SL: Sri Lankan Squad For The Lombard Mini World Cup (27 Jun 1996)

27 June 1996

Mini World Cup: Gajanayake leads team to England

By Sa`adi Thawfeeq

Three cricketers from D.S. Senanayake Vidyalaya including the captain form the 14-member under 15 Sri Lanka team for the Lombard Challenge Mini World Cup cricket tournament in England from August 6-20.

Middle-order batsman Malinda Gajanayake will lead the side with Ananda batsman Thilina Kandambi as his deputy.

The other two schoolboys selected from D.S. Senanayake Vidyalaya are N.K.T.A. Pathiranage and Arshad Junaid.

The national selectors met yesterday to finalise the selections after a series of trial games from a pool of 18 players. Initially, the pool strength stood at 300 from around 90 schools before it was pruned down by the Sri Lanka Schools Association cricket selectors to 18 when the Sports Minister stepped in and requested the national selectors to pick the final team.

Three officials will accompany the team - B.S. Perera (manager), Frank Cooray (coach) and Roy Dias (cricket manager).

Ten countries are participating in this inaugural tournament in two groups. Sri Lanka are drawn in Group `B` along with South Africa, Pakistan, Australia and Holland and play their matches at Oundle, London. Group `A` comprises: West Indies, Zimbabwe, India, England and Canada and their matches will take place at Lansbury, London. New Zealand is the only Test playing country not represented.

The semi-finals are scheduled for August 15 at Edgbaston and August 17 at Headingley with the final at Lord`s on August 20.

The Sri Lanka team is scheduled to leave on August 2, but according to manager Perera, they may leave a week early if the two practice matches they have requested for is successfully arranged by former Royal and Sri Lanka under 19 cricketer Asitha Jayaweera, who is a resident in England.

The Sri Lanka team: Malinda Gajanayake, captain (D.S. Senanayake), Thilina Kandambi, vice captain (Ananda), N.K.T.A. Pathiranage (D.S. Senanayake), Ruskshan Mendis (S. Thomas`, Mt. Lavinia), Arjuna Fernando (S. Thomas`, Mt. Lavinia), Lasantha C. Perera (Lumbini MV), J. Sivanehsraja (St. Anthony`s, Wattala), Ranil Dhammika (Lumbini MV), M. Arshad Junaid (D.S. Senanayake), Jehan Mubarak (Royal), S. Marapana (Dharmaraja, Kandy), Ian G. Daniel (St. Joseph`s, Colombo), Mahesh Perera (St. Peter`s, Colombo), N.M. Nisham (St. Anthony`s, Katugastota).

Standbys : Gayan Maduranga (De Mazenod), Pubudu Wickrema (Sri Sumangala), Ruwan Fernando (St. Sebastian`s, Moratuwa), Gayan Fernando (Isipatana MV). -

Source :: Daily News (http.//www.lanka.net)