Lumbini MV to meet Ananda in the final

By Saif Izzadeen

Giant killers Lumbini MV will meet eight time winners Ananda in the final of the Lemonade Cup Inter school knock out cricket tournament at SSC grounds, Maitland place today.

The tournament has seen many upsets. Can Lumbini MV topple the high riding Anandians and make a dream debut in the final and finish off the last tournament for this millennium in grand style?

Lumbini MV beat Ananda in a rugger match last Monday by 22 - 7 and it will be interesting to see if the Lumbini cricketers could emulate the feat achieved by their ruggerites

This is the first time that Lumibni MV have qualified for the final in a tournament of this nature and if they play true to form they can cause the biggest upset this season and make history.. Ceylon Cold stores who are sponsoring this tournament for the very first time will be a happy bunch if a team like Lumbini MV could win.

There will be a classic battle between two Sri Lanka youth players in right arm leg spinner Ranil Dammika from Lumbini MV and left hand batsman Thilina Kandambi from Ananda.

The Ananda Mawatha school swept into the finals beating this year's league champions St. Peter's in the quarters and defending champions of this tournament S.Thomas' Mt Lavinia in the semi final.

Giant killers Lumbini MV entered the finals causing two major upsets first they toppled St. Sylvester's who entered quarters by beating Nalanda and then beat Prince of Wales Moratuwa in the semi final.

Ananda who won this tournament six years in a row must be the favourites to win the contest but they must not be complacent and if they do so they will have to face the music.

Ananda will be led by Jithendra Perera. and Lumbini MV will be captained by Ranil Dammika. Both these players have led their schools well this season.

Speaking to the Sunday Times on the eve of the match Ananda skipper Jithendra Perera had this to say "We are going all out to win the tournament. The trophy has averted us for the last three to four years"

Perera further said "I know that we beat St. Peter's and S.Thomas' to enter the final but I have told the boys not to relax and go into the match very positively.

Perera finally said "Lumbini have entered the final by beating St.Sylvester's Kandy and Prince of Wales. due to this we are not underestimating Lumbini"

"It will be a very tough match but the boys are going into the match with lots of confidence" said Lumbini skipper Ranil Dammika speaking to The Sunday Times on the eve of the match.

Speaking further skipper Dammika said "After beating St. Sylvester's and Prince of Wales it has given the boys the ideal morale booster to face Ananda in the final

Dammika concluded by saying that they are very confident of ending up on the winning platform.

Ananda Squad - Lakshan Fernando, Dinusha Bandara, Lahiru Chaturanga, Thilina Kandambi (Vice captain), Jithendra Perera (captain), Eshan Abeysinghe Muthumudaliage Pushpakumara, Akalanka Ganegama, Kasun Fernando, Sanjaya Bandara, Mohammed Ramzi, Maduranga Mallwarachchi, Gaya Samaraweera, Thilantha Seneviratne, Lahiru Senaratne .

Lumbini MV squad - Ranil Dammika(captain), Dinusha Elvitigala(vice captain), Chamara Lasantha Perera, Nilakshan Abeyratne, Damith Indimal, Thilanka Harsha, Sadun Samaranayake, Ranil de Alwis, Madura Champika, Mohan Wickremasinghe, Nuwan Kumara, Anurudha Amaratunga, Gayan Eranda, Sajith Dilantha and Mahesh Maduranga

Follow the Quinns for surprise wins

By Ismail Khan

The Quinn brothers T. Quinn and J. Quinn have a knack of winning races when least expected on one day either in singles or even doubles. One such day was Saturday last when J. Quinn, the younger of them hammered the opener at Leicester on Pips Song at 11/1 while T. Quinn, the elder of them whacked race number 2 riding the raging hot pot Backcloth at 5/6.

This trend has been kept up by this duo for a long time although some of you weren't aware of it. Now that I have put you on to the right track, follow this duo for more winning singles for each of them or even doubles. Mind you, J. Quinn is a free lance but T. Quinn is assigned to John Dunlop and P. Cole. Follow J. Quinn when he rides for Dr. J. Scargill or M. Camacho the trainers who mean something to him.

Not to be outdone, Tommy Sprake who had been going through a lean season this term suddenly erupted into form driving home a 112/1 double on Birth of the Blues (5/1) and Drakensberg for Lady Herries. This middle aged rider has not been getting enough form rides to show his prowess. Once he gets them, he seems to get his act together. So follow him too.

Horses to follow from the run of the races at Leicester Saturday last 24/4.

Pips Song J. Quinn was seen moving up well at Hamilton when suddenly he came under pressure in the final furlong. Subsequently at Leicester he was scrubbed along well and entering the final fulong was full of dash to beat off Mallia 2 lengths on that run Pips Song can win again anywhere but under softish conditions.

Backcloth (T. Quinn) waited with and with the benefit of the earlier run also on this course on 8/4 had to be driven hard to ward off a sustained challenge from 16/1 chance Turtle Valley to win by a head. Backcloths distance seems to be at 3 years, 10 furlongs, although he won 12 furlongs with difficulty. Follow him more over 10 furlongs. Turtle Valley seems to revel over longer distances, so follow him over a staying distance.

Ian Balding's Hoh Discovery (K. Fallon) 2nd of 8 behind Porcini at Newbury on 16/4 improved on that run to win Saturday last beating Turtle Surprise (10/1) by 1 1/2 lengths. The winner was backed down to Evens. On that good winning effort this 2 year old could be followed upto a distance of 7 furlongs on good to soft conditions.

