Sri Lankans ride high at SSC

By Sunil Thenabadu  Sri Lanka after capturing the last two England wickets for just six runs were in a very strong position at close of play with 264 runs for the loss of just two wickets and trail by only one run with eight first innings wickets intact on day 2 in the Mobitel Test match played at the SSC grounds at Maitland Place on Friday.

The second day's play in the third Test, the series decider between England and hosts Sri Lanka got underway at the picturesque SSC grounds in Colombo in hot humid conditions in bright sunshine. The wicket was placid and a dry track with a little bit of help for the seamers.

Muralitharan bowled the first over, a maiden to Read but Vaas in his very first delivery of the day had Kirtley leg before wicket without addition to their overnight score. The last man Anderson joined Read but could add only six more runs to their overnight score when Vaas had Anderson plumb in front. England were all out for 265 runs after 103 overs of batting. Muralitharan and Vaas captured three wickets apiece for 40 and 60 runs respectively.

In the absence of Marvan Atapattu who was nursing a bruised finger left hander Kumar Sangakkara opened batting with Sanath Jayasuriya. Both commenced confidently. Sangakkara was initially the more stylish and aggressive, played in particular some delightful strokes all round the wicket using his feet well and penetrating the fielders with precise timing. Sanath Jayasuriya soon followed suit although he started playing second fiddle. He too accelerated the scoring rate with equally delightful shots. The first 50 was hoisted in just 9.4 overs in only 46 minutes. Kirtley bowling from the press box end and Anderson from the tennis courts end were treated with scant respect by the two aggressive left handers.

When Kumar Sangakkara was well on his way to a big score he unfortunately edged a Kirtley swinging delivery to be caught well at slips by Trescothick low to his right. The first wicket partnerships yielded 71 useful runs. Sangakkara's elegant knock contained six hits to the fence.

Thilan Samaraweera was sent into join Sanath Jayasuriya at No. 3 and started cautiously as Jayasuriya continued to play the English pace and spin attack confidently. Vaughan rotated pace and spin bowlers in short spells and at lunch Sri Lanka were 88 for the loss of only one wicket with Jayasuriya in devastating mood, having completed his 26th Test fifty with the aid of nine fours and a huge six.

After lunch, spin and pace bowlers were rotated in short spells. Jayasuriya continued his flamboyant knock with hard hit strokes penetrating the fielders easily. With Jayasuriya's individual score at 85, he edged a Flintoff delivery into the safe hands of Tresothick at slips. Sri Lanka were then 138 for 2. His majestic innings included 12 hits to the ropes and one six compiled in just 104 balls. He was extremely unfortunate to miss out on another well deserved century.

Mahela Jayawardena joined his club mate Thilan Samaraweera and they continued in the same aggressive vein. Runs were accumulating at a brisk rate playing attractive cricket. When tea was taken Sri Lankan were 161 for the loss of 2 wickets with Thilan and Mahela unbeaten on 21 and 14 respectively.

Sri Lanka's 200 was posted in the 62nd over. With the score at 210 for 2 wickets Thilan Samaraweera reached his fifth Test 50 in 200 minutes with four fours. The unbroken century partnership between Thilan and Mahela for the third wicket was made with the total on 241 in 120 minutes of batting compiled in 194 balls. Mahela in the meantime reached his individual 50, his 20th in Test cricket with the score at 249 for 2 wickets in 100 balls with five fours.

Professional cricket must be rid of pseudo-machos  

Just as much as a padre on the pulpit holds the congregation as a captive audience, the close-in fielders and the wicket-keeper has batsmen in a similar predicament. Hence the so-called 'sledging', or more specifically mouthing invective, has now assumed pestilential proportions. What is worse is that professional cricketers from many countries condone such practices and decry those who oppose it as 'carrying tales out of school', thus implying those who denigrate such abuse, bandied on the field of play, as 'sissies'. What poppycock.

Would they dare outside the field?

