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Cricketer turned ruggerite Kaushalya and Shanaka the heroes
TRINITY ROAR AWAY WITH BRADBY

From Jatila Karawita at the Bradby
In a tense final yesterday at the Sugathadasa Stadium, Trinity College it was cricketer turned ruggerite, Kaushalya Weeraratne forgot his cricketing virtues for a moment as he held centre stage in the first half to ensure his ‘alma mater’ regained the coveted Bradby Shield from arch rivals-Royal College. In an action filled 62 minutes where containing was the ‘name of the game’, Weeraratne eased the tension for the Trinity lions with a brilliant try as the jam-packed stadium roared as Trinity recorded a famous 13 points(2 tries, 1 penalty) to 7 (1 goal) win in their second leg clash. The action unfolded when Kaushalya Weeraratne picked up from the loose and blazed solo some 45 yards to touch down for an unconverted try in the 10th minute leaving the Royalists and the spectators alike aghast.

Ofcourse, Trinity thrived on their first leg 19-10 lead. But then, memories of last year must have been yet fresh to the lions from the hills. And Royal did come back spiritedly once again yesterday when into 25th minute of the second half they wrested back the lead. That was when flanker Pavithra Fernando scored a pushover try which was converted by Rasika Wijeratne to make it 7-5. It did indeed re-kindle those fears. But it was a day reserved for Trinity. And ofcourse it would not be complete without the final efforts of fly half Shanaka Kumara whose equally spectacular try as he collected from Skipper Ravi Wickramasiri from a scrum to side step three defenders to dummy his way for a 25 yards try which he followed with a penalty .

Thus the Trinity Lions ably marshalled by crack No. 8 Ravi Wickramasiri regained the prestigious Bradby Shield after a gap of one year to the defaming cheers of their ardent supporters.

The Trinity outfit which went hammer and tongs in the first leg up in Bogambara, took some time to settle down till mid-way in the second half before running out deserving winners with a grand all round display capped off by those two fabulous tries in both halves. For Trinity every member of their team contributed towards that success, whilst playing to a well laid game plan , but the individual brilliance of their threes shown with Weerarathna and Shanaka Kumara making the difference in the crunch situation.

For the losers Royal College it was left to ponder on what might have been, if they had decided to capitalise on the numerous scoring opportunities which they were presented within the second half, but their reluctance in particular to convert at least three easy penalties during the early stages of the game put paid to their chances of dictating terms to the opposition. Especially their decision to opt for the scrum instead of going for the kicks clearly highlighted the absence of a reliable place-kicker in the Royal ranks.

Also the failure of their forwards to ground the ball when in an attacking position in at least three five yard scrums which they got in the first half coupled with the precise marking of key players Flanker Pavithra Fernando, and Winger Viraj De Silva in particular by the Trinity Lions stifled the rhythm the Royalists were looking for and ultimately the Colombo 7 school had to come second best to their great rivals on the day.

The pre-match hype for the big stakes had reached fever pitch when the two camps marched out under the hot afternoon sun. For winger Kaushalya Weeraratne who was their last seasons cricket captain it was a rounding off of his multi skills. But fly half Shanaka Kumara narrowed the conversion wide off the uprights but Trinity shot to a 5-0 lead at that stage.

During the first half the Royalists tried hard to breach their rivals rock-solid defence but came a cropper as they were guilty of dropping the ball when on the attack or most of the time their stars were tackled to a standstill by the Trinity forwards and backs alike as the Lions went into the short whistle of referee Nizam Jamaldeen with a 5-0 lead.

During the second half the Royalists came back well into the game with their forwards playing a hardy game yet still for all their reluctance to go for the penalty kicks at a crucial stage of the game meant that it was not going to be their day as it proved in the end. Royals only scoring opportunity came their in only the 25th minute of play when Flanker Pavithra Fernando who was well marked for a major part of the game finally broke the jinx, by crashing over from a five yard scrum having received a clean pass from No. 8 Sanjive Fernando. Centre Rasika Wijerathna converted the try as Royal surprisingly lead by 7-5 with about ten minutes to go for the long blast.

But undaunted by that most unexpected piercing of their defence by the Royalists the Lions stormed back into the lead in style when Shanaka Kumara fired across a 25 metre penalty to go ahead by 8-7. However the real cudre de grass for the Reid Avenue team was delivered by Trinity Fly Half Shanaka Kumara when he rounded off a classic game for his school by cleverly side stepping at least three bemused Royal defenders to dive over in injury time to signal the return of the coveted Bradby Shield to the hill-capital since 1997. Kumara himself fluffed the conversion of his own try but it mattered little for them as Trinity regained the blue-ribbon trophy in local inter-school rugby for the 31st time in this the 55th year of the Bradby series.

Ranatunga comes out of wilderness to lead Lankan XI

by Shirajiv Sirimane
While an entire nation anticipates the fate of cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga, newsflits in that is expected to lead a Sri Lankan team against India in the Siyaram friendship Cup One-day match at Mohali, India on July 10.

All leading players are being included for this match which is a day and night game. Muttiah Muralitharan who is playing county cricket in England and Chandika Hathurusinghe, Mahela Jayawardene who were in the World Cup squad have been left out.

World Cup discards-Kumara Dharmasena, Don Arunasiri, Sanjeeva Ranatunge and Tilan Samaraweera have been recalled for this event.

The ‘Sunday Island’ understands that the team selection had been made during the World Cup in England after consultations with Skipper Ranatunge.

The full strength of India excluding Skipper Mohamed Azharuddin has been named for this one-day match. Ajay Jadeja has been named as the Skipper.

Swarnawahini, that telecast the World Cup live, is expected to telecast this match via ESPN.

Following are the two teams forwarded to the ESPN.

Sri Lanka from: Arjuna Ranatunge, Aravinda De Silva, Sanath Jayasuriya, Roshan Mahanama, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Chaminda Vass, Promodya Wickramasinghe, Upul Chandana, Hashan Tilakaratne, Eric Upashantha, Ruwan Kalpage, Don Arunasiri, Sanjeeva Ranatunge, Kumara Dharmasena and Tilan Samaraweera.

India from: Ajay Jadeja, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Abey Kuruwila, Savrau Ganguly, Srinath, Robin Singh, Nayan Mongia, Ajit Agarkar, D. Mohaanti, V. Prasad, M. Ramesh, N. Chopra, Abhay Khurasia.

Muralitharan takes 6-61 in Lancashire victory

LONDON, July 2 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan off-spinner took his haul of county championship wickets to 37 in just three matches with a six-wicket haul in Lancashire’s win over Essex at Old Trafford on Friday.

Essex, resuming at 33 for no wicket needing a further 268 for victory, were dismissed for 182 with Muralitharan taking six for 61 in 34.2 overs. That gave him match figures of 13 for 134.

Only opener Paul Grayson (76) put up any prolonged resistance as Essex went down by 118 runs.

At Maidstone second-placed Warwickshire lost vital ground in the title race as Kent completed their first win on home soil under skipper Matthew Fleming.

Fittingly, Fleming clinched the 91-run triumph by bowling last man Ed Giddens after off-spinner Mim Patel had taken six for 43, his best return of the season.

Worcestershire marked skipper Tom Moody’s return from World Cup duty with Australia by pulling off their third win of the season against Northamptonshire at Northampton.

Northants, set a target of 290, folded for 177 with Alamgir Sheriyar picking up three for 56 to become the first bowler this season to take 50 first-class wickets.

Leaders Surrey are well placed to beat Durham on the final day at The Oval where the bottom club closed at 32 for two, having been set a target of 366.

Jason Ratcliffe (91) and Ben Hollioake (71) were the leading scorers in Surrey’s second innings of 247 for six declared.

