Aussies arrive to battle Lanka 

By Ranil Prematilake One cannot foresee a better equipped squad than Ricky Ponting's men to have arrived in the island for a full series since the elevation of Sri Lanka as a world beater from the year 1996. The Aussies took custody of the VB series tri-nation title in style only a few days back and are sure to carry on the form into the five match One Day Internationals against the host nations as well.

However, it will be interesting to see whether action would kick start well before the commencement of the Test series. The prevalent political situation in the country is expected to lead to the imminent consideration of the dissolution of Sri Lanka Cricket Administration. The controversy ridden Thilanga Sumathipala team in all probability is to be replaced by an Interim Committee headed none other than by the country's world cup winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga. Since his crashing defeat at the hands of Sumathipala early last year, the never say die Ranatunge, who challenged the validity of the election openly on broad based allegations, has infact lived upto his reputation. As re-iterated by the writer Arjuna Ranatunge is and will be a person who starts from scratch and end up at the helm. Competent Authority being the probable designation for the time being. The inevitable question that springs up is "for how long". The indications are that at least till April 2.

One way or the other the local administration needs a change under the present circumstances and The Sunday Leader reliably learnt that by Friday afternoon the issue had reached President's House, thus making the move a certainty.

Meanwhile, the Aussie one day squad minus the high profile Shane Warne and Glen McGrath sans doubt would know that the above development could have no impact on the performance of the Sri Lankan players on the field. The bitter rivalry that began from the Boxing Day Test reminds of the aggrieved party. The subsequent attempts have been in vain as such moves backfired badly.

The truth of the matter is that the so called champion leg spinners, being found guilty by his own administration having served his sentence (exile from all forms of the game) is making a desperate bid to make an instant return. The spectacle created by the Aussie media has to be viewed with sympathy. It's a fact that the Aussies' most suecessful bowler during Warnes absence was Stuart McGill and moreover Brad Hogg and the other seamers covered up in the shorter version of the game.

A comparison of suspicion and concrete guilt has been given diverse publicity. The extent of such needs no interpretation. Sadly the gifted prodigy was form in the sub-continent.

Focussing back on the administration that is to be derailed, the political authorities in dilemma but soon to be re-instated come the general elections must be regretting in failing to call a spade a spade, thus providing an undue favour to its opponent or are they regretting? The next few months shall provide the answer. Cricket is an aspect of national interest. Obligations at the expense of the interest of the game turned out to be the beginning of the downfall. Plea to resurrect the situation fell on deaf ears. The political game was played without sense.

Meanwhile the Inter Provincial tournament came to an end with the Central Province led by Muttiah Muralitharan emerging the victors. It is note worthy of the showing of Nuwan Zoysa, whose performance in the final making him a certainty for the Test series. Also impressive was the stylish Kumar Sangakkara, meting out three centuries and two fiftees in his profile run with the bat.

The stage is set for an interesting limited over series, which precedes the Tests. The successful new Australian outfit has a point to prove in this emerald island. Buchanan is quite aware of the challenge and Dyson has expressed confidence. Dambulla lights up for the curtain raiser.

Oneday Internationals

1st ODI (D/N) 20 Feb. at Dambulla, 2nd  ODI 22 Feb. at Dambulla, 3rd ODI (D/N) 25 Feb. at R. Premadasa, 4th ODI (D/N) 27 Feb. at R. Premadasa and 5th ODI 29  Feb. at SSC.

Tests

1st Test Match 8-12 March at Galle, 2nd Test Match 16-20 March at  Kandy, 3rd Test Match 24-28 March at SSC.

