Sports

Our 'A' cricket what's the direction? 

Malinga Bandara and Shantha Kalavitigoda

By T.M.K. Samat 

IF the Sri Lanka 'A' squad is intended to be the picking ground for the country's senior team, which SLC claims is, then, offerings from the two four-day Test series against England's second-string concluded Tuesday have been anything but plentiful. It has to be quickly added though, the team's come back to achieve parity with the visitors, after the first Test pounding, was thoroughly consoling.  

Before discussing the candidates that might have emerged from the concluded series as potential Test players, it is necessary to take minds back. The concept of an A team is not new. But for all the bubbly enthusiasm shown by officials when SLC launched last year a national A squad, it pretty much seemed like a new invention.  They spoke of it as being the only recruitment list that selectors would look at should the need arise for replacing out-off-form, injured or jaded national players. And to give it important status, SLC appointed the renowned Michael Tissera as manager and Australian Stan Nel, coach.

All this overflowing enthusiasm for what really wasn't an original innovation, but rather a replacement for the under 25 composition, might have been inspired by the ICC's call to member countries for more frequent A team series - not so much for the sake of Test-playing countries' development as for the exposure it offers emerging nations under its global development program. England, incidentally, arrived in Sri Lanka after a series with the UAE.

Whatever the reason, SLC's new emphasis on national A cricket was welcome - and timely. It is un-contradicted belief that Sri Lanka's inter-club domestic cricket is really an apology for a Test country. By any stretch of imagination, the overcrowded and lop-sided premier tournament wouldn't pass as breeding ground for future Test players. Much ado was made over the provincial tournament, with claims of equivalence to the English county or Australian inter-state competition. It was re-launched last year after the previous venture of the 1980s had failed abysmally. The first edition of the re-launch was fairly successful; the second this year was anything but. There was one team less than the five that competed last year; a final that ended a day prematurely and a tournament in which the stars never quite glowed. All in all, of little purpose as far as contribution to the national team is concerned.

The A team, so, looked the only viable option available for creating a credible feeder to the national team. And with the ICC encouraging the idea of international series between second stringers, SLC's investments in the development of an A squad was wise - especially as the clock winds down on nearly half of the present national team. It is difficult to think that contemplation of life after cricket hasn't engaged the minds of the likes of Jayasuriya (36), Atapattu (34), Muralidaran (33), Vaas (31), and Chandana (33) - all remnants of the 1996 World Cup-winning squad.  Doubtless, they will all want to be at the 2007 World Cup. But any ambition of presence at the event after, i.e. in their 40s or thereabouts, would, of course, be unrealistic. Most cricketers measure their careers from one World Cup to the next, and so it wouldn't be surprising if one or two carryovers from the 1996 World Cup choose to call it a day sometime after the Caribbean event.

The question to ask, then, is: how many from the A team players have emerged worthy candidates for the national team? The first name on the list has to be Malinga Bandara, the discarded and forgotten leg-spinner from Kalutara. He claimed 16 wickets and scored 45, 23 and 50 in the concluded series - clearly, an emerging Upul Chandana. But at 25 years, one wonders if he has arrived a touch late, with Chandana, still to establish permanency at the national level, in no understandable haste to bow out.

The other potential candidate is Shantha Kalavitigoda, whose second innings' 83 was as decisive a reason as Bandara's career best of 8/49 in the first innings for Sri Lanka levelling the series. He also made the top score of 39 in the home team's first innings. The Colts opener's greatest virtue is consistency, and was one of few batsmen who prospered in the last provincial tournament. In the 2003-04 season he won the premier division's best batsman's award. Kalavitigoda was rewarded Thursday by being included in the party to tour New Zealand next month. But the wisdom of his selection at 28 is arguable. And whether he will actually be deployed to duty is doubtful - the itinerary, after all, is two Tests preceded by a solitary practice match.

