Sri Lanka news round-up (28 Aug 1997)

Thursday 28, August 1997

SRI LANKA SPORTS NEWS AT-A-GLANCE

Compiled by Dinesh Weerawansa.

* Vice captain Aravinda de Silva headed Sri Lanka batting average in Sri Lanka's recently concluded one day one series against India. The World champions Sri Lanka won the series 3-0 with one game ending in a no decision due to rain and bad light.

De Silva has averaged 70.66 scoring 212 runs with one century and a fifty. In the second place is Lanka de Silva (Ave. 56.00), followed by Sanath Jayasuriya (52.50), Marvan Atapattu (45.00) and Roshan Mahanama (44.25). Among the Lankan batsmen, Jayasuriya (210), Atapattu (180) and Mahanama (177) had high aggregates.

Spinner Upul Chandana headed the bowling honours list averaging 21.25 for his four wickets. In the second place is Aravinda de Silva (23.00 - 3 wickets), followed by Chaminda Vaas (25.25 - 4 wickets), Sanath Jayasuriya (36.80 - 5) and Muttiah Muralitharan (43.66 - 3 wickets).

* Former captain Mohamed Azharuddin and new boy Nilesh Kulkarni took batting and bowling honours respective in India's four-match one day international series against the World champions Sri Lanka. Azharuddin aggregated 211 runs with an average of 70.33 scoring a century and a fifty. In the second place is Saurav Ganguly (43.75 - 175 runs), followed by Ajay Jadeja (43.75 - 175 runs), Robin Singh (171 - 42.75), Rahul Dravid (34.75 - 139 runs) and skipper Sachin Tendulkar (24.75 - 99 runs).

Spinner Kulkarni heads the bowling averages with 22.00 for his four wickets, followed by paceman Abey Kuruwila (30.00 - 6 wickets) and Robin Singh (32.50 - 4 wickets).

* World champions Sri Lanka have enjoyed a high success rate of 76.19% in the 21 one day internationals they have played so far in 1997 with a minimum of six matches to be played in Pakistan and India later this year.

Of the 21 one day internationals they have played so far for the calender year, Sri Lanka have won 16 and have lost only four with one no decision. The 16 wins enabled them to win three tournaments in a row - Singer-Akai Cup in Sharjah, Pepsi Independence Cup in India and the Pepsi Asia Cup in Colombo. In addition, they made a clean 3-0 whitewash in the home series against India.

Sri Lanka's next one day tournament will be in Pakistan - the Jinnah troophy, which will be worked off from November 1 to 8 in Lahore. The other participating teams are Pakistan, West Indies and South Africa. Sri Lanka will also play a three-match onee day series against India in India later this year.

* The annual all-island inter-district under-15 cricket tournament for the `Dr. C.D.L. Fernando memorial trophy' organised by the Kandy District Cricket Association on behalf of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka got under way in Kandy. The tournament will feature all the cricket playing districts in the island except Jaffna and Batticaloa.

Kandy are the defending champions having won this trophy for the past three years. Kandy along with Colombo North and South and Gampaha District will go out strong contenders for championship honours. According to the organisers the matches which will be on a knock-out basis will be played at Kandy, Asgiriya, Police grounds, Lake View, Katugastota, Peradeniya, Matale, Gampola and Kegalle on the same day. About 300 young cricketers are expected to participate. This tournament will continue on a daily basis with the finals scheduled for Asgiriya Stadium on Sunday August 31.

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