Sri Lanka Squad

Marven Atapattu (Captian),Sanath Jayasuriya, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Kumar Sangakkara      Russel Arnold, Mahela Jayawardena, T. M. Dilshan, Upul Chandana, Chaminda Vaas, M. Muralitharan, Kumar Dharmasena, Nuwan Kulasekara, Saman Jayantha, Chamara Silva, Chamara Silva, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Soyza, Dinusha Fernando, Chamila Gamage, Charitha Buddhika, Dinuk Hettiarachchi, Thilina Kandamby, Dharshana Gamage,and Ruchira Perera

Australia Squad

Ricky Ponting (Capt), Michael Bevan, Jason Gillespie, Ian Harvey, Brad Hogg, Simon Katich,  Damien Martyn, Brad Williams, Adam Gilchrist (Wk), Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Matthew Hayden, Michael Kasprowicz, Brett Lee and Andrew Symonds

Colombo Uni. annihilate P'deniya 

The reluctance of the Peradeniya rugby team to play the hosts in Colombo was justified, as the first meeting between the sides outside of Kandy for five years saw the visitors comprehensively beaten.

The match was a replay of the inter university simi-final, which had earlier been awarded to the Colombo University side by a walkover, as the visitors did not turn up. A subsequent protest led to the match being replayed, with Colombo undergrads running out convincing 31 (3 goals, 2 tries) to 7 (1 goal) winners. Although Peradeniya scored first in the opening minutes through number eight Maddumapatabendi off a short tap, Colombo regrouped strongly to hit back through two brilliant tries from inside centre Sathishka Ekanayake to go into the bread 12 - 7.

After the turnaround, playing with the wind, Colombo pounded the visitors' line for three tries, one by captain and number eight Shanaka Amarasinghe after good work by the forwards, and two to slippery scrum half Achala Chinthana. Three tries were goaled by full back Prasanna Liyanage.

The Peradeniya forwards with the exception of Maddumapatabendi, were no match for their mobile counterparts and were outdone in the loose and the set pieces, with Asiri Liyanage dominant in the lines out and vice captain Buddhika Mudugamuwa outstanding in defence. They exposed gaping holes in the Pera defence, which were duly exploited by outside centre Sisira Basnayake and winger Asanka Gunasena, who made some thrilling bursts. Udaya Priyakelum, Darshana Chandrakumara and Nadun Methsara also had great games in the loose. Colombo University, coached by Shamrath Fernando and managed by Senerath Alwis retain the Inter University rugby trophy for the fourth year in a row by virtue of their close 6 - 5 win over Moratuwa in the final of the 2003 tournament.

• SLC's new tournament is intended to be more 
  representative of the country, but...

It'll remain pseudo without more change 

By T.M.K. Samat 

A FINAL that turns out to be a repeat of a one-sided match of barely a week ago is not quite the sort of climax Sri Lanka Cricket wished its brand new inter provincial tournament. Just last Sunday North Central Province demolished Central Province inside three days, and their meeting again Wednesday had just about the same appeal as... well, an invitation to a lunch of leftovers.

No mouth-watering prospect this, but the funny old game might yet turn a tastier dish out of the replay. As of Thursday, the second day, however, the prospect was a second serving of the same; the game poised for another three-day finish. Even if that prospect became real, it wouldn't mean the validity of its concept would've outlived expiry date.

The over two-month tournament might be some way behind what it was intended to be _ a domestic competition similar to those found in other Test-playing nations. But the organizers anyway didn't make boasts of delivering such a tournament overnight. Clearly there was an undue rush to get the four-day competition off the ground. And when it did get off last November, a perception that players and public alike were being force-fed a competition was inescapable. As well, its launch close on the heels of the exciting six-week long tour by England denied the new tournament the sort of welcome it would've got had the opening been another time.

SLC's impatience

But SLC's impatience to put a four-day competition on the domestic calendar is understandable. Nearly two decades have elapsed since the country acquired Test status, but, frustratingly, our cricket has continued to be propped by the antiquated club structure, which, in essence, was designed to the needs of a time when Test status wasn't even imagined. Some Test era administrators did attempt to make the changes through district based four-day cricket. But a lack of players' commitment and the resulting public disinterest brought about its early demise.

The abandonment of the inter-district tournament of the 80s left a clear message: displacing the decades-old club competition isn't easy. The impracticalities of fielding pure district teams - home grown players from the area _ and denting traditional club loyalty are formidable barriers for any new tournament to overcome, as the failed 80s experience proved. So, for a decade or so, successive administrations have been reluctant to venture with a four-day competition more representative of the island, though the need for such is unquestionable.