At Leicester, Yorkshire, bowled out for 52 in their first innings, trail champions Leicestershire by 111 with only five wickets remaining.

Darren Maddy, 85 not out overnight, carried his bat for 158 not out in boosting the home side’s first innings total to 297.

Derbyshire are poised for their first win at Lord’s since 1961 after reducing Middlesex to 221 for nine in their second innings, a lead of just 65.

Australia’s great orbit

by Srian Obeyesekere
The Carnival of Cricket is over. The dust has settled in London to an event that began quite un-carnival like, but wound its way in a way most fitting to cricket’s greatest extravaganza. In the final canter, Steve Waugh’s delicacy of skill and fortitude took Australia to one-day cricket’s highest orbit. Almost from rock bottom, though the final itself against Pakistan might have been an anti-climax. The bringing down of giant favourites South Africa in both their crucial meetings underscoring that not all that glitters in cricket turns to gold. Waugh’s effort after 12 long years since Australia’s 1987 success underlining his inextricable commitment to his country’s cricket.

Indeed, the damp cold conditions had given a cold outlook to the event from its very infancy. The luck of the toss of the coin was considered a captain’s blessing where none favoured batting first in humid English wickets that were expected to make life difficult for batsmen. Unlike the sub-continent technique and skill and not innovation were seen as a batsman’s forte to survival on ideally seaming wickets, mouth watering to swing bowlers.

Early slumber

In keeping with the seemingly wintry conditions, in what fittingly began with a slumber, teams kept fuelling their ambitions to stay in contention. From a Sri Lankan point of view, the defending champions ‘froze in the cold’ as the going got tough. It had been so from the word go itself, crushed by hosts England on the warpath buoyed by Skipper Alec Stewart’s brilliant 80 and a steaming Graeme Hick century. But as teams tumbled out in the canter to reach the Super Six, England lost its steam too not long after the Sri Lankans. A humiliating exit for the hosts for whom the allure of the cup was as never before, but as elusive as it had been in its 24-year long history. Its cricket in shambles, England must work back from scratch, and hunger another four years to realise an unfulfilled dream that must sound like touching quicksilver. Come to think of it does not cricket after all smack of ironies? Isn’t it a devils game after all? How many are howling for the heads of losing captains. Not only Arjuna Ranatunga of Sri Lanka, but Pakistan’s Wasim Akram and India’s Muhammed Azharuddin. The ire of the fans are on them. Rankled, effigies are burnt, though of course we are yet to hear of it in Sri Lanka though the two bordering sub-continent countries are notorious for it. Is this gratitude? Have not Ranatunga and Akram served their countries well?

Ranatunga still good as a batsman

Every wheel withers, and so it is with these two great men of cricket who have taken their respective countries to dizzy heights.But yet Ranatunga has much talent to accomplish himself as a batsman.

Unrealised dream

The new conquerors of one-day cricket are Australia. Neither England and more ironically or sadly South Africa who were the strong favourites have realised a long felt ambition any great cricketing nation aspires to reach. In comparison, little Sri Lanka, which does not have so much of an iota of cricket in terms of membership, should be thankful for small mercies. But then as gloriously uncertain is the game of cricket is the unceremonious exit of them that serve the game. Alteast in some parts of the globe. Didn’t the West Indians yell for the sacking of one of the all time greats who ever graced the stage-Sir Garfield Sobers when a declaration gamble misfired in the 1970s when India’s Sunil Gavaskar took India to an epoch win. Here, in Sri Lanka today, sadly an entire nation which took to the streets in an orgy of hero worshipping four years ago are crying foul of those very players who brought singular honour to their country. True, Ranatunga, Aravinda de Silva and at least four other members of the 1995-’96 World Cup winning team must surely be at the end of their thethers. But it is little gratitude for a bunch of cricketers who shed much sweat to put Sri Lanka on the global map in both Test and one-day cricket. Fail, they did badly this time, but as this famously ‘gentleman’s game’ goes, did they not play the game afterall?

A clout for Cricket

If this World Cup was dismal to Sri Lanka and some of the better known names in the game, the seventh edition in the contrary saw lesser known Zimbabwe and Bangladesh hone in their talents. If it was Steve Waugh’s vision and skill that stole the final thunder of it all, before that it was Alistair Campbell’s relatively unknown band of cricketers who stole the hearts of spectators. Their continuous stroll as Sri Lanka, England, India, West Indies among the giants fell on the wayside, was one of the high points of this World Cup. To single out individual brilliance, without a doubt opening batsman cum bowler, Neil Johnson cut a special niche. With his fine temperament and judgement in run making, Johnson underscored here was a star. His century against Pakistan and half century against Australia in front of him as credence among the many fruitful innings he played for Zimbabwe.

A shot in the arm for cricket is that both Zimbabwe and Bangladesh are set to infuse more competition on a world stage that is striving to give more clout to the game in the face of increasingly popular sports like soccer, rugger, tennis, golf and motor racing.

The blend of the East

If the championship began with a crawl, it was the passion of the East that lifted it to carnival heights from what earlier had lacked anythying of its type. The wild mixture of the cricket crazy Pakistanis and Indians that injected the big doses of a street festival atmosphere. In the build-up, as Pakistan continued its passage to the final, the painted faces, the open car blared music, of Pakistani youth shouting themselves hoarse lent an air of a small Pakistan in a land that is England in the humdrum.

Sri Lanka to re-build

As it is, this World Cup has at last carried the urgency for change in Sri Lankan cricket. Of course, the writing was on the wall and more than the players, the administration must take the blame for Sri Lanka’s disastrous showing. Apparently, it boils down to nothing having being done right despite colossal expenditure on coaches and so much of know how. Serious selection blunders were made. The question asked by many Sri Lankan expatriates in London was, "where is Avishka Gunawardena and Suresh Perera? Clearly, the selectors had ostracized a vital element-young blood. Even the two tested and tried youngsters in the squad-Upul Chandana and Mahela Jayawardene were played sparingly.

The return of Sri Lankan born Australian coach, Davnell Whatmore is looked upon by Sri Lankans today as a mercy mission. The burly, former Australian Test cricketer to come out as a coach of the Australian Cricket Academy, most Sri Lankans feel will be the doctor to put the house in order. And already, Whatmore, has responded positively and sought a swift release from English county Lancashire to put Sri Lanka back on the road. A coach from the school of modern technology, Whatmore is well versed to deliver the goods. However, he will need to be given a good crop of youngsters and in this direction the newly appointed selection committee headed by Sidat Wettimuny will have to get on with the job right away. In appointing a captain and vice captain for the forthcoming home series agaisnt Australia, the selectors will have to look positively in the long term.

Encouragingly, there is oozing talent at hand. Our school structure is considered one of the best in the world. As it is many youngesters have been tapping on the door for recognition. Some of the promising players are the exciting right hand batsmen, Indika de Saram, Naveed Nawaz, a powerful strokemaker, Pradeep Hewage who captained Sri Lanka at the Youth World Cup last year in South Africa, Suresh Perera, Avishka Gunawardena, Ruchira Perera, Mario Villavarayan and Russel Arnold among several others. De Saram, who as a schoolboy, struck a treble century, has shown good temperament against visiting foreign second string teams having scored fifties against the South African ‘A’ XI and West Indian XI.

Sri Lankan cricket is set for a new journey.

Army maul Havelocks

by Althaf Nawaz
Army SC went on a rampage with spectacular 40 points( 3 goals, 2 tries, 3 penalties) to 22 ( 2 goals, a try and a penalty) win over Havelocks SC in their inter-club rugby encounter at Longden Place yesterday. At breather winners led 25-3.

