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NOT SO FAST. Kandy winger Marikkar is about to lay his hands on the ball but the fast breaking Army players are on to him. Action at the Army - Kandy game "frozen" by Dunstan Wickremaratne. Kandy triumphed 25-17
MOHALI, Nathan Astle hit a century and took four wickets as New Zealand grabbed a 22-run victory over Pakistan in a high-scoring start to the four-nation Independence Cup one-day tournament on Friday.
Man-of-the-match Astle cracked 117 runs off 132 balls in New Zealand's total of 285 for seven from 50 overs, before subduing Pakistan's reply with figures of four for 43.
Having put New Zealand in, Pakistan began their run-chase on a rousing note as Shahid Afridi hammered a belligerent 59 off 46 balls, with four boundaries and two towering sixes off medium-fast bowler Andrew Penn.
Ijaz Ahmed and Salim Malik bolstered the Pakistan score with a 81-run fourth-wicket stand off 103 balls, but Pakistan lost momentum after their departure against accurate bowling by Astle and Larsen, backed by some brilliant fielding.
Earlier, Astle and fellow opener Bryan Young put on 155 off 145 balls against a straying Pakistani attack to register New Zealand's highest first-wicket stand in 48 one-day matches. Astle's chanceless knock came off 132 balls, with two sixes and eight fours on an excellent batting pitch.
Young's 59 came off 65 balls and contained five boundaries before he was yorked by an inswinger from paceman Abdul Razzak. Off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, who took three for 38, was Pakistan's best bowler.
India and Sri Lanka are the other two teams in the tournament commemorating 50 years of India's independence from Britain.
Scoreboard - New Zealand
B.Young b Razzak 59 N.Astle st Moin Khan b Afridi 117 M.Horne b Saqlain 45 C.Cairns b Aaqib Javed 17 S.Fleming c and b Saqlain 9 C.Harris b Saqlain 4 D.Patel run out 4 A.Parore not out 16 G.Larsen not out 1
Extras (lb-2 nb-2 w-9) 13
Total (for 7 wickets, 50 overs) 285
Did not bat: A.Penn, H.Davis.
Fall of wickets: 1-155 2-234 3-236 4-256 5-264 6-264 7-282.
Bowling: Razzak 7-0-45-1 (5w, 2nb), Aaqib Javed 8-0-70-1 (1w), Afridi 10-0-49-1 (2w), Saqlain 10-0-38-3, Hussain 5-0-36-0, Salim Malik 10-0-45-0 (1w).
Pakistan
S.Anwar c Harris b Penn 17 S.Afridi b Larson 59 R.Raja run out 11 I.Ahmed lbw b Astle 50 S.Malik c Harris b Astel 47 Inzamam Ul Haq c Harris b Patel 30 M.Khan c Fleming b Astel 16 M.Hussein c Davis b Larson 1 A.Razzak st Parore b Astle 8 S.Mushtaq not out 6 A.Javed not out 6
Extras - 12
Total (for 9 wkts) in 50 overs 263
Fall - 45, 92, 106, 187, 220, 232, 242, 243, 256.
Bowling: Penn 6-0-50-1; Davis 6-0-39-0; Harris 10-2-34-0; Larson 10-0-46-2; Patel 10-0-49-1; Astle 8-0-48-4
Kandy SC went through a few anxious moments before defeating Army SC by 25 points(one goal,three tries and one penalty ) to 17 (one try and four penalties) in a Carlsberg A Division League rugby game at Maitland Crescent yesterday.At Lemons the winners led 13- 08.
It was a gallant effort by the soldiers yesterday which thwarted the knock-out champions from having their own way. Infact Army started off firing from all cylinders and gained a slender 8-5 lead early in the first half but a couple of glaring mistakes caused them the game.
Kandy SC kicked off in grand style as they opened scoring in the first minute through last year's skipper Imthie Marikkar.The winger put the finishing touches to a scintillating three quarter move from a line-ou
Army reuced the lead when Nimal Wijesiri bisected the uprights with a 35 metre penalty.
Inspired by the first scoring points on the board Army kept up the pressure on their opponents with their robust forwards.
They earned their reward soon when scrum half Naranthota rolled over for a try. Wijesiri missed the conversion and Army led 8-5.
Kandy struck back when Nalaka Weerakkody fired a 25-metre penalty to level the scores.
