Richard Jewell sprang his dog last week. After what his ever present media watchers described as a high-speed ride to the kennel, he fetched her home, and the stop-and-go progress of the spooked Doberman and bulky owner across the Jewell front lawn was deemed sufficiently fascinating to make the nightly news. Jewell had apparently decided that it was inhumane to keep a canine accused of no wrongdoing indefinitely in close quarters, with limited exercise and under constant watch of strangers.
Meanwhile, the former security guard’s lawyers engaged in a media blitz to deliver him from the same fate. As the days following the leakage of Jewell’s name as a suspect in the Centennial Olympic Park bombing turned to weeks without an arrest, defense counsel Jack Martin led reporters on a hike from the place where Jewell showed officials the bomb to the pay phone from which a warning call was placed a minute and a half later. The brisk walk, presumably faster than the pace Jewell could have sustained through Olympic crowds, took four minutes. Then last week the defense introduced former FBI polygraph expert Richard D. Rackleff, who said he had tested Jewell and judged him “totally innocent.” (Jewell refused an FBI polygraph.) Finally the laywers hit the interview shows, demanding that since the government wasn’t accusing Jewell, it should clear him and apologize. Their week climaxed on Nightline’s Viewpoint special, which showcased their criticism of the media’s coverage of Jewell and aired a U.S. poll indicating that only 19% of those asked thought Jewell was guilty. Said Jewell lawyer G. Watson Bryant Jr. to TIME: “These jerks (the U.S. authorities) need to get put off their butts and tell the truth.”
To which a U.S. law-enforcement official in Georgia responded, “Why would the bureau want to apologize to someone it’s investigating?” Another in Washington added that the inquiry’s pace “isn’t that unusual. It (just) seems like it’s been drawn out because it’s so excruciatingly public.” The bureau has referred to ““Other suspects” in the bombing, but some of them, say Washington officials, have a Jewell connection. Bomb components being reconstructed by the feds may someday lead elsewhere. But meanwhile, Jewell and his distraught mother (who was planning her own press conference) “have no semblance of a normal life,” says Bryant, Jewell rarely leaves the besieged apartment - not even to walk the dog.
Toronto, Aug 27 (Reuter) - A Canadian newspaper publisher is mounting a campaign to strip US sprinter Michael Johnson of his title as the world’s fastest man.
Ian Oliver, publisher of the Oakville Beaver near Toronto, said on Tuesday he would start publishing ads in the USA Today newspaper to push his view that Canadian runner Donovan Bailey is actually the fastest man alive.
Bailey, who comes from Oakville, vowed Canada with his record-smashing victory in the 100-metre race at the Atlanta Olympics. Johnson, from Dallas, won the 200 and 400 metre races, setting a new record in the 200 metre competition.
Oliver said he became angry when NBC television commentators began calling Johnson the world’s fastest man, a title he said traditionally goes to the winner of the 100-metre race.
“I was getting angry at the way NBC covering the Olympics,” he said. “The way anybody who wasn’t American didn’t really cont.”
Oliver said so far he has received C $7,000 (US $5,147) in donations and thousands of calls and letters in support of the campaign. The first advertisement will run in the Dallas edition of USA Today this week, with another in the New York regional edition next week.
The bill for both advertisements will be about $48,000 (US $35,112) but Oliver said he was sure the mounting donations would cover the cost.
Ananda MV Chilaw with six wins and one loss are heading the Milo Inter schools under 18 Division1 football points table with 19 points released by the Secretary of the Sri Lanka Schools Football Association.
The Chilaw lads has scored 20 goals with five against. Lying second is Zahira, Colombo with four wins with their seven games losing two and drawing one, scoring 13 for and 6 against, aggregating 13 points with Joseph Vaz Wennappuwa on equal terms with 13 points winning four out of the five games losing just one.
Fourth is De Mazenod Kandana with 3 wins and 1 loss and 2 draws with 11 points. St. Joseph’s Trincomalee is fifth with 8 points with two wins, followed by Maris Stella Negombo, St. Benedict’s and St. Anthony’s Wattala with two wins each and a draw.