The prospect of permanency, however, is a little more distant. Jayasuriya's predictable journey into the sunset after the 2007 World Cup would mean that Kalavitigoda, provided he adds to his claims, could hope to become a regular in the national ranks at 30, earliest - far from the ideal age to be breaking into Test cricket. The likes of Aravinda de Silva, Arjuna Ranatunga, Mahanama, Gurusi- nha, successes of recent vintage, made their debuts as schoolboys. While, the current lot of batsmen, Jayasuriya, Atapattu, Jayewa- rdene, Sangakkara, Dilshan and Samaraweera made debuts in their early 20s. Disappointingly, none of that age is in the present A squad.

That being the case, it would be nice if the seniors now and then make way for deserving fringe players, as Bandara and Kalavitigoda are, so that they are gradually blooded into the national team. But past attempts at that experiment ignited quite some angry reactions from the seniors. Three seasons ago, a move to replace Atapattu with a youngster for an inconsequential Test against Bangladesh brought about a near boycott by the seniors. The management relented and the crisis was averted. More recently, chairman of selectors Ashantha de Mel and skipper Atapattu had a public spat over the same issue: de Mel arguing for the inclusion of young blood and Atapattu, in steadfast defence of the experienced players. The skipper won out.

The point to make here is that the likes of Bandara and Kalavitigoda are likely to be kept in wait until those they hope to succeed retire or are forced out by disability. So, it must inevitably be asked if our A team cricket is serving its intended purpose: to be the national team feeder.  Clearly, the selection policy is in a muddle. If it is to be the feeder, then, obviously there has to be an awareness of the national team's present and future requirements - like possible replacements for players nearing retirement or those with deficiencies. The A team selections presently seem to be influenced by ambitions to win. Of course, the aim is to win. But, if in the end our A cricket doesn't replenish appropriately the national team, then, it would be a case of winning battles and losing the war.

As much as A cricket ought to throw up new discoveries, so must it provide ground for discarded national players to rediscover paths back to the senior team. Russell Arnold, sadly, wasn't given that opportunity. A member of the tsunami-aborted New Zealand tour, but left out of the rearranged series, the 32-year-old left hander's omission from the A team's recent Test series is a cruel oversight. Neglecting a player, albeit off form, of 44 Tests with three centuries and ten 50s to his credit, as well as his proven resolve, is anything but a helpful contribution to the national team. Then whatever became of Michael VanDort, only 26. He was initially invested on, playing two Tests, both against Bangladesh, scoring a century and a 50. He probably, of late  is experiencing a lean run, but one hopes he wouldn't be forgotten.

To be fair though, it might be admitted, given its beginnings only last year, administrators yet need time to find a way to give A cricket a more meaningful direction. For Test-playing countries, its obvious first priority is to be a feeder to the senior level. How it can serve that purpose and still be a winning combination would require quite some planning - not just among the selectors alone, but also with inputs from the cricket committee as well as the management of the national team.

Collective brainstorming is all the more imperative given that our domestic tournaments are anything but a fertile picking ground for Test players. As the clock runs out on a host of seniors, A cricket it is that can help discover the replacements, provided it is specifically used for that purpose.

Royal Thomian tsunami rehabilitation

The 126th Battle of the Blues delivered a mammoth Rs. 1,225,000 to the Royal-Thomian Tsunami Fund sponsored by Dialog GSM. The innovative fund-raiser powered by a pledge from Dialog GSM provided a new and contextual dimension to the 126 year old cricket series.

Designed to encourage the players, focus spectators on the pressing need for post-tsunami rehabilitation and serve a worthy cause, this fund raiser was entirely dependent on the performance of the players, as every 4, 6, 50, 100 and wicket added money to the donation.