After close 7-6 win in the first leg, Army ruggerites displayed some excellent game rugby with a total control over the Park club. Havies had little to offer and they completely out smarted by their rivals in all departments. Army had shown a tremendous improvement in the recent past with the assistanee of the foreign coach. Their skills were far superior and the half time score line speaks their improvement.

Army put their points through a penalty by Nimal Wijesiri. This was followed by a try off a superb three quarter move when Ajith Peiris dashed through the Havies defence to touch down by left corner flag. Wijesiri missed the conversion.

Army second try came through hooker B. M. Dharmapala who planted under the post off maul. Dharmapala scored once again, this time off a forwards move which Wijesiri added the extra points.

Nalin Dissanayake put over a penalty for Havies to make the score line 25-3 at "Lemons".

Havelocks put up a much more improved performance but their efforts went a begging as Army bounced back to seal the game convincingly. The remaining points for Army came through two tries scored by Rajapakse, Kapila Knolton while Wijesiri goaled one try while converting two more penalties.

For losers, Janaka Abeysekere, Sanjeewa Jayasinghe twice scored the tries while Nalin Dissanayake goaled the try and converted the penalty.

Dilroy Fernando refereed.

Meanwhile in another match Kandy defeated Police 33-22 at Police Park yesterday.

HNB take Merc. ‘B’ Div. cricket title

By Dhammika Ratnaweera
Hatton National Bank emerged Mercantile ‘B’ Division champions when they defeated East West Information System by 80 runs in the final concluded at the P. Sara Stadium yesterday.

Sent in to bat, HNB rattled up a formidable 247 for 8 wickets in their allotted 50 overs. East West needing 4.95 runs per over, could not muster the HNB bowlers as they were bowled out for 167 with 8.5 overs to spare.

HNB’s victory was built on two fine knocks by skipper Chaminda Handunnettige (54) and Nilan de Silva (65). De Silva’s attractive knock contained eight fours and a five which earned him the ‘Man of the Match’ award. East West’s most successful bowler was Nisitha Rupasinghe who had figures of 4 wickets for 41 runs.

When East West batted, Malika Hunukumbura was their mainstay with a fighting half century but lacked support from the rest of the batsmen. Wendal Labrooy Manoj Perera and Malintha Warnapura shared six wickets between them.

The tournament was sponsored by HNB and its Managing Director, Rienzie Wijeratne, who is also President of the Interim Cricket Board, was the Chief Guest and gave away the awards. HNB Deputy General Manager Chandula Abeywickrema and Chrisantha Obeyesekere and MCA President, Gihan Siribaddana, Tournament Committee Chairman, Basil Perera also graced the match.

Chief Scores:

HNB 247/8 wkts. in 50 overs. (Damitha Hunukumbura 17, Chaminda Handunnettige 54, Nilan de Silva 65, Varuna Waragoda 10, Roshan Jaymon 17, Malintha Warnapura 28, Wendal Labrooy 11, Nisitha Rupasinghe 4/41).

East West Information Systems 167 all out in 43.1 overs. (Sanjeev Umagiliya 13, Malika Hunukumbura 50, Laknath Fernando 18, Esala Ekanayake 11, Chaminda Boteju 11, Nisitha Rupasinghe 17 n.o., Wendal Labrooy 2/35, Manoj Perera 2/24, Malintha Warnapura 2/42).

The rise and fall of Arjuna Reich — Part II

By Krishantha Wijebandara
The decimation of Arjuna Ranatunga’s image has grieved many Sri Lankans who had been living in cities for more than 2,500 years. The fact that we were city dwellers long before the people of most of the other countries who play cricket speaks volumes of our culture. The noblest examples of our culture was when we were taught from the day that we were able to perceive things our tradition of gratitude beginning from the day that Lord Buddha spent one week repaying the indebtedness to the Esathu Tree.

When Arjuna and the administrators kicked the pants of Dav Whatmore a few cricket loving members of the public showed their feelings by writing to the press, at the time when this catastrophe occurred. Today we see the picture of the former President of the Cricket Board, Mr. Upali Dharmadasa, stating that the decision of the interim board to invite Whatmore was the best thing that happened to Sri Lankan cricket forgetting the fact he with Thilanga Sumathipala was responsible for ousting Ana Punchihewa and subsequently throwing the towel at Whatmore. As if the reinstatement of Whatmore is the panacea for all the ills that they had jointly perpetrated of Sri Lankan cricket.

The karma of ingratitude has fallen on the lap of Arjuna Ranatunga. He compared Whatmore to a lump of foreign faeces. Now the Sri Lankan public has no epithets to compare Arjuna Ranatunga too. A respected Judge of the Court of Appeal has said that Arjuna should be called not as ‘Captain Cool’ but as ‘Captain Fool’. As Lord Buddha said the wheel of ‘sansara chakra’ is eternally turning on its axis. Even the great Arjuna Ranatunga cannot escape it.

We must ask ourselves whether the Sri Lankan Buddhist majority expect to treat Arjuna this way. Let us ponder a while. Those media advisors closest to the President has carried out a virulent media campaign against him. What have they given us except false promises, broken pledges and the country heading towards disaster faster than the fastest ball delivered by Shohaib Akthar.

We have read in our history books about that glorious past. We have been told that the Sigiriya frescos are the best in the world. We have been told about the citadel of Sigiriya. We have been told of the great war between Dutugemunu and Elara. But when we venture out to the world we come to know that frescos at Ajantha and Ellore in India and later the frescos in the Sistine Chapel by Michaelangelo were infinitely greater works of art and the ruins of Egypt could not be compared to the ruined cities of Anuradhapura or Polonnaruwa. They have been built almost 4000 years ago and the grandeur of the art and the structure and the architecture belittles anyone who speaks of the ruins of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa as great achievements.

Similarly the battle between King Dutugemunu and King Elara could hardly be called a battle, when we learn of the great Punic wars between Rome and Carthage which had lasted over 100 years. Grudgingly we have to accept this truth unless you are a paranoid patriot. We have very few scientists or artists who had made any contribution to the world. It is symptomatic that Encyclopedia Britannica which is considered by many as the foremost Encyclopedia in the world has only a few pages devoted to Sri Lanka and a fewer columns to our achievements.

With the realization that our past has not been as glorious as most historians try to depict, the present is enveloped in a pall of gloom. Thousands are being killed in a war where there are no victors but only the vanquished. Those who castigate Arjuna Ranatunga for having taken our cricketers into an abyss of gloom has failed to realize that if the accusers did their part of the job we would have averted the gloom and avoided the imminent doom. It was to a country and to a people that had no victories that Arjuna Ranatunga and his band of maligned cricketers brought the happiest living moments to millions of Sri Lankans ravaged, devastated by war and by politicians who have now become the main accusers of Arjuna Ranatunga & Co.

It is balderdash to say that Whatmore introduced the game plan of sending Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana to open batting and hit over the in-field. It was the invention of Duleep Mendis, the Sri Lankan coach at that time.

Today effigies of Wasim Akram are burnt in Pakistan. The Pakistan Government had to employ crack Commando Squads to protect the few Pakistani cricketers who returned home after the World Cup final. The Pakistan tabloids carried twelve point banner headlines depicting how the Pakistani cricket team sold the final for Four Hundred million Pakistani Rupees. Wasim Akram’s mother had appealed to the public not to believe such outlandish accusations. The report of the committee headed by a Supreme Court Judge to inquire into allegations of match fixing is to be released soon. A special team of crack detectives who successfully inquired previously into the allegations of massive financial frauds by the Bhutto family is now being commissioned to inquire into the allegations involving Pakistani cricketers. But even the hardest critic of Arjuna Ranatunga has never even in a frenzy claimed that Arjuna was involved in match fixing or selling his national cricket team for a few million dollars.

