The Island sports

By Dhammika Ratnaweera
Galle CC and Colts CC registered outright victories with a day to spare in their inter club Premier League Championship fixtures included yesterday.

At P. Sara Stadium Galle CC notched up a six wickets victory over Tamil Union while Colts CC made an innings and 119 runs victory over Kurunegala YCC at Colts grounds.

Gamini Perera the veteran leg spinner from Galle CC was the match winner by taking a match bag 9 for 64.

Tamil Union scored 110 (all out) and in their second innings were bundled out for 77.

Galle CC who were 70 for six wickets overnight were all out for 121. Niroshan Bandaratilleke (3 for 31) and Sajeewa Weerakoon (4 for 25) took the bowling honours for Tamil Union.

Galle CC had to get 67 runs to win and they reached their target with six wickets in hand. Chaminda Jayasinghe and Sagara Kumara shared two wickets among them.

Meanwhile Colts CC who scored 275 all out in their first innings made a fine team effort to beat Kurunegala YCC.

Kurunegala YCC 25 for three wickets overnight were 87 all out forced to follow on they were struggling again and were 69 all out.

Ishara Amarasinghe the medium paceman of Colts took three wickets each both innings while Sajith Fernando took 4 for 33 in Kurunegala YCC’s first innings.

Meanwhile, Pradeep Hewage who made a fine 168 in the first innings once again struck a century (123) for NCC in their second innings against Matara SC at NCC grounds. Hewage struck 12 fours and guided his team to make a massive total of 313 for six wickets for NCC. Matara SC were 65 all out and NCC seem to be heading for an outright victory today.

Meanwhile at SSC grounds Hemantha Wickramaratne made a fine knock of 117 to guide them to a massive total of 400 for seven wickets declared against Panadura SC.

Panadura SC were all out for 107 in their first innings and they were again struggling 103 for five wickets. Suresh Perera took 4 for 23. They too seem to be heading for an outright victory.

At Reid Avenue Bloomfield made 279 for nine wickets in their first innings against Antonian SC. Sajeeka Abeynayake (79) and Kumar Dharmasena (55) made useful contributions. Antonians SC were 111 all out in their first innings.

Galle CC beat Tamil Union by six wickets. Tamil Union 110 all out and 77 all out. (Sagara Kumara 14, Nayantha Weeraman 19, Gamini Perera 5 for 39, Pasan Wanasinghe 3 for 17, Charinda Fernando 2 for 2).

Charinda Fernando 23, Pasan Wanasinghe 18, Niroshan Bandaratilleka 3 for 33, Sajeewa Weerakoon 4 for 25, and 69 for four wickets. (Dhammika Sudarshana 15, Duminda Wickramasinghe 23, Ruchira Karunasena 17 (n.o.), Chaminda Jayasinghe 2 for 18, Sagara Kumara 2 for 16).

Colts 275 all out. Kurunegala YCC 25 for three wickets continued and 87 all out. (A. Bandaranayake 17, Sameera Kahatapitiya 14, B. Bakmeewewa 16, Ishara Amarasinghe 3 for 30, Sajith Fernando 4 for 33 and 69 all out. A. Bandaranayake 16, Roshan Jayman 12, Ishara Amarasinghe 3 for 13, Dinuka Hettiarachchi 3 for 27).

Bloomfield 112 all out and 279 for nine wickets at close. (Sajeeka Abeynayake 79, Kumar Dharmasena 55, Pulasthi Gunaratne 43 (n.o.), Duminda Perera 29, Bateesha de Silva 24, C. Samarasinghe 3 for 48, N. Fernando 2 for 26.) Antonians SC 111 all out.

NCC 397 for eight wickets declared and 313 for six wickets declared. (Pradeep Hewage 123, Sanjeewa Weerasinghe 76, Kumara Sangakkara 50, Chintaka Jayasinghe 16, Russel Arnold 18 (n.o.), P. J. W. Jayasekara 2 for 47, N. R. C. K. Guruge 2 for 73).

Matara SC 8 for no loss continued and 65 all out. (N. H. P. Chintaka 16, N. R. C. K. Guruge 18, Sajeewa Silva 3 for 30, Ravindra Pushpakumara 3 for 15, Russel Arnold 3 for 13.)

Panadura SC 107 all out and 103 for five wickets at close. (Chamara Silva 30 (n.o.),. Suminda Kumara 29 (n.o.), Sureshh Perera 4 for 23).

SSC 179 for three wickets continued and 400 for seven wickets declared. (Hemantha Wickramaratne 117, Tilan Samaraweera 68, Ruwan Galappaththi 30, Suranjith Silva 23 (n.o.), Suresh Perera 16 (n.o.), Amila Perera 4 for 107).

By Jatila Karawita
CR & FC the defending A division rugby champs living up to their true billing as the kings of local rugby arena dished-out a champagne game of free-flowing rugby football ,as they scored a resounding 30 points ( 2 goals, 2 tries , 2 penalties ) to 15 ( 1 goal, 1 try , 1 penalty ) win over table leaders Kandy SC in their decisive rugby clash at Longden Place yesterday. At lemons CR led by 14-3. CR who went into the crucial fixture boasting of the best forwards this season simply cut the Kandy SC XV to size as their marauding eight led by crack N0 8 Savantha De Saram blended in perfect harmony with an equally deadly back division to bury their much vaunted rivals at CR grounds yesterday. For the red shirts every member of their pack excelled but the spot on place-kicks of outstanding Wesley schoolboy and Full Back Zulfikar Halimdeen kept the Kandy at bay for a major part of the game whilst neutralizing the effectiveness of Kandy SC Full Back Nalaka Weerakkody.