Soon after the visitors stepped up their attack and forced a series of five metre scrums and finally breached the Army defence lines for Priyantha Ekanayake to score.Weerakkody failed to add the extra points as Kandy went into lemons leading 13-8. After the turn-around Kandy increased the lead through a gifted try. Army's Nimal Wijesiri opted to wait for the bounce while collecting a high ball on the goal line and paid the price when the charging Kandy centre Opethi beat Wijesiri to the ball to touch down. Weerakkody, who earlier missed two penalties, added the extra points for the visitors to lead 20-11.
Army never recovered from that point onwards and later conceeded one more try and a penalty to a determined Kandy SC team which fought theirway to emerge winners in the battle.
Refree- Robin Goodliffe.
Wesley scored their third consecutive win in the current Milo League Inter-Schools rugby football tournament when they beat St. Peter's by 12 points to 9 at Bambalapitiya yesterday. The winner's points came off a goal and a try and the Peterites points came off three penalties.
Anupama Wadugodapitiya and S. Juhry scored a try each for Wesley with Rukshan Allang goaling one. For St. Peter's Irshad Hashimdeen of football fame put over three penalties.
Earlier Wesley beat Science College and Lumbini MV.
Isipatana win
Defending league champions Isipatana, playing true to form, crushed St. Anthony's Kandy by 50 points to nil at Havelock Park. Isipatana led 26-nil at lemons. For the 'green shirts' Krishantha Chandran and Indika scored two tries each with Shamly Nawaz, Hemish Gunaratne, Sajith Mallikarachchi and Chandra Godagoda scoring a try each. Sajith Mallikarachchi goaled five tries.
*In other matches played during the week S.Thomas' beat Kingswood by 22 points (2 goals, 1 try, 1 penalty) to 5 (1 try) at the Sugathadasa Stadium.
Prop Gavin Jayasekera, winger Sanjaya Jeerasinghe and No 8 Shehan Jayawardena scored a try each for the Thomians with fly-half Ahmed Rahman goaling two tries and putting over a penalty.
Kingswood's solitary try was scored by Sameera Wijesinghe.
Royal win11-8
Royal pulled off a hard fought 11 points (1 try, 2 penalties) to 8 (1 try, 1 penalty) win over Ananda at the Sugathadasa Stadium.At lemons Royalled 6-5. Winger Nishantha Sirikumara svcored Royal's solitary try while Rananja Gonaduwa put over the two penalties for Royal. No 8 Chaminda Bombuwela scored the try for Ananda with Indika Amadoru failing to add the extra points but reduced the lead with a penalty.
St. Sylvester's win
St. Sylvester's beat Nalanda by 20 points (2 goals,2 penalties) to 3 (a penalty) at Nittawela. At halftime the scores were deadlocked at 3 all. Scrum half Sapumal Niyandigala was th match winner for the Kandy school contributing 15 ofthe 20 points. He scored one try and also goaled two and later put over a penalty while the second try was scored by centre C.K.Dias.
Ruwan Kumara put over Nalanda's solitary penalty.
Zahira beaten
Lumbini hit a winning note after their last week's lost to Wesley defeating Zahira by 13 points (2 tries, 1 penalty) to 3 (a penalty) at Havelock Park.Lumbini led 8-3 at the breather. Scrum half Roy Nishantha and flanker Sarath Chamara scored a try each for Lumbini with Shan Pradeep putting over the penalty. Riyaz Hanif scored the penalty forZahira.
CH&FC playing with better co-ordination beat Old Trinitians 26-3 in their Carlsberg Trophy A Division league championship game at Nittawela yesterday. CH's points were made up of a goal, two tries and three penalties to a penalty by the Old Trinitians.
Bimal Perera, Faatony Juli and Sajeewa Soysa scored a try each while Jude Dimithri goaled one try and put over the three penalties for CH while Riaan Botha put over the penalty for the old Trinitians. The winners led 18-nil at half time.
TODAY: Defending Champions CR&FC will meet Air Force at Havelock Park and Petersons will play Havelocks at Longden Place.
Briefly Second Go Kart meet
The second Go Kart meet conducted by the Ceylon Motor Sports Club will be held at the Go Kart Centre at Darley Road on May 18.
Several newcomers to the sport are expected to participate and are no doubt bound to give the experienced drivers a tough time.
Another interesting event will be the junior event where several youngsters will be seen in action.
Entry forms are now available at Jinasena Limited. Entries will close on May 15th at 4 p.m. at No. 4, Hunupitiya Lake Road, Colombo 2. (AF)
Graf returns to Berlin
Former world number one Steffi Graf will return to action next week in Berlin following more than three months layoff with knee problems, her entourage revealed yesterday.
