.

Sri Lanka check Zimbabweans

Srian Obeysekere reporting from England
Desperately needing to win this encounter at Worcester, defending world champions, Sri Lanka got their initial act right to bowl out a high riding Zimbabwe for 198 in 50 overs to keep their hopes of entering the Super Six stage of the Cricket World Cup alive.

Zimbabwe got off to a heady start with Grant Flower whipping two boundaries off an erratic Eric Upshantha who opened the bowling with Vaas. After conceding two early wides which must have sent shivers reminiscent of Lords when he conceded five wides in one over, it was the lanky right arm pacie who made the first breakthrough for Sri Lanka when he induced Neil Johnson to sky one off a mistimed hook for a running Pramodya Wickramasinghe to latch on to the catch. Wickramasinghe then knocked down Paul Strang's stumps to reduce Zimbabwe to 34 for 2 wickets.

Zimbabwe, which signalled it was out to surprise some of the bigger names in the game having shocked the Indians and gone down fighting to the West Indies, seemed to lose their way while trying to take the attack to the Lankan bowlers and later prospered to 198 through a mixture of caution and aggression through a seventh wicket alliance of 68 runs between Andy Flower (41) and Stuart Carlisle (27). Grant Flower had earlier tried to hit his way out of trouble as wickets kept falling at regular intervals at the other end. But Pramodaya Wickramasinghe, coming in as first change bowler, had him well taken by wicket-keeper Romesh Kaluwitharana to end his 69-ball knock of 42. Wickramasinghe continued to put the skids on the Zimbabweans, also accounting for Campbell and Paul Strang.

The Sri Lankans have been soul searching to get back to their once famous exploits that brought them the cup four years ago. Yesterday, Sanath Jayasuriya lifted the morale of the side with some brilliant work on the field. He had Murray Goodwin stranded with a direct throw from mid wicket to the bowlers end to end a threatening knock. This was in the 20th over bowled by off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan. The Zimbabwe batting flourished in the final over as tailender Edo Brandes took 18 runs off Vaas.

The defending champions, seemed to have set the tone for a successful rise from the dumps.

Anti Lanka slogans at Northampton

A Tamil group hiring a private helicopter flew over the Northamtonshire grounds displaying a banner with anti Sri Lankan slogans. This incident took place while the Sri Lanka-South Africa World Cup match was in progress on May 19.

The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry has written to its counterpart in Britain saying the Lankan Government is highly perturbed over this incident. Meanwhile the Lankan High Commissioner in London had held talks with the Foreign Secretary in this regard, said a local Foreign Ministry official.

It is understood the incident has been reported to Northamptonshire Police for investigation and to apprehend the culprits involved in the incident. Those found guilty are liable for severe punishment, said the Foreign Ministry spokesman.

The incident also led to protests by Sri Lankan expatriates in Britain.

Sensational win for Isipatana

Isipatana MV displaying their true prowess in running rugby brought off a sensational 10 points (2 tries) to 5 (1 try) win over a fighting Royal XV in their Inter School rugby fixture at Sugathadasa Stadium yesterday. Thus the Green shirts regained the Major Milroy Fernando trophy after a lapse of one year. At lemons Royal led 5-0.

In a engrossing encounter where no quarter was asked nor given ‘Patana’ who were deadlocked with Royal for much of the second half at 5 all, swept the Royalists off their feet in dramatic circumstances, with a second to go for the long blast, when their speedy left winger Hamesh Gunarathna covering some 35 metres on the left flank off a beautiful three-quarter move crashed through by the corner flag to signal the remarkable win by the Patanians. Full back Charith Kodagoda fluffed the conversion as referee Anil Jayasingha blew no sides to the elation of the Isipatana camp who savoured their finest hour at the Stadium last evening.

