England beat Colombo Schools on the Duckworth-Lewis Rule

By Marlon Fernandopulle

England recorded a morale boosting 10 run win over a combined Colombo Districts schools team in a World Cup warm up game at Reid Avenue yesterday.

Batting first England were bowled out in the penultimate ball of the innings for 192. After losing an early first wicket England recovered through a fighting 49 run second wicket stand between G Pratt(35) and I Bell(27).Skipper A Loudon gave good support in the middle with a sedate 29 to help the visitors to a challenging total

The Combined Schools side got off to a bad start loosing five wickets for just 51 runs before Thomians Meshad Peiris(24) and Gehan Fernando (31) added 55 runs for the 6 th wicket.However with the deaparture of both batsmen the home side put up shutters as rain and bad light stopped play.

However according to the Duckworth-Lewis rain rule England were declared winners by 10 runs

England 192 all out in 49.5 overs(G Pratt 35 I Bell 27 M Carberry 18 A Loudon 29 D Harrison 23 Pubudu Ranaweera 5/33 Kanchana Rodrigo 2/19)

Colombo Schools-151/8 in 36.1overs(Janaka Gunaratne 15 Mohan de Silva 14 Meshad Peiris 24 Gihan Fernando 31 N Warren 3/21 G Bridge 2/36 D Harris 2/22)

Bad light spoils evenly poised game

By Ravi Nagahawatte

Bad light put an end to an evenly poised warm up game between the Ireland Under 19 team and a combined Ananda and Wesley team as the visitors were forced to retire for the day after making 63 for 6 in pursuit of a paltry winning score of 103 at the Kettarama Stadium yesterday.

The hosts made amends for their batting folly and gave the Irish lads a run for their money when bowlers P.Chandrasekara and L.Fernando had Ireland in a run crawl before bad light forced play to be called off.

Chandrasekara 3 for 5 and L.Fernando 2 for 16 did the honours for the combined schools side and put them in with a chance of a probable win.

Earlier the Lankans found the going tough against Jonathan Gradiner 3 for 13 and J. Macgonigle 3 for 17 who together tore into the Lankan batting to restict them for a low score of 102 all out .

Ananda and Wesley combined teams - 102 all out in 29.1 overs (L.Fernando 12, E.Abeysinghe 17, P.Chandrasekara 22, J. Gardiner 3 for 13, J. Macgonigle 3 for 17)

Ireland - 63 for 6 at close in 20 overs ( A.White 13, D.Joyce 10, R. Haire 15, P.Chandrasekara 3 for 5, L.Fernando 2 for 16)

Spinner Sandler excels

By Champika Fernando.

America's left arm leg-spinner Kevin Sandler with his magnificent spell of one for 15 became the cynosure of all eyes as their warm-up cricket encounter against Hambantota district was called off due to heavy rain at Mt Lavinia, yesterday.

Batting first the visitors scored 191 for eight in their allotted 50 overs. Top scoring for the visitors were Zubin Surkari who made a well compiled 45. His knock contained four sixes. He was given good support by Stephen Outerbridge who made a workman like 30.

For the Hambanthota district G. Jayasinghe bowled well to take three wickets for 34 runs

The hosts were 100 for 5 in 32 overs when the rain brought the game to a halt I.Jayasinghe top scored with 18 while A.J. Danusha was unbeaten on 16

Michael Glasford the manager of the Americas team commenting on Day's play said that this was the first time they are playing in Sri Lanka and he was happy with the lads performance.

"It was a good game of cricket. Both sides played well ", not for the rain we should have seen a good contest he concluded.

Americas - 191 for 8 in 50 over's. ( Zubin Surkari 45, Stephen Outerbridge 30, Landro Minors 28 n.o.; G. Jayasinghe 3 for 34)

Hambantota District 100 for 5 in 32 overs. ( I Jayasinghe 18, A. J. Danusha 16 n.o; Kevin Sandler 1 for 15)

Windies by 4 wickets

A spirited team effort by the West Indies under 19 team enabled them to beat a combined Colts/BRC XL by six wickets in their warm up match at Havelock Park yesterday.

Colts/BRC taking first lease of the wicket were bowled out for 178 and the visiting team reached the target with just nine balls remaining.

Colts/BRC - 178

West Indies - 179 for 6 in 48.3 overs

Zimbabwe win

By Krishan Francis

Zimbabwe under 19 team beat Colombo Regional Schools XI by 69 runs in a warm-up game played at Wijerama Mawatha yesterday.