Hindu College Colombo is ninth with 6 points followed by Al Hillal MV Negombo 4 points, Zahira Gampola and Kingswood Kandy 3 points each, St. Joseph’s Colombo 1 point, Wesley, Badulla Central and St. Servatius’ Matara.
CR & FC were made to fight hard for their 15 (3 tries) to nil win over Old Trinitians Sports Club in their Clifford Cup Semi-final match played at Nittawela yesterday. All scoring took place in the first half.
CR & FC will now meet the winners of todays semi final between Kandy SC and CH & FC also at Nittawela next Saturday.
OTSC played well to a man and dominated play in the second half. They came close to scoring on several occasions with Fijian Orissi Kunalien using his hulk to pierce through the CR defence but the red shirts kept the OTSC at bay with fierce tackling.
Kandy missed as many as 6 penalty kicks at goal, four by their ace place kicker Nishanth Welagedera and two easy kicks by Janaka Samarasinghe and Orissi plumb opposite the posts.
CR had the misfortune of seeing their acting skipper Lasitha Gunaratne limp off the field in the 10th minute of play. The red shirts had more possesion from the set-pieces but failed to score as much as they would have liked to. Further ace place kicker Nalaka Weerakkody fluffed the three conversions and centre Junior Nixon missed and easy penalty.
The weather was ideally suited for fast open rugby but the champions failed against a team that was playing in their first season of big rugby.
CR opened scoring in the 10th minute when play maker Asanga Rodrigo charged at a aimless kick and fell over far left. Nalaka Weerakkody failed with the conversion. That was virtually a gift try.
CR's second try was scored by Junior Nixon, this try also went unconvered. Then in the final stages of the initial half, CR was awarded a penalty five metres from the OTSC line and Shantha Rohana fell over following a maul and a push over try. This try too went unconverted.
Scores CR 15 OTSC nil at the short whistle.
OTSC had a major share of the game in the second session of play and came close to scoring on several occasions but the CR defence held.
CR's womens brigade cheerers appeared to know more of the new rules and were shouting hoarse at the referee Aruna Jaysekera who did an excellent job with the whistle.
Kottawa Dharmapala bagged the inter schools under 15 Division 2 Horlicks title defeating Kalutara MV on the first innings at Wijerama.
The Dharmapalians batting first were all out for 174 runs and in their second essay were all out for 257 runs with Chamara Rajapaksa stroking a fine 90. Kalutara MV could only manage to total 126 in their first innings after being well placed at 97 for 2 with R.A. Dimundu capturing 8 for 33.
Kottawa Dharmapala: 174 all out and 257 all out in 75.5 overs. (Chamara Rajapaksa 90, Dinudu Elvitigala 32, Chandana Mohan 45, Malinda Kularatne 28, R.A Dimundu 32 , Udara Silva 4/89, Chandana Jayakantha 3/31).
Kalutara MV: 126 all out in 57.3 overs. (R. de Silva 29, R.A. Dimundu 8/33)
India will try to salvage their pride when they take on the minnows of test cricket Zimbabwe in a Singer World Series day-night game at the Premadasa Stadium.
Both sides have lost their opening games and will be trying for their first win so as to be in contention for the championship.
India was trounced by Sri Lanka in their first outing. Today they will try to get back into the winning groove. The Indians will go in firm favourites, but will be looking for good match practice before the all important game against Australia on Thursday.
Although the Indian batsmen showed their ability, the bowlers were completely slammed by the Lankan batsmen.
TodayÕs game should help the Indian bowlers to strike a good line and length and get accustomed to the wicket at the Premadasa Stadium.
Zimbabwe, who disappointed in their first game are expected to come up with an improved performance. Their wickets fell fast and furiously against the Australians, who scored a crushing victory.
However, the Zimbabwe bowlers will be hardpressed to contain the runhungry Indians who should revel against the inexperienced attack.
Zimbabwe will also have to sharpen their fielding skills which fell apart against the Australians.