Clearly, SLC's hasty launch of the inter-provincial tournament is intended to catch up on lost time - a bold move that deserves to be applauded. It is, however, premature to give it a certificate of permanence - and a ''stale'' final hardly assures it longevity. But this not to say that the tournament didn't have its moments: Central Province's stupendous overhauling of a target of over 450 runs and Southern Province's near achievement of a target nearly as large, provided the memories. The national team batsmen prospered, but the bowlers were less successful. The coming weeks will say more precisely whether two months of four-day cricket would've sharpened or jaded our national cricketers. That is another story, though.

A prerequisite

As we were saying, there can be no argument over the need for a four-day tournament more representative of the country. It is a prerequisite for a Test-playing country. From that perspective, the inter-provincial competition is welcome, but its future is anything but secured. Its graduation to the level of say Australia's inter-state or England's county championship is perhaps generations away. The bridging of that chasm is not entirely in SLC's hands. Any plan to lift the game in the provinces is destined to come to grief so long as the migration of provincial talent to the city continues. Said simply, unless economic activity thrums in the provinces the way it does in the city, there wouldn't be the jobs to bind homegrown talent to rural soil. A problem of that scale seems beyond even government endeavour. So, it's a problem SLC has to live with _ and indeed was the problem that strangled the breath out of the old inter-district competition.

Given the economic constraints, any competition representative of the entire country is going to be a bit of a bluff. Majority of the players without birth or residential roots or some tenuous geographical links from the past will dilute the provincial teams. The player-province links was more pronounced in the inter-district of old than it is in the present inter-provincial tournament. The four-day tournament of the 80s had some sort of residential rules; eligibility based on birth/attended school/ or past residential connection was required to represent a province.

The player-province links of the current competition is even far more removed for the real. The southern and central teams have a few players who identify with their provinces, albeit past. The other three teams, however, are a hotchpotch, though the players selected fairly ensured the competition wouldn't be farcical.

This might be unkind judgement, but truth be told, it is as good as a Colombo club's tournament under the pseudonym of provincial. But that shouldn't overshadow its benefits. It is the country's only four-day tournament and so would give the emerging players the technical and physical grounding for Test cricket.

Greater opportunities

With the SLC declaring that future recruitment to and replacement for the national teams would be based on players' performances in inter-provincial, the door to greater opportunities is opened. As well, there's money to be made - may be small change for the established players, but certainly big bucks for the struggling others.

But these advantages alone can't obtain a durable future. Improvements are needed; the most obvious is its expansion. Nine provinces make up Sri Lanka, so the present five in the competition do not make it representative of the entire country. The north and east for obvious reasons aren't ready, but it isn't a moment too soon for SLC to start up a serious long-term development program in the war-ravaged areas. The other is the considerable rivalry it has to weather from the traditional inter-club competition. The old inter-district tournament succumbed to  the popularity of the club cricket. It is likely the present one, too, will.

The fact is there's no space for two premier tournaments. So, if the new four-day tournament is to be the premier domestic competition of the country, as it must, then it makes sense to diffuse the importance of the inter-club competition over a period of time. The ultimate, of course, would be to have nine provincial teams, all homegrown and capable of holding their own against the other.

That scenario, of course, is in an unknown future. For the time being, though, the tournament will need  lots of help to push it above the traditional three-day inter-club tournament. Consigning inter-club matches to the weekend, as it was in the pre-Test times, ought to be given serious consideration. And correspondingly, changes should be introduced to raise the profile of the inter-provincial.

After all, weekend and Test cricket are two different worlds __ and in choosing to reside in both, as we do, cricket runs the risk of falling in between.

Whatmore was not first Ceylonese to represent Australia 

By Mahinda Wijesinghe 

The first Ceylonese to play in the Australian first-class circuit, namely the Sheffield Shield tournament, as it was then known, was P.C.D. (Pat) McCarthy who captained Royal College in 1938. A surveyor by profession who lived in Hambantota, the dashing right-hand batsman played for Ceylon in 1945 before emigrating Down Under and made his debut for Western Australia in the 1950-51 season.

