• Indika and Dilshan in Lanka ‘A’
• Ravi resigns
• Bloomfield 246/9
• Wijeratne outclasses Gheffari at trials
• CH & FC outclass Havelocks
• Kandy rally to down Navy
• A bowler’s thoughts
• Junior Peterites to tour India
• Stars are only in the sky
• Old Trinitians are too powerful for Shenten Park CC
• Who is next to Lara and Tendulkar?
• Swim coaches protest over Olympic selection
• Manisha and Samanthi in Fed Cup Team
• To further promote Tennis - Ganendran
• Ethapane takes root Down Under
• Rover pinpoints…
• Women’s hockey pool picked

Indika and Dilshan in Lanka ‘A’

The national cricket selectors have strengthened the Sri Lanka A team with the inclusion of Indika de Saram and T.M. Dilshan for the first unofficial first Test match against Zimbabwe A to be played from Monday to Thursday (April 24 to 27) at the Welagedera Stadium in Kurunegala.

The final XI will be picked on the morning of the match after an inspection of the wicket.

The Sri Lanka A team - Thilan Samaraweera, Avishka Gunawardena, Pradeep Hewage, T. M. Dilshan, Indika de Saram, Chamara Silva, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Prasanna Jayawardena, Indika Gallage, Rangana Herath,Malinga Bandara, Priyantha Wickremasinghe. Reserves - Ian Daniel, Charitha Buddhika.

Ravi resigns

The Chairman of the selection committee of the National Rifle Shooting Association Ravi Jayewardene has tendered his resignation to the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Ravi a former Olympic shooter tendered his resignation because his committee’s nominees Malee Wickremasinghe and Pushpamali Ramanayake were dropped from the Olympic shooting contingent by the Chairman of the National Sports Council, Tory Jayawardena.

Instead Tory Jayawardena nominated two other shooters who are ranked third and fourth since the NSC Chairman is ofthe opinion it is better to send young shooters.

More selectors are due to resign as the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports S.B. Dissanayake has already approved the participation of Malee Wickremasinghe and Pushpamalee Ramanayake, who are the number one and two in thecountry and bagged gold medals at the last Commonwealth Games.

The NRA selection committee comprises Sri Kumaranayagam, Zal Chitty, Cmdr, Robin Jilla and Russel Gray, all are veteran shooters.

Malee is only nine points away from the world record with Pushpamalee 11 points away and Ruwini Abeynayake 26 points away.

Bloomfield 246/9

Bloomfield, helped by a half century by Sanjay Dissanayake, totalled 246 for 9 declared in their Donovan Andree Trophy semi-final against Police at Reid Avenue yesterday.

Dissanayake’s knock contained five hits to the ropes. In reply Police were six for no loss.

Bloomfield - 246 for 9 dec. (P. Haigalla 11, C. Ruwan 40, K. Gangodawila 26, W. Herath 19, S. de. Silva 30, Sanjay Dissanayake 58, M. Wimalasuriya 27; N. Tennekoon 2 for 81, M. Bandara 2 for 20, J.P. Kumara 2 for 29)

Police - 6 for no loss - BM

Wijeratne outclasses Gheffari at trials

By Ravi Nagahawatte

Jayamal Wijeratne beat the experienced Gheffari Dulapandan in the Men’s Freestyle 50 metre race in the first Olympic Trials worked off at the Sugathadasa Stadium yesterday.

Wijeratne shot into a prominent lead in the last ten metres of the race and clocked 25 .51 seconds against Dulapandan who’s timing was 26.37.

In another interesting event which was the 100 metres free style women’s event Teekshana Ratnasekara pipped Radeesha Daluwatte to record a remarkable win. Ratnasekara clocked 1.06.65 minutes against second place winner Daluwatte who recorded a timing of 1.06.71 minutes .

The second trial of for the Olympic Games will be held at the same venue on May 11.

CH & FC outclass Havelocks

By Bernie Wijesekera

The CH&FC ‘eight’ played cohesive rugby to outplay Havelocks by 24 points (two goals, two tries) to 8 (a try and a penalty) in an ‘A’ league rugby game at Havelock Park yesterday. At the turn around the visitors led 12-3.

