Lankan spinners issue Test match warning to S. Africa

PAARL, South Africa, Saturday (Reuters) - Sri Lanka began their final preparations for next week's first test against South Africa with an encouraging bowling display against minnows Boland, who were dismissed for 178.

But the touring side lost two quick wickets at the end of the day to concede their advantage, finishing on 27 for two.

To compound Sri Lanka's problems they lost Aravinda de Silva for a duck leaving the number three who scored seven test centuries last year desperately short of form. He has failed to score a run in his two innings on tour.

Earlier off-spinner Muttiah Muralitheran was in commanding form with four for 40. He was at his best during a spell of 24.3 overs that posed problems for all the home side's batsmen and was well supported by fellow spinners Kumar Dharmasena and Upul Chandana who claimed two wickets each.

Seamer Ravindra Pushpakumara made an early breakthrough when opener Rayno Arendse edged the second ball of the Boland innings to Russell Arnold at slip.

Another edge from Chad Grainger (20) was held by wicketkeeper Romesh Kaluwitherana, but the other eight wickets went to the spinners.

Leg-spinner Upal Chandana ended opener James Henderson's marathon innings of 33 in nearly three hours with a quicker ball and then had Justin Ontong (14) well stumped by Kaluwitherana.

Dharmasena, bowling brisk off-cutters, finished with two for 35 from 13 overs before Muralitheran bowled Boland captain Adrian Kuiper (6) with a ball that turned sharply between bat and pad. He then quickly wrapped up the tail.

Sri Lanka also lost a wicket to the second ball of their innings when Arnold was trapped lbw by Roger Telemachus. De Silva, too, was undone by the lack of bounce in South Africa's lowest, slowest wicket and was trapped lbw after scratching around for 28 deliveries.

Boland Park is the venue at which England abandoned a three-day match after the second day on their 1995 tour because both teams were bored.

Colombo Ladies champs

Colombo Ladies CC annexed the SIRASA/FM Trophy at the women's six-a-side softball cricket tournament at the Colts Grounds beating Young Ladies CC in the final. The champion team standing from left: Janakantha Mala, Sharmila Kitchill, Ganga de Silva, Vajira Premaratne(Capt.), Champa Sugathadasa(V. Capt.), Gayani Fernando, Roshini Nanayakkara. Squatting (from left): Priyadarshini Silva, Sajeevani Mendis, Inoka Galagedara, Subhani Fernando and Champika Priyanthi.

Ponniah, Perera shine for Old Thomians

An aggressive and attractive unbroken 183-run stand for the second wicket between opener Mano Ponniah (66 n.o with 7 boundaries) and G.D.V. Perera (104 n.o, with 5 sixes and 9 fours) enabled the Old Thomians to a convincing nine-wicket win, with 5 overs to spare, over Old Royalists in the 35-overs, in a 40-over cricket match at the SSC grounds yesterday.

Old Royalists - 192 for 9 in 35 overs (Anura de Alwis 23, L. Gunasekera 30, T.M.S. Saldin 18, A. Peiris 15, Ajith Pasqual 18, A. Jayawickrema 33; Ranil Abeynaike 3 for 28, S. Rajapakse 2 for 32).

Old Thomians - 194 for 1 in 30 0vers (Mano Ponniah 66 n.o, G.D.V. Perera 104 n.o).

Bloomfield: 472/7

After bundling out Matara SC for 203 runs on the first innings, Bloomfield batsmen made merry on a docile pitch to amass 472 for 7 at close on the second day of their three-day P. Sara Trophy match at Reid Avenue yesterday.

The feature of the Bloomfield innings was a hard hitting109 (with 16 fours) by Naveed Nawaz, a bright 66 by Pubudu Dassanayake and a stroke-filled 61 by all-rounders Ruchira Palliyaguru and a sedate 71 n.o by Priyankara Wickremasinghe, to pile on the runs.