It was well known that during the last World Cup there were these agents who strived to have a hold on Sri Lankan cricket by buying them for a few million rupees. It was the stubborn aggressive and utterly patriotic pot-bellied Arjuna Ranatunga who would stand as a monolith preventing those leached from bribing our cricketers. Now it is apparent with all allegations against the major teams of the world, Sri Lanka under the captaincy of Arjuna Ranatunga emerged unscathed. We fought the Australians and devoured the kangaroo completely. Arjuna Ranatunga was its head and the team was its body. The lion was tamed and trained to do the most difficult acrobatic stance of holding a sword with one of its paws by Sri Lankan born Whatmore and Duleep Mendis.

In one of the most outstanding and beautiful books written about the 1996 World Cup by a celebrated journalist called Mike Marqusee titled, War minus the Shooting’ ‘’I needed a Sri Lankan victory to make this exhausting, gripping, confusing World Cup experience cohere into a whole. It was a bizarrely metaphysical notion and an example of the kind of sociopathic cricket mania that I had been dispassionately analyzing as I criss-crossed the sub-continent. Back in England I had predicted in print and on the air that Sri Lanka would win the Cup. Still, they were no more than an outside bet and intriguing long shot. I backed them more out of perversity than perspicacity. Now to my amazement, they were in the finals. In my years as a political activist I hadn’t had the good fortune to pick winners and in recent days I have found myself dreaming what it would be like to come out on top, for once. To be vindicated, I was asking a lot of Arjuna Ranatunga’s team. Unfortunately, an Australian victory was the most likely outcome. The book-makers made them favourites, as they had throughout the tournament and you couldn’t blame them. Australia had won 23 of their 33 one day meetings with Sri Lanka. Their depth of bowling and batting and their well-grilled fielding, their pugnacity made them awesome opponents. What’s more no host nation had ever won the World cup. Although this was Pakistan; Sri Lanka was one of the three co-hosts of the tournament and qualified for the jinx. So even as I kept telling everyone that Sri Lanka would win the Cup I really did not believe it.’’

This is how the 16th of March 1996 became to me the greatest day in Sri Lankan history. Others may disagree. To me it was a day that brought unbelievable happiness to millions of souls. The ecstatic joy of being at the Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore and witnessing the Cup final would come only once in this Sansara said a friend of mine. This is how Mike Marqusee narrates that glorious moment. ‘’The crowds clapped in rhythm. Building in crescendo as McGrath ran into bowl, Ranatunga ended the match by repeating the stroke with which he had got off the mark, gliding the ball with minimum effort to third man for four. A reminder of the relaxed hedonism of Sri Lankan cricket at its best. Clearly Ranatunga remained a man who believed you could run when you could walk.

The ninety-seven run match winning shared by De Silva and Ranatunga was a masterpiece of cricket. Together they had outwitted Taylor, nullified Warne and made the seven-wicket victory look easier than it was. In this low scoring battle of nerves it was notoriously hard competitors, the Australians who had cracked first while the Sri Lankans just kept playing cricket. Ignoring the sledging that has distracted them in the past, the Lankan middle-order batsmen kept their minds on the target. They made errors. There were alarms. But after every mishap they picked themselves up, brushed themselves off and got on with their accustomed game’’.

When we witness the replays of the most momentous moment of Sri Lankan cricket it looks bereft of any errors, mistakes. Bob Woolmer of South Africa as their cricketing coach went to the extent of planting a transmitter in the right ear lobe of captain Hansi Cronje to receive instructions. He made the cricketers a disciplined professional unit. The regimentation of the South African cricketers, was so gruelling that it pained them more than giving them pleasure. Every ball of every bowler of the opposing team had been fed into the micro computer with software engineers helping Woolmer to precisely instruct how to face bowlers of the opposing camp. Pakistanis had the correct balance in the team. It had veterans of the calibre of Akram, Malik and Ahamed together with novices Razzak and Affridi. Under Akram they seem to grow in glory. The sixes that Moin Khan lofted were unbelievable. The Sri Lankan team in 1996 was nowhere in comparison to the present day South African team or the Pakistan team. This World Cup Lance Klusner was the player of the tournament. To me he finally ended up as a destroyer of years of hard work in a moment of lunacy. He ran for his dear life, then towards the pavilion taking away the aspirations of millions of South Africans. Similarly the manner in which Pakistanis played at the final was worse than what you witness at a benefit match. The errors they made and the alarms they sounded cracked them into smithereens. The South Africans and the Pakistanis crushed the hopes of many a million. Therefore watching the Sri Lankans winning the World Cup now becomes a greater glory than happened in 1996. We have come closer to the event and learned the game. When Mrs. Bhutto handed over the World Cup to Arjuna Ranatunga the Islamic invocation Allah-Illah Allah-Illah reverberted at the Gadaffi Stadium. The hopes of the Pakistanis were dashed. The accusation became rife. Winning the World Cup is a lifetime event. The glory with which the team shines would be written into the soul of every single cricketer. I do not believe in that Pakistan sold the world cup for a few million dollars, but have reservations about the other matches. Over 150,000 thronged the Melbourne streets to welcome the team that brought the cup to the nation. I believe Pakistanis and South Africans cracked as there was no de Silva or Ranatunga who played naturally when they were batting, to take them to ultimate glory in the cricketing world.

Therefore even in defeat we should never forget the glorious moments that Arjuna Ranatunga was able to deliver to us. The rotten state of affairs that brought the cricketing administration and the cricketers to this pitiful predicament should be borne by every cricketing club that made the first decisive action to make us suffer the ignominy of being bundled out from the preliminary round. Mike Marqusee prophesied the ensuing doom soon after we won the world cup. This is how Mike Marqusee recounts the beginning of the end of Sri Lankan cricket after the World Cup victory. ‘’I was watching the all Sri Lanka ‘ladies club cricket final’ at the venerable Colombo Cricket grounds when the startling news came from the Cricket Board’s Annual General Meeting, Ana Punchihewa had failed to secure a second term as President. In a bitter contest in which money was said to have changed hands, he had been defeated by Upali Dharmadasa a businessman who had distributed Sri Lankan flags at Lahore (and provided 80 bottles of champagne to cricketers, officials, journalists and hangers-on travelling on the Air Lanka flight to Colombo)’’ Dharmadasa’s father was a timber merchant who has amassed a fortune under the post 1977-UNP governments of which he was a staunch supporter. The contest was close: 63 votes to 58. Dharmadasa owed his margin of victory to the surprising support he received from Punchihewa’s former power-base the provincial ‘outstation’ associations. I was astonished when I heard the news, less than a fortnight after presiding over the World Cup triumph, and in spite of the universally positive publicity he had received in the foreign media.

Punchihewa the very model of the modern corporate manager, had fallen victim to the old political chicanery. Apparently, it was business as usual at the Sinhalese Sports Club. I should not have been taken by surprise. Winning the World Cup has enhanced the commercial and political value of Sri Lankan cricket many times over. The competition for the spoils was bound to become more intense. Human rights activists I spoke to believed that Sri Lankan cricket would now lose its last shreds of innocence. ‘We are a society that apes others’ she said. ‘First we ape the English gentry. Now we will start aping the Indian nouveaux riches’’.

The inner strength, the innocence, was thrown out of the windows by the administrators that took over from Ana Punchihewa. Upali Dharmadasa became the President and Thilanga Sumathipala became the Vice President for their survival Arjuna Ranatunga became the monolithic pivot. Arjuna did not know that he was cutting the grass under his own feet. As the Cuban President Fidel Castro often said ‘’he is destroying by his feet the edifice he built with his own hands’’. (Part III next week).

