70th 'Battle of The Maroons'

Hedigalle and Kiriella put Nalanda on top

By Ravi Nagahawatte

Enterprising batting by Pradeep Hedigalle and Amila Kiriella put Nalanda in the driving seat against arch rivals Ananda in the 70 th 'Battle of The Maroons' cricket encounter which began at the Sinhalese Sports Club grounds yesterday.

The big match spirit probably had more influence on the Nalandians as favourites. Ananda failed to contain the run hungry lads from Campbell Place who raced to a healthy 160 for 5 at the close in reply to their opponents 112 all out made in the first innings.

The two Nalandians made merry against a lacklustre bowling attack and made 55 and 44 respectively, while sharing a 67 run stand between them. Hedigalle stamped his class with a strokeful half century (55) while Kiriella posted an equally entertaining 44.

Hedigalle spiced his innings with nine well timed boundries and a towering six while his partner smashed seven balls into the fence and two over it.

Earlier the Anandians stumbled against the spin-pace combination of Kelum Gangodawila and Buddhika Ranaweera who bowled tight spells to bag four wickets apeice. Tilina Kandambi top scored with 27 for Ananda.

The match will continued today.

Loudspeaker,a nuisance

A loudspeaker which gave commentaries on the Ananda-Nalanda cricket encounter became more a nuisance than a help to the players as it was fixed too close to the playing area.

The sound which echoed from it was carried around the ground dispite the sound produced by several bands which were in full swing.

Ananda first innings

L.Fernando ct Demel b Gangodawila 8

D.Bandara ct Demel b Kumara 0

M.Mallawarachci lbw Gangodawila 24

T.Kandambi ct Demel b Gangodawila 27

J.Perera ct M.Perera b Kumara 5

M.Pushpakumara ct Hedigalle b Ranaweera 21

G.Abeysinghe ct S.Perera b Ranaweera 0

M.Ramzi b Gangodawila 9

A.Ganegama ct Demel b Ranaweera 0

R.Fernando b Ranaweera 2

K.Fernando not out 4

Extras (Byes 6,L-byes 4, N-Balls1, wides1) 12

Total: (all out in 40.3 overs) 112

Fall of wickets: !-1, 2-21,3-59,4-70,5-76,6-90,

7-98,8-98,9-102.

Bowling: N.K.Manikkage 15-2- 37-2; B.Ranaweera 10-4-17-4; K.Gangodawila 1 2.3-1-35-4; D.Jayasundara 3-0-13-0.

Nalanda first innings

D.Jayasundara run out 8

S.Peiris ct Ramzi b Bandara 9

P.Hedigalle st R.Fernando b Mallawarachchi 55

A.Kiriella ct J.Perera b Kandambi 44

M.Porage ct J.Perera Pushpakumara 15

M.Perera not out 9

N.K.Manikkage not out 4

Extras: (Byes 6,L-Byes 6,N-Balls 3, wides 1) 16

Total for 5 wickets in 52 overs 1 60

Fall of wickets : 1-10, 2-53,3-120, 4-132,5-155

Bowling: A.Ganegama 6-0-16-0; D.Bandara 4-2-19-1; M.Pushpakumara 17-4-41-1; M.Ramzi 6-1-15-0; K.Fernando 3-1-16-0; T.Kandambi 7-1-28-1; M.Mallawarachchi 9-3-13-1.

Rajarata Cycle race

A Cycle Race for men and women to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the Rajarata Radio Service will be held on April 12.

This event will be conducted by the Anuradhapura District Cycling Association sponsored by Brown and Company Limited.

Cyclists in the districts of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kurunegala are eligible to participate.

Mahanama, Sirimavo are champions

Mahanama College and Sirimavo Bandaranaike B. V. won the overall championship boys and girls respectively in the Colombo South division athletic meet held at the Race Course.

Mahanama collected 151 points while St. Peter's College won the second place with 144 points. In the girls section Sirimavo Bandaranaike Balika Vidyalaya collected 104 points and the runners up were Holy Family Convent with 83 points.