The first question is, would the same macho hurl insulting remarks of a similar nature to the victim, outside the field of play? Obviously he dare not. A revealing example was when the giant of a man, England's Andy Flintoff, after having bludgeoned 95 runs at the Oval in the recently concluded fifth Test against the South Africans, and was dismissed "when attempting to dispatch Paul Adams to Venus for the second successive ball." Though the pint-sized Adams barely reaches Flintoff's massive shoulders, the left-arm spinner with an action described as a frog in a blender, had the temerity to hurl a volley of abuse at the departing Flintoff. Would Adams have acted similarly if he did not have the protection of an international cricket match? In the month of October alone three players, South African captain, Graeme Smith, team-mate Andrew Hall and Pakistani Shoaib Akhtar (ironically, for using abusive language at Adams!) were fined and banned by match referee, Clive Lloyd. Former South African captain Shaun Pollock too was fined his entire match fee, again by Lloyd, for showing dissent while wicket-keeper Boucher was cleared of using obscene language for lack of evidence - shades of Nasser Hussain!

Obviously boorish behaviour by international cricketers is on the rise. As mentioned earlier, the tragedy is that some consider it macho behaviour. Not only is this type of conduct unethical but transgresses the code of conduct laid down in the Laws of Cricket (Code 2000).

Colin Cowdrey assisted in drafting Code 2000

In earlier days, before money, very big money at that, came into the equation, the Laws of Cricket decreed (in Law 42.1) that " The captains are responsible at all times for ensuring that play is conducted within the spirit of the game as well as within the Laws." In fact, cricket is the only sport that mentioned the word 'spirit' in its Laws. However, with the spirit of the game, at international levels, degenerating to unprecedented low levels, the administrators, led by Sir Colin Cowdrey, then spelt out what 'spirit' was in Code 2000 of the Laws of Cricket. Named 'The Preamble - The Spirit of Cricket' it clearly spells out what is NOT expected of cricketers, just as physicians respect the Hippocratic oath and other professionals are similarly bound. e.g. The spirit of the game involves respect for your opponents, and it is against the Spirit of the game "(a) to dispute an umpire's decision by word, action or gesture (b) direct abusive language towards an opponent or umpire....." Isn't the law clear enough?

Killing the golden goose?

If current professional cricketers who make a luxurious living out of the game - unlike their predecessors who more often than not spent their own moneys as well - openly state that they break the laws governing their profession and consider that manly behaviour, obviously something is rotten in the state of Denmark. Or, to put it in a language that is more comprehensible, they are talking rubbish. In fact, modern cricketers are obviously unaware that they are playing a game that had a proud ancestry, so much so that if someone played dirty in real life, he or she used to be admonished with the words: "It is not cricket" or "You are not playing a straight bat." Cricketers of yore embellished the game and left it richer. It seems the modern cricketers are enriching themselves and leaving the game fleeced of its many-faceted beauty - and trying to justify it too.

How to cope with Hayden and Gilchrist

Now a quick look at the Third Test. At the end of Day 1, the final Test is interestingly poised. Having won a good toss and got off to a flyer, the tourists could not capitalize thereafter, finishing the day at a limp 259/8. As usual it was the ubiquitous Muralitharan to the fore. One more scalp and he achieves the unique milestone of 100 wickets in one venue - achieved in 16 Tests! Except for Vaas, there wasn't a bowler who was able to command sustained respect and lend support to Muralitharan. The Sri Lankans will have to wipe the England tail soon and then score quickly to put pressure on the tourists. What is more worrying is if Flintoff can 'murder' some of the Lankan bowlers what would happen when the Australians arrive in February with the likes of Hayden and Gilchrist? Perhaps have a few ball pickers outside the grounds and an extra stock of balls would be the answer!

 Rohan's formula for racing 

"WHY IS it that many of our motor-racing battles seem to be fought off the tracks than on it?'' asks well-know speed aficionado Rohan De Silva. And answers: "it's because many social climbers run the sport - those moneyed people looking for a place in society. What they know about motor racing is not worth knowing.''

That's a pretty caustic statement. But de Silva wouldn't choose to say it in any other way when venting his long endured frustration. ''I've been in racing since 1978 and seen the officials' growing indifference to the concerns of the genuine racers. It's about time someone stood up and spoke up for the cause of motor racing,'' declared De Silva, a veteran of 500 events, in 300 of which he has finished among the front three.

