‘96 World Cup champs still can wield the willow

View(s):

By Naushad Amit

They had their paunches and grey hair, but the 96 World Cup winners proved that they were still that formidable force.

At the next ground, the Premier League Club final had hardly a spectator, but, the Nondescript Ground was full of cricket fans who had thronged to watch their vintage hero’s in action.

The 1996 World Cup team led by Arjuna Ranatunga proved they are still the same by thrashing Sidath Wettimuny’s Sri Lanka Legends XI by 7 wickets in a charity Twenty20 match played.

The T20 match which was played as part of the Baby Cheramy’s Big Heart Project, to raise funds for needy children, drew a large crowd to the venue that came to witness the reunited 1996 cricket world champions after 17 years.

Wettimuny’s Legends clad in a kit similar to Australia posted 130 runs for 7 wickets and the triumphant 1996 team, dressed in their World Cup winning garb, reached the winning target by scoring 138 runs for the loss of 3 wickets with 35 deliveries to spare. Romesh Kaluwitharana top scored with an unbeaten 52 off 31 balls with two massive sixes and eight fours and went on to win the man-of-the-match award.

SL Legends 130 for 7 wickets in 20 overs (Sidath Wettimuny 16, Hemantha Devapriya 30, Hemantha Wickramaratne 30, Eric Upashantha 25, Chamara Silva 23.)

’96 World Cup Champions 138 for 3 wickets in 14.1 overs (Romesh Kaluwitharana 52, Arjuna Ranatunga 37, Asanka Gurusinghe 13, Roshan Mahanama 12 n.o, Hashan Tillekeratne 11n.o.)