However it was the gutsy Royalists who took the game up front to ‘Patana’ against all predictions as their forwards well marshalled by hooker Dinesh Rahim knocked the daylights out of the Colombo 5 school by taking a creditable lead of 5-0 at the ‘breather’. Right wing Viraj De Silva it was who put his side in front when in the 20th minute the dashing winger put the finishing touches to a slick three quarter move as full back Deve Wijewardene bungled the conversion. After the turn around the Royalists continued to launch one onslaught after another to their rivals, but undaunted by the ferocious power-play of the Royalists-Isipatana stormed back into the game when in only the 10th minute dynamic winger Weediya Bandara cantered along the right flank off a yet another peach of a three quarter move which simply left their opponents baffled as he dived over to equalize the scores with fly half Roshan Peries failing to add the extra points as the scores were tied at 5-5. But when everyone thought that the game would fizzle cut into a draw the Isipatanians like men possessed came from behind and as if though like a bolt from the blues delivered the knock out punch in spectacular style to romp home as worthy winners in what turned out to be a classic game of running attacking rugby union at the stadium yesterday. (JK)

An Overview
Pray, God to save our Football

Edward Wickamasuriya
The SAF Gold Cup Soccer Tournament 1999 held in Goa, India, once again exposed in no uncertain terms the standard of this sport in our Country. The reason for this pathetic display is many, which I will briefly comment on.

Factually this poor man’s sport which a few decades ago was thriving in the country, through active 45 Football Leagues is virtually dead. Hence there is understandably a severe shortage of quality players. Except in Cricket, this draw back of not promoting and playing the sport in an organised competitive basis, has affected all other Olympic Sports. The mere media praise on a couple of officials in soccer is only a camouflage indeed.

Secondl the absence of a strong and effective youth and a junior base in soccer is another cause for the decline of soccer standard in the Country. Normally the growth and development of a sport largely depends on the effective base in these two categories. For example within the last five years we have had only two National Competitions in the Youth category. In the junior category during the same period only two National competitions were conducted.

Even these limited tournaments were not conducted on time, some taking even two years to complete. Apart from these only 30 teams were fielded in the Youth category and 45 teams in the junior category. To make it worse the tournaments were on a knockout basis, which means after a single match half the number of teams are eliminated, while half of the balance few gets knocked out in the next match. Where is the element of technical development in such farcical tournaments. In brief half of the Youth and Junior teams gets only one match for the whole year.

In the Senior Club category the situation is even worse. The Bristol F.A. cup tournament is the one and only National Tournament for Clubs, while the Bristol League tournament is limited for few clubs.

This leaves a heavy responsibility on the affiliated Football Leagues to offer annually sufficient domestic competitions for their respective clubs, which of course is truthfully a farce. One could safely say that over 90 percent of the 45 Leagues remain only on paper without conducting annual tournaments for years. These Leagues only come to life for election purposes at the AGM. So where is the opportunity to develop the quality players, when Schools, Junior, Youth, and the Senior categories are deprived of competitions and its accompanying training?

In this situation what does the Football Federation do to cover up this hollow? Firstly they call for trials before picking up a team for foreign competitions. Such action only goes to prove that the total absence of organised competitive tournaments, If there were, there would not be a need to select players through trials. Therefore these so called trials only offers some media information which helps the Officials to look lively and active in the public eye.

If a summary is made of our foreign participation in Senior, Youth, Junior, and Schools within the last few years the results will not only be shocking but humiliating too. So in this background loosing disgracefully in Goa, India, is no surprise at all. The truth as I know and which I can at any time substantiate, is that our participation in foreign tournaments is certainly not the result of planning, training etc. and looking ahead, but for the only purpose to be within the expectance of the A.F.C and F.I.F.A by complying with their requirements in terms of participation. And nothing else what so ever.

It is therefore very clear that due to the reasons stated above our Senior National Team had neither the quality players nor the competitive experience to perform at a higher level of efficiency. At the rate our Soccer is being planned and administered, it will not be far off when even Butan will have the better of us, now that Maldives has laid us low.

The Goa debacle, apart from coach Hasheem Deen’s alleged comment, that the Senior players did not play according to his system, the final result would have been inevitable. It is my considered view that the coach is not to be blame for this disaster but the organisation as the whole.

Questioned on T.V. on the extremely poor performances in Goa, Manilal Fernando, President, Football Federation stated without any sense of regret that " winning and loosing is all a part of the game". Anyone who had kicked a football in what ever category would have never come out with such a weak philosophy.

Ladies cricket Sixes today

Colombo Colts organised a Ladies Six-a-Side cricket tournament to coincide with their 125th anniversary celebrations will be played today commencing at 8 a.m.