Peter Manuel joined the elite group of leading local umpires when he completed the Association of Cricket Umpires (ACU) England full member Examination successfully. In a letter received from Alan Saunders, Secretary Overseas Examinations he has been informed of having obtained 87 marks out of a possible 100.
Thus Peter joins the distinguished panel consisting of K.T. Francis, Udaya Wickremasinghe and B.C. Cooray who are the only local umpires to achieve this honour.
Peter took up umpiring in 1984 after completing 18 years of cricket with the Burgher Recreation Club (BRC). What made him do so? "I had to give back to this wonderful game something at least for all what it has taught me," was Peter's reply. Speaking further Peter said: "I was fortunate to have a guru in the form of K.T. Francis. K.T. is one of the best in the trade today and I was lucky to have his expertise at all times."
Peter who is employed as an executive at a leading Foreign Bank in Colombo, spends all his weekends on the cricket field. For this he is grateful to his wife for the patience and tolerance she has shown. His two daughters have hardly any time to spend with him at home. I guess that is the price you have to pay if you want to achieve your dream of being an ICC umpire said" Peter. Peter also paid a tribute to the Bank where he is employed for encouraging him by way of leave etc.
Peter has already officiated at two Tests and eleven One-day Internationals.
His advice to aspiring umpires is, "Be humble in carrying out your duties. Earn the respect of the player, never demand it. Remember people come to watch cricket and not the umpire! Be firm when dealing with breaches of the law but don't be officious in carrying out your duties".
Peter is delighted to be a full member of the ACU, England and now looks forward to achieving his life long desire of umpiring a season in England.
Netball refs exam
The examination for grading of Netball Referees conducted by the Sri Lanka Netball Federation will be held on July 5.
The written list for selection to the A, B and C grades will be conducted at 5 centres, Colombo, Kurunegala, Matara, Kandy and Polonnaruwa.
The closing date for applications for these examinations will be July 15.
Applications should be sent to the Examinations Secretary, Sri Lanka Netball Federation, 7A, Reid Avenue, Colombo 7.
Those who could apply for Grade A should be referees who have passed the B grade and possess experience of at least three years.
Those applying for Grade B should have at least 2 years experience after passing Grade C.
For the C Grade it is essential that the applicants should have completed the first stage started in 1996. (AF)
Cooray to attend VB meeting
Mervyn J. Cooray, Vice President of the Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation and Director, Board of Administration of the Asian Volleyball Confederation left for Bahrain yesterday (May 10) to attend the 17th session of the Confederation.
Mr. Cooray was the state Minister for Power and Energy in the previous government.
Four-day matches to pick Board pool
The Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka has arranged to play a series of four-day trial matches to select a Board pool. The first of these matches will be played on May 13, 14, 15 and 16 from 9 a.m. at the Police Park, Bambalapitiya.
The two teams will comprise:
Team A - Chandika Hathurusinghe (Captain), Chaminda Mendis, Naweed Nawaz, Mahela Jayawardena, Indika de Saram, Hemantha Wickremaratne, Chamara Dunusinghe, Amil Dalugoda, Tilan Samaraweera, Mario Villayarayen, Ravindra Pushpakumara.
Team B - Dulip Samaraweera (Captain), Sajith Fernando, Saman Jayantha, Varuna Waragoda , Sampath Perera, Bateesha de Silva, Lanka de Silva, Nimesh Perera, Niroshan Bandaratilleka, Eric Upashantha, Wendall Labrooy.
Reserves - Pradeep Hewage, Hemantha Boteju, Shantha Kalawitagoda, Bathiya Karunaratne. (AF)
The second of the powerboat races lined up for this month, in the 1997 UIM World Formula 1 will be the one at Porto Rosa Slovenia on May 11th. The first was held last week at Mons Belgium.
Last year saw Guidio Cappelini emerge as the overall champion. He set a new record by winning the championships for the fourth consecutive time.
He shared the previous record of three World Championships with Britain's Jon Jones of the John Player Gold Leaf Racing team.
Jones, Perti Lepalla of Finland and Michael Werner of Germany were in an exciting battle for the second place in the overall championships.
Lepalla won that particular race - Jones finishing in joint third place with Werner.
This year Jon Jones team is a strong one and has obtained the services of Massimo Roggiero who is a fiery Italian who finished fifth in the championships last year.
Twelve races are scheduled from May to December.
With team and individual honours at stake, everyone will be looking to get off to a flying start.
The racing calendar for the year is:
May 25th- Dunaujvanos, Hungary.
June 8th- St Petersberg, Russia.