CEO, Dialog GSM, Hans Wijayasuriya had this to say, "We wanted to use this years' event to achieve something different and important. I think we fulfilled our aim. The fundraiser encouraged the players to do their utmost, not just for the victory but also for the greater good of the nation"

Having pledged to contribute Rs. 1 million, irrespective of the scores, Dialog GSM ended up contributing even more, as the "big match" outcome worked the donation up to Rs 1,225,000. How exactly were the funds raised? Dialog GSM pledged 5,000 for every 4 (75 of these were scored), 10,000 for every 6 (of which there were 3), the 21 wickets added 5,000 each, while every batsman bowled out contributed 10,000 for a total of 40,000. The three individual 50s were rewarded with 50,000 each, and the individual century gained 100,000. Every team 100 gained 25,000, while the feat of a team being bowled out for under 100 runs earned 50,000. A long elusive decision added an extra 250,000 to the collection.

Chairman, Royal Thomian Organizing Committee 2005, Y.S. De Soysa says, "We were very pleased with the result - this was a generous offer from Dialog GSM and it encouraged the school boys to play well. The final result was excellent, and we are proud that we will be able to make a significant difference through the tsunami aid project that will be jointly identified by St.Thomas' and Royal College. People were afraid that the Royal Thomian was not going to be interesting this year, but they were proved wrong because this fund raiser created a lot of excitement!"

Merely a straight bat

Samat on Sunday does provide entertaining and informative reading material for cricket fans across the spectrum of your readership. At times, though, he gets slightly muddled- but then who would not, given the state of administration of the games in Sri Lanka today!

Tradition has moulded gentlemen into fine administrators and equally administrators have established traditions over the years, at the Cricket Board. More than the constitution, tradition dictates and drives the thinking forward. Providing, of course, that the persona doing the thinking is doing so in a non-convoluted state!

I was elected to the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka, in 1989/90 as a Vice President, and served there on under the leadership of Mr. Ian Peiris, late Hon. Gamini Dissanayake, present Governor of the North East, Tyronne Fernando, amongst others. The people who served on those committees were people of stature and high integrity: Michael Tissera, S. Skandakumar, Ranjith Fernando, Felix Perumal, Jayantha Seneviratne, Tryphone Mirando and Kumar Weerasooriya.

In 1994/95, Ana Punchihewa came in as a Vice President under the late Gamini Dissanayake, at a time when I was the senior vice president. Just 8 months later, from the cold (i.e nowhere) and giving board members and clubs their first taste of international beverages and sporting money from sources that mattered, was elected to the presidency. His election cast aside the traditions referred to by Samat, with gay abandon and scant regard for the general protocols of the game.

In 1996/97 I contested and won the presidency. There was no queue jumping: there was no attempt to engineer a third term. I respected the traditions in place and any suggestion to the contrary would border on libel.

Seniority had been breached by my predecessor and my ascendancy was putting the abnormality back in order. People who talk of ethics and principles did so out of turn and at every nook and corner that I betrayed and brought about what is happening with the game of cricket today, which is not the case.

Some people feel that Thilanga Sumathipala was brought in to the cricketing administration by me. Which is far from the truth! Mr Sumathipala, did contest the 1993/1994 BCCSL election for the treasurer's post And lost to a better person who was far more circumspect than any other when it came to board funds- Kumar Weerasooriya. Thilanga Sumathipla came in to the forefront of cricket, in 1995/96 hand in glove with Ana Punchihewa and was one of the vice presidents to Mr Punchihewa. Sumathipala served as a vice president for 2 years under my presidency for which people have taken the stand that I am responsible for his entry into the cricketing fraternity. Leaders tend to be a natural phenomenon. Rather like sapphires, the treated ones simply ain't real mccoy!

Post World Cup victory, never, ever in the annals of the history of the game in Sri Lanka, have the results been so satisfactory: Our national side was enjoying a winning percentage of 89%. Cricket, glorious cricket! It was the start of cricket becoming a religion in Sri Lanka and indeed, Sri Lanka was well on the world cricket map.In fact, during the years leading up to 1996, the plans that we made for the future of the game in Sri Lanka, lubricated Ana Punchihewa's tenure as the presuident of the board. These plans also included the signing up of Dav Whatmore, the coach for whom I have a lot of gratitude for as indeed I am sure many other Sri Lankan cricket fans too-not forgetting Alex Kountouri and the cricketers who always supported out of turn, which in turn was put right.