Results:

Championship: Junior championship (boys) Mahanama 29 points, runners up Isipatana 28 points.

Girls: Holy Family Convent 27 points, runners up Visaka Vidyalaya 16 points.

Senior boys: Championship Mahanama 122 poins, runners up Isipatana MV 116 points; Senior girls: Sirimavo Bandaranaike B. V 96 points, runners up: Bishops college 65 points, Relay championship: (Boys) Isipatana 31 points, runners up Mahanama 25 points, Girls: Holy Family Convent 27 points, runners up Bishops College 18 points.

Best Atheletes; (boys) under 11: Shenal Silva (St. Peter's) Under 13: Lasitha Sameera Jayaweera (Mahanama) Under 15: Charith Prasad Alwis (Isipatana), Under 17 Tiraj Dharshana (Mahanama) and Duminda Priyadarshana (Isipatana) and under 19: Thilanka Harsha (Lumbini)

Best Atheltes: (Girls Under 11) Joint Champs: Dilini Koshala (Visaka) and Nishali Fernando (Holy Family Convent), under 13: Kalani Senevirathna (Devi Balika), under 15: Chatura Waduge (Visaka), under 17 Shalani Mendis (Methodist) under 19 Erandi Kumarasingha (Sirimavo B.M.V.)

International chess arbiter in Lanka

Igor Vereshchagin, Member of Arbiters Committee of the Russian Chess Federation and International Judge for Chess Competitions was in Sri Lanka recently.

During his stay here, he conducted a training programme for school Teahcers on conducting Chess Tournaments and an advanced programme for Sri Lankan Chess arbiters including new rules and regulations of World Chess Federation. This is the first time an Arbiter Seminar had been conducted in Sri Lanka by an International Chess Arbiter.

This programme was organized by the Anatoly Karpov Chess Club of the Russian Centre in Colombo and sponsored by Union Assurance. Certificates was presented to all participants.

At the Closing Ceremony, the Chief guest, Mr. Ramal Jayasinghe - General Manager (Marketing) of Union Assurance addressing the participatns said: "This Programme will help to promote chess among school children, enriching knowledge among school teachers, and to update knowledge in the game. Our sponsorship and support for promoting chess is a gesture as a responsible corporate citizen to contribute towards strengthening young minds to build a strong nation. It is also hoped that the knowledge gained would some day produce a Grand Master from Sri Lanka."

Mrs. Suneetha Wijesuriya, President of the Anatoly Karpov Chess Club revealed that the Anatoly Karpov Chess Club is planning to invite Russian Grand Masters to conduct Seminars, Coaching Camps and Chess Exhibitions in near future.

Mirihana had the cream

By. S. Sivendran

Mirihana Police Station was my first posting after I passed out from Police Training School. I reported there on the first of October 1958 along with Sub-Inspector, J.B.G. Aluwihare who had the distinction of being awarded the Best All-Round Sub-Inspector's Baton in our batch.

Mirihana is the main Headquarter Station of Western Province Central. The other Headquarter Stations in this Division were Mt. Lavinia and Homagama. The Senior Supdt. of Police in charge of WP Central was C.P. Wambeck, a chubby charming officer with a baby face and an Old Thomian who was very fond of rugby.

His son Keith played rugby for S.Thomas' College and his daughter married Rupert Ferdinands, another Thomian who was an ace at tennis and went on to become the national champion at tennis for several years. Cecil Wambeck is presently residing in Melbourne, Australia and I paid him a visit on my last visit to Australia in the company of Mike Schockman, a former Police Rugger Captain and his wife Margo.

The Asst. Supdt. of Police, Nugegoda was David Thambiah, a six foot giant from Jaffna Central College who was the national putt shot and discus champion and secretary of the Amateur Athletic Association for several years.

When D.I.G., C.C. Dissanayake was its president he was the brother of S.D. Thambiah former Acting Chief Justice and nephew of Justice H. W. Thambiah.

