Jayasuriya's 'Dream' team win indoor encounter

The Indoor Cricket Association of Sri Lanka played their inaugural eight-a-side match on Saturday at Thalawathugoda, Colombo. Sanath Jayasuriya 's 'Dream' team, which was stacked full of players from the national side, defeated a Romesh Kaluwitharana XI that included Arjuna Ranatunga and Hashan Tillakaratne.

Kaluwitharana - Director of Austasia Sports, an Australian backed company who are constructing the sports complex and promoting the game in Sri Lanka - expects the fast indoor game to catch on in Sri Lanka. He said that 30 teams have already confirmed their participation in a corporate indoor cricket tournament.

The game itself is fast, frantic and very hot in the small netted playing area. Each side has eight players, all of whom have to bat and bowl. Batsmen play in pairs and each pair is given four overs. They cannot be dismissed, but five runs are deducted from the total when a wicket falls.

The five run penalty rule makes for an exciting climax, but nearly cost Jayasuriya's team dear as Russel Arnold and Mahela Jayawardene were run out frequently having needed just a handful of runs to overhaul the 66 run target when the last quarter of the innings began.