These were glorious wonderful days: people must not forget that during our tenure the board was responsible for organising in one single year alone, visits from no less than 8 nations to Sri Lanka: Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, England, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya.

People who served under the banner, Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka, should have been proud and happy. The name has changed to Sri Lanka Cricket, if not it would have read at present, as Board of NO Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka!

From 1998 to date, there have been 3 interim committees headed by Hemaka Amarasuriya, Rienzie Wijetilaka and Vijaya Malalasekera who at least brought some strength to Sri Lanka Cricket as well as a good dose of decorum. If not for these three interim committees, running cricket for 3 of the 7 years, cricket and the funds of the board would have long since disappeared into some bottomless pit.

I appeal to the cricket loving public; I in my personal capacity am doing the utmost to bring back the glory days that we enjoyed in the last decade. Please join hands to eradicate the corruption and malaise.

This does not mean that I have any aspiration to return to the board even though I am requested quite regularly. Rather like the Titanic, those aspirations remain sunk!

Upali Dharmadasa

Thomians humble Royal

By Pelham Juriansz 

S. Thomas' College Mount Lavinia brought an end to a six year long drought when they trounced their traditional rivals Royal College by an innings and 28 runs in the 126th Battle of the Blues three day Big Match worked off at the SSC grounds, Maitland Place last week.

From the time that the coin turned in favour of the Mount boys almost everything went their way. The Thomians having put the opposition in went about their task professionally dismissing the Royalists for 94, which was the lowest first innings total since 1961.Then in their turn the Thomians notched up 340 for 6 declared with second year coloursman Ashan Pieris outstanding considering the fact that they lost Kauhal Silva of whom more was expected relatively cheaply for 47.

Much has been said about the umpiring where a number of Royalists were given out lbw but then Sanjeev Mendis of STC was ruled out lbw in rather unfortunate circumstances. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

The fact is that Royal under instructions from their coach "to occupy the crease for as long as possible" found the system backfiring on them . Opener Ravinath Gunasekera took 210 minutes over collecting 24 runs in what was one of the slowest inningsin the 126 year old "Big Match.   

Nevertheless it did not matter because they polished off the Royal College tail in the second innings within 45 minutes of play on the third day. And quite fittingly skipper Vidhyesh Balasubramaniam was there to add the finishing touches where he picked up three wickets in one sensational over to signal a Thomian victory.

Balasubramaniam would have been really worried when the Royal tailenders staged a remarkable fightback in their second innings. Royal were rescued to a certain extent by Sukitha Senaratne and Dulanjaya Wijeratne who were associated in a seventh wicket stand of 102 runs.

The pair rose to the occasion with some sensible batting after their top order had collapsed for the second time in the match. In fact the match was decided probably after the first day's play when Royal were bundled out for just 94 runs which is their lowest Big Match total in 44 years.

St. Joseph's v St. Peter's

St. Peter's College and St. Joseph's College figured in a tame draw in their 71st annual Battle of the Saints Big Match played at the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium during the weekend.

Even then the Peterites had a chance of turning the game in their favour at one stage after they had bowled out the opposition for just 126 runs. Their chances of forcing a victory further increased when they hit up 220 on the first day itself which gave them a crucial lead of 94 runs.

But the rest of the game is history now because the Josephians made amends for their first innings failure by rattling up over three hundred runs in the second innings. Their vice captain Angelo Mathew led from the front with a splendid century and to guide his team towards absolute safety.

The all rounder has not had many opportunities to prove his batting in the current season with the top order always striking form. But this time Mathew had a real chance to prove himself and he grabbed it with both hands to score a wonderful century under tremendous pressure.

The Josephians were still in a kind of danger when Mathew walked into bat at number six after Roshan Silva had completed twin fifties. Mathew launched a savage assault on the Peterite bowling immediately and powered his way to score a splendid 102 which earned him the best all rounders award.