 De Silva has all the credentials to be the voice of the racers.The best qualification, some say, is his standing in the corporate world: Group Managing Director, of blue chip McLarens Ltd. "Any one strongly critical of the controlling body would run the risk of suspension, but with Rohan it's different. His standing in the business world is a reason why he'll get away with anything he says. But the truer reason is that the racing community knows he's got no destructive political motives. He means well for the sport and hence trustworthy, -" said an official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

 If it was all about pursing personal ambitions, then, De Silva has the wherewithal to straight away launch a Kerry Packer-style motor racing circuit. He has a stable of 18 racing cars, including a dozen Ford Formula jobs, a cadre of 28 sponsored drivers and a modern garage housed in a 3,500 square-foot plot in Wattala where a staff of seven permanent specialist mechanics works on his fleet. He also manages the Mobil Autocolour and McFoil racing teams. And so as to avoid the trouble of looking for venues on public roads and all the accompanying hassles, De Silva is to extend his present one-year lease of the purpose-built racing track in Pannala to three next January.

 Given that stock-in-trade, starting a private racing circuit is only a nod away. Of course, there will be legal tangles, but litigation isn't something new to motor sport - one more is not likely to make any difference. As well, there's the prospect of others joining the new circuit and eventually, the possible recognition of the world body. Suggest that scenario to De Silva and he'll raise a protesting hand.  "That's not my way of doing things. Staging rival race meetings would only deepen the divisions within the racing community. It's far better to stay with one administration and demand a proper working of it, even if it means publicly exposing wrongdoing or going to courts,'' said De Silva, who himself once instituted legal action against the authorities.

 An explanation of how the controlling body, the Sri Lanka Association of Motor Sports (SLAMS), works is necessary to appreciate better De Silva's lamentation. SLAMS itself doesn't organize racing meets; different clubs do that. But club meets have to adhere to competition rules set out by SLAMS. ''(But) organizing clubs don't apply SLAMS' competition rules. The clubs either flout them or amend them. It seems like each meet has a different set of rules. So, it's not surprising why we have so much protests and litigation. Unfortunately, SLAMS officials down the years didn't have the guts to come down on the offending clubs. Like in other sports, SLAMS officials too are wary of penalizing clubs that voted for them,'' said De Silva. ''The association for long been a lame duck.''

The Ford Formula racer, who holds the course record in Pannala, Mahagastota, Nuwara Eliya, St James Hill, Radella and Wece Park, admits the present SLAMS' competition rules need to be updated. '' (But) updating the rules isn't the real issue - it's the supervision to ensure those rules are enforced that's the issue,'' he says.

"But I am not certain that those social climbers know the rules - I'll bet a Benz to a Bajaj, they don't.''

Another bone he picks is the absence of Novices events. "There was a time when any motor racing meet would have events exclusively for novice and intermediate drivers. Tragically, these events were scrapped since, I think, about a decade ago. What these means is that no new racing drivers have come through for nearly ten years - and that can't be good for the future,'' said De Silva, whose young daughter, Shehara, is in racing and regarded Queen of the Track only because of the family's long involvement in the sport. "The international champions, the likes of Senna, were garage hands before they took to the tracks. I am sure we have our own Sennas languishing in garages with dreams of racing. We should be helping them to pursue those dreams,'' said De Silva.

 Not surprisingly, says De Silva, that the average age of our racing drivers is around 40 years, an age which cynics might remark is unreliable to even cope with the chaos that is our city traffic. It isn't funny that the country's racing drivers population is "only about 100''. ''About 350 racing drivers would probably reflect a healthy state. 100 is poverty level. And with the existing wide disparity in their standards, what we're seeing are endless predictable finishes. There are about 20 meets per year and they end up looking much like repeated re-plays of the same video,'' says De Silva, a former Benedictine. "The public support the sport enjoys, I fear, is going to be lost.''

The way De Silva describes our motor racing, clearly, the sport is on a road to nowhere, as long as ''social climbers'' sit on the driver's seat.

English cricket fans praise Hotel Thilanka

By Gamini Senadhira 

A large number of English cricket fans are in Sri Lanka to witness, the England, Sri Lanka cricket series.

During the second Test at Asgiriya over a hundred of them were housed in Hotel Thilanka in Kandy where this writer too happened to be, covering the proceedings of the second Test.

During our friendly discussions in regard to the ongoing cricket series', I learnt that the English visitors were highly impressed by the efficient and courteous service of Hotel Thilanka.