Batting first, Zimbabwe made a modest total of 170 for seven in 50 overs. M.Nakala top scored for Zimbabwe with a fluent 47, which included a six and four boundaries. A valuable 34 came from T.Taibu's bat while M.Munsda and C.Brewer made18 and 17 respectively.

T.Anton bowled best for Colombo Schools capturing three wickets for eight runs in four overs. J. Ishara had figues of 1 for 14 . M. Priyantha had figures of 1 for 30.

In reply Colombo Schools XI were all out for 101 runs in 28 overs. M.Priyantha's 28 made in 46 balls was the highest for the home team. The total was helped by 25 extras.

Bowling honours went to G.Ewing who took four for 18 in seven overs. M.Nakala bowled five overs and picked up three wickets for 11 runs.

Scores

Zimbabwe Under 19 -170 for seven in 50 overs

M.Nakala 47, T.Taibu 34, M.Munsda 18, C.Brewer 17

T.Anton 3 for 8, M.Priyantha 2 for 30, J.Ishara 1 for 14 S.Nimantha 1 for 30.

Colombo Regional Schools - 101 all out in 28 overs

M.Priyantha 28 G Ewing 4 for 18, M.Nakala 3 for 11, C.Macmillan 1 for 17, S Ervine 1 for 26, T Friend 1 for 13.

Nepal wins by 35 runs

A Combined Sebastianites-Antonians Youth cricket team defeated Nepal by 35 runs in a World cup warm up game at Maitland Crescent yesterday.

Nepal won the toss and invited the Sebs-Antonians to take first lease of the wicket.The home side made full use of some wayward bowling to hit up 203/8 in 50 overs.Dinusha Fernando top scored with a breezy 74 and Nissanka Fernando struck an impressive 47.Medium pacers Aamir Akthar(4/37) and Unil Shreshta(3/39) were the pick of the Nepal bowlers.

Needing to score at least four runs per over the visitors lost their first two wickets for just five runs and never recovered from the disastrous start.Only opener M D Kalamuddin Ansari defied the home side bowlers with a stylish 63.

Sebastianites/Antonians-203/8 in 50 overs(Dinusha Fernando 74 Nissanka Silva 47 Ranga Yasalal 19 Aamir Akthar 4/37 Unil Shreshtha 3/39)

Nepal -169 all out in 46.5 overs(M D Kalamuddin Ansari 63 Sandeep Shhrestha 18 Malshan Alwis 3/26 Udara Wijesundera 2/30 Nissanka Silva 2/34) -MF

Tough tour for Lanka in Pakistan next month

By Bernie Wijesekera

The Sri Lankan team led by Sanath Jayasuriya after winning his first overseas mission as leader winning the Test series 1-0 and the one-day international series 3-1 over Zimbabwe will embark on a tough mission with the start of the millennium - with a six-week tour of Pakistan starting on February 6 (next month). Unlike in Zimbabwe it's going to be a hard tour for the revamped Lankan team when they confront them in a three-Test series and in a one-day series. Pakistan will go flat out to improve their tarnished image suffering a three-nil Test drubbing against Australia.

It's going to be bouncy pitches. Young paceman Shoaib Akthar's action has been queried by the ICC panel and even without him they possess and awesome trio in Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Abdul Razack to worry the Lankan batsmen.

The Lankan players have the courage and determination to stand up to this bowling. They are prepared to overcome this whilst practicing on lively pitches. The Lankans have one three-day and a one one-day practice match as side games.

But the tourists have plenty of time to work at the nets in preparation for the Tests and the one-day series.

The first Test begins on February 26 and the final Test at the Karachi National Stadium starting on March 13.

Revised itinerary....

February 6 - Arrive in Karachi; 7 - Nets; 8 - One-day practice match, National Stadium; 9 - Nets; 10 - One-day practice match, UBL Sports Complex, Karachi; 11 and 12 - Nets; 13 - 1st One-day International, National Stadium, Karachi; 14 - Travel and Nets; 15 - Nets; 16 - 2nd One-day International, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad; 17 - Travel and Nets; 18 - Nets; 19 - Third One-day International, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore; 20 - Travel and Nets; 21 to 23 - 3-day game, KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi; 24 and 25 - Nets; 26 (Saturday) - First Test, Pindi Stadium, Rawalpindi upto March 1 (Wednesday).