In ideal conditions underfoot with a gentle breeze blowing across, the CH forwards capably marshalled by Thushara Jayalath carried too many guns to the inexperienced Havies eight who hadn’t the weight and the strength to match their opponents. Up front CH showed abundant skills with locks Duminda de Silva and Thushara Jayalath, towering over their opponents to dominate play in the long throws.

Of course Shashika Cooray, S. Wijesinghe and NarenPerera, in the loose played their hearts out. Even in the set pieces, the CH with a heavy pack won much of the good ball which proved a winning factor.

Havies though they had a nippy back division but hadn’t much of the good ball to run, dazzling Sanjeeva Jayasinghe and skipper Alex Nishantha were starved. The much fitter CH back division in defence were hard to penetrate. Havies scrum-half Leonard de Zylva constantly tried to go solo instead of running the ball which cost them dearly.

CH could have won by a bigger margin, but for poor kicking over the crossbar by full back Nalin Dissanayake who fluffed three simple kicks. It was an off day for Nalin, who played in patches.

Havies opened scoring off a 30 metre penalty put over by Dilshad Anzari. In quick succession, Dissanayake failed to arrow two penalties. Winger Ajith Upawansa made a daring run in the wing, penetrating the Havies defence, but he lacked support. Eventually in the 25th minute CH broke the jinx. Off a short tap, hooker S. Wijesinghe crashed over the line. Nalin made no mistake this time to make it 7-3.

Minutes before the short whistle the CH forwards got their act together. Scrum-half Milinda Jayasinghe punted ahead in the Havies 25. M. Subaulla pounced on the ball in the in-goal area to make it 12-3 at lemons.

CH in the second half were in control with their forwards. Number eight Subaulla scored his second unconverted try off a line out close to the line to make it 17-3.

CH went further ahead when the Havies full-back missed the ball in defence, fired by fly-half Saranga Jayakody.

Jayakody followed up the ball and fell over. Nalin Dissanayake added the extra points. 24-3. During the dying stages of the game, the Havies were on the offensive. Off a CH knock-on close to the line, centre Anzari breezed through the defence to make it 24-8 when referee Dilroy Fernando blew no side.

Kandy rally to down Navy

BY Jatila Karawita

Kandy SC helped by their experience and tactical rugby know-how, came from behind to score a facile 31 points ( 3 goals, 2 tries) to 3 (1 penalty) win over a gallant Navy SC, in their SLRFU ‘A’ Division Inter-Club first round rugby match at Longden Place yesterday.

At lemons Navy led by 3-0. In a match which the reigning champions were expected to simply roll over the Sailors, the ruggerites from the water-front put up a sterling performance in the first half, to rattle the side from Nittawela, with some audacious rugby by their forwards and threes.

The impressive display by the Navy pack, who matched their more bigger and heavier eight from Kandy, saw the sailors taking the game up front to their fancied rivals, in the first half and that paved the way, for the blue and white striped jerseyed ruggerites, to take a good grip, as they surprisingly led the champions, at the short whistle of referee Shamrath Fernando.

The Navy SC tackling was also of a very high standard, and the incisive play of half-back S. Malewana, who was always in the thick of action, helped to pin the champions, to their own territory in the opening exchanges.

The sailors also fluffed three crucial scoring opportunities in this half, through their place-kicker Navantha De Silva, whose failure to convert three penalties, put paid to their chances of making an impact in the second half.

Kandy SC who were a pale-shadow of themselves in the opening half, finally opened out in style mid way through the second half, having studied the weak points of their opponents, and as the sailors began to tire, the hill capital lads stepped up their gears to run down as many as five tries to nail their rivals with ease.

For the defending champions former Trinity skipper and No. 8 Ravi Wickramasiri underlined his budding reputation in the game through two superb tries while former skipper and lock Asoka Jayasena, stand-off Sajith Mallikarachchi,and full back Nillufer Ibrahim, all planted a try each with Ibrahim converting three of them.

For the gritty sailors their sole penalty was put over by Navantha De Silva early in the first half.

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