Leg-spinner turned double centurion

The next to follow McCarthy was another alumnus of Royal College, Gamini Goonesena. Having played for his school in 1947 & 1948, he went on to lead Ceylon as well, in 1956. The right-arm leg-spinner had a brilliant cricketing career at Cambridge University leading them to a memorable win in their traditional fixture against Oxford University at Lord's in 1957. Though better known as a bowler, Goonesena's contribution to this victory was a double century (211), the highest by any Cambridge batsman in the series, the best bowling figures (5/52) by any bowler in the match, and a record partnership (289) for the seventh wicket resulting in the worst drubbing - innings and 186 runs - Oxford received since the series began in 1827! Having played for Nottinghamshire in the English county circuit in the 1960's, Goonesena then went on to represent New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield tournament when professional duties took him to Australia.

Francke nearly played

Malcolm Francke, another right-arm leg-spinner, this time from St. Joseph's College Colombo, then went on to play for Ceylon. He was the third Ceylonese to play Sheffield Shield cricket when first picked to play for Queensland in the 1971-72 season, and played with great distinction for six seasons. Contemporary news reports state that he was indeed unfortunate not to have been picked to play for his country of adoption.

Whatmore on coaches

Davenell Whatmore migrated to Australia as an eight-year old in 1962 and became the next Sri Lankan-born to play Sheffield Shield cricket - for Victoria. A solid right-hand batsman and brilliant slip-field, he then went on to represent Australia in 7 Tests during the Packer crisis. Later as coach, Whatmore played a crucial role in assisting Sri Lanka win the World Cup in 1996 but recently left his second stint as the Sri Lankan coach not too happily. No wonder, currently coaching the Bangladeshis, the 50-year old Whatmore when questioned by a journalist about the role of an international coach, said: "There are only two types of coaches. Those who are sacked and others who are about to be!"

The Colombo-born Bailey

However, the first Sri Lankan-born to represent Australia was George Herbert Bailey (1853-1956), a member of the first Australian team to visit England, in 1878. Born in Colombo and educated in England, Bailey migrated to Australia where he took up appointment with a Bank and finally settled down in Hobart. As Jack Pollard, eminent Australian cricket historian commented in 'Pictorial history of Australian cricket' (J.M.Dent Pty Ltd 1983): "Before they left, the first Australian team to visit England bought an enormous canvas bag and had 'Australian Eleven' painted on it in bold letters. The players drew lots to decide who would carry the bag from match to match... six of the team were from New South Wales...four from Victoria..and one from Tasmania - George Bailey, the Colombo-born Tasmanian banker batsman." The state of Tasmania began as a jail for surplus convicts from New South Wales - known as Van Diemen's island - and being the poor relation of Australian first-class cricket had to fight hard for recognition along with Queensland and Western Australia. It was in the 1977-78 season that Tasmania was first given restricted entry into the Sheffield shield competition and accepted as a full member five years later. All of this makes the selection of Colombo-born George Bailey, over a century ago, most creditable. However, Roger Woolley was the first Tasmanian Sheffield shield player to represent Australia when the 28-year old wicket-keeper made his debut against Sri Lanka in April 1983 at Asgiriya. Current skipper Ricky Ponting is the first Tasmanian to captain Australia.