For the losers their skipper and Flanker Harris Omar made his presence felt with some robust -power-packed display of brute-force rugby in the second half but their forwards were well marked by the CR counterparts through some bone-crunching tackles. Even their back division which comprised of no less than five National players hardly received good ball to make an impact in the game as the home sides threes led by the effective halves-combination of skipper Champika Nishantha and Asanga Rodrigo punched holes in a messy looking Kandy defense in repeated succession as the red shirts confirmed their mighty superiority in the Sri Lankan club rugby scene as the team to beat come the second round .

Kandy SC it was who drew first blood in only the 2nd minute of play when Weerakkody fired across a beautiful 40 metre penalty , but from then on the hamsters got their act together to play according to a set game plan as they ran up fourteen points before the break. Flanker Nalin Wijegunawardene scored a pushover try after he received a good ball from line-out specialist Duminda De Silva as the CR pack out-shoved their opponents in terrific fashion. Zulfikar Halimdeen converted the try from the touch line as they took the lead by 7-3. After scoring their first try CR really were pumped up as they pinned Kandy SC for the remainder of that half to their territory before another slick three quarter move in the 36th minute saw Winger Kishan Musafer going over unmarked after Savantha De Saram had broken off from a scrum and then a return pass from Hensman allowed the CR Wing to crash down.

After the turn around both sides did well to pierce each others defenses but CR powered on by their hefty pack piled on the points to finally run out as deserving victors of this eagerly anticipated first leg clash . During the final half CR forwards really held sway with Wijegunawardene going over for his second try in the match after center Haren Perera had broken off from a three quarter move before passing the ball to Nalin to do the honors by the left corner flag. Halimdeen missed the conversion. N0 8 Savantha who also had a terrific game in the loose play scored their final try when he barged over as a result of a five meter scrum but Halkimdeen was off target with the conversion . But in between he was successful in converting two 40 meter penalty kicks as the red shirts gathered their final tally of a most impressive 30 points.

For the shell-shocked Kandy SC their two tries in the second half was scored by Nalaka Weerakkody and Wing Radhika Hettiarachchi but the severe onslaught launched on their side by CR proved to be far too much for them as CR rightly derived the psychological advantage ahead of Kandy SC going into the second round of the rugby league tournament. CR with this win remains as the only undefeated team in this tourney.

From Sujeeva Nivunhella - Our London Correspondent
The majority consensus here among Sri Lankan expatriates is that far-reaching changes are necessary to put Sri Lanka cricket back on the right track devoid of political interference. Their reaction to Sri Lanka’s terrible performance in the seventh world cup was that political interference and lack of young blood had been Sri Lanka’s bane. They felt that the game could reach desired results only if remedial measures were taken immediately.

One fan Victor Silva said that he had spent as much as £ 700 (Rs. 70,000) to come all the way from Australia to watch the Sri Lankan team in action. He had to further pocket out a black market price of £ 100/= for a ticket. "It was a big disappointment. One can see that most of the players are ageing. However good they have been in the past they should be dropped if they are not performing. This is a task for the selectors who cannot afford to turn a blind eye to this factor".

Another enthusiast, Shantha Gunasekera who is also from Sydney said ,’ We can see that politics has embraced cricket in Sri Lanka. Politicians should not meddle with cricket. The game must be allowed to go on free of politicking. Else it will be the ruination of cricket".

Said Wimal Alahakoon, "It is obvious that there has been a steady decline over the last one year or so. Sri Lanka has taken severe beatings in over the last five consecutive one-day championships. The selectors should therefore open the eyes that the time has come for change". Wimal who lives in London had spent around £500/= for tickets alone further said, " Only the infusing of new blood can check the decline. It is obvious to spectators that however good the seniors have been that the ageing factor had slowed down their reflexes".

Another fan Mrs. Silva said," It is true you cannot win all the time. However need for change has showed up following defeat after defeat which has necessitated changes. When you keep loosing tournament after tournament and by big margins, obviously there is something wrong. Four years is a long time since Sri Lanka won the world cup. However, we have seen almost all the same old faces appearing at this world cup. It is a long gap in cricket, as in any sport, youth is the key factor without any exaggeration. No sport can survive without youth.

The SLTA in association with the International Tennis Federation has organised a Green Badge Umpires Workshop which will be held on the 12th and 13th of June, said Arjan Perera, Chairman Officials and Coaches Committee.

The SLTA has not held a Green Badge Umpires workshop for quite sometime, and there is a dearth of (Green Badge Umpires. Having qualified umpires is an important factor in the development of tennis, he said.

The Course will include aspects such as line umpiring, chair umpiring, code of conduct and code for officials. Upon the completion of this course participants will be eligible to receive a Green Badge Umpires qualification.

He further said that participants will be immediately given an assignment and will be paid for it.

They will umpire the prestigious ‘A’ Grade Colombo Championship Tournament which is being conducted by the SLTA Playing Section.

by Hafiz Marikar, our Kandy Sports Corr
A keen tussle for supremacy can be expected today Sunday, when the two leading schools in the hills Dharmaraja and Kingswood lock horns at the Bogambara Stadium. Kick off is set for 5.00 p.m. The junior game will take place at 4.00 p.m.

Though the Kingswoodians are having a better side on paper, they will not have things to their own liking. The Rajans are not playing as a team. They are sure to give off their best against the arch rivals, if they play as a team.

Kingswoodians who place at No. 2 in the Central Province schools league, have a well balanced side and are hoping to be at full strength. This year their assest, is their mobile pack. There hard working forwards have been giving good balls to the back devision to do the scoring part.

Rajans who are also having a well knitted side are not playing as a team and if they are to over power the Kingswoodians, their forwards should match the Kingswoodians and also their backs should work the line, whenever they get the chance. They also should go for the ball and not for man.

The team details of both teams were not available when this edition was going to press.