Richmond vs All Saints College 1899

A. C. Edwards acknowledged to be the safest and soundest bat of the Galle CC between the years 1886 and 1904. We can never forget his remarkably broad hat, his unperturbed and leisurely walk to the wickets and his unconcerned return to the pavilion after gathering at least a half-century on every occasion. He was the terror of Richmond College and its supporters in the great annual encounter between that College and All Saint’ which fixture used to arouse tremendous enthusiasm on the part of everybody in Galle up to about 1906. In those days, masters too, used to play in the inter-collegiate matches and mainly owing to Edwards’ efforts, All Saints won every match between 1886 and 1898. He used to go in first and generally return last to the pavilion. I remember the match played in 1899 when Richmond scored a glorious victory by an innings after a series of defeats. J. E. Perera, late of St. Thomas’ College and presently of Bentota, captained the team and played a classic innings of 62 not out. Edwards went in and to the great relief of the Richmondians, he failed to come off in both innings! I remember shouting myself hoarse when he was dismissed. Alfred G. Nicholas, who was a member of the Richmond Staff, was the recognised ‘Poet-laureate’ of the South. His compositions were really high-class and he used to contribute to many papers and magazines. He immortalised the victory by composing a beautiful song entitled ‘Winning the Toss’ which was set to music by the revered Principal, Mr. J. H. Darrell and sung by the College Eleven at the concert given at the end of the term. I beg the reader’s pardon for reproducing the verse which refers to A. C. Edwards and the chorus:—

Alack! the day for Edwards’ game,
That cricketer of ancient fame;
He’s in, the field is put about,
Both innings see him shortly out!

Chorus:

So here’s to Captain and to crew,
To bowler, batsman, fieldsman, too,
We score away our previous loss,
Thanks to our Captain and the Boss.

Richmond College Masters’ CC vs Galle CC

Other than the Galle CC the only other men’s club of any distinction was the Richmond College Masters’ CC which was inaugurated in 1908 at a time when the College Staff included at least twelve really first-class cricketers, ably led by Revd. W. J. T. Small who had won his colours at his College, Gonville and Caius, Cambridge. This club achieved remarkable success and in its triumphal progress, successively lowered the Colours of all the prominent clubs in the Southern Province, including the Galle CC, the Matara CC, then captained by that stalwart ‘son of Anak’, W. L. Kindersley and the Combined Colleges’ Team, so that these pedagogues were hailed in the press as the undisputed champions of South Ceylon. Their team included Rev. Small, E. F. C. Ludowyk, G. R. A. Fernando, H. Mant, G. AA. F. Senaratne, J. Vincent Mendis, Blum Soerts, Capt. A. A. Dias Abeysinghe, A. R. Seneviratne, A. W. Dissanayake, George Amarasinghe, C. W. W. Kannangara, F. A. de S. Adihetty and the writer most of whom would have done credit to any First-Class Club team in Colombo. I remember this club registering a total of 300 for three wickets against the full strength of the Galle CC minus of course those of us who were members of both clubs, such men naturally throwing in their lot with the College Staff. In this memorable game, Small and Mant scored a century each, the former 110 and the latter 140 not out. The Galle club was beaten by an innings. The Masters’ CC deserves special commendation because, in my opinion, this club gave a great impetus to the game in the South at a time when such a reawakening was necessary owing to the lull that then prevailed. The Galle CC was not as alive as it should have been, no matches were played with out-station clubs either at home or away and, generally speaking cricket was then at a very low ebb. The Masters’ CC appeared at such a time and infused spirit and enthusiasm into the game, defeated all possible clubs in the province and administered an innings’ defeat to the Wesley College Staff which was a powerful combination. I remember the match in 1909 when the Masters’ Colours were on the point of being lowered by the Galle CC. There was keen rivalry in this particular game. The Town club had already been beaten more than once and this time its members were determined to do or die in the attempt to retrieve the honour of their historic club. The Galle CC team was one of the strongest that ever battled for her including M. S. Gooneratne, J. Ludovici, A. A. Sourjah, B. J. Ohlmus, J. E. Ludowyk, Ardin Ousman, A. S. Jayawickrama and D. M. Moreira. they had taken first knock and scored 155 runs. It was a half day match, play having commenced at 1 p.m. this score was not beyond the reach of the Masters who commenced their essay with the utmost confidence. the glorious uncertainties of cricket intervened after about an hour’s play when a rot set in and 9 wickets were down for only 96. E. F. C. Ludowyk was then at his best and he was not out with 9 runs when George Amarasinghe, the humorist of the team, whipped in. We had all given up hopes of victory.

The supporters of the Galle CC were jubilant. We were naturally sad, as we were about to taste our first defeat. But lo! and behold!! Amarasinghe, who was not expected to survive a ball, scored a lucky ‘one’ by an accidental sneak to short leg and Ludowyk crossed over. The letter began to bat as he had never done before and will never do again. It was a wonderful exhibition of batting. A cut here for 4, a leg glance there for 4, an off drive for 4, a beefy hit to long-on for 4, etc. and a single off the last ball of every over invariably! It was really a glorious performance. A complete transformation had come over the game, our score was rising by leaps and bounds and soon 120, 130, 140 and even 150 appeared on the score board amidst the frenzied enthusiasm of the College supporters. I remember the weary and worn and sad Small of half-an-hour ago metamorphosed into an excited, red-faced and boisterous partisan, changing his quiet seat into a standing position on a bench and cheering for all his worth till his palms were sore as the score was nearing the 150. All the time, mirabile dictum. Amarasinghe, (or, shall I say, we!) had the good fortune to face only one ball and this circumstance was undoubtedly our salvation! The winning hit was given, 160 was reached and as there was only one more ball to complete the over, Ludowyk faced that, too, like the hero he was. This proved his undoing as he was caught on the boundary line off that last ball. The match had been won, 60 runs had been scored for the last wicket and it was one of the finest victories I have ever seen gained by any side. As the two heroes walked into the Pavilion, they were cheered to the echo. Many were the congratulations showered on them. Ludowyk was beaming with smiles; so were we all. To our surprise, however, George Amarasinghe alone appeared to be morose, grumpy and long-faced! He threw away the bat in a temper and would not join in the hilarity. I questioned him as to his inexplicable attitude and out the answer came in thundering tones like a bolt from the blue: I was just getting into form when that rascal (pointing to Ludowyk) got out!!!

Richmond College Masters CC vs.CCC

The Richmond Masters’ CC were now without rivals and looked for new worlds to conquer. In 1909 Greswell arrived in Ceylon with a great reputation as one of the very best of England’s bowlers, and right well did he maintain the fame that had proceeded him. Perhaps he was the best bowler that we ever had in Ceylon as a permanent resident. The C.C.C. star was soon in the ascendant. Greswell became a terror to all our leading batsmen in the other first class clubs, the majority of whom were suffering from "Greswellitis." The European Club went on from strength to strength, and successively inflicted defeats on all the first-class clubs in Colombo. The S.S.C., The N.C.C. The Colts and the rest of them, all went down, fighting of course! Greswell used to open the bowling and the necessity had so far never arisen to change him in any one innings. It was a matter of 10 or 12 overs and the trick was done. Clubs like the S.S.C., N.C.C., the Colts being bundled out for a meagre 30 or 40. Bowling analyses such as follow amply prove the truth of my statement :— 9 for 44 vs. The Nondescripts, 9 for 26 vs. the Malay C.C. 8 for 7 vs. The S.S.C., 8 for 13 vs. the Colts etc.,

