Mahela's Master Magic
One expects records to be broken, but not to fall like a set of dominoes. That is exactly what happened on the third day in the first Janashakthi test between Sri Lanka and South Africa. History was re-written and the blazing sun was eclipsed by Skipper Mahela Jayawardene and his deputy Kumar Sangakkara. ..... Full Story

Sir….Now it’s cricket Made in China
Cricket and China….. Well……you cannot name them as two peas in a pod. Nevertheless ICC’s recent exercise to take the game beyond the established boundaries is taking effect well enough globally. Full Story

Injuries! Bench strength and more in cricket
Two test matches are in progress right now, England playing Pakistan in England and Sri Lanka hosting South Africa. Three of these teams are fielding teams well below their best. Full Story

Deadly flight from poverty
“My dreams have been shattered once again.....Sometimes this life is a curse….” wrote 28-year-old Vijitha Mallika in her last letter home, which arrived on May 5. Having left the country in February to pursue what she hoped would be a better destiny in Beirut, Lebanon, she described in her letter how she had been beaten for an offence she did not commit, and spent the first three months in a strange country in jail. Now she had found employment in another house, she wrote, and hoped that in a few months she would be able to send some of her earnings to her parents and sister back home ..... Full Story

Face of a warm welcome
It’s hard to miss 86-year-old Chathukuttan at the Galle Face Hotel entrance. Rain or shine he is there, courteously greeting visitors with an Ayubowan, his presence an intrinsic feature of the hotel’s reception ..... Full Story

Pageant like no other
The Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha is the most venerated object by Buddhists the world over. The Tooth Relic was brought to Sri Lanka in the 4th Century A.C. during the reign of King Sirimeghavanna (Kit Sirimevan) from Dantapura in Kalinga, India by a princess disguised as a Brahmin lady. The king who was ruling from the first capital of Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura, received the Relic with honour and declared that an annual festival be held taking the Relic in procession to the Abhayagiri Vihara, the great monastery where monks resided, and exhibited to the public ...... Full Story

To worship and to know
What do we, as we gaze in wonderment at the Ruwanveliseya in the ancient city of Anuradhapura, bathed in the mellow light of the setting sun or the ethereal gleam of a full moon night, know about this colossus? For most of us Sri Lankans the only knowledge we have is that it was built by King Dutugemunu. That is also the only information on a small wooden board hanging on a tree at the entrance to this dagoba, one of our most prized possessions....... Full Story

Singing for the children
With talent recognised and harnessed from the time she was little, 16-year-old Karoshee Vijayasekere has gone places both literally and metaphorically! This young achiever, who is full of sprite and bubble, speaks with maturity well beyond her years. With a deep insight into the war that has ravaged her motherland, Karoshee believes that change has to come from individuals in her generation. “We have to combine our talents and skills to bring about peace and harmony to this beautiful country. Since art has no barriers and boundaries, it can be an effective unifying force to foster a sense of togetherness.”...... Full Story

Regret no more
“Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.” – Jonathan Larson ..... Full Story