BY MAHINDA WIJESINGHE
Once upon a time, wrote Hans Christian Andersen the 19th century Danish storyteller, there was an Emperor who was very fond of fancy clothes. It was an obsession with him. One day, two conmen masquerading as weavers promised the Emperor the worlds most exquisite clothes for His Majesty provided they were given the most expensive silk and gold strands as material. The weavers assured that the finished product would be unique. The two so-called weavers told the Emperor however that those who are stupid and those who are not fit to hold their respective offices would not be able to actually see this magnificent dress. The foolish Emperor provided the two crooks with all they required (which they surreptitiously stored away) and pretended to be working hard well into the night for many days.

One day, the Emperor sent his Prime Minister to inquire into the progress of his dress. Naturally, he saw nothing on the looms. Don’t you think it is beautiful Sir? asked the crooked weavers. The P.M. saw nothing but not wanting to be found unfit for his job declared: Oh Yes! and reported accordingly to the Emperor. Finally, the Emperor himself came to inspect his new clothes and, naturally, saw nothing except the weavers pointing at the empty looms describing the exquisite dress that was not there. Finally, the Emperor was asked to take his clothes off to put on the new dress. With elaborate pomp and ceremony the two conmen pretended to drape the dress, that was not there, on the naked Emperor. Thereafter, the Emperor walked along the main street of the city to exhibit this wonderful new dress. So, the Emperor flanked by his ministers and courtiers walked out of the palace and into the street. No official dared tell the Emperor that he was stark naked for fear of losing their jobs. Nor did the populace for fear of being called stupid. Until, a little boy in the crowd shrieked: Mummy, the emperor has no clothes on! Suddenly realisation dawned and all hell broke loose, but the two conmen, as expected, had skedaddled from the scene.

Andersens tale is reminiscent of Sri Lanka cricket. The public was made to believe that we are the world champions not that we were, and we, certainly, WILL be as well. So much so was the hype that the common man and, possibly, some of the players conducted themselves with that belief. Just like the Emperor who thought that he was wearing the most exquisite clothes. Pointing out what appeared to be flaws or failings of the cricketing hierarchy was tantamount to being unpatriotic. Criticism of any sort was not tolerated. Singing hosannas and lavishing praise was the order of the day. Otherwise, as in the days of the Emperor, one would have been considered unfit for the job’ Having a positive approach, as opposed to a negative one, towards the objective at hand, is the correct attitude. But, if one tends to neglect the hard work necessary and is living in a fools paradise — that is another matter. That is probably what happened to Sri Lanka in the 1999 World Cup until reality dawned — just as the innocent child shouted the Emperors plight — and we made an unceremonious exit. Question is, who and where are the modern-day weavers?

Indeed, it is amusing the many discussions and the reams of words now being aired and written about the disgraceful and pathetic performances of our former World Champions. Just the other day, the very same players were so lavishly praised by these self-same people! Bringing the World Cup again was only a matter of time. Stark reality has dawned like a nightmare. Now, it is a question of finding a scapegoat. The first and, the easiest is, of course, the captain. Poor Arjuna, suddenly, he is the villain of the piece. Even the state media is hounding him, and reports are that he and Aravinda are not due to return home immediately in order to avoid the wrath of cricket fans. What a reversal of fortunes. Three years back Arjuna was the all-conquering hero. As the poet described the solitude of Alexander Selkirk, Arjuna was the monarch of all he surveyed, his rights there were none to dispute. At least, that is what he was unfortunately made out to be, by others. Victories on the playing fields consolidated this position. President of the Cricket Board, young Thilanga Sumathipala, in a newspaper interview on the eve of the 1999 World Cup, whilst recalling the fruit of so many things falling into correct place at the correct time, predicted that: We will make Colombo the example in cricket to which the other countries in the world will turn to in the future. Wonder how this statement sounds now!

Sumathipala also admitted that ’Arjuna was given the freedom to make his moves as he had a wealth of experience like no other player in the business. Permitting him to make his moves on the field is one thing. After all, there should be only one captain on the field but, if he was allowed to encroach on to aspects such as selection and/or other matters, that would be highly questionable and smacks of others forfeiting their responsibilities. Judging from the President’s remark, it appears that such was the position. No wonder, on more than one occasion, Ranatunga has remarked that he would not relinquish the captaincy, oblivious of the fact, that it was for the Selectors to decide. However, with the reversal of our fortunes, all possible blame is being heaped on Ranatunga’s doorstep. That is not fair. That blame should first be accepted by those who permitted Ranatunga to make his own moves.

For instance, was the act of arguing with Australian umpire Emerson on the field, regarding Muralitharan’s problem, a part of the premeditated grand plan (after all, Sri Lanka went fully prepared with lawyers as well ) or was it Ranatunga’s own move? Result: Ranatunga received a suspended sentence and the relations between the two countries reached an all-time low. More recently, another remark by Ranatunga about the cultural background of Shane Warne did not help either. It appears that the skipper does not receive the proper advice in matters relating to public relations, and judging from certain selectoral faux pas, very little there as well. Overall, Ranatunga’s naive conduct and statements will not assure him the due place given to former international Test captains. A great pity for a man who, in his own way, did much for Sri Lanka cricket but lacked correct guidance.

What are the solutions to these highly vexed problems? All patriotic Sri Lankans and especially our expatriate community, who by the way does an enormous lot for our cricket, have been badly let down. In fact, there was a recent newspaper report that the present secretary of the Cricket Board had allegedly assaulted a member of our expatriate community, in England. If such charges are proved, appropriate action should be taken by local authorities as well. Thuggery by officials should not be condoned. The pending court case too is investigating into similar matters. As a short-term solution, I believe, a Presidential commission should be set in motion, not for the purpose of witch-hunting or mud-slinging, but for the need to find just and lasting solutions for the welfare of cricket. And, may I suggest that the Ministry of Sports be left completely in the cold where cricket administration is concerned. That should be high on the list of priorities.

It is the system that needs be changed. There are people in Sri Lanka who are competent in administering the game. But, they get short shrift because they are unable to win the type of elections the whole world witnessed recently. Remember the fate of former President Ana Punchihewa who was unceremoniously ditched a couple of weeks after the World Cup win in 1996?

