chamara Perera 2/41, Damith Indimal 2/47, Ranil Dhammika 3/49). (DR) The Hatton National Bank cricket team who are the Mercantile Cricket Association ‘A’ division champions, will leave for Sharjah today to participate in the 11th Sharjah Floodlit Cricket Tournament to be held at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The team is led by Varuna Waragoda while National team discard Kumara Dharmasena is also in the 14 member squad. The team will be without the services of Avishka Gunawardane who is with the national team in Australia. Also two players Nilantha Bopage and Wendel Labrooy are also away in Australia playing district cricket. Satya Jayasuriya is the team Manager. The squad: Surprises galore in netball
selections for world cup Several ex-national players, coaches and even Netball Federation (NFSL) officials are perturbed over the manner in which the pool has been selected for the Netball World Cup to be held next August in New Zealand. For the first time, the Federation has picked only 21 players and done away with the usual criteria of picking 40 and then gradually pruning it down. NFSL Vice President Hyacinth Wijesinghe was criticising this move said it deprived many talented players of making it to the national pool. "I am the Assistant National coach, and even I have not been told about the selection trials," she said. She felt that Madawi Samaratunge who was a member of the Commonwealth Games team to Malaysia last August should have been selected. "But they have dropped her and included three freshers". Only three senior players, Jayanthi de Silva, Somitha Kumari and Deepthi Rupasinghe have been included for the squad. Senior players like Priyanka Peiris, Sandya Jayasuriya and P. D. N. Prasadi who are also past national captains have not sought selection. One of these players speaking to ‘The Island’ said she thought it was better to stay at home rather than face discrimination by the senior NFSL Officials towards them. "I have had enough of this", she said. Aroshani Samarasinghe, a member of the 1995 England World Cup team too has not been selected while Shenika Herman too has been shown the exist door for the third time in succession. Ironically Herman has been adjudged Netball Queen on many occasions but this point was ignored by the selectors. "I do not know why Shenika plays netball at all? She should concentrate on Basketball", one senior coach observed. Menaka Sajeevani, who captained the Junior World Cup team to Canada too has been dropped. The four debutants in the pool are Sansika, Anjana, Dilrukshi and Yamuna. Many coaches are questioning as to how the NFSL would excel in the World Cup with so many junior players. National coach Lowdes Jayasekera justified the selections and said that the team could be moulded into a major force. "The players are talented and selections were free and fair," she said. The NFSL has stated that they aim to finish among the top six while the Sports Minister says the team would win the World Cup. The NFSL promised that they would finish among the top 10 at the 1998 Commonwealth Games but finished last 16th. Following is World Cup Netball pool. Deepthi Rupasinghe (HNB/Maharagama), K. Arunika Udayani (Someswaran/Kotahena), Nazlim Hasseen (HNB/Kandy), Harshani Wijayalath (HNB/Muruthalawa), Narmada Wijeratne (Insurance/Kandy), Manoji Preethika (SLPA/Ambalangoda), Damayanthi Jayatilleke (SLPA/Pannala), Lakmini Gunasekera (SLPA/Kandy), Nirosha Samandrika (SLPA/Kirindiwela), Thushari Dissanayake (Siyambalape), Sujeeva Shamali (SLPA/Balangoda), Sakunthala Nawaratne (Alawwa), Jayanthi de Silva (HNB/Dehiwela), Somitha Kumari (HNB/Kelaniya), Yamuna Priyadharshani (Anuradhapura), Ratna Victoria (SLPA/Kurunegala), Dilusha Madhushani (Gampaha), Hansika Fernando (Anywatte), Angana Thulari (Mount Lavinia), Sujani Dilrukshi (Polonnaruwa), Vagisha Shashikala (Ganemulla). |
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