Fourteen teams have entered the tournament which is also the inaugural Ladies Six-a-Side leather ball tournament to be held in Sri Lanka.

Hosts Colts and Slimline has entered two teams while Samudra, Wennappuwa, Colombo Ladies, Young Ladies, Lanka Ladies, Negombo Ladies, Shakthi, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa Ladies, Kalutara Ladies and Moratuwa Ladies have fielded a team each.

The winners of this tournament will receive the Devvon Trophy and Rs. 10,000, while the runners-up will carry away Devvon Trophy and Rs. 7,500. Woman of the Tournament, Best Batswoman, Best Bowler and the player who strikes the highest number of sixes will receive special awards.

Rajasingham Industries will sponsor the event.

Lion Malik Zaveer and Mrs. Maria Zaveer will be the chief guest. (AN)

Sports Law needs changes - Shaharwadi

Former National Billiards champion and colourful all round sportsman S. M. Shaharwardi states that some of the present Billiards and Snooker Association officials are not eligible to hold office.

He says he had made several representations in this regard to the Sports Ministry with no avail.

Since no action had been taken he as issued the following press release:

I wish to bring to your kind notice of the undermentioned in the interests of the National Associations which comes under the Ministry of Sport, Where Sportsmen and Sportswomen are being governed by the Sports Law Regulations. Reference to Sports Law Regulations 14, the regular and the volunteers in the Police or Navy or Air-Force or Army are Forces/Services that are affiliated to the National Association.

If he or she of the Forces/Services faces an inquiry known as Departmental or Court Marshal or Competent Courts and found guilty, thereby removed or dismissed from the Forces/Services and at times notified in the Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

(a) As for the Sports Law Regulations 14, if in the case of the above, the regulation does not disqualify him (he).

(b) The Regulations 14 under (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) does not mention ‘She’ (Therefore she is not disqualified).

(c) Should the word "She" be added to the Sports Law Regulations (14)

(d) Certain National Associations having their Constitution mentioned ‘Capital Punishment’ but the Capital Punishment is not defined. To define same, can it be for example, if he or she is convicted in the case - (a) Murder, (b) Rape, (c) Drugs, (d) Traitor or alien laws. To my feeling, I believe that it is not in the Sports Law Regulations; if so, it should be enforced, or added to the Sports Law Regulations 14 to be disqualified. This may have been amended from time to time in the Sports Law Regulations for which I am unaware.

(e) If he or she is not disqualified to what I have mentioned concerning the Forces/Services. Consider the humiliations the honest and the loyal men and women in the Forces/ Services had to face, when a dishonest he or she sits on the Head Table at the National Association Meetings, can a representative of the Forces/Services sit and face humiliations not only to himself but it is to the whole Forces/Services.

(f) I wish to site for example a representative of the Forces/ Services was the President of her National Association and today he is the Brigadier in the Army; Can that Brigadier attend the meetings of the National Associations when a person he or she is a decommissioned officer whose name is gazetted and is seated at the Head Table.

Kandy SC favourites over Army

By Hafiz Marikar our Kandy Sports Corr.
Kandy Sports Club should go out favourites to defeat the out of form Army SC when the clash at Nittawela this evening (23). Kick off in this 1st round "A" Division match is at 5.00 p.m.

Kandy S.C. who are in position number one in the table will be going out to consolidate their position. In the last game against Havies, Kandy SC had to struggle hard to pull the game in their favour, thanks to the efforts of their senior hands, Asoka Jayasena who came in for the first time gave of his best together with skipper Hariss Omar, Dunstan de Silva Buranaga Amarasinghe, Lasantha Wijasuriya, Sameera Silva and Nalaka Weerakody.

Soldiers who were unbeaten till the last game, should be at their best. They lost to the Cops in the last outing. The Soldiers lost their last game to the Cops due to poor place-kicking and faulty handling of the ball by their three quarters.

The Kandy SC on the other hand have a speedy and reliable set of three quarters.

The Kandy SC back division will have to produce their best if they are to check the speed and hardy Army SC three quarters.

The Nittawela boys who have displayed fine team spirit in their recent games, should have a major share of the ball from the line outs with Asoka Jayasena and Suranga Amarasinghe jumping well. The set scrums could go either way with both sides having good hookers.

The Kandy SC three quarters who have played a major part in their wins have more penetration largely due to better handling of the ball.