Dav Whatmore, the Sri Lankan born Australian, was described by Aravinda de Silva in his autobiography as one man whom the players will never forget for the contribution he made when we won the World Cup. Today, he is a highly successful coach in England and is in the running to be their national coach. Whatmore did not fare too well here either. Bruce Yardley was another victim. In the early 1980s, Sir Gary Sobers who was the national coach, gave me a fair insight into the machinations and the manoeuverings of the Cricket Board. Things still seem the same. This is part of the story despite whatever whitewashing interested parties may now attempt. In fact, even a letter of warning from H.E. The President to the Minister of Sports, long before the sordid events at the AGM, were not heeded.

So, here’s hoping the system is changed to attract the best administrators and clear the current imbroglio. We must set our sights for a brighter future. Let us cut out the rhetoric, a lot of hard work needs be done — and fast. The Augean stables must be cleared first. Words cannot win the next World Cup.

For 4 years Sri Lanka carried the title — World Cricket Champions (1996-1999). Now our title will be "Former World Champions". These are the "Ups & Downs" of life. But lets think back how this disaster came about. Many millions of cricket fans in Sri Lanka castigate the administration, the coaches, the selectors, the captain and the Ministry which has not given an iota of guidance.

The Ministry has allowed affairs to slide downhill. Those dedicated souls of yesteryear who guided our cricket did not have one millionth part of the funds available in recent times, but they did and honest and sincere job and Sri Lanka proposed step by step. We are now back where we were 25 years ago. It is sad and humiliating for cricket fans to witness this fiasco.

Without waiting for further deterioration the government should appoint a commission of inquiry without delay into the debacle of 1999. The commission to be headed by a Judge of the Supreme Court and its members must be proven past cricketers, so that those who have witnessed the circus will feel justice has been done. It must not be like other inquiries, must make the people feel its face of manipulations and cover ups, to bring back dignity to the game. None in the Cricket Administrations the last 4 years should have anything to do with the commission.

The score board reads — (1) Inquire into the CCS Administration. (2) Inquire as to why the "World Tell" inquiry has not been proceeded with (3) Inquire as to how the BCCSL constitution has been flouted by officials such as owners or shareholders of newspapers holding office, when such a thing is prohibited (4) Inquire as to how many persons were sent on BCCSL account to witness the World Cup. Names of individuals and a names of clubs they represented to be provided.

What was the expenditure air fare, subsistence etc. on this item, which is also against the constitution. Was this expenditure an unanimous decision of the Ex-Co of the BCCSL? If not members should be surcharged for unauthorised expenditure (5) Inquire as to how many BSSCL officials went to the World Cup on BCCSL account. Is there any truth in allegation of the team — Inquire —

(1) What authority the captain has to repeat (yesterday on 1/6/99 he repeated the statement) (practically after every tour) that he would be captaining again. Inquire whether the rules provide for the captain electing himself or selection committee elects the captain (2) was there dissensions in the team during the tour? The motivation of the team in the field was lacklustre, no earnestness. (3) Inquire as to why proven failures are selected tour after tour (ask for statistical data) (4) Were fitness tests done prior to the tour? Were players asked to do sprints and timed? (although this team had no connection with athletics) some batsmen made no effort to avoid a run out to get back to the crease.

The coaches (1) Inquire as to names of all foreign and local coaches these past 4 years (a) their monthly remuneration and (b) allowances (c) travelling expenses (d) how many months was each coach on duty? Inquire whether the huge sums paid out to coaches have been of value to the BCCSL. Is it correct to say that some players cannot be corrected by foreign coaches?

(1) Inquire as to how many "A" team tours — Under 19 tours have been undertaken from 1982-1992 and from 1993 to 1999. Inquire for details every age group: Australia, South Africa, Pakistan and others can field 2 (first) teams of equal strength not Sri Lanka!

(1) Was the preliminary country matches (virtually 2nd XI’s) programme okayed by the BCCSL. Some fantastic performances against these teams gave false hopes and impressions to the team. Our cart horse fast bowlers on tour time and again take 1 or 2 wickets per match. Was the Sri Lankan team playing to win or to loose? The "walkie talkie" between Captain and Vice Captain was at a minimum. Captain urging on the players, was done rarely. All this left other impressions. The impressions 4 years ago was a distinct contrast.

Sri Lanka (8) A. Ranatunga (36) (5) P. A. de Silva (33) (4) R. S. Mahanama (33) (4) U. C. Hathurusinghe (31) H. P. Tillakaratne (32) S. T. Jayasuriya (29) R. S. Kalpage (29) G. P. Wickramasinghe Note: Ranatunge only player with 5 World Cup appearances.		Australia (3) S. Waugh (30) M. Waugh (30) T. Moody (30) England (3) A. Stewart (36) G. A. Hick (33) N. Fairbrother (36)		India (4) M. Azharuddin(38) (4) J. Srinath (31) A. Jadeja (28) S.Tendukar (26) New Zealand(2) C. Harris (30) C. Cairns (30)
Pakistan (4) Wasim Akram (33) (4), Inzamamul Haq (29), Moin Khan (27), Salim Malik (36) (4).	South Africa (3) W. Cronje (30), A. A. Donald (33), J. Rhodes (33).		West Indies (3) P. Simmon (36) (4), C. Walsh (36) (4), B. Lara (30).		Zimbabwe (2) A. Campbell (27), A. Flower (33).

Sri Lanka has its share of Ageless, Wonders. Like our old tours. They exist. As a line says, "they shall not grow old".

Below are names of players from full member countries who played in 1992 and are on show again in 1999. Sri Lanka has the most (8) (4) denotes players 4th World Cup and figures with brackets against name (36) denote age.