India (from): Sachin Tendulkar (Captain), Ajay Jadeja, Mohammed Azharuddin, Saurav Ganguly, Vinod Kambli, Rahul Dravid, Vikram Rathore, Nayan Mongia, Javagal Srinath, Anil Kumble, Venkatesh Prasad, Sunil Joshi, Ashish Kapoor, David Johnson.
Zimbabwe : (from) Alistair Campbell (Captain), Andy Flower, Grant Flower, Guy Whittall, Craig Evans, Eddo Brandes, Heath Streak, Paul Strang, Bryan Strang, Wayne James, Andy Whittall, Henry Olonga, Mark Dekker, Craig Wishart.
Singer World Series
Points Table
P W L P Sri Lanka 2 2 0 4 Australia 2 1 1 2 India 1 0 1 0 Zimbabwe 1 0 1 0
Carlsberg League Rugby champions CR & FC and runners up Kandy S. C. dominated the quarter finals of the Clifford Cup knock-out tournament and stamped their supremacy in the local rugby scene by trouncing Kurunegala R. F. C. by 58 points and Army SC by 53 points to 3 points respectively last weekend at Nittawela, Kandy.
Police SC that played the first quarter finals on Saturday at Nittawela against Old Trinitians S. C. was the first casualty and was kicked out of the tournament by the Old Trinitians by 10 points (1 goal and 1 penalty) to 7 points (1 goal). Everyone expected the Police to win. Police disappointed everyone with a poor display and lost the early initiative and became passive on-lookers as the game progressed, without going for the ball and the man with the ball and let the Old Trinitians steal the show.
The exchanges were even at the begining with the Police winning the lines out and scrums and the Old Trinitians being far superior in the loose play. During the first twenty minutes Police pitched their tent in the Old Trinitians twenty metres and forced several penalties and squandered them due to faulty handling and ineffective kicking. But later in this half managed a try by flanker Kelum Gunaratne who broke away from a scrum to score. This was goaled by fly half Nizam Jamaldeen for the Police to go into half time with a 7 - nil lead.
After the cross-over OTSC began to put pressure on the Police and win way. During this half there Fijian, centre Orissa Kunaleca sent a booming kick from his twenty five, which went a good fifty metres to go into touch in the Police twenty five and from the ensuing line out the other Fijian forward J. Kore held the ball and powered his way to score a try unchallenged by the Police defence. Full back Nilantha Welagedera made a good conversion for Old Trinitians to level the score 7-7. Thereafter, with a heavy downpour positive rugby became impossible for the match to end in a deadlock.
During the first 7 minutes of extra time, Police were penalised in midfield and OTSC opted to take a kick at goal and their full back Nilantha Welagedera made an amazing conversion where the ball hit the right upright and fell on the crossbar and rolled over to complete the conversion to the jublications of the OTSC officials and supporters. The manager of the OTSC Maurice Perera a former rugby great of Kandy told me with pride that the Old Trinitians SC in its first year of big time rugby had beaten all the big clubs in Colombo except CR & FC which is very creditable for a young side.
CR & FC in runaway win
As expected, league champs CR & FC scored a runaway victory over a hapless Kurunegala RFC by 53 points (4 goals and 5 tries) to 8 points. (7 try and 1 penalty) on Saturday in the second quarter finals at Nittawela.
For the Red Shirts it was a cake walk victory with tries coming from winger Kishan Musafer (2), Prop fowrad Santha Rohana (3), Winger Shantha de Silva, Centre Ajantha Cooray, Flanker Azad Junkeer, No. 8 Tavita Tulagese and Fly Half Champika Nishantha Full Back Nalaka Weerakkody converted four of these tries.
Kurunegala RFC Hooker Jagath Piyaratne scored their only try which went unconverted and a penalty was convered by winger Saranga Jayakody.
CR & FC will be meeting Old Trinitians SC in the first Semi-Finals on Saturday at Nittawela.
CH & FC beat Havelocks SC
CH & FC scored a 29 points ( 3 goals, 1 try and 1 penalty) to 15 points (3 tries) win over Havelock SC on Sunday in the third quarter finals at Nittawela.