A.S.P. Crimes was Bertie Weerasinghe a former army officer and a war veteran, an Old Royalist.

Headquarter Inspector in Charge of Mirihana Police was M.B. Werapitiya, an officer of high integrity who later worked for the Bribery Commissioner's Department. He played cricket for Trinity College and his brother T.B. Werapitiya who joined the Police as an Asst. Supdt. of Police went onto become a Deputy Inspector General of Police and later Junior Minister of Internal Security. He too played cricket and rugger for Trinity and later played cricket for Ceylon.

Western Province Central had the cream of sportsmen in the Police such as Inspector Leslie Ephraums in charge of Maharagama Police Station who played rugger for St. Peter's College, Havelocks, Police and Ceylon.

Sub Inspector Franklyn Jacob who played rugger for Trinity, Havelocks, Police and Ceylon. Brindly Stave a hockey stalwart played for St Joseph's College and Police, Sub Inspector Bennet Perera, a Josephian athlete who later became Director C.I.D. and was killed by insurgents. Sub Inspector Dennis Nugegoda a rugger player Sub Inspector, Ivan Boteju of St Anthony's College, Katugastota and a 400-metre national champion and winner of the Police Knolley's Shield for the champion athlete. He was killed in 1991 at Amparai in the Eelam War II Sub Inspector Leslie Jayabandu another tough Antonian who too was a 400 metres champion, to name a few.

At Mirihana Police Station there were some very senior police officers in the Inspectorate such as Sub Inspector U.L.A. Samad in charge of Crimes, whose son Hanzilc Samad played Rugby as a scrum-half for Trinity, Havelocks and Sri Lanka. Sub Inspector M.B. Falil in charge of Administration, Sub Inspector C. Sumanasekara in charge of Special Investigations and Sub Inspector A.R. Sahayam. The young lot of Sub Inspectors included T.C. Joseph, a six footer with a handle bar moustache who was a terror on his motor cycle. As officer in charge of Traffic he was a landmark in Mirihana. Sub Inspector Franklyn Jacob was in charge of Vice Squad.

In the other stations were Sub Inspector, Ivan Boteju at Maharagama, Sub Inspector Reggie Jacob who retired as DIG and Sub Inspector Vaas at Wellampitiya, Sub Inspector Leslie Jayabandu was stationed at Welikada due to his toughness. OIC Kohuwala was Inspector Vernon Elias. At Mount Lavinia the HQI was Inspector S.I. Azeez assisted by Sub Inspectors T.C.L. Perera, Bennet Perera and R.N. Jayaweera, OIC Dehiwala was Inspector Carolis.

Inspector in charge of Moratuwa was S.H.P. Samarasinghe an old Trinitian and and a Ruggerite. His assistants were Sub Inspector Manoharan a gymnast from St. Benedicts College, Kotahena. Sub Inspector D.H. Wanasinghe a hardened policeman from the ranks who was an able defence officer in departmental inquiries and Sub Inspector J.A.D. Pathiraja an athlete from Ratnapura who had a love affair with one Miss Hill and later shot her dead with his service revolver at her residence in Mt. Lavinia and commited suicide by shooting himself with the same revolver due to him being jilted by his lover.

Headquarter Inspector in Charge of Homagama was Wahikalu Silva an officer in charge of Padukka which was notorious for gang robberies was inspector M.D.S. Peter who is an authority in Law and Police Orders who later became the Chief Lecturer at the Police Training School, Kalutara during which period - too was in the staff. Now he is an Attorney at Law Practising in Badulla. OIC Welikada was Inspector P.B. Bowala whose sons were good ruggerites from Isipatana College.

41st Battle of the Mangosteen's

By. H.P.P. Perera

The 41st Battle of the Mangosteens between Kalutara Vidyalaya and Tissa Madya Maha Vidyalaya will be played on April I and 2 at Kalutara esplanade.