The Constitution of the BCSL — has many loop holes of flaws which needs drastic revision to prevent some clauses being circumvented. Newspaper owners or its shareholders, book makers and other agencies, not in tune with cricket, should not be eligible. Cricket materials cannot be sold out, and funds for building (prior to AGM) given away by those aspiring for official post. (Must be taboo from President to committee members (not Treasure and Records). The free use of these items lead to abuse — harsher words are not necessary).

Anatoly Karpov chess club of the Russian Centre in Colombo participated for the International Schools Chess Tournament conducted by the schools Chess Club Association of Russia in Moscow recently.

During the tour young chess players were had the rare opportunity to meet the six time world chess champion, Grand Master Anatoly Karpov at his Moscow office. Pictured from left to right are Luxman Wijesuriya Team Manager, Chandeepa Wettasinghe (Royal), Nishantha Withanage (Henry Olcott Vidyalaya), Grand Master Anatoly Karpov, Suneetha Wijesuriya, President of Anatoly Karpov Chess Club, Diluka Senerath (Gateway International School) and Laksith Nissanka (Royal).

BY MAHINDA WIJESINGHE
Sri Lanka’s dismal performances in the World Cup were further compounded when the Secretary of the Cricket Board, Saliya Ahangama, was reportedly hauled out of a cricket commentary box and questioned by Scotland Yard about an alleged assault made by him on an expatriate Sri Lankan, Alan Wahab.

Wahab who counts 23 years service in the British Police as an administrative executive, and has been in the forefront of assisting Sri Lanka Cricket in England for a number of years, complained to Police that the incident occurred during a tea-break at the World Cup match between Sri Lanka and India at Taunton, Somerset, on Wednesday.

The incident, according to Wahab, had sparked off over the delay in settling some moneys due from the sale of tickets for the dinner held at Grosvenor Hotel on May 1 in honour of the Sri Lankan cricketers. ‘The incident happened at 3.30 p.m.’ stated Wahab ‘when I was coming out of the committee room at Taunton. I came face to face with Ahangama, his brother and two unidentified persons who were coming down the stairs. He asked me about the dinner tickets then. I had to pay money for three tickets which amounted to Pounds (Stg.) 150. Since I had already paid the sum for 47 tickets I told him not to worry about the balance three and that I would settle it soon. After that there was a heated exchange of words and then suddenly he hit me.

Wahab, who had allegedly taken treatment at the Belmont hospital after the fracas, had also stated that others too had not settled their dues and that Ahangama had threatened him later in the night.

Meanwhile, Arjuna Ranatunga, skipper of the now bedraggled Sri Lanka team dispelled any ideas of the both the media and the public about his retirement. When questioned by the media after the disastrous match against India when Sri Lanka were massacred by 157 runs, the 35-year old veteran who has been on the international cricket scene for the past 17 years said: ‘Why should I go, I don’t think I will retire. Sri Lanka cricket is not finished. We were a very good side for the last so many years, we can regroup and try and win once again. We may be out of this competition. We can’t do anything about it but there are so many tours coming up and if we work hard we can attain the normal standard.

Whilst conceding that the performance of the side, against India at Taunton, as the worst day in Sri Lanka cricket I have seen, Ranatunga stated: ‘The performance of the three fast bowlers (Vaas, Upashantha and Wickremasinghe) was pathetic. We bowled really bad at the start and we gave the batsmen a lot of room and width. The ball was moving in the morning, but the fast bowlers were off line and length. The two batsmen (Ganguly and Dravid) capitalised on that and batted really well, hitting the loose balls for four and got quick runs. We have to accept that we played badly.

Duleep Mendis, the Manager of the Sri Lanka team had this to say of the debacle: ‘Having lost a few matches before coming here things were coming out alright for us. There was a marked improvement in the bowling and fielding, but the funniest part was the batting, which is our strong point, started to fail. We have a good batting line up with experienced players. Unfortunately, in this game the bowling fell apart. That made things difficult for the batsmen especially when they were out of form.

Skipper Ranatunga is probably right when he says that ‘we were a good side and that if we regroup we can win once again. Question is whether Sri Lanka should regroup with the same group, quite a few of whom have certainly got long in the tooth! Success is unlikely when one regroups. Infusion of fresh blood and new thinking is the need of the hour.’

Manager Mendis who was closely associated earlier with the team and recalled only before the World Cup tour seems to have forgotten Sri Lanka record when he states that ‘we lost a few matches before coming here and things were coming alright for us. In fact, having lost 15 of the last 20 one-day Internationals, it would have been more appropriate for the Manager to have said that we won a few matches. Not for the first time has Mendis relegated deficiencies into the convenient arms of amnesia.

Ironically, when Sri Lanka was losing to India at Taunton, Dav Whatmore, the former Sri Lankan coach who guided the island cricketers to victory in the World Cup in 1996 was in the commentary box. Most experts believe that Whatmore’s unceremonious exit soon after was the first nail in the coffin of Sri Lanka cricket. Currently, Whatmore who has had much success as coach of Lancashire having led them to 2 one-day titles, is in the running as the next coach for the England team.

Meanwhile Reggie Ranatunga, Deputy Minister of Ports and Rehabilitation, and father of Ajuna, lashed out at certain sections of the media and accused them of unfair treatment towards the cricket team. ‘Though my son is the cricket captain, I am more involved with politics, if a team is not in a sound frame of mind how can the country expect them to do well?) Defending his son, the silver-haired Deputy Minister added: ‘You must all remember that Arjuna was the second highest scorer in their last match, against India. So why should he step down??

The Sri Lankan public is livid with disappointment by the pathetic performance of the players. Even the administration is at sixes and sevens with a court case pending over the conduct of the last Annual General meeting. Allegations of dissension within the team has been mentioned over state television, and the unprofessional-like skills on the field by the players despite substantial and costly inputs, with hardly any dividends, has compounded the problem. The whole country is asking for changes in the team and the administration. Her Excellency The President, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga herself, in a letter written dated 6th May 1998, to the Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Hon. S. B. Dissanayake, had warned, inter alia,: "It is my feeling that the entire handling of elections to the Cricket Board is very unsatisfactory. I am afraid if this unsavoury trend of handling sensitive matters is not arrested, Sri’ Lanka cricket is bound to be adversely affected."