The Josephian declaration at 303 for 7 was only of academic interest because the Peterites were never going to reach the target of 219 runs from 31 overs. But the Peterites again proved their capabilities while making 129 for 1 in reply with skipper Prajiv Jansz scoring his second half century of the match. Shanaka Wickremasekera then made amends for his first innings failure stroking an unbeaten 56 adding 102 runs for the unfinished second wicket along with his captain.

St. Anthony's v Trinity

St. Anthony's College put up a stunning performance to take major honours in their 89th Battle of the Blues Big Match against Trinity College played at the Asgiriya Stadium in Kandy during the weekend.

The Antonians also became the first holders of the Halangoda memorial trophy when they snatched a close first innings victory over their traditional rivals. The Antonians despite going in as the underdogs played a superb game to surprise their opponents with both bat and ball.

They first restricted the Trinitians to a modest first innings total of 179 for 9 on the opening day which was interrupted by bad light and rain. The Antonians then batted cautiously with a target in their mind and successfully overtook their opponents total after going through some anxious moments.

St. Sebastian's v Prince of Wales

St. Sebastian's College and Prince of Wales College also figured in a tame draw in their 55th annual Big Match worked off at the De Soysa Stadium during the weekend.

In a low scoring game which was dominated by the bowlers both teams struggled for runs but still they failed to produce a result for the 28th successive year. The Cambrians did feel at one stage that they had the game well under control when they dismissed the Sebastianites for 158 runs.

But their joy was short lived as they themselves found run making really difficult against some hostile bowling from Jehan Fernando and Charith Fernando. This pair formed a fearsome combination as they ran through the Cambrian top order and helped St. Sebastian's College obtain a surprise first innings lead of 67 runs.

St. Anne's v Maliyadeva

St. Anne's College drew their inter school Big Match against their traditional rivals Maliyadeva College at the Welagedera Stadium in Kurunegala during the weekend.

The main highlight in this annual fixture was the excellent bowling performance of Sri Lanka youth cap Shalika Karunanayake who took a seven wicket haul to help Maliyadeva College restrict St. Anne's College for 151 in their first innings.

Maliyadeva College then went on to take a first innings lead thanks to a splendid knock of 95 from their vice captain Sameera de Soysa. Soysa also was named best batsman while Shalika Karunanayake was picked as the best bowler, man of the match and the most outstanding player of the match.

YES FM organises URBAN CHALLENGE

The Yes FM team will be organising Yes FM Urban Challenge. It is a challenge with a difference, where even the viewers on TV have a chance of participating. When questioned as to whether this is a similar to the KIT Challenge the organisers explained that it is different to KIT Challenge in that it is not that physical.

The event itself will be held on May 15 but the pre event elimination process will be held before that. The event will be sponsored by Adidas and DHL with The Sunday Leader as the media sponsor.

Initially there will be 10 teams consisting of four members, with a mandatory female participant. The team members will have to be 18 years of age or above. A comprehensive registration form will have to befilled in order to be accepted for "The YES FM Urban Challenge." 

The teams will be requested to choose a category from the drop down box on the registration page. The chosen categorywill be considered as a team choice, and an on air elimination round will feature questions from the chosen category.

The registration process will start on March 1,2005, and will close on the March 31,2005. 

Firstly , there will be a selection on TV. Beginning on the April 4, each TV show will call up members of a selected team. For example, members of team 'A' willbe on air during the morning show, at different hours. Then, from each team's selected category on the registration form, a question will be sms'd to the members of team 'A' while on air. The timing starts the moment the DJ onboard givesout the multiple choices. Every correct answer carries a maximum of 25 points added on to the team score.

The complete timings and scores will be tabulated at the end of the month. 

The first 10 teams with the highest score will proceed to the second leg of the Urban Challenge. In the event of a situation where we have more that one team with the same score, the timings will determine the entry to the second level of theChallenge.

Secondly there is the outdoor challenge where the 10 teams will go into a boot camp, where they would undergo many outdoor activities and tasks of survival. The camp will also have a brain drain round, where the teams will be required to take a quiz session. 