The prompt 24 hour room service, the sumptuous Western, oriental, Indian, Italian, Chinese buffet for breakfast, lunch, dinner and the mouth watering special barbecue dinner at the pool side on Saturdays, the ayuvedic herbal treatment, the sparkling clean swimming pool, the much talked about food and beverage outlets that include the Senkadagala coffee shop, the main restaurant, Woodpecker bar and the pool bar give its customers every comfort one anticipates in a 5 star hotel though Thilanka, is yet unclassified.

This hotel which came into existence in 1973 with only six rooms has now been converted into 92 rooms of which 41 are deluxe.

The deluxe A/C rooms are quite large and tastefully decorated with reproductions of ancient paintings on the walls to enhance the interior d‚cor. The elegant wooden furniture, T.V. telephone and mini bar further add to one's comfort.

The standard rooms are non A/C, with wide red floored front verandahs, retaining the old-world charm. Nearby all the rooms face the lake with wandering verandahs and corridors, grass terraces and corners with antique seats. Hotel Thilanka, set amidst three acres of tropical gardens, at the foot hills of Udawattakelle, a tropical rainforest, overlooking the lake and the ancient city of Kandy offer the 92 guest rooms a panoramic view of the lake, forest, mountain range, gardens and the City of Kandy.

Handled by Gamini and Tharu Goonewardena, backed by its dynamic manager, Emil Perera, an 'old Ben' and an efficient, courteous staff, Hotel Thilanka is the ideal place for anyone who aims to enjoy a mix of typical Sri Lankan comfort and Kandian tradition holiday that also will be easy on the purse.

Chivas Regal monthly medal at Victoria

Precisely (Pvt) Ltd, the Sri Lankan joint venture between the Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka and Group Pernod-Ricard of France, the owners of the prestigious brand Chivas Regal, teams up with the Victoria Golf & Country Resort in Kandy for the Chivas Regal December monthly medal on Saturday, December 27 at Victoria.

With the successful completion of the Chivas Regal October monthly medal that was worked off at the Royal Colombo Golf Club, Chivas Regal has moved to the renowned Victoria Golf Course in the Kandyan hills for its next sponsored event.

The competition will be in two divisions, over 18 holes. It is open to all players with a valid handicap. With the recent Northeast rains Victoria is lush and green and the rough has to be avoided if a good score is to be returned.

The division categories are:

1. Gentlemen's Division 2. Ladies Division

The competition commences at 07.30 a.m. Entries will close on Wednesday 24 December at 7:00 p.m. All players who wish to enter the monthly medal may call 0712743003 (Caddy Master) and register their entry.

•  16th Junior open Golf Championship

Mithun emulates, father Nandasena 

Mithun Perera, the young son of the former national golf champion, Nandasena Perera, emulating his father's talent, emerged the champion at the 16th Junior Open Golf Championship conducted by the Royal Colombo Golf Club and sponsored for the second consecutive year by Milo, last Friday at the RCGC Links. The runner-up was Binupa Wijesinghe. Over 50 young golfers participated in this year's competitions with six from the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club, two from Victoria, Kandy, and the rest from RCGC.

The junior champion golfer, Mithun Perera along with the runnerup, Binupa Perera, took wing to India yesterday to participate in the Junior Golf Championship to be held in India.

Carried below are the results.

Copper Division

1st day Gross C. Perera, 2nd day Gross R. Mayura, Copper Trophy, Winner Sachin Unammowe, Runner Up R. Mayura.

Bronze Division

1st Day Net R. Wimalaratne, 2nd Day Nett S. Ukwatte, 3rd Day Nett A. Mahendran, 1st day Gross D. McJacobs, 2nd Day Gross C. Wickramasinghe, 3rd Day Gross D. McJacobs, Bronze Overall Nett Runnerup, Z. Dharmaratne, Bronze Overall Nett Winner C. Wickremasinghe, Bronze Trophy Runner UP D. Mc Jacobs, Bronze Trophy Winner A. Niroshan.

Championship Division

1st Day Nett D. Kumar, 2nd Day Nett R. Gunawardene, 3rd Day Nett V. Bandara, 1st Day Gross M. Perera, 2nd Day Gross B. Wijesinghe, 3rd Day Gross M. Perera, Overall Nett Runner up M. Perera, Overall Nett Winner B. Wijesinghe, Championship runner Up Binupa Wijesinghe, Championship Winner Mithun Perera.