H.E. The President, as a Sunday newspaper commented: the letter implies that the Minister is trying to help the present President of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (Mr. Tilanga Sumathipala) at the expense of Sri Lanka cricket. One need not scrutinse president Kumaratunga’s letter to ascertain that she felt that the Minister S. B. Dissanayake was sacrificing Sri Lanka cricket at the expense of one individual. However, H.E. The President did not feel the need to take any action thereafter. A great pity.

Within the year, an enjoining order was imposed by court over Cricket Board elections and Sri Lanka the much-hyped (by certain sections of the local media) defending champions of the World Cup title, has been ignominiously thrown out after an abject performance in the centre stage of international cricket. As a result of which, Sri Lanka an island wracked by a bloody civil war with very little to crow about except for the earlier exploits of her cricketers, are left licking their wounds.

Will a solution to the sporting problem be as elusive as has been the case for the ethnic one?

Arjuna on several occasions both in the print media and the electronic had said that he will not give up his captaincy. After the pathetic and disgraceful performance against India on Wednesday (26 May) he once again reiterated this statement. The question is on what authority does he take this stand. It is obvious that he has the full backing of the Cricket Board (which already has two of his family members) and the Sports Ministry. We have been unceremoniously eliminated from the 1999 World Cup and no more the One Day Champions.

This is a culmination of long series of events which led to this humiliating exit. The rot began when the Mudalalis took over the administration of the Cricket Board and still continues to do so. The last election of the Cricket Board amply proved this point when thugs were used to rig the election which the incumbent president won with a huge majority. We had a string of distinguished gentlemen who ran the past administrations very skilfully and professionally who lifted the standards of our Cricket. The results of their hard work were glorified by the new administration who had large sums of monies at their disposal and started dishing it out at their whims and fancies. They paid large salaries to the cricketers well beyond their true values. These cricketers too lost their heads and ended up as passengers in the 1999 World Cup squad. It’s a case of the Board looking after the Cricketers and the Cricketers in turn supporting the Board, totally blocking new cricketers coming in to the scene.

The next phase of the rot was when Coach Dave Whatmore resigned. It is no secret that Whatmore left because he could not get along with Arjuna, who dominates the Sri Lanka Cricket scene and decides who plays for the team. It is also no secret that certain clubs and players are nurtured by Arjuna to strengthen his position not only for the present but also for the future maybe as a coach, manager or administrator. It has also been reported that Arjuna before his departure said that should Sri Lanka win the 1999 World Cup that he will not carry it Temple Trees and also that he will appear on the UNP Election platforms. Here is a man who is completely out of control of his senses and realities, who thinks that he is bigger than Her Excellency the President.

To redeem our prestige in the Cricketing World, Her Excellency the President must step in immediately and dissolve the Cricket Board and appoint an Interim Board consisting of distinguished past cricketers and professionals, (who has up to now kept off the administration due to obvious reasons), with a mandate to overhaul the complete administration. If this cannot be done let Arjuna privatise the Cricket Board and continue with his arrogance.

We are grateful to Arjuna for his services in the past and for winning the 1996 World Cup for Sri Lanka, but the time is now right for him to quit not for now but for good. He has completely lost his bearing and the support of the cricket loving public. This had been coming for a long time and not because Sri Lanka was eliminated from the 1996 World Cup.

Sri Lankans love Cricket and please do not deprive them of the gentleman’s game.

Nuwara Eliya racecourse came to life in all its glory in the previous month of April.

An assortment of horse breeders, trainers, turf club members and jockeys were kept on their toes in their successful attempt, to keep the races running smoothly 22 horse races were to take place, 174 animals were to take part and 22 awards to be given away!

Adding more colour and interest were the newly imported horses and the accompanying jockeys from India.

Another significant aspect, that caught the interest and delighted many, were the - Half bred races.The half breds and the three-quarter breds, taking part in this year’s races became the favorite topic amongst the spectators.

"Although there are at least 12 half-breds to be seen in each race today, I remember a time when there were only one or two of this kind taking part", said Mr. Rohan de Sarem, a regular visitor to the race course at this time of the year.

A few other spectators marveled at the recent changes and trends evident in the horse-breeding sphere in Sri Lanka.

With the interest heightened around this unique breed of horses, now would be an ideal time to retrace the history of this local breed.

The official birth of the half-breed could be traced back to the year 1985. The Sri Lankan millionaire and horse owner Upali Wijewardena had been presumed dead after his jet-air craft disappeared in Malaysia, in 1983.

2 years had elapsed when the horses belonging to the wijewardena stables were up for offer, on virtually a ‘free to good home’ basis. The Mahaweli authority’s forestry and environment division was quick to grab the offer in providing ‘a good home’ to these valuable animals.

The main aim was to set up a breeding program in Kalawewa, the heartland of the dry zone, "where no grass grew till the rain fell".

Dr.Seevali Ratwatta with the consent of the Mrs.Wijewardena gifted 2 thoroughbred horses and 10 well-sized ponies, to be managed by Mr. Palitha Samarakoon under the authority of Mahaweli.

Mr. Palitha Samarakoon, then director of forestry and environment accepted the challenge of establishing an up-breeding program with animals which had been so far groomed for one thing- racing.

This in turn meant, no prior record of their breeding capabilities.Thus, breeding was going to be a new experience to all concerned. He was quoted in Daily News as saying,

"Our objective right now is to breed and upgrade this valuable stock. However, we are painfully aware of the shortage of fresh bloodlines".