March 2 - Travel and Nets; 3 and 4 - Nets; 5 to 9 - Second Test, Arab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar; 10 - Travel and Nets; 11 and 12 - Nets; 13 (Monday) to 17 (Friday) - Third Test, National Stadium, Karachi; 18 - Departure to Sri Lanka.

Ananda Sastralaya take major honours

Ananda Sastralaya took major honours in their drawn inter-school match against Sri Rahula Katugastota at Kotte.

Two dropped catches when the home team was struggling at 91-6, enabled them to post a formidable 277-9, middle order bat Y C Bandara hammered an aggressive 112, while Ashok made a neat 66 not out.

Asitha Kumara (62 run out) and Madusanka Damakage (43) helped the visitors to reach 170. Following on, opener Chintaka Ratnayake (58) and Pradeep Vishnaka (50) put on 104 for the third wicket. Damakage followed them with an attacking, unbeaten 33.

Ananda Sastralaya 277 - 9 Decl. (Y.C Bandara 112, R. Ashok 66 N. O., N.A Ranga 27, A.S Kumara 2/38, M Damakage 2/23, N. Pieris 2/23)

Sri Rahula 170 (P Vishnaka 16, A.S Kumara 62, U.S Kumara 11, M. Damakage 43, D.K Perera 3/35, I. Samsudeen 3/51) and 190/6 (C.Ratnayake 58, P. Vishnaka 50 , A.S Kumara 13, M. Damakage 33 N.O U.S Kumara 11, N. Priyadarshana 14 N.O., D.K Perera 2/33 , S. Sandakelum 2/31 . D. Nilanga 2/36.

A.K.

Rover pinpoints…

Hoodwinking whom?

What has happened to the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation? Why did the office bearers resign when they can hold office till March 2000? Who is managing the affairs of the SLBF?

What happened to the draw conducted in November for the 1999 Junior and Senior Nationals for men and women?

Most of the teams who have been included without any entry forms and entry fees are unable to field a team as most of the associations are inactive and they are only paper, a Senior Vice President voiced.

What has happened to the Andre sponsorship money supposed to be used for promotion to the schools? Was this money used for the recent Malaysian trip by the men's national team to play in a club tournament?

Not in order?

The Mercantile Hockey Association booked the newly relaid Astro Turf at the Race Course for its 'A' Division League matches which commenced on Thursday January 6.

The Hatton National Bank and Seylan Bank teams with many outstation players from their Branches were present for the first match.

The match could not be played as there was no watering done, which is a necessity half an hour before commencement of the match. The officials in charge of this ground coming under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports did not do the centre pitch watering.

Who's fault is it?

Running in circles?

Rover learns that the Interim Committee of the Cricket Board visited Galle and Matara to settle two disputes regarding the payment of money for the hosting of the Under-19 World Cup matches as demanded by the officials over there.

Rover also learns at Matara the ground staff almost all Tamils have been questioned by the Police thereby curtailing their work. Your answer is good as mine as to who is behind this issue.

Double standards and incompetence

While the Sri Lanka cricketers and Administrators are making every effort to bring back past glory and put the game on a higher pedastal two Lankans appointed by the games governing body are cutting a sorry figure not only for themselves but for the Country and the game.

ICC match refree Ranjan Madugalle who was held in high esteem acted in highly biased manner during the entire Australia-India test series.Madugalle was quick to penalise the Indians for unwanted gestures but failed to use the same yardstick for the Australians.As so many Television viewers pointed out the animated gestures made by Glen Mcgrath,Ricky Ponting and Greg Blewett subsequent to dismissing the Indian batsmen were alarming and shocking.Why and how they escaped even a simple punishment is strange?

In a earlier assignment as match refree Madugalle was guilty of letting Shane Warne escape without any punishment after the spinner had made an unwarranted gesture.When later questioned why,the match referee had replied saying he did not see it.

Umpire B C Cooray is reported to have made at least four blunders at the 4 th Test between England and South Africa.Some viewers wondered whether the bespectacled umpire re wrote the LBW decisions when he gave skipper Nasser Hussain out after a thick outside edge on the bat. Cooray who was brought back to the Umpires panel this year was even labelled as the ghost of Pakistan umpire Javed Akhtar in a report on cricinfo.

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