The C.C.C. this year (1910) were easily the champions of the Metropolis, having won every match against first class sides, mainly through the wonderful bowling of Greswell. It was just at this time that a happy, though an ambitious idea, struck me. I was the Secretary of the Masters’ C.C. and with the full concurrence of my colleagues, I decided to throw out a challenge to the Colombo champions, as we had deservedly gained the title of Champions of South - Ceylon during three consecutive years. M. S. Gooneratne, whose guidance and assistance in regard to such matters I always sought, was let into the secret of my intention. We had some talk over the matter, and although he did not discourage me, yet he made me indirectly realise that it was very unlikely that the C.C.C. would accept our challenge for several reasons, one of them being the fact of the C.C.C. not playing whole-day matches in those days against any clubs other than the D.M.C., C.D.A.C.C., and the Up-country team. nothing daunted, I took my courage in both hands, and wrote a decent letter to the Secretary of the C.C.C. My delight was indescribable when, within 3 days of my letter, I received a most courteous and encouraging reply from Lieut. Col. E. O. Mackwood (then Lieut.) the then Hon. Secretary of the C.C.C., cordially accepting our challenge to play the 1st match in Colombo, and offering us another date for a return match at Galle. I need hardly say that the Masters C.C. set to work at once in dead earnest and carefully trained and prepared themselves for the fray. I remember getting up regularly by 5.30 a.m. before the boarders were up, repairing to the College grounds with two stumps, accompanied by my friend G. R. A. Fernando, fixing these stumps and keeping on "pagging away" at either end, G. R. A. and I, for about half an hour!

This was done regularly for about three weeks before the great encounter, and I need hardly say that we noticed a considerable improvement both in the length, pace, and break of our bowling. We used to open bowling for our club, as well as for the Galle Club the, and we understood each other to a nicely, so much so, that G.R.A. would refuse to bowl unless I was "short-slip" for him! Eventually, to make a long story short, we went up to Colombo and the spin of the coin being in our favour, we elected to bat at 10 a.m. on a Saturday. Our "Galilean" fame had reached the Metropolis for we noticed quite a large crowd even at 10 a.m. a crowd that swelled to several hundreds towards the afternoon. It was Ludowyk again who set the "ball-a-rolling". He with Dissanayaka opened confidently by stepping Ludowyk who, however, was soon caught in the outfield off the other bowler. I filled the breach, and a likely partnership ensued between G.R.A. and myself, the score reaching 180 before I was caught behind the stumps off S.E. Grant-Cook who had been put on in desperation after six bowlers had been tried. A remarkable thing happened in this game. Greswell was changed for the first time since his arrival in Ceylon after he had obtained 1 solitary wicket, for a 100 runs! He was however put on again towards the end and his final analysis read 5 for 130, which stood as his worst performance with the leather for over a decade.

The bowling was completely collared and severely punished by almost every member of the team. A record total of 295 before lunch time was established towards which the writer had the satisfaction of contributing 76 while G. R. A. Fernando made 60, Blum Soerts 40, Small 28, and George Senaratne 25. I believe this total of 295 made between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. is still a record in a first class game, while it is certainly a record for the C.C.C. ground. When the C.C.C. commenced their essay at 2 p.m. none of us dreamt that they would approach our total as we possessed a strong bowling and fielding side. W. E. M. Patterson (the captain) and R. H. Williams, who opened the home innings, however, made things hum for us by batting magnificently and defying all our ingenuity. 100 was telegraphed in as many minutes without the loss of a wicket and without the semblance of a chance on the part of either batsman. I remember coming on to bowl for the third time and disturbing the off bail of Patterson with a slow curler at 121. He retired with 62 to his credit, but our troubles had by no means ended. Williams was dismissed shortly after for 60. Almost every batsman laid on the wood to good effect so that the score rose rapidly. Greswell made amends for his comparative failure in bowling by playing perhaps his fines innings in Ceylon and rattling up 70 in no time. I will never forget the hit (the biggest I have seen on the C.C.C. ground) made by him off H. Mant. The ball appeared to soar in to the sky till it looked no bigger than an egg. It was a long on hit from the pavilion end "beautifully timed" and executed with great power. Going diagonally well over the hang, and other trees close to the N.C.C. pavilion, the ball dropped far out on the N.C.C. ground. I have seldom seen a hit go so high and yet so far.

The excitement was intense when the C.C.C. score had reached 240 for 5 wickets with only 45 minutes to go. It was at this stage that the visitors gave a remarkable exhibition of determination and magnificent fielding which was specially commented upon by the press, including the "Ceylon Sportsman", the only Sunday paper at that time. The final stages were reminiscent of keen inter-collegiate cricket, four wickets fell in 40 minutes, the total being 265. The last man whipped in with 31 runs to make to win or 5 minutes, to play out time and make the game a draw. When the total reached 270, however, and there were only two minutes to go, the Galle champions secured the wicket and thereby a glorious victory. The papers acclaimed the Southern Province players as a great all round side, and as men who taught the Metropolitan cricketers how to play Greswell. The total of 565 in a first-class game is, I believe, a record for a one-day match in Ceylon. At any rate, I am certain that this total is a record for the C.C.C. ground I need not give the details in the return game played at Galle the same year, but it is a remarkable fact that the masters triumphed again, this time by an innings, G. R. A. Fernando contributing a beautifully compiled 83, the highest score made up to that date against Greswell, displacing the 76 made by the writer just 6 months previously. In 1912 the Masters’ Club suffered defeat at the hands of the C.C.C. on the later’s ground. After doing so remarkably well for about 6 or 7 years, this club, too, so far, at least, as cricket was concerned, more or less ceased to exist, primarily because most of the cricketing members left for fresh fields and pastures new.

This game we love so much has been truly described as ‘the finest game the wit of man has devised.’ May the true spirit of cricket prevail in all our encounters, both in and off the field. We do not often realise the important bearing cricket, played in the proper spirit, has on the formation of character. A certain English writer said once that cricket has become an Imperial asset. I should go further and say that it is a national asset and even a family asset. Its code of ethics and of honour is so high that the expression ‘It is not cricket’ is commonly used in regard to any line of action or human conduct that is not perfectly straight, upright, and above board. — Ruhunu Puthra

WINNERS want injustice tackled
German soccer coach calls for level playing field

By Suresh Perera
Amidst the chaos and disorder which attempt to intervene to mar his stay in Sri Lanka, the genial doctor smiles....

As founder president and coach of the Negombo ‘Winners Football Club’, life has been excruciating for Dr. Uwe Ludt, a key foreign investor and a professional football coach. In this resplendent island, as the tourist brochures proudly describe it, impediments are a tradition it seems, as the infinite battle for survival rages on.

Notwithstanding the turmoil, Sri Lanka is close to his heart. ‘People here are kind and understanding, but a callous officialdom coupled with frustrating red-tape is the country’s bane’, he underscored.

From Germany he came long years back, fell in love and married Ruwina, a beautiful local lass and made our country his home.

The good doctor certainly didn’t look forward to advanced European standards in place here, but he expected officialdom to be more sensitive to human problems. To put it in a nutshell, ‘they must do everything within their authority to ease the agony without making life more difficult for everyone’, he says.

The colourful character that he is, Ludt holds a business administration doctorate from a Russian university and a coaching license from the Federation Internationale De Football Associations (FIFA). Diverse are his business interests here and among them is a consultancy company to attract foreign investors to Sri Lanka.

‘I love to stay in this beautiful country, but why this gross discrimination to a foreign guest who has dumped lakhs of rupees out of his personal funds to develop sports in Negombo?’, he queried.

Since the formation of ‘Winners Football Club’ in 1997 accreditation to the Negombo League was denied, but after the media intervened, affiliation was granted to the Wennappuwa league. There are certain external elements influencing the authorities to marginalise us’, he claimed.

Dr. Ludt is determined to fight it to the last. ‘Whatever I am trying to secure is all for this club and its players who are talented poor Sri Lankan youths. It’s for their welfare that I have made these sacrifices’, he observed.