The exchanges were even in this match where the CH & FC forwards appeared to be superior to the Park Boys. For CH & FC tries were scored by Kaisara Taipe, (2) Bimal Perera and Mahesh Kumara and Jude Dimitri converted three of these tries and put over a penalty.
The three unconverted tries for Havelock SC were scored by Bandula Mallikarachi, Rushdie Faiz and Nishantha Chanaka.
Kandy trounced Army
Kandy SC trounced Army SC by 53 points (6 goals, 1 try and 1 penalty) to (3 points 1 penalty) in the last of the quarter-finals at Nittawela on Sunday and will meet CH & FC in the second semi-finals on Sunday.
Army for the first time played two foreigners in their side. But Kandy SC was too good for the Army even with the presence of the two foreigners.
Kandy SC began scoring with a penalty by Upul Wijesiri. Army equalised with a penalty by Upul Silva. Former KandyÕs Fly Half Kodituwakku playing as winger scored two tries one of which was converted by Upul Wijesiri for Kandy to lead 15.3 at the Breather.
During the second half Kandy winger Kodituwakku and Centre Etonio Quoro scored two tries each and Kitioni Ratudrada. Sugath Sampath and Lasantha Wijesuriya scored a try each. Upul Wijesiri goaled five of these tries for Kandy to score a convincing 53 - 3 win over the Army.
Kandy Sports Club take on CH&FC in the Clifford Cup semi-final match. Kick off at 5.15 pm at Nittawela.
Kandy will miss the service of Priyantha Ekanayake who is injured. Harris Omar and Pradeep Basnayake will not play as they are sitting the GCE A/Level examination.
Matalapitiya Vidyalaya bagged a triple, winning the boysÕ under 14,16 and 18 volleyball titles in the John Keells Inter School championships in the Matale Districts played at the Bernard Aluvihare Stadium, Matale. Weerakeppitipola MMV bagged a double winning the girlsÕ under 14 and 16 titles. The tournament was conducted by the Sri Lanka Schools Volleyball Association and the Education Ministry.
The other qualifiers for the final round in the Matale District to play in October at Matara are:
Boys under 14 - Nandana Vidyalaya, Kalahiriyagama MV.
Boys under 16 - Nandana MV, Kaikawela MMV, Weerakeppitipola MMV.
Boys under 18 - Weerakeppitipola MMV, Pussala MV, Alagamuwa MMV.
Girls under 14 - Akuranamoda MV A & B.
Girls under 16 - Weerakeppittipola B, Kaikawela MMV, Weerakeppttipola MMV.
Girls under 18 - Assalla MMV, Srinaga MMV, Kaikawela MMV, Alutwewa MMV.
Anuradhapura Central bagged a double winning the girls under 14 and under 18 titles in the Anuradhapura District play-offs.
Boys under 14 - Pemiyankulam MMV, Anuradhapura Central.
Boys under 16 - Eppawela MMV, Kadawewa Vidyalaya, Talanthupitiya MMV.
Boys under 18 - Palugolla MMV, Kadulugamuwa MV, Pandulla MV, Kadurugaswewa MV.
Girls under 14 - Anuradhapura Central, Eppawela MMV, Pandula MV, Periyankulam MV.
Girls under 18 - Anuradhapura Central, Kadulugamuwa MV, Hiripitiyagama MV, Peramiyankulama MV.
Girls under 16 - Aliwanguwa MMV, Galnewa MMV.
Royal College and Mulleriyawa MMV won the boys and girls under 16 titles in their play-offs for the Colombo District.
Boys under 14 - Puwakpitiya North MMV, Mattegoda MMV.
Boys under 16 - Royal, St. SebastianÕs, Moratuwa.
Girls under 14 - Piliyandala MMV, Samudra Devi MV, Mulleriyawa.
Girls under 16 - Mulleriyawa MMV, Maharagama Vidyalaya.