Homestead, a Richard Hannon 5 year old benefiting from a recent win at Pontefract going well for claimer C. Newman won the Spring Handicap worth £4000 by 7 long looking lengths over 10 furlongs. Such a resounding win after an earlier winning effort calls for more success. Follow this smasher till he loses.

Birth Of The Blues jumped off from a position of 8th to Fallachan at Nottingham on 5/4 to beat Pebble Moon a length also at Leicester on 24/4. Dunlop's 3 year old looks a good handicap miler and should do well even in grade 1 courses as newmarket, Newbury, Sandown or even at Ascot. Follow him.

Running 1lth to Bomb Alaska on 18/9 at Newbury drakensburg, trained by Lady Herries came round the long way ridden beautifully by Tommer Sprake to put paid to the chances of Ammaretto Flame who tried to make a race of it. drackensburg can improve on this effort and win a few more races for us.

Old boys join the scrum to boost Joes rugby

By Bernie Wijesekera

Watch out for the Josephian rugby team in the ongoing school season.

The Darley Road school has made an impact in cricket, soccer and track and field sport producing many outstanding sportsmen who have done proud to the school and to the country at national level.

The Joes have taken to rugby in a big way in promoting the sport with their diehard old boys who have joined the scrum in its further development which augurs well for the sport.

This year's team will be led by No.8 fifth year coloursman, Lasitha Gunaratne, one of the best in schools and who represented Sri Lanka Under-19 in 1997. His deputy will be that nippy scrumhalf, Dinuk de S. Wijayaratne, the playmaker of the team. He has helped the team with his spot kicks and scored 99 points last season. The lad could make an impact in the future for any club team, to serve from the base.

The team is a mixture of youth and experience. They should go places in this year's school season, with an allround team effort, well supported by three penetrative runners in Ravi de Mel, Rajitha Somatilleke and Laksiri Fernando. The team is being coached by former Police and Sri Lanka player Nizam Jamaldeen, who is at present a rugby referee too. Nizam's experience should stand in good stead for the youngsters to improve their skills and do proud for the school on and off the field. According to one of the officials of the team, old boy Kenneth de Silva, who played as a prop for the CH and FC, the boys have been told to play it clean and hard on the field, thereby maintaining a high standard of sportsmanship. Everything is forgotten after the match. That's what is sport is all about he added.

The junior coach is Jude Fernando, while Prasantha Ranaweera is the master-in-charge. They play ten matches with their traditional final match against St. Peter's on July 2 at the CR and FC.

The pool:- L. Gunaratne, Dinuk de S. Wijeyeratne, Ravi de Mel, Nuwan Jayaratne, Laksiri Fernando, Gihan Munasinghe, Mindaka Dassanayake, Dushan Casiechetty, Ishan Hettiarachchi, Ishan Perera, Kasun Jayamanne, Daniel Diaz, Crispin Wijesekara, Hemish Perera, R. Somathilake.

Lankans in Wisden's top five

Two Sri Lankans have been named among Wisden's top five cricketers of the year, with the influential bible of the sport also calling for ICC Chairman Jagmohan Dalmia to resign and claiming there is racial discrimination in the English domestic game.

Two months after leading his team to a mid-match boycott in Australia, Sri Lanka's captain Arjuna Ranatunga made the top five list as Wisden's 136th edition was unveiled on April 1.

So did teammate Muttiah Muralitharan, whose controversial bowling action sparked the 15-minute stand-off between Sri Lankan players and match umpires in Adelaide.

The 1999 Almanack, regarded as the game's most authoritative reference book, also named two English players, fast bowler Darren Gough and all-rounder Ian Austin, and South African batsman Jonty Rhodes among the top five.

The Wisden award, which dates back to 1889, is based on each player's influence on the previous English cricket season and includes only players who played in England in 1998.

Gough last month picked up the 'English Player of the Year' award after helping England to a come-from-behind 2-1 test series win over South Africa last season.

Have you heard...?

An English spectator had the rare honour of watching the only two instances when all ten wickets were captured by a bowler in one innings.

Richard stokes a 10-year-old schoolboy accompanied his father to Old Trafford, where he watched Jim Laker take all ten Australian wickets,

On February 7, during a business trip to India, Stokes dropped in to Delhi to watch the Pakistan-India Test match. He completed an amazing double by seeing Anil Kumble take all ten Pakistan wickets.

Wisden's Editor Mathew Angel has already indicated that Stokes's rare feat will not go unnoticed and will definitely appear in the Wisden Almanack. (MF)

Master of none

England's leading cricket magazine Wisden has criticized Alec Stewart and come out strongly against the skipper after his last Ashes tour in Australia.

In Wisden's editorial Alec Stewart is branded as a Jack of all trades but master of none.

"Stewart kept saying he wasn't exhausted, but his face and body, contradicted him. His batting became jerky, and his concentration went. His batting, keeping and captaincy were all indifferent. He was a Jack of all trades, when he ought to be master of one." (MF)

5-0 drubbing for West Indies

For the first time in Test cricket history West Indies experienced a 5-0 drubbing. Their 5-0 defeats at the hands of South Africa earlier this year was only the seventh time a 5-0 whitewash was recorded. Ironically West Indies have been involved in four of them. They beat India (1961/62) and England twice (1984 and 1985/86).

Other series that have ended up 5-0 are when Australia beat England (1920/21) Australia beat South Africa (1931/32) and England beat India (1959) - (MF)

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