There are more than 20,000 football clubs in Germany and around 6 million players of this exciting game. ‘In my motherland, every possible incentive is extended to sporting activities as a healthy body creates a healthy mind’. Producing a voluminous file brimming with correspondence, he lamented that this was the outcome of the innumerable attempts to secure ‘what’s legitimately ours’, after the club was started.

In a letter sent to the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) last week, Dr. Ludt says ‘since 1997, all our efforts to play soccer were ignored by officials and the hundreds of letters, reminders, telephone calls and faxes had failed to produce results in every respect’.

Despite all the impediments, this internationally-recognised German coach will not compromise to let down his players. Perhaps, he feels that’s being unsporty.

‘The way Sri Lankans play cricket here, I took to football back in Germany when I was just eight years old. If sports is eclipsed, youths tend to get crazy ideas which should be shunned at any cost’, he pointed out.

‘Sports inculcates discipline and fair-play and I feel that your country can do better with an expansion of this vital segment’, Dr. Ludt noted.

But the hurdles in the sphere of sports in Sri Lanka, particularly football, are many so much so that it’s a disincentive to those trying to promote and develop the games, he maintained.

‘It was a virtual battle to secure the required ‘players cards’ for my team. The authorities were sitting on it and after an agonising wait, they sent them across, but to my utter disbelief one player had been left out. How can we play a tournament when one of the promising youths is off the field and had been cruelly transformed into a heart-broken spectator?’, he asked.

Explanations and excuses are diverse, but surely if a member of a team had earlier played for a another club, his ‘players card’ can be invalidated and a fresh one issued instead of penalising him in this unjustifiable manner? This kills the spirit of a sportsman. If there is no legal binding, why cannot a player opt to join another club of his choice, which is perfectly democratic?’, Ludt queried.

The ‘Winners’ team is better equipped than most provincial players of other clubs. Their sports gear had been brought from Germany by Dr. Ludt. ‘I bought these pairs for the boys on my return this time’, the affable doctor said unveiling an array of colourful football boots.

‘This has caused jealousy in certain quarters. These are poor village youths who cannot afford much. I look after their needs and even pay their medical bills. You can be rest assured that none of these boys will do anything crazy. They are disciplined, tough sportsmen,’ he declared proudly.

The ‘Winners’ team has lived up to its reputation having bagged the ‘Nutans’, ‘Muharram’, ‘Prasanna Ranatunge’, ‘Winners Christmas’, ‘GA office, Negombo’ and ‘Winners Poson’ soccer trophies.

As the team was ultimately affiliated to the Wennappuwa league, it involved time, energy and expenditure on travelling. ‘We are based here, but entry to the Negombo league was denied to us. The reason for this is an open secret’, he asserted.

‘At times I ask myself whether I should call it a day in keeping with the advice of my close friends because it seems officialdom is so insensitive and indifferent towards a bonafide endeavour to give provincial sports a boost. But, as in sports, we must be able to smile in the face of defeat and never say die’, Dr. Ludt stressed.

In sheer desperation, his football club has decided not to participate in any Wennappuwa league tournaments or the FA Cup. ‘We have no choice but to play our own friendly matches’, he pointed out.

He lamented that the FFSL had even declined to give him official recognition as the coach of the club he founded.

‘We are making a concerted effort to sort out these issues without any bias or prejudice’, assured Anton Jeyanathan, Executive Officer, FFSL.

‘In fact I called for the papers and the matter was referred to the Exco at which it was decided to place it before the disciplinary committee as there is a dispute between two clubs’, Jeyanathan said.

An inquiry will be held shortly and the Exco will then take a decision taking into account the recommendations made. The Players Status Committee will also be present. ‘We don’t want to take the side of anybody. We want to be fair and just to all concerned’, he added.

Anton Jeyanathan, a widely respected police official took over as Executive Officer, FFSL in May this year following his retirement as DIG after a career spanning 40 years.

Prior to the formation of ‘Winners’, Dr. Ludt had coached Don Bosco in Negombo. It’s a breakaway group which led to the creation of his club, he said.

Asked whether players no longer enjoyed the right to cross over to a club of their choice, Jeganathan said they can certainly do that, but there is a procedure involved.

He pointed out that the youth in question had not been given his ‘players card’ by FFSL because the club for which he played earlier had placed him under suspension and hence not issued the required ‘release letter’.

‘How can they suspend a 19-year-old player for three years when there was no money or the signing of a contract involved?’, Dr. Ludt questioned.

European soccer clubs impose a maximum suspension of one year, but where young players are concerned, as in this case, they avoid even such suspensions to a great extent, Ludt asserted.

‘If it comes to the worst, I am contemplating legal action on behalf of this poor boy who has been left out’, he warned.

We are bound by procedures and cannot extend fresh accreditation to a player without a ‘release letter’ from his club as there may be contracts and other obligatory factors involved, the FFSL Executive Officer explained.

‘Winners’ was not denied entry to the Negombo league but was advised to keep away from it at least till the matter was sorted out as the other club concerned was also part of that league, he clarified.

‘We must get over petty prejudices and club affiliations. The FFSL, under the guidance of its president Manilal Fernando, is making every endeavour to develop soccer in this country. This is a poor mans’ game. In cricket and rugger, there are private firms to ‘grab’ players and make them executives, Jeyanathan said.

On FFSL not accrediting Dr. Ludt as the coach of his club, he said the documentation submitted was incomplete. This will also be examined.

He reassured that the problems confronting Dr. Ludt’s ‘Winners’ will be gone into and justice meted out as both parties will be summoned for the disciplinary committee inquiry to follow.

‘That’s great news. I am ready to present my case and I hope this agony will end’, Ludt said.

Director of Don Bosco, Fr. Anthony H. Pinto said he is prepared to issue the ‘release letters’ if such a request is made ‘decently and in the proper way’.

‘I have nothing against anybody, but there is a way of asking for these letters. Afterall, these boys grew up here and I was their Father. They can come and ask me and I am prepared to give it to them’, he observed.

Fr. Pinto explained that Dr. Ludt coached Don Bosco for some time and later a group of boys joined his football club. ‘That’s perfectly alright. This is a free country and they are at liberty to do what they want’, he noted.

Asked about the suspension of the player concerned, he said it was an automatic process which followed after a member of a sports club quit. ‘It’s a FFSL rule. Three boys who were among those who left came back. I have issued ‘release letters’ to those who came and met me and asked for them in the proper way. I am prepared to give them, but there is a decent way of getting about’, Fr. Pinto said.

Claiming that he received threatening letters following these developments, the Director pointed out that resorting to nasty deeds was not the solution.

Amidst the claims and counter claims, the Football Federation of Sri Lanka, the regulatory body of the game, is gearing for the kick-off to tackle the problems at hand........

We should now try to be a disciplined outfit — Stanley

by Mahinda Wijesinghe
Stanley Jayasinghe, just like Arjuna Ranatunga, played for his country, while still a schoolboy. But, those were the bad old days when the opportunity of playing international cricket was few and far between. Not to be outdone Stanley sought greener pastures in England. Having been recommended by a personality no less than Sir Len Hutton, Stanley made it good. First in the English leagues, probably the best University for cricket, and then into the country circuit when he represented Leicestershire. A dashing and debonair right-hand batsman, Stanley lit up the usually drab county grounds with his spectacular stroke-play. He even scored a breath-taking 106 runs (100 in 88 minutes with one six and 16 fours) of a Leicestershire total of 157 runs against Northamptonshire. In a 100-run second partnership with opening batsman B. J. Booth, Stanley scored 91 runs! Stanley also has the distinction of having played (for Leicestershire, in an experimental tournament organised amongst four English counties) in the first-ever One-day limited-overs game.

Stanley who has tendency to call a spade when the occasion demands, has been picked as the A team Manager to England. Here are some excerpts of his conversation, just before he left to England.