Heroics by Bloomfield

Currently, Bloomfield Cricket & Athletic is on a high having done the 'double' of bagging both major titles in local premier cricket - a no mean feat. Led by the experienced Kumar Dharmasena and having players of the calibre of Sanath Jayasuriya (when available), T.M.Dilshan, and those in the younger brigade such as Ian Daniel, Thilina Kandamby, Saman Jayantha and Farvez Mahroof have helped. For a club to prosper in this manner on the field, obviously, there has to be an efficient administration. In this connection tribute must be paid to current President, the indefatigable Upali Dharmadasa and his band of dedicated officials. It would also not be out of place to recall that exactly 40 seasons ago, in 1963-64, Bloomfield led by Noel Perera annexed the plum of club cricket at that time, the P.Saravanamuttu Trophy. A side winning the major title at a time when they did not even possess a ground of their own must probably be a 'first' in the history of recorded cricket amongst the major cricket playing nations. In this regard, Bloomfield, though with limited resources, was blessed with admirable Presidents such as Hinton Guneratne and Edwin Tillekeratne. When politics threatened the club with extinction it was the doyen of Bloomfield, Shelley Wickremasinghe, with Vice-President Danny Liyanasuriya who saved the day. The club owes all of them a great debt of gratitude.

Cpl. Manatunga's golden touch 

CORPORAL M Manatunga led a successful Sri Lankan charge on the medals during the three-man wheelchair tennis team's ongoing tour of New Zealand and Australia.

Cpl. Manatunga has collected four of the six gold medals Sri Lanka has already won.  Cpl. Bertie Silva claimed the other two, both in the doubles event. With the Australia Open to be completed in Melbourne later last week, the Sri Lankans were expected to add to their tally of medals.

The tour, however, began disappointingly when the trio came away empty-handed from the Invacare World Team Championship, the world's most prestigious wheelchair tennis event. But the all-soldier team amply compensated for that disappointment in the succeeding New Zealand and Sydney Open championships.

In the NZ Open in Christchurch, Cpl. Manatunga won the C division singles gold medal. Then he, with Pte. Bertie Silva as partner, pocketed a second gold by winning the B division doubles final. Pte. Silva and Pte. R Rajakaruna, playing in the superior B division singles, battled admirably against top class opposition to qualify for the semifinals.

In the Sydney Open conducted last week, Cpl. Manatunga reproduced his golden touch to pick up two more gold medals. He won the B division singles event, in which Pte. Rajakaruna was eliminated in the semifinals and Pte. Bertie Silva lost in the quarterfinals. Cpl. Manatunga and Pte Silva again combined forces to win the B division finals to bring Sri Lanka's tour tally to six gold medals.

The trio was scheduled to play in the Australian Open this week before returning to the island next week. ''Reports speak highly of Cpl.Manatunga's consistency. That he made the jump from C division to B in a matter of days and was still able to maintain his gold winning form shows how exceptionally talented he is. Considering this was Sri Lanka's first experience in the international B division class, I think the team has done wonderfully well,'' said Col. Chrys De Silva, member of SLTA's  Wheelchair Committee.

SLTA President Suresh Subramaniam expressed similar delight. ''It would've been nice if we had won a medal of any texture in the World Cup, but that was always going to be tough playing against the world's best. We after all made it to the World Cup not through qualification, but on a wild card given by the world body. Our performances in the NZ and Sydney Open events justify the faith the world body has in us. It won't be too long before our wheelchair tennis team repeats the success of the cricket team in 1996,'' said Subramanian.

Asian lnternational makes
clean sweep at badminton 

Asian International School that took part in the interint- ernational schools badminton tournament organized by Stafford International school on the 5th, 6th and 7th of February at the Royal College sports complex, won three out of the four championships

In the Under 15 girls category AIS creamed Alethea in the finals(310) after beating CIS in the semi finals(3/0). Earlier Asian beat Royal Institute, Gateway and Lyceum in the earlier matches.

In the Under l 5 boys championship, Asian International beat CIS in the final after easily beating Alethea in the semi final. Earlier Asian beat lyceum, gateway and Wycherly international schools.

The Under-l9 boys final was very thrilling when Asian beat Gateway International 3/2 after beating Stafford in the semi final 310.

The Under l9 girls championship was won by Lyceum.

Ammar Refai - captain of Asian International was judged Man of the tournament while Nafeesa Jafferjee, also of the Asian International was awarded the best player in the Under lS girls section.

Mr Nalin Kumaragoda - Managing Director of Tech Waters Pvt Limited was the chief guest and his wife Mrs Kumaragoda gave away the prizes