Both schools with a blend of talented players will be all out for a decision as there has been no decision in last 11 years.

Kalutara Maha Vidyalaya won a Lemonade Trophy inter School division I. Current year they competed in eleven matches won I and lost I. Their successful coach is Mr. Sunil Saluwadana former captain of Kalutara Vidyalaya in 1975. The Master-in-change is Mr. R.A. Kongahawatta.

They also produced two Test players in Sri Lanka cricket and under 19 Sri Lanka player Ruwan Sajeewa de Silva and Malinga Bandara.

During this cricket season Tissa Madya Maha Vidyalaya has participated in fourteen matches, while winning five matches and defeating one.

In these matches Captain Kapila Gayan and Pramuka Sidesh scored 752 and 821.

Dumindu Hemal serves as the cricket coach while Padmasiri Silva Master-in-charge of cricket.

The teams:

Tissa MMV Kapila Gayan (Captain), Damundu Hemal (V-Captain), Jayanath Mangala, Mahes Parakrama, Alankara Asanka, Nadis Janaka, Arjuna Nisantha, Nalin Rosan, Sajith Tharumal, Maduranga Bharathi, Nuwan Thilantha, Dhanuja Nandana, Ravinda Sieman, Dinesh Vindika.

Kalutara MV Susantha Pradeep (Captain), Eranda Malaka, Ruwan Sujeewa, Taranga Ranaweera, Udara Weerasingha, Ramesh Nilroy, Manoj Ranga, Kanchana Ranasingha, D.M. Sampath, Wijeyanga Gunasekera, Amila Wetasinghe, Saranga Ranaweera, Asanaka Kalasekera, Madith Senadheera, Prabath Soysa

Rover Pinpoints...

Delay in confirmation

Many employees at the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka are subject to harrassment and probation periods are extended to the whims and fancies of a top official. Over to the Labour Department.

Letters of appointment have also been held up for over two years, Rover learns.

Heard this?

A top official was heard speaking in Sinhala and saying Ey Boorouwat to kiyanna mata inna bahe-anna ara Sudadwa evanna athulata, what a way to speak to an employee of a person of his standing. Over to you Cricket Board President.

Red Rose

Who is this female employee of the Cricket Board who has presented a red rose on Valentine's Day to a top official who is a married person.

Wrong letterhead

The agenda for the Cricket Board AGM was typed by the Secretary of the CE on his letterhead and blindly signed by the Secretary but was detected by the President's Secretary which was withdrawn before being posted to the affiliates. Crazy or is it a lack of knowledge?

Our cricketers called 'buggers.'

In a recent interview during a popular TV channel by a certain big mouth commentator, the Secretary of the Cricket Board was asked the reason for the decline of our cricketers. Pat came the reply "Our buggers.... sorry our players". What a slip of the tongue.

What's wrong with him

Why is SSC's paceman Suresh Perera not playing for the senior Sri Lanka side despite being selected into the 19 member tentative squad for the World Cup. Perera was taken to Australia on a holiday for he did not play in any of the 10 one-day matches. Since the Australian tour ended, Sri Lanka took part in the Asian Test series and is currently involved in the 3-nation Asian one-day series. Perera is not part of the team. Why then was he selected to be in the World Cup squad? Is he injured or has he been reported for a suspect action. Will he make it to England and not play a single game. Over to the Selection Committee. Please clarify and let the public know about Perera's position.

Gunaratne cleared but watch out!

The Technical Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka after viewing the video footage of Pulasti Gunaratne of Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club has been cleared of his suspect bowling action.

This decision has been taken by Rumesh Ratnayake, Umpies K.T.Francis, B.C.Cooray and D.S. de Silva Chairman of the Technical Committee.

Those in this committee are of the opinion that this bowler has now recitified his action.

It has also been decided that if this bowler resorts to his previous suspect action, deliberately, the umpires would not hesitate to call him without any further warning.