Play maker Nilufer Ibrahim should do his best. We will pair off with Sajith Mallikarachchi, and these two should feed the backs well.

Veteran Lasantha Wijasuriya will be one center three-quarter, who is giving of his best, with his experience, and the man who is keeping the players together. In the last line of defence, it will be Nalaka Weerakody, who is playing at his best. Skipper Haris Omar who is getting the maximum from the seniors should lead the side for another win.

Army SC has a young outfit, with players of good rugby knowledge should give a torrid time to the Nittawela boys, led by Kapila Knowlton, who is a hard player.

Army SC will have to present a strong outfit for this game and the soldiers are not prepared to take chances against a team that has always carried the fight to their stronger opponents. The strong point of the soldiers is their powerful forwards.

Ajith Shantha wins Ratnapura Tour De S-Lon

Ajith Shantha of Sri Lanka Army (Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) won the "Ratnapura Tour De S-Lon for the second year, last Sunday beating his closest rival also from the Sri Lanka Army, C. R. Meemanage. Ajith Shantha also won this event in 1995.

Seventy (70) top racing cyclits faced the starter and they were flaged off by the Superintendent of Police, Ratnapura Jayantha Gammanpila.

Cyclists had to proceed to Avissawella turning from Avissawella back again on the same route via Ratnapura to Balangoda. The cyclists had to face the grilling climb, while Ajith Shantha and Meemanage were leading four minutes ahead from the second bunch, when reaching to Balangoda. Ajith Shantha won the hill climber’s award as well which had a handsome cash prize Rs. 5000/- donated by the Chairman of the JF Group of Companies-Balangoda, Justin-Fernando.

Ajith Shantha with Meemanage broke off from the bunch on the return journey from Avissawella, having the lead of 04 minutes ahead the second bunch.

B. J. Sumanasekera of Ports Authority Sports Club, another well known figure, won the third place, from the second bunch.

Cash prizes with certificates were awarded up to the 20th placing. Ajith Shantha and Meemanage finished in a tight finish, while Ajith Shantha won by half wheel. Both Ajith-Shantha and Meemanage clocked typical timing, 04 hours-41 minutes-42secs; for 112 miles.

Ajith Shantha received a handsome cash prize Rs. 15000/- with the S-Lon Challenge Tophy certificate. This race was sponsored by M/s S-Lon Lanka (Pvt) Ltd., conducted by the Ratnapura District Cycling Association and CFSL. Lanka (Pvt) Ltd.

Results

(1) Ajith Shantha Sri-Lanka Army - SLEME - 04hrs-41mins

(2) C. R. Meemanage Sri-Lanka Army 3rd Regiment - Waganers SC - Anuradhapura. 04hrs-41mins-42 secs

(3) B. J. Sumanasekera - Ports Authority SC - 04hrs-44mins-47secs.

(4) Rohan Chaminda Senaviratne-Sri-Lanka Air Force. 04-44-48.

(5) Jude Priyantha Fernando - AJ Milton SC - Katunayake 04-44-50.

(6) Wasantha Bandara Kaluthara-04-47-01

Anthonians on the rampage

By Hafiz Marikar our Kandy Sports Corr.
St. Anthony’s College went on the rampage at Nittawela to annihilate Sri Rahula College by 100 points (10 goals and six tries to nil) in their Central region inter school rugby game. At the breather the Antonians led 52-0.

With the kick off the Antonians stormed into the Sri Rahula territory, and started scoring from the fourth minute of the game. It was a one sided game of rugby.

This time, the planning of the schools tournament is not done in a proper way, the lesser known schools, who are trying there best to promote rugby have been put against stronger teams and are scoring cricket scores, this is only to say that these schools will not last long in the field of rugby and before it happens the Schools sections should do a better job.

Coming back to the game, it was a good day for the Antonian skipper Salman Kuthus, who landed three tries, and two each came from Suresh Kumar and C. Rodrigo, R. George, G. Malimage Althaf Hameed, and Ashan Cooray touched down once, with full back Tikiri Dissanayake goaling ten of them.

Indian softball cricket team in Colombo

On an invitation by the Sri Lanka Tennis Ball Cricket Federation, an All India Tennis Ball Cricket Team arrived in the Island on 17th May 1999.