1. Stanley, having been summoned once before from the wilds of your beloved farm in Tanamalwila to manage the Sri Lankan tour of New Zealand in 1990-91, and one which did not end too well as far as you were concerned, aren’t you nervous accepting a similar offer? Once bitten, you should be twice shy?!

A. By no means nervous Mahinda, but a bit anxious, not for any other reason but I have hardly had time to know the players owing to the problems that are going on. I have served the Cricket Board in various capacities but, I must add, made quick exits! As for the 1990-91 New Zealand tour it was a bitter and a sickening experience because senior members of the touring party who should have had the interests of the country at heart were keener on selfish ends. Now that’s past and we should now endeavour to become a disciplined and a professional outfit.

2. This time you must be aware that your assignment would be doubly difficult. Although you have the advantage of touring England where you have played professional level cricket both at League and county levels for 10 years, you will not only have to be the Manager of a team of young cricketers, many of whom have not even been to England before but also mend many of the fences that have been ripped apart by the recent happenings. Your comments.

A. I wholly agree that the assignment I have undertaken is going to be doubly difficult. Yes, I will do my utmost to mend whatever fences I can and am sure that the batch of youngsters will also realise their obligations and responsibilities to our country and respond according to my brief talk I gave them a couple of days ago.

3. Naturally, you will insist on a high level of discipline in the team both on and off the field. The question arises whether you should act as a policeman or a nursemaid. On the previous tour of England by the national team, a player who was found to have committed an act of misdemeanour was not punished adequately for his alleged offence, as the Manager maintained that he was not a policeman. Yet, during the recent soccer World Cup held in France, two South African players had broken the 10.00 p.m. curfew meant for the team. They were sent back home on the next available flight. What are your views and the actions you would contemplate on possible player misbehaviour on tour?

A. I totally agree with the action of the South African Manager. However, I do not anticipate such lapses on the part of these boys. I have emphasised to them that cricket is a gentleman’s game and should be played both on and off the field in that manner. We will certainly play hard but that does not mean we will indulge in any confrontations. For instance, we will rigidly conform to the maxim that the umpires’ word is law.

4. Coming back to the question of mending the broken fences, Stanley with all due respect to you as a highly entertaining and a respected league and county cricketer, do you agree that Gamini Goonasena — now emigrated to Australia — would have had an even better influence on the powers that be at Lord’s with his cricketing background in England and Australia?

A. I do agree that Ceylonese like Laddie Outschoorn, Clive Inman, Bob Bartels and a few of us did add to our country’s cricketing image, but Gamini’s contributions were heads and shoulders above the rest of us. If you remember, when Gamini captained Cambridge University in 1957, Ted Dexter was his Secretary, Peter May represented the University a few years earlier and Tony Lewis a couple of years after Gamini left. Players of the calibre of Colin Cowdrey, Jack Bailey and Bob Barber were his contemporaries at Oxford University, most of whom later became very powerful people in international cricket administration. Need I say more? It is a great pity that we were unable to make the best use of his services.

(Ted Dexter & Peter May became the Chairman of Selectors, Colin Cowdrey was appointed President M.C.C and the I.C.C., Jack Bailey was Secretary of M.C.C/I.C.C. for over a decade. Tony Lewis is the current president of the MCC. Additionally, Gamini was picked for the Gentlemen of England, played Sheffield Shield cricket for New South Wales in Australia during the Richie Benaud, Ian Craig, Neil Harvey era, M.W.)

5. I understand Stanley that the pitches served up for the A team for practices were not up to standard. As a consequence, you had suggested to take the team earlier than scheduled, and that you had arranged with your former county. Leicestershire, and the authorities at the England Cricket Board (ECB) to help out. You have been advocating the preparation of fast, even pitches from goodness knows when. It appears that your words have still not been heeded. Your comments.

A. Your information about the Cricket Board pitches its absolutely spot-on. Building and maintaining a pitch is a specialist’s job. After observing the practice strips given to us at the Cricket Board nets on the first day! I refused to use then due to the possibility of injury and succeeded in getting access to the SSC pitches at short notice. Still dissatisfied, I contacted my former county Leicestershire while the Cricket Board did likewise with the England Cricket Board (ECB) and in a matter of a day received a favourable response, and for which I am grateful. It boats me how the senior national team prepares to meet international opposition under such conditions. This reflects very poorly on those who are responsible for the preparation of pitches.

I advocated the deadening of pitches, in the 1960’s especially when meeting international opposition, before we graduated to the big league. This was because all such games were played at the Oval (P. Sara stadium) where the wicket was really fast and fiery. However, after becoming a Test-playing nation I repeatedly advised that we liven up our pitches in line with those in England, Australia, South Africa and even some of the strips in Pakistan. But this advice fell on deaf ears. In fact! I prepared strips at the CCC for some international games and they were highly commended. I strongly recommend that the Cricket Board pay more attention to this all-important aspect of playing surfaces.

6. Perhaps, you may not be too conversant or familiar with most of the players under your charge. Of course, one area where you will play an important and a decisive role will be in reading the pitches. How do you propose to bridge the gap of getting to know the boys and what role will you play in team selection and planning match-strategy, for instance?

A. Yes Mahinda I have considerable experience in this field but admit that in this game a lot of guesswork too is involved I will certainly help in the guessing game since the others in the side are none the wiser than me ! As Manager, I will play a pivotal role in team selection. And! I shall insist that what transpires at such meetings will have to kept strictly confidential. Regarding match-strategy I will certainly offer help to the skipper but it will be entirely in his hands to choose the best course of action.

7. Maybe now, our expatriate community will not be falling too much over to entertain the Sri Lankan cricketers after the performances of the seniors. Many rumours of team indiscipline during the World Cup are now filtering through. Yet, there will be invitations for dinners and parties for your charges which may clash during games. What controls would you maintain to ensure the fitness discipline of the team members in this regard?

A. Starting from the evening prior to the commencement of a game until it is over, even though we may have to attend certain functions which we cannot avid, I shall insist on the host the necessity of the team retiring to base at the usual decline of 10.30 p.m. On other days, there will be an hour’s grace. By this I do not mean that the team members should be in bed. They should be back in the hotel. I do not wish to be a policeman but expect the boys to shoulder a certain level of responsibility and hope they will live up to the maxim of not asking what the country can do for them but what they can do for the country, especially at this juncture.

Regarding the fitness of the players, our physiotherapist Mr. Thamel in whom I have the utmost confidence, has assured me that all the boys are in perfect shape. Let us hope that they will remain so during the tour as well.

I had a nasty experience when Managing the New Zealand tour in 1990- 91 when no less than 5 players were concealing injuries suffered prior to the commencement of the tour!!

8. This tour will be a gruelling one extending for 7 weeks. What are your goals? Would you be satisfied if the team won (say) half the games and if the tour produced a few players who can fit into the first team?

A. Our goal is to win as many games as possible in a gentlemanly manner but shall, at all times, play hard. In other words Mahinda, we shall, to use an old cricketing expression which is fast becoming obsolete, play a straight bat at all times. I shall endeavour to ensure that ‘sledging ‘ is ruled out by our boys despite whatever the opposition resorts to. Make no mistake, that does not mean we play anything less than hard, because hard it is going to he. Hopefully, the invaluable experience under English conditions will add to the learning curve of these youngsters.

9. What are your views on the reported return of Dave Whatmore as the Sri Lankan coach?

A. At this stage especially it is the best thing that can happen to Sri Lanka cricket. Maybe, he could pick-up some of the loose threads he left behind.’ Perhaps, if given a free hand, he should be able to deliver the goods within a reasonable period of time. I have no doubt he will now be able to give an opportunity to those youngsters who have been sidelined.

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