Women cricketers take series 3-0

An unbeaten 41 by Hiruka Fernando assisted by an unbeaten 21 by Chaturia Thalagalage enable the Lankan Womens cricket team to beat the Netherlands team by 9 wickets in their one-day international at the De Soysa Park, Moratuwa.

With this win the Lankan womens clinched the five match series 3 nil.

The third one day game was sponsored by United Motors Private Limited while the first and second was sponsored by Slimline Private Limited.

The fourth one- day will be played on Monday March, 29 at the Premadasa international Stadium with the fifth fixed for Tuesday March, 30 which will be a day/ night affair at the same venue.

Netherlands - 97 for 7 in 50 overs. (L. Heintink 16, N. Costa 15, C. Solomns 15; Chamani Seneviratne 2 for 11, Sudarshini Sivanathan 2 for 0, Ramani Perera 2 for 23).

Lanka Woman's XI 98 for 12 in 30 overs. (Hiruka Fernando 41 not out, Chaturia Thalagalage 21 not out) (Umpires - Run Dee Leuum (Netherlans), C. Martynus (Sri Lanka).

Girls' hockey semis

Visakha will meet St. Paul's Milagiriya in the first semi-final and Bishops will meet Yasodhara BMV in the second semi-final in the girls' under 19 hockey tournament conducted by the Colombo District Schools Hockey Association.

The semi-finals will be played on Tuesday, March 30 at 3 and 5 p.m. respectively at the CR&FC hockey grounds at Longden Place.

Visakha emerged Group A champions with Bishops as runners-up while Yasodhara BMV emerged champions in Group B with St. Paul's Milagiriya as runners-up.

In the run up to the semi-finals - Group A: Visakha beat Bishops 4 nil; Ladies 1 nil and Museaus 4 nil; Bishops beat Ladies 1 nil; drew 1 all with Museaus and Ladies drew nil all with Museaus.

Group B: Yasodhara beat Sirimavo 8 nil; Sujatha 2 nil and St. Paul'a 2 nil and St. Paul's beat Sirimavo 6 nil; Sujatha beat Sirimavo BMV 2 nil.

Taraka Gunarathna hat-trick gives Ananda 5-0 win

A hat-trick of goals by Taraka Gunaratne helped Ananda to beat St Benedicts by 5 goals to nil in their Colombo District Schools under 17 boys hockey encounter played at the CR&FC hockey grounds at Longden Place.

Chanaka Saman scored the two other goals for Ananda.

In two other matches in the same age group, Nalanda beat St. Benedict 7 to nil with Charuka Sankajaya scoring 4 goals and Praneesh Athukorala, Kavitha Amarasinghe and Rukshan Maldeniya scoring a goal each.

A goal each by Prasanga Sharaka and Dumindu Suren enabled Presidents' College to beat D.S. Senanayake by 2 goals to nil.

In the under 19 boys section, Nalanda beat St. Benedicts 1 nil through a goal by Sajeewa Hasantha, while D.S. Senanayake beat St. Josephs by the same margin through a goal by D.Wijayakoon.

Ananda beat Prince of Wales by 2 goals to nil with a goal each scored by Dumindu Sirisena and Charith Ratnayake.

Wesley beat St. Joesphs by a solitary goal to nil through the goal sounded by M.Faisz while Prince of Wales was held to a nil all draw by St. Benedicts.

The semi-finals in the boys under 17 and 19 age groups will be played on Tuesday March 30 at the CR&FC hockey grounds with the finals fixed for 2 and 4 p.m. respectively, on April 1.

Butter fingered Lankans

By Brother Baptist Croos FSC

My partner and I almost split over the Sri Lankan cricket debacle. Lack-lustre performances, sometimes very dismal, other times very appalling and often pathetic, slip-shod fielding, lousy batting and mediocre bowling - all combined had left no choice for my partner, except to fret and fume and ultimately hang his head in shame!