Matara SC - 203 in 68 overs (C.K. Guruge 46, S.M. Faumi 50; R. Palliyaguru 3 for 20, R.L. Perera 2 for 47, P. Wickremasinghe 2 for 42)

Bloomfield - 101 for 2 overnight contd. 472 for 7 in 120 overs (S. Perera 52, T. Gunaratne 36, R. Kalpage 42, N. Nawaz 109, Pubudu Dissanayake 60, R. Palliyaguru 61, P. Wickremasinghe 71 n.o; S.M. Faumi 2 for 38) - BW

Royal-Thomian past cricketers annual dinner

Former Royal and Thomian cricketers will be gathering at a formal dinner on March 18 at the Hotel Taj Samudra from 7.30 p.m onwards.

This annual gathering by the old stalwarts, that too, before the Battle of the Blues, is a much looked forward to event among the old cricketers of the two institutions, bringing back nostalgic memories.Those who are interested in attending this dinner should contact Sashi Ganeshan (Singapore Airlines 434064), Lakshman Thalayasingham (Associated Motorways 448306), Ajita Pasqual (Hongkong Bank, Fort 341006), Neil Chanmugam (Harrisons 698908), Anushka Polonowita (Home 695527), Trevor Rajaratnam (Mackinnons Travels 421547), Manoj Mendis (Singapore Airlines 422711), Arjuna Waidyasekara( Coats Tootal 421380).

Zimbabwean Flowers blossom

Zimbabwe, after winning the toss, were 151 for five wickets at close of play on a rain-affected first day in their opening test against Pakistan on Saturday.The Flower brothers steered them out of trouble, with a 4th wicket partnership of 64. Scores: Zimbabwe 151-5 off 54.5 overs (Grant Flower 69 not out) v Pakistan.

Bad light hits Kandy's 'big' games

By Shane Seneviratne

Bad light halted play in both the 92nd Battle of the Maroons between Kingswood and Dharmaraja, at the Asgiriya Stadium, and the 82nd Battle of the Blues, at Katugastota between Trinity and St. Anthony's at Katugastota yesterday.

At the Asgiriya Stadium, Kingswood took major honours by scoring 160 and bowling out their opponents, the Rajans for 135. Pubudu Seneviratne was picked as the Man of the Match.

Kingswood - 160 (Roshan Perera 30, Charaka Amunugama 47, Omila Weerasuriya 35, Chamara Seneviratne 28; Dinusa Bandara 2 for 27, Pubudu Seneviratne 5 for 38) and 156 for 9 dec. (M.Mallawarachchi 29, Omila Weerasuriya 31, Roshan Perera 37; Pubudu Seneviratne 6 for 103).

Dharmaraja - 135 (C.Weerage 18, Yasa Jayasundare 31, Nuwan Ekanayake 25; N.Pushpakumara 3 for 33, N.Rupesinghe 2 for 41, T.Madanayake 5 for 40) and 28 for 2.

At Katugastota: Tame Draw

Two half centuries by Ravi Wickremapala (73) and Mahela Palliyakkara (69) was the highlight of the drawn 82nd Battle of the Blues between St. Anthony's and Trinity .

Trinity - 245 and 160 for 6 dec (D. Weeraratne 46, S.Gamage 51, R.de. Raffayal 10, K.Weeraratne 33; Mahesh Pallliyakkara 4 for 47)

St. Anthony's - 212 for 7 dec (Ravi Wickremapala 73, K.Jayaratne 22, Mahesh Palliyakkara 69, A. Jayasena 10; Sudanga Fernando 3 for 57)

One-eyed Jacks

By Marcus Joseph

In Test Cricket and also in first class cricket there have been batsmen of good repute who played with only one eye - They were William Clarke (Notts), W. H. Fryer (Kent), J. Kinloch (New South Wales), Mansur Ali Khan Nawab of Pataudi, Jnr. (Oxford University and India), C. Milburn (Northants and England), E. P. Nuper (Transvaal and South Africa) and J. W. Sharpe (Surrey).

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