"Although we were gifted 2 racehorses, ‘Corn wall Garden’ was tragically put to sleep at the racecourse as it broke a leg and the remaining was a gelding", recalls Mr.Samarakoon explaining how breeding was made difficult with hardly any stud material.

The main purpose of setting up the breeding program in Kalawewa was to infuse the pony (the delft stock) with horse or thorough breed blood, with the ultimate result of producing-

When racing was banned in the 60’s, the horses sent to Ambeywala farm as ‘hacked’ horses began in breeding, which eventually produced degenerated progeny.

This resulted in the few crossbreeds present at that time. A few of which were ‘Amal’, ‘Himalee’, ‘princess’ and ‘super charger’ belonging to Upali Wijewardena and Sirimevan Senanayake respectively.

Making the nature of the project more unique was its twofold purpose. Firstly, to use horses for forestry work in the detection of offences and in the reforestation work where the officials could use the animals for their official itinerary.

And to use the animals to penetrate thick forest in the dry zone, which the internal combustion engine was not able to conquer. Secondarily, as a tourist attraction for them to see the wildlife, the natural way- on horseback.

It appears that the unique nature of the project did not escape the media personnel at the time, since the media followed the progress keenly, giving it much publicity.

Year 1989 saw another great event Prince of Zulu was finally given a chance to show his staff in a race considered, not "usual".

A "demonstration race" it was to be. To be held between Prince and the only other animal brought forward, ‘Super charger’ of Mr.Senanayake.

"Many were reluctant to acknowledge a race of that nature at that time. I suppose its because it meant straying away from the normal trend of horse & pony races", said the well known jockey Mahesh, reminiscing.

On a sunny morning in 1989 ‘prince’ took his place on the track, totally unaware of revolving conflicts.

"They made a splendid picture on the track, the dashing Grey prince with the dark super charger. "Prince won with excellent timing", exclaims a proud Palitha Samarakoon. The race was tough.

Amidst splendour befitting royalty, prince of Zulu was officially introduced to the public for the very first time.

Razeek, who had the "honour" of riding supercharger, remembers how the crowds were on their feet applauding the memorable moment.

"Biso" another offspring of Sydney, joins her brother on the tracks in 1990, under Nihal Ratwatta who was later in charge of the horse breeding program and was in turn, responsible for producing the first three-quarter bred.

By this time the crowd anticipated with enthusiasm the race of the half-bred with the ‘dashing prince’ on the field.

Nihal Ratwatta is credited for improving the strain further, by upgrading the half bred to three quarter bred and producing ‘Achala", currently owned by ‘Master Divers’. Thus, this particular class was further established in the horse breeding/racing world in Sri Lanka.

In the mean time services of the Grey sire, Sydney was offered to other horse owners such as Mohan De Laneroll, Shehan Wijayaratna, and Mrs Ajantha DeZoysa.

Reviewing the situation as of now Palitha Samarakoon is confident of his opinion, that horse racing has come a long way since the 60’s.

The good old days when the ponies would suddenly succumb to their over-whelming desire to have a quick ‘green bite’ in the middle of the races. Or when cheering was made hard, by the over-sized jockey making impossible, a glimpse of the pony.

The spectators greeted these episodes with much laughter, by now, almost used to these ridiculous interruptions. Therefore, the progress seen today is adequate evidence of the victory of the Turf club. The turf club definitely, has come a long way since then.

The horse breeders have also risen to the occasion and gone to the lengths of importing stud material from countries like India.

Horse lovers such as Mohan Laneroll, Ajith Chetty, Rhajan Sellamuttu and Mrs DeZoysa have been successful in importing good breeding stocks from India. This has become a common trend in the past 8 years.

Localising the trade the feed "Today maintaining a half-bred is not that difficult on the purse because the local feed would amount to about 3000 Rs a month.

The feed could be further reduced if quality grass such as Bermuda couche grass, Brackeria varieties and legumes are given. However, at the beginning the horse feed, used up most of the money allocated for the project" explained Palitha.

"I decided to begin a study of my own, to localize the feed, based on the knowledge I have gained during my 40 year-experience in live-stock breeding/farming. "Sri Lanka is a country, rich in a wide range of grains and rice bran. This made the task in hand much easier.

Using such grain seemed suitable because it consisted of protein, which is an essential as an energy-giver."

The attempt proved successful and the mash proved to be ideal for thorough breeds, ponies as well as half breeds, which turned out to be, in excellent weight & height gains.

This mixture was quality-tested by Dr. Deric Vannarkan of the veterinary science faculty of Paradeniya.

The Belgium Vet. Surgeon discovered through various blood tests that it was far better balanced than the imported grain used at the police force.Costwise the imported grain proved to be four times more expensive than the locally concocted diet. India and Pakistan are two other countries, which give such diets of local grains & bran.

All the horse-related gadgetry and riding equipment except the saddle had to be produced, locally. After a few attempts the items proved to be as good or even better than imported!

Even the saddle is a possibility, if the skill could be taught to the Sri Lankan saddler.

In Pakistan, a village in ‘Rawal Pindi’ was involved in turning out saddles as a cottage industry. Today, shoeing is done on a large scale, and although the shoe-nails also were tried out a few times, it failed due to the poor demand. The cost very was high.

In conclusion, the prediction made 14 years ago, about the half bred eventually becoming "the Sri Lanka" horse has finally become a reality. With this came about the localizing of the trade, as never before.

Localizing of the feed, and localizing of the breed which led to a change in the horseracing sphere. Finally, rezsulting in a horse ideal in height, in size, in spirit and last but not least ideal to the purse of any horse-lover.

by Shirajiv Sirimane
The Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council has decided upgrade the Nuwara Eliya esplande to international standards.

The Mayor of Nuwara Eliya Bandula Seneviratne has taken great pains to go ahead with this project and the Council is now in the process on finding funds for this project. "We will apply for foreign aid if necessary," he said.