The 5 teams, who survive the camp with the highest number of points, will move into the finals of THE YES FM URBAN CHALLENGE! 

In addition there will be a medical test where the 5 teams will be put through a medical test, prior to the challenge, in order to certify that they are in perfect health, and can take up the challenges ahead. There will also be an accident cover.  The 5 teams will also be covered by an insurance company against accidents during the Challenge.

The Challenge will begin on May 15where the members of the five teams will be required to assemble at the YES FM station premises at 2:00 a.m. They will be given a set of clothes to change into. They will be checked for items that will be forbidden during the challenge. Moneyis strictly prohibited. Each participant will be given a bottle of water, a packet of biscuits plus their ID card. Participants will be forbidden to carry any cash. Each Urban Challenge team will be accompanied by a cameraman and will be provided a mobile phonewith just incoming facilities. The mobile phone number will not be revealed. 

The cameraman will be part of the team, but he will not be able to help the team in any way. Any signs of assistancewill deem automatic disqualification.

 The five destinations, each 150 km from Colombo will be put in a box. Each team leader will be required to pick out a destination, and give it to the YES FM representative. He/She will simply instruct the driver of the selected destinationand the teams will be driven off to their respective destinations.

The contestants will travel in a vehicle that will make it virtually impossible to see where they are been taken. 

Two YES FM representatives will accompany each team. Specific instructions will be given to the teams to adhere bythe rules. Automatic disqualification will be enforced if the rules are broken.

The drop off will be coordinated by the YES FM representatives by phone, and the promo will kick off at the identical time, from all 5 locations.

The mobile phone will be given to the team at that point. 

The teams will be called up every 10 minutes in the hour, from the drop off time, to find out their whereabouts, and howthey are faring in the Challenge. 

The mobile phone will be sealed, so that there is no facility to change SIM cards. Any signs of tampering with the phone willbe automatic disqualification. 

The camera that the cameraman will be using will have to be turned on at this point, with the first footage being of the YES FM rep starting off the team'sadventure, and departing from the place. 

The cameraman will have to capture the journey back travelling with the team. The cameraman will be instructed tocapture all footage that will be the key for the team to get back to Colombo. The aim of each team is to get back to Colombo. How they accomplish this task is irrelevant. But, everything has to be on footage for the judges to distinguish.

Each team will have several tasks to complete on the way back to Colombo. These tasks will also have to be captured on footage.

The finish line will be the YES FM Station, in Depanama, Pannipitya. 

Then the YES FM Urban Challenge will be shown on TV.

This is where Sri Lanka gets to see the adventures that the different teams underwent during the Urban Challenge. This is where the country gets to vote for the most interesting or creative 'journey back' to Colombo. Each team's footage will be edited into a 20- minute segment, with all the interesting moments included. All the teams will be interviewed on TV at the station on May 22, between 9:30pm-12mn. An edited version will be aired along with their adventures on TV.

 The order will be decided on the teams that finish first to the last during the Challenge.

Once the adventures are being played on TV, we open up the phone line, SMS, and web page, for the country to vote in for the most exciting and adventurous challenge 

There will be bonus votes and the incentive of finishing first in the Challenge is huge, as 30% of the team's total votes will be added to their final tally. 

The team that finishes 2nd, will have 25% of their total votes added to their final tally. The team that finishes 3rd, will have 20% of their total votes added to their final tally.

The team that finishes 4th, will have 15% of their total votes added to their final tally.

The team that finishes 5th, will have 10% their total votes added to their final tally.

 The team with the highest number of points will be ultimate champions of the YES FM URBAN CHALLENGE 2005, and walk off with Rs.500, 000/-!!

P.J

United Tractors pulls Sri Lanka Golf Union Cart  

The Sri Lanka Golf Union which was twice stalled in its efforts to conduct the 113th Sri Lanka Amateur Golf Championship, first by a clash of dates with Pakistan and then by the tsunami, finally made it a reality with support coming from United Tractors and Equipment Ltd., at the very last minute.

