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Will Vaas join the exclusive club today?
Will Lanka's lone battler in the pace department Chaminda Vaas join his illustrious spin partner Muttiah Muralitharan in the exclusive 300 ODI wicket club this afternoon? Chaminda Vaas will go into today's game with three wickets short to the wicket tally at 297.

Today's game at Harare will be Chaminda Vaas' 235 with game and he has claimed his 297 wickets at an average of 26.69 with best effort of 8 for 19 (which is a world record) incidentally also against Zimbabwe.

Besides this, Vaas also has performed the hat-trick twice in his career once in the match in which he took 8 for 19 and then against Bangladesh in the last world cup in South Africa in the first three balls of the match. This feat of his is also a world record.

The left arm medium pacer, Vaas who made his debut in 1992 so far has played 234 One-day Internationals and 74 Test matches and has taken 240 wickets at an average of 30.31.

SLC contracts only nine players
By Marlon Fernandopulle
Sri Lanka Cricket has reduced the number of contracted players to nine this year.Although around thirteen to fourteen players are contracted annually,this year only nine players have been recommended by the National Cricket Selectors for annual contracts.

The players who were offered contracts this year are Marvan Atapattu,Sanath Jayasuriya,Mahela Jayawardene,Kumar Sangakkara,Muttiah Muralitharan,Chaminda Vaas, T.M. Dilshan,Thilan Samaraweera and Upul Chandana.

Air Force fly high
The Sri Lanka Air Force with a cherished rugby history when they introduced the Ovoid ball sport in the '60s. It was a slippery start for the Airmen. But with sheer determination they won the 'B' Div. in 1969 and was elevated to the 'A' Div. in 1970. It was no looking back since then despite exigencies of service.

But they still kept the game alive said Group Capt. S. Rambukwella in an interview with The Sunday Times. The game was in tatters with some of the seniors hanging up their boots.

In the '70s the Airmen had a diehard rugby promoter in AVM Harry Goonetilleke who coached the team and did much for the upliftment of the game to reach greater heights. The likes of Uddaka Tennakoon, Ken de Joodt, Bryan Baptist, Jeyer Rodriguesz, Vijitha Tennakoon, Mohan Balasuriya and Ajith Abeyratne coached the Airmen at grassroots level, said Rambukwella, who is the present Secretary of SLAF rugby. The Chairman of rugby, former Ananda College versatile sportsman, Channa Gunaratne, who played as fullback. AVM Gunaratne is the cog-in-the-wheel giving all support for the revival of the sport.

Trevor Nugawela, the former up-country player is serving the sport in an honorary capacity and spending much of his personal time. The year 1986 was a golden era. The Airmen zoomed to win the Clifford Cup Championship. What a team with the likes of Jeff Rutnam, Ronald Rodrigo, Hillary Sellar, Mohan Balasuriya, Bogodawatte Viper Gunaratne, S.U. Mendis, one of the finest players from Dharmaraja, 'Lofty' Perera of basketball fame 'iron man' Nalin de Silva, Tikiri Marambe, Rex Anthony, Tony Wimalasuriya, S. Rajakaruna just to name a few, with some of them playing for the country. Balasuriya and Marambe led the national team.

This year all home games will be played at Ratmalana. The first game for the season will be staged here against the CR&FC on Sunday April 24. Two Fijians will arrive on Saturday. Probably the duo will play against the CR.

This year's team will be led by Ruwan Chandrasekera, a durable fullback. Last year's skipper Sanjay Fernando will be the hooker. Fernando is also serving in the committee and doing much of the spadework.

The 'pack' looks strong with some seasoned players binding upfront. Props Ruwan Seneviratne, Kosala Ranasinghe, an old Royalist, Rohan Fernando, 7s national poolist, Saumya Silva (second row). A couple of promising schoolboys are in the squad. Sajit Bandara (fly-half) from Vidyartha, Peterite Niranga Sinej (winger), Batum Ediriweera, a gutty forward from Carey College.

Quite a number of rural youth have taken to the scrum after joining the Service. They are strong and hardy and are prepared to learn and totally committed. The Airmen are no pushover side in the coming season. Last year with the available players they did well to emerge runners-up in the plate to the Navy in the league final. Any sponsors. Yes, GSM Dialog is giving the fullest support. They are also sponsoring the Sri Lanka Army and the CR&FC.

Any sport to develop it needs funds. Dialog is in the forefront in this aspect, said Rambukwella. Led by AVM Rohan Perera, and other senior officers who are giving all encouragement for the uplift of the sport, it augurs well for the future of the rugby among the rank and file.

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