The Mayor said that the first stage of this project would be to fill the land close to the present Nuwara Eliya esplanade. "We have filled up nearly half of our target and hope complete the rest soon." He said.

The first citizen of Nuwara Eliya also added that they are hoping to acquire some land near the ground. "Actually that land already belong to us.

After the ground is filled up heavy rollers will be used to fill up the garbage and grass would be grown over it. The next step would be to upgrade the esplanade’s indoor stadium and the auditorium. The turf club too will be redeveloped.

When completed the esplanade will have a 400m track and facilities for many other sports as well for both indoor and outdoor facilities and a new pavilion.

Seneviratne also added that though authorities have been blind to comments made by Canadian athletic expert Michael Gagny he was very keen about his views. "He was quoted by ‘The Island’ as saying that Nuwara Eliya was among the top 20 altitude training centers in the World. So I decided that we must bring it up to international standards" he said.

Bandula Seneviratne supervises some of the on going filling up work at the Esplanade.

By Cecil V. Wikramanayake
Our mesmerising Muralitharan’s bowling action may have caused Darrel Hair to become the most unpopular umpire in the world. It may have caused other cricketers, especially batsmen, to use harsh words against him. It also did cause the Australian cricket fans to ‘boo’ this magnificent bowler. It also created about the biggest furore in cricketing circles in recent times.

But it was a shame that his splendid performance at the Oval last year, when he took 16 wickets for 220 in the match, with nine for 65 in the second innings, should have been followed by a revival of the debate about his action.

But that was not surprising. England’s batsmen were tested by two of the most charmingly eccentric spin bowlers in international cricket - Muttiah Muralitharan and Paul Adams.

If Adams had been as successful as Murali, it is quite likely that someone would have accused him, too, obliiquely or otherwise, of throwing.

Certainly, a line has to be drawn even for spin bowlers, but surely there should be less concern about them than there would be if a fast bowler breaks the law sufficiently to threaten the batsman’s safety.

It is acknowledged that in England there are fast bowlers who are commonly believed to throw their bouncers. But none of them are, or will be called.

It is certainly possible to turn a ball more than normal by throwing it like a dart, as they said Jimmy Burke of Australia, used to do. He was never a front-line bowler.

The last man to do almost the same as Murali in Test cricket — England vs Sri Lanka, was K. P. J. Warnaweera. And some said that from a distance there seemed to be a jerk of the hand in his action. But he was not called.

The law precludes a bowler from straightening his arm, partially or completely, immediately before he delivers the ball.

It is possible to argue not only that Murali, his permanently bent elbow and double-jointed wrist notwithstanding, pushes the definition close by the vigour with which he spins the ball by his late twist of the wrist, but also that almost any bowler, finger or wrist spinner, who gives the ball a real tweak, sails very close to the wind.

In less complicated days, when three day cricket was played on uncovered pitches, five Tests in a summer were sufficient and the limited-overs, one day match was not born, the Scarborough Festival was one of the highlights of the later stages of the cricket season in England.

Its essence was serious cricket with a light-hearted, end-of-the-season touch, played by many of the best and most entertaining English players and always involving the touring side.

Today the popularity of that Scarborough Festival is a thing of the past because of all the alternative cricket.

But if the organisers of that festival could get a television company and the press interested, it would be an attractive idea to test various theories about how the game could be improved, by trying them out at Scarborough in seriously contested matches.

Last year, for example, there had been a number of umpiring mistakes during Test matches, cruelly exposed by television slow-motion replays. Perhaps a greater use of technology could help umpires.

One suggestion made is that a built-in chip which can record without question whether the ball has been hit, be installed into every bat. See how long it takes to supply the third umpire with a clear magnified reply of the bat-pad incident or disputed catches. See whether it is feasible for umpires in the middle to carry pocket-sized monitors. Even experiment with instant computer pictures after appeals for LBW.

Other ideas may be tested, with plenty of advance publicity to attract inquisitive spectators.

No law in cricket has changed more than the law relating to LBW. In 1929 the law stated that a batsman can be LBW even if the ball has hit his bat or hand before his pad.

Later laws changed it allowing LBW for balls pitched outside the leg stump, provided they had been bowled from the opposite angle, that is, round the wicket from a left-arm bowler, over it from a right arm spinner.

Various ideas to improve one-day cricket too might be tried, like subtracting runs from a total when a wicket falls, or, as Sir Tim Rice suggested to prevent the NatWest finals from being one-sided, for Side A to bat for 30 overs, Side B to follow for a full 60 overs and then Side A to finish the match with the second half of their innings.

Well, cricket has come a long way from the days when W. G. Grace told the Umpire, when he was clean bowled after facing just a few balls, "These people have come here to see me bat! " and continued batting, much to the delight of the spectators who had, in fact, come to see Grace in Action !

R Yoganathan the former president of the SLTA playing section died last week. He will be cremated today (Sunday). He was a man who loved tennis and was a constant presence at the SLTA Playing Section Club.

In government service, he rose to the status of being an Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Education.

But perhaps it was in the area of sports, that Yoga took up his greatest challenge, and provided leadership in the best spirit of democracy. Last year, when the SLTA Playing Section Club was internally divided, Yoga stepped forward to contest the elections at the insistence of several club members. His gentle presence in the ring, almost immediately assuaged hard feelings. He was elected President without a contest.

Hardly had he taken over the reins at the club, which is the biggest tennis club in the country, Yoga faced another great challenge, when the National Association attempted to take over all the tennis courts of the club, Yoga led a spirited defence of the club, and unified it to face the challenge. As a result, those who conspired to destroy the Playing Section Club were thoroughly defeated, and a new leadership emerged at the National Association. Yoga was a member of the new team, but alas! did not live to see his dream of a revival in tennis come true.

Yoga has gone from our midst, but he showed us that it is possible to rebuild relationships that are broken, that leadership is not about grabbing power but is in delegating and sharing power, that a conciliatory and non- revengeful attitude can recreate unity.