Sri Lanka News Round-up (17 Feb 1998)

Tuesday 17, February 1998

Sports in brief

Daily New

Weerasuriya fine 94 for Kingswood

Kandy south group correspondent

A cavalier knock of 94 with 4 sixes and 10 fours in only 85 balls by Omila Weerasuriya for Kingswood College was the highlight of their Coca Cola Bottlers trophy cricket tournament match against Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala which ended in a draw at Kurunegala.

Kingswood College 175 all out (Nisitha Rupasinghe 40 not out, Roshan Perera 37, C. Amunupura 25, T. Madanayake 30, O. Weerasuriya 14, N. Pushpakumara 15, G. Kahatapitigama 3 for 43, S. Dharmasiri 2 for 19), and 273 all out (Omila Weerasuriya 94, L. Ekanayake 26, C. Amunupura 18, R. Perera 23, C. Seneviratne 46, A. Bandara 2 for 25, T. Dharmasiri 3 for 70, D. Gunatillake 2 for 30).

Maliyadeva College 216 for 8 decl. (N. Amarakoon 42, Iroshan Silva 60, A. Samarakoon 24, W. Udayakumara 44, G. Samarawickrema 24, N. Rupasinghe 4 for 75, T. Madanayake 3 for 34).

Jayasuriya 77

A responsible innings of 77 by opener Johannes Jayasuriya helped St. Joseph's to recover and make 189 in their inter-school match against the Mazenod, which began at Darley Road, yesterday.

St. Joseph's 198 (Johnnes Jayasuriya 77, M. Perera 25, D. Ramanayake 18, L. Chintana 4 for 64, S. de Alwis 5 for 75).

De Mazenod 89 for 5 (G. Maduranga 25, L. Chintana 14 n.o., S. Shiranathana 13 n.o., R. de Silva 2 for 24).

"Walk with champs" on Feb 22

A walk with the national hero Aravinda de Silva and the other world champs will be organized by the Old Boys Association of D. S. Senanayake College, Colombo - under the leadership of the 1985 batch of old boys on February 22.

The walk will start at 4.30 p.m. on February 22 from the school Buller's Road gate continue through D. S. Senanayake Mawatha, Kynsey Road, Gregory's Road and back to the College premises by 5.30 p.m.

Cricket fans from all over the island together with D. S. Senanayake College students, their parents and old boys are expected to join the "Walk with the Champs". The Old Boys Association expect more than 3000 participants for the walk and they will join the mini fair organized at the school premises at the end of the walk.

All funds raised at this event will be for the school Library Development Fund (LDF) launched by the 1985 batch of The Old Boys Association. The fund will source the required costs to improve the library facilities, computerization of the library, coding system, purchase of periodicals etc.

H.M.Customs and Excise - Sports Club Cricket team from UK arrive in Colombo

H. M. Customs and Excise - Sports Club Cricket team from UK arrived in Colombo to participate in five limited over cricket series against the Sri Lanka Customs cricket team. The two captains of the sides are Romesh Paul - UK Customs and Excise SC and Dr. Neville Goonawardane - Sri Lanka Customs. The officials of the UK Customs & Excise team are Raj Sha (Tour Manager), Geff Swinden (Team Manager) told the Daily News on arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport, that they were very happy with the arrangements for the visiting team. The captain and best alrounder of the UK Customs & Excise team a Sri Lankan, Romesh Paul is an old boy of Maris Stella College. He was picked as the outstanding sportsman of UK Customs & Excise.

Tennekoon helps SSMV

By our Kandy south group corr

A belligerent knock of 108 with 17 fours and a six by Dhanushka Tennakoon helped Sri Sumangala Maha Vidyalaya to force a draw in their Coca-Cola Bottlers Trophy cricket tournament match against Ibbagamuwa Central College which ended at police grounds, Kandy.

Sri Sumangala were badly placed at 81 for 5 at one stage before Dhanushka Tennakoon took charge and changed the complexion of the game.

Tennakoon put on 77 for the sixth wicket with D. Balasuriya (26) and a further 79 runs for the seventh wicket with R. de Silva (34) which helped Sri Sumangala to declare at 243 for 9.

Sri Sumangala sparkled in the second innings to score 61 for 1 in only 6 overs.

Ibbagamuwa MMV 281 for 9 decl. AND 132 for 8 decl. 46 overs (M. Abeysinghe 34, S. Ranatunga 47, N. Ratnayake 27 not out, J. Rajapakse 4 for 23, C. Ratnayake 3 for 36).

Sri Sumangala MV 243 for 9.

Nelson Mendis takes up full time coaching

By Premasara Epasinghe

The success of a coach is mainly due to the dedication, commitment and discipline maintained throughout his career in bringing out the best in the pupil.