They will be participating in a series of fixtures with the District Associations, Government Service Sports Society Team and a combined team selected from the federation.

Fixtures 20th May - The Match vs Hambantota District
23rd May - The Match vs Kurunegala District
24th May - The Match vs Govt. Service Sports-Society Team
25th May - The Match vs Gampaha District
26th May - The Match vs Kalutara District
27th May - International Match
28th May - Departure from Sri Lanka.

Havies crush Navy 44-6

Havelocks Sports Club crushed Navy by 44 points (4 goals, 2 tries, 2 penalties) to 6 ( penalties) in their Carlsberg inter-club ‘A’ Division rugby encounter at Longden Place yesterday.

At lemons winners led 15-3.

Havelocks planted their tries through skipper and scrum half Lenard Zilva (2) while winger Sanjeewa Jayasinghe acocunted for two tries. Fly half Jiffry Saheed, winger Yugantara Karunaratne scored a try each. Full back Nalin Dissanayake goaled four tries while converting two penalties. Kasun Waduge converted the two penalties for losers.

Dilroy Fernando refereed. (AN)

Trinity trounce Wesley 28/0

by Hafiz Marikar Our Kandy Sports Corr
A fine second half rally helped the Trinitians, who took the field once again in absence of their regular skipper Ravi Wickramasiri, beat the Wesley College side by 28 points to nil.

The Trinitians had to ruck drove and had to power their way to beat the Wesliyaites by four goals. This match was played at the Pallekele rugby stadium.

After a scrappy first half in front of a disappointing crowd Trinitians tore into the Wesliyaites with gusto, producing the rampaging loose forward play that coach Quientien Israel believed could help his side to do well in the rest of the matches.

In the first half, there was no scoring.

Trinity had few chances of scoring in the first half, but the Wesley College ruggerites did some good spoiling work, to hold the Trinitians, without scoring.

It was in the 17th minute of the second half the Trinitians got the chance of scoring. The first try came off a five yard scrum where Rajivi Ganapathy touched down. The extra points were added by acting skipper Shanaka Kumara.

From this try onwards the Trinitians took a sudden twist and the platform for the Trinity win was laid by three players fly Half Shanaka Kumara, Center Zamil Mohamed and scrum half D. Selvam. These three players initiated the next three tries.

They were scored by Rohan Bogawatha, M. Ariff and Kaushalya Weeraratne and all three were goaled by Shanaka Kumara.

Wesley team too gave a good fight and did some excellent spoiling work to hold the Trinitians without a score till mid way of the second half.

Asanka Abeyakoon refereed.

Sri Lankans continue to struggle on bouncy tracks

BY MAHINDA WIJESINGHE
Sri Lanka capitulated to the well-organised South Africans not with a bang but without as much as a whimper. A loss by 89 runs in a one-day game is a big one. Winning the toss was a great advantage. If Sri Lanka had first lease on that track, it is extremely doubtful whether we could have put up a defendable total. That the Sri Lankan medium-pacers had the Proteas in all sorts of trouble early in the innings was, as events turned out and as the former Test stars on TV predicted. Ominous. So it proved.

Just a word on the advertisements that appeared on TV during the match against South African. As a wag commented: ‘’We can’t even enjoy watching the advertisements, these fellows are interrupting our viewing pleasure with a cricket match that comes on and off!" Really, it was most annoying. It is also doubtful whether the advertisers are getting the expected ‘mileage’. The radio commentators (Sinhala), on the other hand, are not short of words, but the content, that is another matter. When a Sri Lankan fielder ( guess who? ! ) stopped a ball with his foot, the commentator not only praised the fielder, but commented such fielding as ‘exemplary’!

The problems Sri Lankan batsmen have on bouncy tracks against competent fast bowlers is nothing new. The last memory was at Perth during the Carlton & United series. It goes back to the flat, docile, batsman-friendly tracks in the country. This is a problem that has been highlighted many a time. Fast but true pitches with bounce is a condition sine qua non for the improvement of batsmen. It is the basis, the foundation for an international batsman who has to face all sorts of pitches in different countries. Once a batsman can handle such pitches batting on deteriorating or rain-affected pitches will be less of a problem. However, the reverse does not work. Which means that having been bred on flat tracks one cannot adjust to the fast, bouncy tracks. So, it is imperative that fast, bouncy tracks should be introduced - preferably at school levels. Then, and only then can our batsmen contend with the likes of Pollock, Kallis, Donald & Co.