Everybody cheered during Sri Lanka's spectacular victory over the Indian team in Wednesday's Singer trophy encounter, but the hero of the day, batting wizard Sanath Jayasuriya was all but forgotten as he writhed in pain with cramps that took hold of him even as he took his side to victory.
It was a sorry sight to see Sanath forgotten by all as the crowds soared on to the grounds from the pavilion and the stands. Helped by Aravinda de Silva on to whose shoulders he leaned Sanath Jayasuriya limped back and not being able to stand it any longer fell to the ground.
Why was no stretcher sent to bring the man who deserved the most attention at that time?Ó. Is the question several now ask. They said it showed a woeful lack of organisation on the part of those who need to take care of such things and more an utter lack of compassion, they said.
Let it not happen again or it will be a slur on Sri Lanka despite the great heights to which our cricketers have taken the nation and especially Sanath Jayasuriya who did so much through 50 overs on the field and nearly another 50 at the wickets they said.
Renown Sports Club who were pushed into exile has come back to prove their mettle when they confront Old Bens in the much delayed Bristol FA Cup final at the Sugathadasa Stadium on September 6. Kick-off at 6 p.m. Renown will contest their home town rivals Old Bens in search of their third successive bid.
The Sea Street boys won the Bristol FA Cup in 1994, and last year and on form are likely to make it three in a row.
On their way to reaching the final, Renown beat Promoters SC 4-nil, Thiyaraya Youth 4-3, Superbeach 8-nil and in the replay without six senior players beat them 6-nil and in the semi-finals beat Air Force 1-nil.
In 1989 and 1990 too, Renown won the FA Cup.
This year they will be led by A. Devendra.
Australia’s vice captain Ian Healy in his autobiography “Playing for keeps” has rated Sri Lanka skipper Arjuna Ranatunge as one of the top four batsmen in the world, who has the talents and skills to counter the wiles of spin wizard Shane Warne.
In a chapter titled “The Warne Phenomenon”, Healy states that Arjuna Ranatunge (Sri Lanka) Hansie Cronje (South Africa), Graham Gooch (England) and Salim Malik (Pakistan) are the top four batsmen in the world, who have coped with Warne very well.
His comments on Ranatunge’s ability to tackle Warne go like this:
ARJUNA RANATUNGE (Sri Lanka)
Sri LankaÕs world-wise batsman Asanka Gurusinha told me recently he believed Ranatunge is the best player of spin in the world. He said over the last 14 years Ranatunge has methodically dissected every spinner he has faced, a fact which previously hadn’t dawned on me, but one which I am starting to appreciate.
I went back through the history books and saw how Ranatunge had attacked Australia’s Bruce Yardley in Colombo in a 1983 Test, how he blasted India’s Luxman Shivaramakrishnan out of Test cricket in 1985, and how he punctured Abdul Qadir’s confidence in six Tests the following year.
RanatungeÕs record against Warne is also sound. Allan Border had to dispatch a string of men to the deep when a fearless Ranatunge scored 127 against an admittedly inexperienced Warne at Colombo in 1992.
Ranatunge drove the ball brilliantly on both sides of the wicket. Against Shane, left-handed Ranatunge hits with the spin over mid-wicket, a risk he takes quite well.
He also has beautifully soft wrists which enable him to play feather glides through the slips. Few players have the touch to deflect the ball as fine as he does.... and he sweeps well.
In summary, he has all the shots to cope with whatever ball Warne bowls to him. If it turns into him he hits powerfully towards the on-side - if it turns away he can deflect it.
Healy, who has kept for Warne for over 2000 overs in International Cricket, battled against him for the first time at the end of the 1995-96 summer in a Sheffield Shield game.
ÒIt was a fascinating and most enjoyable experience,Ó he says but reinforces that it is infinitely easier to keep than to bat against Warne.
The wicket-keeper is confident he can pick Warne 100 percent on any given day but admits that there will be some mistakes when he gets lazy and donÕt watch him as closely as he should be watched.
Warne has a host of weapons in his armoury to mesmerise the batsmen. These include the leg spinner, Top spinner, wrongÕun, flipper and the zooter.