As far as cricket coaching is concerned, the Mendis brothers Lionel and Nelson's contribution is enormous. Younger brother Nelson has started his own cricket coaching school at the Colombo Cricket Club (CCC) Maitland Crescent, while his elder brother Lionel is established at the adjoining NCC grounds for many years.

Nelson Mendis captained Dharmasoka College and represented Southern Province combined Colleges XI - as a school boy, and after leaving school, was instrumental in pioneering the Old Sokians' Sports Club to represent in the Division III tournament, conducted by the BCCSL. He captained Old Sokians' SC for several years and moving to Colombo to join the staff of Nalanda College, started playing for Bloomfield C & A Club in the 'Daily News' Trophy tournament in the late sixties, and captained the Bloomfield 'Daily News' teams in 1967 - 68.

With the appointment to the Army Training Centre, Diyatalawa, he represented the Badulla 'Daily News' team for several years and also captained the team in 1973 - '74 - in which year, Badulla ended up as runners-up.

Representing the Education Department in the States Services Cricket Tournament in the 'A', 'B' & 'C' Divisions for many years, he also captained the 'B' & 'C' Divisions. They won the 'C' division Championship in 1977.

With the appointment to the Nalanda College Staff in 1965, he took over the coaching of junior cricket teams - Under 11, Under 13, Under 15 and Under 17 teams and produced many unbeaten champion teams in each age group during the period from 1965 - 1979.

He was instrumental in coaching and guiding several Sri Lankan test and one day International players over the years at Nalanda. To name some of them: - Bandula Warnapura, Lalith Kaluperuma, Jayantha Seneviratne, Sunil Jayasinghe, Anura Ranasinghe, Yohan Gunasekera, Susantha Karunaratne, Sanath Kaluperuma, Roshan Mahanama, Asanka Gurusinghe, Gamini Wickremasinghe, Chamara Dunusinghe and Kumara Dharmasena.

He has wide experience as a cricket umpire and administrator, being a qualified umpire of ACU (SL), Secretary, Schools Cricket Association and Gen. Secretary and Vice President of the Mercantile Cricket Association. He represented Singer Sri Lanka with distinction and later functioned as the Cricket Manager for many years and won number of Mercantile Cricket Titles.

As a coach, Nelson has followed several coaching courses under eminent cricket coaches like Jack Walsh and Julien Wiener of Australia and Leslie Lenham of England. He successfully completed the coaching examinations conducted by Mr. Leslie Lenham of UK in collaboration with BCCSL. They are - coaching award certificate (Level I) - Passed with Distinction in 1982. Senior Coaching Certificate (Level III) in 1989 - (Grade A Pass). Advanced Diploma Coaching Certificate Course Level III in 1997.

St. Anthony's, St. Sebastian's under-13 div. 1 champs

By S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy south group correspondent

St. Anthony's College, Katugastota and St. Sebastian's College, Moratuwa, became joint champions of the schools under-13 Division 1 cricket tournament for the Horlicks trophy when the finals ended in a 'No Decision' at Katugastota recently.

This was for the third successive year in which the Antonians had ended in the top slot of this tournament. In 1995 they became champions under Nafees Nizam and the following they were joint champions with Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala. Then again they became joint champions in the 1997 tournament which was concluded in 1998. In all three years the Antonians were coached by former St. Sylvesters College and Central Zone School cricketer Ranjith Colombage.

The Antonians were distinctly unlucky not to have won this match as the Sebastianities batted for 123 overs for their 279 for 9 declared, in a way insulting themselves from defeat. The Antonians who went into bat only at 11 a.m. on the second day made a valiant effort to snatch victory and were 259 for 6 off 87, just 20 runs away from victory. M. Ruzly (59) and N. Ratnayake (95) treated the bowling with scant respect and they were dismissed in trying to force the pace.

Tyronne Silva who in the preliminary round matches had the rare distinction of scoring a century in the morning and another in the afternoon in the same match turned in a good allround performance to capture 4 for 33 and also scored a hard hit 31.

St. Sebastian's College 279 for 9 wickets decl. in 123 overs (M. Neomal 46, S. Shehan 14, S. Nuwan 33, D. Perera 51, M. Tharaka 54 not out, M. Premasiri 17, T. Silva 4 for 33, D. Perera 2 for 50, M. Ruzley 2 for 36).

St. Anthony's College 259 for 6 wickets in 87 overs (N. Ratnayake 95, M. Ruzley 59, T. Silva 31, S. Swarnatillake 18, N. Nilukshan 2 for 45, M. Tharaka 2 for 49).

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