June 22nd- Chalon, France.
July 13th- Corfu, Greece
July 20th- Gallipoli-Italy.
August 10th- Poznan, Poland.
August 24th- Moscow, Russia.
September 7th-Campione,Italy.
October 26th- China.
December 12th- Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Nine leading referees from Australia, England, France, New Zealand and Wales have been named to the International Rugby Football Board's (IRFB) first merit-based panel in preparation for the July-August Tri-Nation Series between South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.
The referee and touch judge appointments for the six match SAN-ZAR series are:
July 19, South Africa v New Zealand, referee Peter Marshall (Australia), touch judges Wayne Erickson (Australia) and Clayton Thomas (Wales);
July 26, Australia v New Zealand, Ed Morrison (England), Derek Bevan (Wales) and C. Thomas (Wales);
August 2, Australia v South Africa, Colin Hawke (New Zealand), Paddy O'Brien (New Zealand) and C. Thomas (Wales);
August 9, New Zealand v South Africa, D. Bevan, Joel Dume (France) and Brian Campsall (England);
August 16, New Zealand v Australia, J. Dume, D. Bevan and B. Campsall (England);
August 23, South Africa v Australia, P. O'Brien, C. Hawke and B. Campsall.
The decision to introduce a merit-based system on a pilot basis for the 1997 Tri-Nation Series and for the 1998 Five Nation Championship was taken in January at the annual meeting of the IRFB Council.
The appointments panel for the pilot programme all former international referees who have served on Rugby World Cup panels was chaired by Peter Brook, who also chairs the IRFB's Referee Committee, with the other members Dave Burnett and Dick Byres, nominated by the Northern and Southern Hemisphere respectively.
Brook said the selection of referees for other international games during the current Southern Hemisphere season, will be under the IRFB's existing rota system.
Appointments for the major pre-Christmas internationals in the Northern Hemisphere will be considered when the IRFB holds its mid-year meeting in Dublin in July. The merit-based appointments for the 1998 Five Nations will be announced early in the new year.
Brook also indicated the three tests between South Africa and the British Lions in June and July, would be handled by a team of referees from three different countries, Australia, New Zealand and France, each taking charge of one match with the two as touch judges.
Former world champion boxer Nigel Benn caused a "fearful" amount of damage when he smashed an ashtray into the face of a ticket agent's face, a court heard.
Ray Sullivan who needed 105 stitches during a three-hour operation to repair his shattered nose immediately fell to the floor and felt himself "drowning" in his blood.
But each time he tried to struggle to his knees he was allegedly kicked back down by the ex-super middleweight titleholder who was described by one witness as looking "really angry" and gritting his teeth during the assault.
Eventually the fighter who was also world middleweight champion was pulled away by bouncers in Legends nightclub in Mayfair, Central London Middlesex Crown Court was told.
"There was a fearful amount of damage that had been done to Mr. Sullivan" said Paul Dodgson prosecuting.
Thirty-three-year old Dilantha Malagamuwa is gearing himself to take part in the Formula 3000 competition to be held in Japan shortly.
He will be the first non-Japanese Asian to contest in Formula racing. His team LEYJUN will contest under the title: TEAM SRI LANKA WITH LEYJUN. They will have the help of the Sri Lankan Government and Sri Lankan businessmen in Japan.
Dilantha said that he will go flat out to win the event and bring honour to his motherland. He has trained hard on the available roads, which he says are not sufficient. Because the roads are congested he has been forced to practice at night. He said that a lot of emphasis is being laid on motor racing in Japan.
Dilantha is the only driver in Asia who has got an international racing driver's licence.
Dilantha took up motor racing in 1980 and took part in the Indian Grand Prix Race meet in 1983, where he was placed sixth. He went to Japan in 1990 to take part in the Corolla Cup and Endurance race. He was placed first in the 1994 Thokachi, a gruelling non-stop 24 hour race.
Dilantha appreciates the help extended to him by the Sri Lankan Government, the Sports Ministry and the Sri Lankan business community here and in Japan.
Chairman of the International Rugby Football Union, Mr. Vernon Pugh QC has written to the Secretary, Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka Mr. R.C.A. Vandergert on the difficulties which arose from the arrangements to play the Rugby World Cup fixture between Sri Lanka and Singapore in Singapore, which was ultimately played in Thailand where Sri Lanka gained a 18-15 victory.
Following is the text of the letter:
"Thank you for your letter of 24 February 1997 in respect of the difficulties arising from the arrangements to play the Rugby World Cup fixture between your country's side and Singapore.