A die-hard supporter of the Sri Lankan cricket team ever since it won the prestigious World Cup, he was almost in tears when Sri Lanka ingloriously capitulated to Pakistan at the last One-Day International. The Sri Lankans literally snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. My partner was further devastated when India, without their star master-blaster Sachin Tendulkar, thrashed Sri Lanka, a couple of days ago. In fact the Sri Lankans threw away both matches. They have only themselves to blame.

I tried my best to console him. "It's O.K," I told my partner, "We won some, we lose some." Then to reassure him I said, "To win is not always success and to lose is not always failure. We cannot always win. I reminded him of Pierre de Coubertin's famous saying, "The important thing is to take part and not to win."

"Stop philosophising" he yelled at me. "Your friend Coubertin must be turning in his grave at the miserable performance of the World Champions. At least put up a decent fight and lose! You are just throwing the sponge away uselessly."

"Don't be so pessimistic," I countered, "You must take eveything in the right spirit. Stars have fallen. So what is there to worry about a defeat in a cricket-match! There are important things in life besides cricket! Don't worry, my friend! Next time they'll do well."

"Enough of your sermonising" he thundered. "What the Sri Lankans need is not batting, bowling or fielding practices, but catching-practices. They all have butter-fingers. See the amount of catches they have floored. Some simple and easy catches have gone a-begging! It's a disgrace! Don't these fellows know that one of the basic rules of the game is that "Catches win Matches"? I'm going to write to the cricket authorities to drop the player who drops a catch. He should be penalized and banned for the next three games."

"Don't be silly! Just calm down my friend. If we take your wonderful suggestion, then we have to ban the whole team because practically every player has missed a vital catch. That does not mean you must drop him from the team. Sometimes the sun's glare is too much and the player is almost blinded. Sometimes he is not in the right catching position. Sometimes the light is dim. Often he gets the ball when he least expects it. There are many reasons for missing a catch."

"Again you are sermonising. I don't like this preaching of yours. Success has gone to their heads you know! Success, must go to their hearts, only then they will value the game and respect the spectators who turn out in thousands to watch it. They don't go there to watch a team giving a third-rate performance. It is not worth the money they are paying. Suicidal run-outs have robbed us of many a victory. Half-way through the innings they go berserk. Fielding is listless, bowling spiritless and batting beyond redemption. The tail-enders don't use their imagination. See how many matches we have thrown away because of our stupidity. We don't have common sense. Aren't you aware that these guys were gifted with expensive plots of land and posh-houses; showered with titles and honours? For what? For getting beaten every time they step onto the cricket field! Since they have been so generously provided for, the incentive to perform well, is missing. They have become pusillanimous. They can't face Akram; they can't face Shoaib, and they can't face Ganguly either. They should all resign. Their World Cup victory was a mere flash in the pan!

He was almost exhausted berating and belittling the players. "Don't be so naive," I retorted. "We rightly deserved to win the l996 World Cup, because our players went through an exellent coaching-session. Their spirit was vibrant, their morale high and they out-played their opponents in every department of the game. Naturally we won the World Cup. Even afterwards we annexed a number of trophies. The point is our key players are on the sick-list. It is true that the Pakistanis are remarkable fighters. Akram, Shoaib, Saqlain are top-class bowlers because their line and length are accurate. We must give them due credit, admire, appreciate and even emulate them. Besides, they possess the three famous 'Ds' Discipline, Dedication and Determination. We should acquire these pivotal qualities if we want to perform well, not only in cricket, but in any other field in life as well."

Unable to hear my "sermonising" my partner remained silent. I thought the best thing for me was to keep quiet and allow silent reflection to take over. Meditation and contemplation can help in reviewing men and matters to a great extent. An honest evaluation of our performances during the past few months, will put us on the right track.

Go -Karters in action

A lot of thrills and spills will be witnessed at the De Zoysa Security Challenge 99 Go-Karting championships at the Alcatras car park Kotte opposite the Parliament today at 9 a.m.

Many famed Karters will be seen in action organised by the Ceylon Motor Sports Club.

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