Sri Lanka news round-up (23 Sep 1997)

Tuesday 23, September 1997

SRI LANKA SPORTS NEWS AT-A-GLANCE

Compiled by Dinesh Weerawansa.

*A South African has been seeded No. 1 while World champions Sri Lanka were rated No. 7 as they are fielding a second string team at the draw for the 5th annual Cathay Pacific Wheelock Natwest Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes held at the Excelsior Hotel in Hong Kong. The draw was not random, but determined by seedings issued by the Policy Committee and the tournament will be worked off on September 27 and 28.

Australia, touted as a `powerful and able side' were seeded second, and the Pakistani side, said to be packed with talent with Wasim Akram in the lead, took the third seeding. New Zealand contingent, who were relegated to 4th spot in the seedings while the 5th and 6th spots went to the West Indies and India respectively, with Sri Lanka down in 7th. England, who missed several players due to their domestic County Championship, took 8th spot in the seedings, with Hong Kong propping up the rest at 9th.

* Sri Lanka team will be led by Romesh Kaluwitharana at the Hong Kong international sixers to be worked off this weekend.

After the preliminary round where the teams will play under three groups, the top 2 countries in each group will advance to the Bradman and Sobers Groups - positions to be determined by a second round of seeding. The 3rd placed team in each group enters the Cowdrey Group. The winner of Bradman and winner of Sobers play in the Cup Final The 2nd placed team in each play in the Plate Final. The 3rd placed teams share 5th position The winner of the Cowdrey Group wins the Bowl competition.

* Arjuna Ranatunga will continue to lead Sri Lanka at the Jinnah Cup four-nation tournament in Pakistan in early November and for the three-Test tour of India which follows. He has been retained as the Sri Lanka captain for the rest of the year by the National selection committee, headed by Duleep Mendis.

Ranatunga, the most successful captain that Sri Lanka has ever produced in any form, has been re-appointed as captain of the national team for the forthcoming tours to India and Pakistan later this year. Ranatunga will lead a 14-member Sri Lanka squad for the Pakistan Independence Jubilee four-nation tournament which will be played from November 1 to 8. The quadrangular tournament will also feature Pakistan, South Africa and the West Indies. Sri Lanka team will then tour India for the second leg of their back-to-back Test series from November 14 to December 26. Sri Lanka will play three Tests and three one day internationals on tour.

* Horana Cricket & Athletic Club registered their third win in the Cricket Board division 111 inter-club tournament when they beat Panadura Sports Club by four wickets played at Sri Palee College grounds, Horana.

Pandura SC, batting first, made 108 all out in 27 overs and in reply, the home team, reached the target in 26 overs with four wickets in hand. Chief scores: Panadura SC 108 all out (R.Soysa 24, Amila Indika 4 for 24, M.S. Uynagoda 2 for 26). Horana C&AC: 110 for 6 (M.S. Uyangoda 34 n.o, Manitha Karadana 21, S. Dassanayake 20, Manoj Fernando 3 for 20).

*Top order batsman Upeka Fernando will lead S.Thomas' College, Mt.Lavinia in the 1997/98 inter-school first X1 cricket season. Naren Ratwatte will be his deputy.

The Thomians, coached by Jerome Jayaratne and Dinesh Kumarasinghe, will play a total of 16 first X1 matches this season. They will open the new school cricket season with a match against D.S.Senanayake MV on September 26 and 27 at Wijerama Mawatha and which ends with the traditional `Battle of the Blues' big match against Royal College on March 19,20 and 21.

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