"I have been busy in trying to resolve the issues, and to achieve some reasonable compromise of the unsatisfactory position that developed.
"I believe and understand that the matter has now been resolved to everyone's reasonable satisfaction.
"However, I have to say that I am far from happy that the International Board staff dealt with this matter in the most appropriate way.
"We have learnt some hard lessons from it, and I am sorry that it may be seen as having been at Sri Lanka's expense.
"I am grateful for your very full and helpful letter. I agree with at great deal of it, including some of the misinformation as to domestic conditions and safety within Sri Lanka. I am only too appreciative of the grave concern expressed in your letter.
"I would wish to assure you that it has never been the intentions of anyone at the International Board to consciously create any difficulties for Sri Lanka.
"In fact, quite the opposite as there is enormous goodwill. I hope that we can put this unhappy episode behind us, havng learnt a lesson for the future.
Yours Sincerely,
Vernon Pugh QC.
A perfect stage has been set for the return of star bastman Aamir Sohail as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Executive Council, the higher tier, meets at the cricket headquarters at the Qadhafi Stadium on Wednesday to reconsider the two-year ban clamped on the former captain four weeks back by the Disciplinary panel and endorsed by the Executive Council two weeks ago.
According to the conditions laid by the PCB, Aamir Sohail had submitted an appeal against the ban on Thursday and the board made a swift move by announcing the date of the emergency meeting on Friday. The Aamir Sohail episode, being considered more interesting than the Independence Cup where Pakistan lost the opener to New Zealand by 22 runs, has reached this sensitive stage purely due to the interest taken and intervention made by the government through Mushahid Husain, Adviser to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sports, who on Sunday last had submitted a compromise formula, also agreed by the Chairman of the PCB, Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah Bokhari.
The compromise formula was: Aamir Sohail will submit an appeal against the ban and the PCB, in return, well exonerate the star allrounder from all charges.
With the government dictating terms and sources close to the top officials in Islamabad saying that if Majid Khan and company don't reverse the decision than they will have to go, there are strong apprehensions that Aamir Sohail will be allowed to resume his cricket activities from Wednesday onwards though his inclusion in the team for the Independence Cup seems to be out of question.
The dominance of the government in this issue can be gauged from the fact that the draft of Aamir Sohail's appeal was written and typed in Islamabad and the left-hander was only asked to sign and submit it to the board office on Thursday.
Behind the scene, the cricket board and the government are engaged in a wrangle as both are trying to leave an impression that it was because of them that such a major decision was taken which creates a new chapter in the Pakistan cricket history.
The government official (Mr. Mushahid Husain), in his compromise formula, said Aamir Sohail will submit an appeal but the PCB used the word 'unconditional apology' in its Press release trying to prove that it was the batsman who came down on his knees than the cricket board itself-chiefly in an attempt to retain their lucrative offices.
It would not be out of context to mention here that after Majid Khan took over the charge of chief executive in May, Aamir Sohail was relieved from his duties as vice-captain and was later dropped from the home series against New Zealand before being recalled for the Australian tour. Majid crossed all limits when he told Sohail's family members to vacate the hospitality boxes of an empty Qadhafi Stadium.
Majid didn't stop here. He told English county Middlesex not to sign Aamir Sohail because he was a 'naughty boy' and later approached the Hong Kong Cricket Association as well as the Pakistan High Commission in Hong Kong to stop Sohail playing for the World Eleven against Australia. However, Majid's plea was spurned as the organisers said it was not an ICC sanctioned match and the ban applies only in the games organised by the ICC or its affiliated units.
With no domestic cricket on cards before October this year, Sohail's major hope for a comeback depends chiefly on the performance of the Pakistan cricket team in the Independence Cup in India. Between this month and September, Pakistan has a packed international schedule including the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, Sahara Cup in Canada and a five-match one-day international series against India here in September.
The sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) admitted that some of the senior cricketers had expressed their displeasure on the proposal of reversal of the decision with some even saying that they would not be available for selection if Aamir Sohail was included.
This, however, could not be confirmed to the mediamen from any selected player. "But this is not a big issue. In 1995, Rashid Latif and Basit Ali levelled similar allegations against Salim Malik, Ijaz Ahmed and Intikhab Alam but all made a good combination when they toured Australia later that year for a three-Test series."
Tail-Piece: Aamir Sohail's allegations against his team-mates still exist as he has not apologised for making accusations he can't prove. Instead, he still maintains that he can prove them and Mr Mushahid Husain spoke of an internal probe in the Senate on Thursday.
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