Also, reminds me of a comment made by a senior Cricket Board official recently on TV. Having questioned the wisdom of our Cricket Board in employing former South African batting ‘star’ Barry Richards to advise our batsmen a few days prior to our tour of South Africa, I felt that the official’s comments may have referred to me as well. During this interview, he - naturally - defended the Board by saying that Richards did a wonderful job etc., (by the way, the results of the tour does not indicate it) and that critics should come and see for themselves what happens during these practice sessions. How naive? Firstly, the public cannot be a privy to what an international coach tells his charges, secondly, what matters is results. Judging from even this encounter with the South Africans, can someone tell me who benefited by Richards’ stint, was it the South Africans or the Sri Lankans?! To think that such of officials are in charge of our cricket administration.

The next question that arise is, are there personnel and equipment to prepare fast pitches? The first prerequisite is a heavy roller. It should be at least 4 - 5 tons. Next, there must be competent curators. For so long, the same personnel in charge of preparing pitches have been in the administration. Many a time have they been sent overseas for so-called training courses, but where are the results? Haven’t they seen the necessity of making our docile pitches fast? And, these so-called curators with many sponsored overseas trips are our former international players. Who are we to advise them?

There was the hilarious situation, many years ago, when a senior official who is still around, went overseas, courtesy the Cricket Board of course, for a training course on pitches. He came back in just a couple of weeks. How much he learned within this short space of time can be gleaned by his subsequent actions. I happened to be the Executive Secretary of the Cricket Foundation and his first request was to import some grass. Rather reluctantly, in any case he had blessings from above, I agreed. After some time, the same official requested some soil be imported’. Commenting that his next request would be to import the weather as well, I refused. No wonder, my exit was hastened!!

Coming back to the South African game, there is no excuse to offer. We were simply outplayed. And, Sri Lanka benefited from a couple of horrendous umpiring decisions. Gibbs may or may not have touched the delivery that was caught behind. Pollock certainly hit the ball into the ground before it hit Ranatunga’s leg, and Muralitharan caught it thereafter. On the other hand, Aravinda and Mahanama’s leg-before decisions may come under the microscope. These decisions are however based on an umpire’s judgement, and that can be fallible and should be accepted as such. But, what cannot be accepted is when an international umpire makes an error where the Laws of Cricket are concerned. Especially, when the umpire concerned is English. They are generally concerned the best around. Ken Palmer, as the Third Umpire, ruled Cullinan caught by Vaas when the latter took an almost impossible catch in the outfield but went over the line after taking the catch but not before he threw the ball back into the playing area.

Law 32.2 deals with this situation:

‘’A ball shall be considered to have been faily made if:

(a) The fieldsman is within the field of play throughout the act of making the catch.

(i) The act of making the catch shall start from the time when the fieldsman first handles the ball and shall end when he both retains complete control over the further disposal of the ball and remains within the field of play.

(ii) In order to be within the field of play, the fieldsman may not touch or ground any part of his person on or over a boundary line. When the boundary is marked by a fence or board the fieldsman may not ground any part of his person over the boundary fence or board, but may touch or lean over the boundary fence or board in completing the catch."

That is clear enough, so Cullinan was unfortunate to have been ruled out by an umpire who did not know the Law. It must be added however, that had Vaas taken the catch, and gone over the line after having thrown the ball back into the playing area, Vaas could have completed the catch, if he himself came back into the playing area and caught the ball again! The Law does not permit another fielder to complete the catch. On the other hand, if the ball went along the ground near the boundary, a fielder can ‘pull it back’ and go over the line for another fielder to retrieve and throw it back. Not so when a catch is involved. Why? That is the Law, and maybe I will discuss this matter later. Yes, cricket is a strange game,

Mahela Jayawardena played some delightful strokes, and proved the folly of the tour selectors of having not picked him for the game against England. Wasn’t he dropped originally from the squad to Australia for the Carlton & United series? Roshan Mahanama, batting in two different slots in the two games, yet top-scored with 36. Wasn’t he too not in the original World Cup squad? Let’s see where he bats against Zimbabwe. Eventually, these two ‘discards’ were the only two Sri Lankan batsmen to reach double figures. No wonder supremo Duleep Mendis promised us some surprises for the World Cup! Only with these ‘surprises’ Sri Lanka is finding it increasingly more difficult to get into the Super Six group.

