• Battle of attrition in Australia
• Soccer on October 3
• Rover pin points..
• The entertainers
• Briefly
• Imagine 'Murali' as a quality fast bowler
• Sathasivam the batting maestro
• Cop halts traffic to chat to Wally Hammond
• Reflections on running
• Saverimutto brothers excel in rugby
• Sanath changes course of the game
• Fakir honoured
• Gateway International beats Stafford and Royal Institute

Battle of attrition in Australia

By Bernie Wijesekera

It's going to be cricket 'luverly cricket' for the Sri Lanka team, when they take wings to Australia, to participate in the triangular series between Australia and England come January 1, 1999.

This one-day series is bound to be a battle of attrition between the World Cup defending champions and Australia. The Lankans defeated Australia in the final at Lahore. True England, too are in the fray, but the Lankans will focus much spectator attention, especially at the MCG and at Sydney where they will receive tremendous crowd support from those domiciled 'Down Under'.

The Sri Lanka Cricket Foundation of Victoria headed by Dr. Quintus De Zylva and his committee, are making elaborate arrangements to make this tour - a one to be remembered.

This tour by the Lankans will also draw much attention with the appearance of the cricketers at 'Focus Lanka'' promotional drive in Sydney and Melbourne on February 1999.

In a letter addressed to the President of the BCCSL, Tilanga Sumathipala, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lakshman Kiriella, has said that his Ministry would be thankful if all members of the Lankan team participating in the triangular could make an appearance of one hour, sometime between 4 p.m - 8 p.m on February 2, in Sydney and February 6, in Melbourne.

As agreed there will be no commercial exploitation of the cricketers by any individual organization and it will be entirely a media event which further enhances the image of Sri Lanka.

The objective of this promotional activity is to promote Australian investment here, along with Sri Lankan exports, culture and cuisine, to coincide with the tour.

Tour itinerary:- January 1 Arrive in Perth; Sunday Jan 3 Vs Australia A D/N Perth; Tuesday Jan 5 Vs Australia A D/N Adelaide; Friday Jan 8 Vs Australia A D/N Melbourne.

Saturday Jan 9 Reception in Brisbane; Monday Jan 11 Vs England D/N Brisbane; Wednesday 13 Vs Australia D/N Sydney.

Sunday Jan 17 Reception in Melbourne; Tuesday Jan 19 Vs Eng D/N Melbourne; Thursday Jan 21 Vs Australia D Hobart; Saturday Jan 23Vs England D/N Adelaide; Sunday Jan 24 Australia D/N Adelaide.

Monday Jan 25 Reception in Adelaide

Tuesday Jan 26 Reception in Perth (Australia Day); Friday Jan 29 Vs England D/N Perth; Sunday Jan 31 Vs Australia Perth.

February, Tuesday Feb 2 Sydney Promotional Appearance "Focus Lanka'' 4-8 pm; Wednesday February 3 Vs England D/N Sydney; Thursday Feb 4 Reception in Sydney (S.L. Independence Day).

Friday Feb 5 BCCSL Trustees Dinner (Knox Tavern - Melbourne).

Saturday Feb 6 Melbourne Promotional Appearance "Focus Lanka" 4-8 pm.

Sunday Feb 7 Day Vs Australia, Melbourne.

Wednesday Feb 10 1st Final D/N Sydney; Friday Feb 12 2nd Final D/N Melbourne; Sunday Feb 14 3rd Final D/N Melbourne.

Soccer on October 3

The Football Federation of Sri Lanka will break new ground when they conduct of the first ever Women's Seven-A-Side tournament on October 3 (Saturday) at Police Park, Bambalapitiya.

Fourteen teams have entered the competition. An outstanding feature is the entry of several outstation teams for the contest.

Rover pin points..

Love-nests

These new Fitness Centres, especially the gyms at the five star hotels are slowly but surely acquiring one helluva reputation, especially as love-nests where they not only pump their hearts out but also work out matters of the heart.

At least one Sports Instructor in a star class hotel has also decided to take matters to heart, especially with the local ladies who patronise the gym.

For his efforts this week he was rewarded with a knock-out blow on the main road and Down Under he went. Now recovered, the chum is trying Ian Healy tactics of psychoing Sri Lankans.

Slave Island police is investigating the ruddy Mate's caddish conduct.

Sporting Doc rescues Sugath

Sugath Tillekeratne, who won a bronze at the XVIth Commonwealth Games in Malaysia is greatful to Dr. C.Thurairajah, who helped him to achieve this target.

Sugath was a dejected man a few days before leaving to South Africa to participate at the World meet and subsequently to Kuala Lumpur for the Commonwealth Games. Sugath had been informed by the Sports Medicine Unit at the Sports Ministry that he had a fractured ankle and the Medicine Unit had taken no less than four x-rays to determine this. An Army coach had taken Sugath to meet Dr. Thurairajah. After a thorough check up the 'Sporting Doc' Thurairajah told Sugath that there was nothing wrong with him and Sugath went on to run eight 400 metre events - two in South Africa and six in Kuala Lumpur - without any fuss.

No receipts, no money

A leading athletic coach, attached to the Sports Ministry, has been told to produce receipts for the purchase of some shoes. No receipts, no money, the coach was told.

No one to wake them!

Participants at an indoor game were disappointed to find that the competition they were to take part in was over by the time they walked in to take part in the contest.

Apparently the participants had overslept while the competition was on. It looks as if there was no one to shake them up!.

The missing $3000

A treasurer and the president of a indoor sport had made a loud appeal for funds to promote the sport. On hearing this, a keen fan of this sport had donated US$ 3000. A petition to this effect has now been forwarded to the Ministry of Sports to inquire as to what had happened to this money.

Medal winner out

A female athlete who has done well at a veteran's meet abroad has been dropped from a team due to visit Japan next month. The story doing the rounds is that the president of this association does not see eye-to-eye with this athlete or her husband. The female athlete concerned has won many medals and has brought honour to the country.

Have you heard this?

"... I am so and so, bringing hourly updates of the Commonwealth Games on Radio SriLanka, through the courtesy of... "

" I am sorry and correct myself saying that Sri Lanka qualified for the men's 400 metres final since there is no other news on the Sri Lanka angle, I wish to state that I can see the women's high jumpers and the men's long jumpers getting ready for their run...

Why the delay?

Singer Sri Lanka has spent quite a lot of money in sponsoring the Sri Lanka cricket team. Their request to sponsor the team for another three years at a cost of US$ 5000 has not had a positive reply from the Board of Control for Cricket. Could the delay mean that the cricket authorities are exploring the possibilities of getting a fresh sponsor?

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