The Royal Colombo Golf Club concluding its 125 year celebration has fittingly made this prestigious event which is the second oldest national golf championship in the world, the grand final in its golfing calendar. "Although, it was not the best time of the year four golfing in Colombo, the ground staff have done a fantastic job in meeting the requirements of an international golf tournament and of course helped by the weather gods with some heavy evening showers" said Kumar Borelessa, the effervescent captain of the RCGC.

The President of the SLGU, Dion Jayasuriya was extremely pleased with the record number of entries for the tournament which is to be played in stroke play format for the second year running. Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nepal have all entered official teams for the international team and over eight private entries have been received from India.

The tournament which got underway on 16 March saw many promising juniors battling it out with experienced war horses. Simarjeet Singh, the captain of the India contingent, is the first and only player to have helped the Sri Lanka National Amateur Golf title played on all three golf courses; first in Nuwara Eliya, then at the newly opened Victoria. Golf and Country Resort in Kandy and finally at the RCGC in Colombo in 2002. A clash of dates with his marring in 2003 prevented him from defending his title when Nuwara Eliya's own Prabagaran hit the headlines with a historic win being the first player to win the national title played in stroke play format. Simarjeet is back together with his lovely wife to stake his claim. He will have stiff opposition from Bangladesh's wonder boy Siddiqur who is fresh from his victory in India last week when he played excellent golf to come from behind and defeat Sri Lanka's Chandradasa in the semi-final for the All India and then lead from the front all the way in the final and add to his string of current titles having won in Nepal and Bangladesh. Over 60 participants took to the field in the quest to become the next Champion of Sri Lanka Amateur Golf.

Weerakkody, Dharmadasa and Army excela 

T.K.S Weerakkody of Sri Lanka Army and Prabha Dharmadasa of Asian International School won the Men's and Women' s events at the 68th annual sea swim held at the Mount Lavinia beach opposite the Mount Lavinia Hotel last week.

The Sri Lanka Army won the Men's team championships for the Mount Lavinia Hotel Challenge Cup and P.D.S Kularatne Vidyalaya, Ambalangoda won the women's team championships for the Sri Lanka chemical industries challenge cup and the Colombo Mayor's Challenge Cup.

The highest aggregate points score for the half-past-nine Challenge Cup and the SMH Dharmadasa Challenge Cup was grabbed by the Sri Lanka Army.

The Men's individual championships for the Tomilson Challenge Cup and the John Wilson Challenge Cup was won by T.K.S.Weerakkody of the Sri Lankan Army. The Women's individual championships for the Dr. HT Anthonisz Challenge Cup and the Dennis Flamer Caldera Challenge Cup was won by Praba M.Dharmadasa of Asian International School.

The oldest men's swimmer for the Panadura Aquatic club challenge Cup was won by G.G. Siriwardena of Otter Aquatic Club.

N.P.D. Seneviratne of the SL Army won the oldest swimmer award for the Panadura Aquatic Club Challenge cup. 

The youngest boy competitor was Sajid Ahamed of Royal College who won the Bata Challenge Cup and the Diana Challenge Cup.

The youngest girl competitor was Erandika Senanayake of Sri Sumangala Balika Panadura and the differently -abled swimmer award was won by K.V.C.Priyadharshana of SL Army who received the Bank of Ceylon Challenge Cup.

Nigel Krone arrives

By Ranil Prematilake 

Trinity College Rugby scrummage confirmed the arrival of Nigel Krone, the technical advisor for the College 1st XV rugby squad. New Zealander Krone is expected in the island on March 23, and would be co-ordinating with coach Anil Jayasinghe .Scrummage also revealed that the Kiwi has been contracted till the completion of the Bradby 2nd leg.

A welcome dinner for Krone has been organised on March 23 at the 80 Club, commencing  at 7.30 p.m. Scrummage informs all Trinitians that this is an open function. No entrance fee will be levied and invites Trinitians of all age groups to attend the dinner to show support for college rugby, in its quest to regain the lost prestige.