The so-called supremos who have been ruling the cricket roost for so long, and quite a few of them are ‘protected’ by their qualification of having been former national players, should be accountable for some of the alarming lapses in our national cricket. Watching the South African game, even the average cricket fan would have seen the need for many a change. Either the administrators, despite their playing experience, cannot ‘see’ it or they are too frightened to effect such changes.

New Athletic Selection Committee approved

By Shirajiv Sirimane
The Ministry of Sports after three months has finally ratified the National Atheltic Selection Committee. However they have overlooked a lady selector for the five member panel.

Shanthi Abrew who was nominated had been axed to reasons best known for the ministry while the former lady selector too is dropped due to her poor attendance at atheltic events.

Many point out that since it was the women athletes which did better than the men, a woman selector is a must. Former selector Ranjith Weerasena has been left out since he is a vice president of the AAA. The new selection committee members are headed by Trevor Nugegoda. Other members are N. Vairavanathan, T. D. S. A. Dissanayaka, Saman Kumara and P. H. D. Waidyatilleke.

The Atheletci selection trials will be held today and tommorrow at the sugathadasa Stadium. over 500 are expected to participate.

Following are the Qualifying standard for Track and Field Athletics for the SAF Games

which will be held from September 24th - October 4th 1999 in Nepal.

MEN

100m 10.60 sec.

200m 21.30 secs.

400m 47.81 secs.

800m 1 min. 50.04 secs.

1,500m 3 min. 46.89 secs.

5,000m 14 min. 40.00 secs.

10,000m 30 min. 45.76 secs.

Marathon 2 hours 21 min. 28.00 secs.

110m hurdles 14.63 secs.

400m hurdles 51.92 secs.

3,000m steeplechase 9 min. 3.86 secs.

4 X 100m relay 40.63 secs.

4 X 100m relay 3 min. 12.91 secs.

Long Jump 7.59m

High Jump 2.01m

Hop Step and Jump 15.68m

Shot Put 17.62m

Discus 52.44m

Javelin 66.80m

Hammer Throw 62.62m

 WOMEN

100m 11.78 secs.

200m 24.12 secs.

400m 54.87 secs.

800m 2 min. 9.72 secs.

1,500m 4 min. 32.18 secs

5,000m 17 min. 2.81 secs.

10,000m 35 min. 55.56 secs.

Marathon 2 hours 59 min. 18.00 secs.

100m hurdles 14.60 secs.

4 X 100m relay 47.43 secs.

4 X 100m relay 3 min. 53.00 secs.

High Jump 1.69m

Long Jump 5.97m

Shot Put 11.63m

Discus 42.16m

Javelin 49.52m

CR Beat CH 14-6 to remain unbeaten

CR & FC reduced to fourteen players for much of the game, pulled off a hard-fought 14-0 points (2 goals) to 6 (2 penalty goals) win over CH & FC in a key SLRFU ‘A’ Division rugby match at Maitland Place yesterday. CR’s Prop Harin Gabraal was sent off the field by referee Aruna Jayasekera for deliberately stamping on the head of CH’s scrum half Milinda Jayasekera when the player was lying on the ground after 20 minutes of play in the first half.

For the red shirts full back Zulfikar Halimdeen touched down in the 14th minute following a maul as he collected the ball from Shantha Rohana before side-stepping several CH defenders to crash through by the left corner flag. Zulfikar himself converted his own try as CR went ahead by 7-0.

After the turn around CR extended their lead further when skipper and scrum half Champika Nishantha off a short tap barged over in the 24th minute. Halimdeen added the extra points for the CR to lead by 14-0. During this half CH did their best to breach the rock solid CR defence but they were unsuccessful in their efforts though being able to put over only two penalties through the boot of Jude Dimithri as the Longden Place Club maintained their unbeaten record for a yet another week. (JK)

| NEWS | PROVINCIAL | POLITICS | EDITORIAL | DEFENCE | FEATURES | LEISURE | BUSINESS | ADS |