Sri Lanka News Round-up (25 Feb 1998)

Wednesday 25, February 1998

SRI LANKA SPORTS NEWS AT-A-GLANCE

Compiled by Dinesh Weerawansa

* England will not give Sri Lanka a three-Test series until the turn of this century. Ever since gaining the full membership of the International Cricket Council in 1981, Sri Lanka has always played only one-off Tests by England and this year too they have not changes their policy.

Sri lanka is due to tour England this summer but they will only play a solitary Test. England will host Sri Lanka for a one-off Test which will be played from August 27 to 31 at the Oval. But the first ever three-Test series between the two teams has tentatively been fixed for Year 2000.

* Sri Lanka cricket team is due to tour Australia later this year to take part in the three-nation World Series Cup tournament. But there will not be a Test series against Australia as the tour is sandwiched between the Ashes series.

This will be the first time that Sri Lanka will be touring Australia after winning the World Cup in 1996, where they incidently beat Australia by seven wickets in Lahore, Pakistan. When Sri Lanka last played in the World Series Cup in 1995, they emerged runners up losing to Australia 0-2 in the best-of-three final. Australia were one of the few countries to give Sri Lanka Test matches quite liberally in comparison to England.

* Sri Lanka will play South Africa in two successive tournaments and Arjuna Ranatunga and his men aim to further establish their position. Of the three one day internationals played between the two teams, South Africa has beaten the World champions twice, posing a major threat to the World champions.

South Africa will play host to Sri Lanka and Pakistan in a tri-nation tournament in April where the World champions play South Africa thrice in the preliminary round. In the second tournament to be played in England in August, South Africa will take on Sri Lanka in the opening match to be played in Trent Bridge on August 14, this year. The three participating teams - England, South Africa and Sri Lanka will play each other once on a league basis and the top two teams will advance to the final to be played at Lord's on September 20.

* A massive opening stand of 228 between S. Perera 127 (17 fours, 1 six) and M. Hazson 93 (12 fours) helped St. Thomas College 'A' Mount Lavinia to score an innings and 117 runs win over Trinity College 'A' in their inter school cricket match concluded at the Asgiriya Stadium. Medium pacer S. Dedigama was virtually unplayable and had a match bag of 8 for 26. The match ended shortly after lunch on the second day.

Chief scores: Trinity College 'A' 63 all out in 26.4 overs (N. Halpitige 12, N. Weerasuriya 21, S. Paranawitharene 3 for 15, S. Dedigama 4 for 11) and 100 all out in 56.5 overs (C. H. Fernando 19, M. Dissanayake 16, N. Weerasinghe 19, L. Silva 11 not out, S. Dedigama 4 for 15, R. T. Gunawardena 4 for 14). St. Thomas College 'A' 280 for 3 decl. in 63 overs (S. Perera 127, M. Hazson 93, C. Caldera.)

* Summerhill Sports Club, Nuwara Eliya emerged champions at the Nuwara Eliya District inter-club limited over cricket tournament organised by the Nuwara District Cricket association when they beat Silver Orchids Sports Club, Hatton by 48 runs in the finals played at Darrawela.

Chief scores: Summerhill SC 256 all out in 40 overs (F. S. Niranjan 19, S. Chintaka 26, S. Sunanda 43, K. Kathigesan 3 for 29); Silver Orchids SC 208 all out in 39 overs (M. Zubair 67, M. Lafir 43, M. Azard 37, F. S. B. Divakaran 2 for 23).

* The exhibition cricket match played at the Bernard Aluwihare Stadium, Matale, between Matale police Sports Club and the visiting 'Ajax' Cricket Club from Netherlands was won by Matale Police SC by five wickets.

This is the first time in the history that a foreign cricket team played a cricket match in Matale. Electing to bats' first after winning the toss, Ajax CC scored 232 runs for 09 wickets in 48 overs Tom Thomas being the top scorer with 57. P. H. Chandradasa of Police SC was the main wicket taker with 04 for 24. Matale police SC reached the target (232) for the loss of five wickets in 33 overs. Police SC captain Kamal Pushpakumara scored 68 runs and P. H. Chandradasa scored 53 not out. Chief scores: Ajax CC (Netherlands 232 for 09 in 48 overs. (Tom Thomas 57, Tony Opatha 34, J. Langernost 28, P. H. Chandradasa 04 for 24); Matale Police SC 233 for 5 in 33 overs. (Kamal Pushpakumara 68, P. H. Chandradasa 53 (not Out), P. H. Indika Prasad 39, Rajanayake 30, Lanthra Fernando 3 for 40).

Warnakula does it again

Shinal Warnakula, the promising 18 year old off spinner from St. Joseph's who has bowled with success capturing over 50 wickets in the last three seasons, has done it again and bagged over 50 wickets this season too.

In the '95 season he had 54 wickets, '96 56 and '97 56 wickets.

At last year's big match against St. Peter's he had a match bag of 14 wickets.

Bandara 144

By S. M. Jiffry Abdeen - Kandy South group corr.

An aggressive knock of 144 studded with 7 sixers and 13 fours by Seneviratne Bandara helped Sri Rahula College to recover and total 294 in their Coca Cola Bottlers Trophy schools cricket tournament match against Ibbagamuwa Central College which began at Katugastota yesterday. The match will be continued today at 9.30 a.m.

Puttalam DCA gets concrete pitches

Under the Districts Development plan, the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka donated twin concrete pitches to the Puttalam DCA, sited at the Albert Pieris Stadium, Wennappuwa and Xavierites SC Grounds, Marawila.

The pitches were ceremonially opened by the NWP Minister of Sports, Youth Affairs and Health, Johnston Fernando who was received along with the Guest-of-Honour, Mr. Dammika Ranatunge, Chief Executive of the BCCSL by Mrs. Gwen Herat, President, Puttalam DCA at a simple but a colourful ceremony.

Minister Fernando, Mr. Dammika Ranatunge, Mrs. Herat all voiced the same feeling to call upon the youth of Puttalam District to take this opportunity offered to them to raise the standard of cricket over here.

Dammika recalled how he travelled by train with his now famous cricketing brothers from Gampaha to Colombo for practice and stated that they were not as fortunate as youngsters of today who have resources like this.

Minister Fernando promised to help the game of cricket in PD by funding while Mrs. Herat hoped this will result in producing a national player in the near future.

She also thanked the Chairman, DDC, Mr. Thilanga Sumathipala and President Upali Dharmadasa from making this a reality.

Mr. Anura Weerasinghe from BCCSL co-ordinated the event while Sarath Wickramatunge, offered a vote of thanks.

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