So you want to know how he reads him? According to Ian it is not a matter of reading but itÕs a matter of flicking on a switch in my subconcious.
You have done it so often in my case hundreds of hours watching and keeping to Warne under match and net conditions - that your mind has become programmed and my movement are instinctive.
A career best 7 for 52 by Suranga Wijenaike enabled Bloomfield to restrict Ambalangoda Rio SC to 222 and replied with 106 for 1 when bad light stopped play on the first day of their under - 24 Division 1 Cricket tournament match at Reid Avenue yesterday.
Wijenaike captured all the tail enders with his leg spinners.
Skipper Suraj Sanjeewa scored 55 in 60 balls with three sixes in one over.
Ambalangoda Rio SC 222 all out in 59.4 overs. (Jegan Manoj 14, M.G. Roshan 22, T. Sampath 27, Suraj Sanjeewa 55, R.P. Ruhunuarchchi 17, W. Banad 22, R.M. Chandana 20, Sadun 11, Suranga Wijenaike 7/52).
Bloomfield 106 for 1 at close in 26.4 overs
(S.K. Perera 31, Navin Nawaz 52 n.o., P. Wickremasinghe 10.n.o)
A fine century by Sanjeewa Warusamanne and a half century by Russel Arnold enabled NCC to score 265 on the first day against Kurunegala YCC at Maitland Place yesterday. Sanjeewa hit a delightful 114 which included two sixes and thirteen fours.
Russel Arnold scored a fine 58 which included a six and eight boundaries.
NCC 265 all out in 72 overs. (Russel Arnold 58, Damian Perera 21, Carman Mapatuna 114, Leslie Hewage 18, Damith Mariarachchi 12, Asela Pathirana 12, Ranga Herath 5 for 100, Hiran Liyanage 2 for 28).
Kurunegala YCC 69 for 1 in 20 overs (Ruwan Kariyawasam 30 no., Senadi Malameewela 19 n.o).
Nomads SC looked set for a first innings win, when they sent Matugama CC tottering at 63 for 4 at close.
Nomads had scored 251 on the first day, at Vihara Maha Devi Park Yesterday.
Sadun Umagiliya top scored for the home team with 75 runs which included a six and nine fours.
Nomads 251 all out in 71.1 overs (Devaka Balasuriya 40, Mahesh Dissanaydke 20, Chaminda de Silva 25, Sadun Umagiliya 75, Ravi Subasinghe 21, S. Wickramarachchi 30 n.o, C. Gunawardena 12, A.I. Kumar 3/53, Silva 2/63, N. Liyanage 3/63).
Matugama CC 63 for 4 in 24 overs (R. Seneviratne 20, P.C. Jayawardena 12).
It was the tournament of cricketing minnows - when unknown Kenya humbled the mighty West Indies and then war-torn Sri Lanka ran away with the World Cup, trouncing England (by five wickets), India (match abandoned when a crowd riot stopped play in Calcutta) and Australia on the way.
Cricket's premier one day competition, played in South Asia in February and March, may never be as heart-stoppingly thrilling again. Cool captaining and the fine strategic brain of the veteran Arjuna Ranatunga, backed by the uninhibited batting of Aravinda de Silva took stylish Sri Lanka to a seven-wicket victory over fancied Australia in the final at Lahore, Pakistan, on 17th March. De Silva (107 not out, 3 wickets for 42 and taking two catches) was Man of the Match... only two other men, Clive Lloyd and Vivian Richards of the West Indies, have previously made centuries in a World Cup final.
Cricket writers called it a romantic triumph and it certainly was one for a team of part-timers, whose game had been derided during a tour of Australia only months before and who suffered the indignity of two teams, Australia and West Indies, refusing to play in Colombo for fear of a terrorist attack We wanted to be a world force (in cricket) by the year 2000, Ranatunga said afterwards. In terms of one-day cricket, we've achieved that four years early
Kenya, which does not even have Test status, also carved for itself a little piece of cricketing history, beating the West Indies by 73 runs in a group match. Alas for Kenya, there was no fairytale ending... it lost all its remaining matches.
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