Messi, Ronaldo and Xavi in MCA ‘D’ Div

14 Wednesday 7th December, 2011 Hayleys’ Damith hogs the limelight Messi, Ronaldo and Xavi in MCA ‘D’ Div. quarters

A belligerent, lone effort of win over DPMC ‘B’. 84 runs, in 94 balls, inclusive S. Adikari held the fort for nominated for top FIFA award of six sixes, and an equal Softlogic with a dogged, number of fours by Damith unbeaten 35 runs in 85 balls in Ratnayake helped Hayleys their two wicket win over Group RC to record an upset DPMC ‘A’. two wicket win over PABC Kokila Gomes (5 for 25 in Bank in the 9.1 overs) and Nalin Vimukthi, ‘Elephant–Lemonade’ Cup, 79 not out in 83 balls inclusive MCA ‘D’ Division 50-overs of seven fours and three League Tournament quarter- sixes, were the architects of final at the MCA grounds, on Mobitel’s six wicket win over Sunday. SLT ‘A’. The other match winner A notable double by for Hayleys was L. Prabath, Tharaka Dinesh (78 runs and 3 who bagged five wickets for 23 for 45) fashioned Textured runs, which restricted PABC Jersey’s cliff-hanger, 10-run Bank to 158 all out in 47 overs. win over John Keells ‘B’. In the other quarter–finals The semi-finals will be played over the weekend, worked off this weekend at the Mobitel, as expected, scored a MCA grounds. comfortable six wicket win Weekend Schedule: over SL Telecom ‘A’, Textured Sat. 10th December: Jersey beat John Keells ‘B’ by (Poya day) Mobitel Vs 10 runs in a close affair while Textured Jersey Softlogic huffed and puffed to Sun 11th December: clinch a narrow two wicket Hayleys Group Vs Softlogic.

Mercantile Semi-League Basketball David Pieris and Commercial in ‘B’ Div. final BY ROSHEN STEELMAN

David Pieris Motor by T. Wanigaratne and Jagath Company (DPMC) and Bandara who scored 22 and 16 Commercial Bank qualified points respectively. For HSBC, for the ‘B’ Division final of Chanaka Gunasekara top- the ongoing Mercantile Semi- scored with 21 points and he League Basketball was amply supported by Lionel Messi, of Argentina, left, and Xavi Hernandez (AP File Photo/Luca Bruno) Tournament, worked off at Jagath Fernando who scored PARIS (AP) — Barcelona team- overtake Messi as the world’s top praised the Argentina forward. pist) should keep a closer eye on Otters Aquatic Club in 13. mates Lionel Messi and Xavi player has seen the Portuguese star “He has won almost everything us.” Colombo on Monday. DPMC Meanwhile in the semi- Hernandez will be up against Real playing probably the best football and is still very young,” Madrid currently leads the defeated HSBC 85-83 in a final played between Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo of his career over the past year. Ibrahimovic said. Spanish league ahead of thrilling first semi-final while Commercial Bank and for the FIFA world player of the He broke the Spanish league Messi’s only failure so far in a Barcelona, but last season Commercial Bank overcame Ranawana & Co., Nissanka year award, mirroring the intense scoring record with 40 goals last glittering career has been an Mourinho was powerless to stop Ranawana & Co. 61-42 in the Suwaris (17) and Mohammed rivalry between the Spanish giants. season, including 11 in his last four inability to replicate his prolific the Catalans from dominating second semi. Raushan (18) shared 35 points The three Ballon d’Or finalists games. scoring form with Argentina. Europe. Barcelona beat Madrid 3-1 DPMC who were ahead by between them for Commercial were named Monday from 23 nomi- Messi scored fewer — 31 league His tally of 19 goals in 67 inter- over two legs in the Champions 45-36 at the halfway mark in while Dilan Perera top-scored nees. Messi beat Barcelona team- goals — but set up more than national matches appears low for League semi-finals, with Messi their semi-final were powered for Ranawana with 12. mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi to Ronaldo. He also walked away with someone of his ability playing in a scoring twice in Madrid. Ronaldo win last year. the Champions League and strong, attack-minded team. failed to score and cut a downcast Messi also won the award two Spanish league titles, while Remarkably, Messi did not manage figure as he was totally outshone years ago when France Football Ronaldo only won the Copa del Rey, a single goal at either last year’s by Messi. magazine chose the best player in or Spanish Cup, scoring with a bul- World Cup or this year’s Copa Messi, Neymar and Wayne Court date set for Hammam Europe. The Ballon d’Or is now let header in the final against America. Rooney are shortlisted for the best merged with FIFA’s player of the Barcelona. Real Madrid’s Jose Mourinho, goal award. to challenge AFC year award to create one trophy. The winner will be announced Manchester United’s Alex France’s Bruno Bini, Japan’s “As I’ve always said, it’s great to on Jan. 9 in Zurich, Switzerland. Ferguson and Barcelona’s Pep Norio Sasaki and the United States’ LAUSANNE, Switzerland president while he fights his win individual awards, especially If Messi wins the award for the Guardiola are in the running for Pia Sundhage were nominated for (AP) — Former FIFA presiden- life ban imposed by FIFA. the prestigious ones, but what third time, he will join former best coach. the best coach of a women’s team. tial candidate Mohamed bin Chinese official Zhang comes first for me is winning France midfielder Michel Platini, Messi hailed Guardiola’s influ- Japan beat the Americans to Hammam will have the first of Jilong has taken charge of the matches and titles,” Messi said. and former Netherlands greats ence and the way he has mod- win the Women’s World Cup in two appeal cases following a Asian governing body and bin Messi and Ronaldo have already Johan Cruyff and Marco van ernised the club. July. bribery scandal heard at the Hammam’s vacated seat on Marta, who helped the Western scored 17 league goals this season. Basten as three-time Golden Ball “His leadership is so important Court of Arbitration of Sport FIFA’s executive committee. New York Flash win the Women’s They face each other in the winners. to us, not just in the day-to-day but next month. CAS previously rejected in the way he prepares games and Professional Soccer title last sea- Spanish league on Saturday. The 24-year-old Messi scored in CAS says it scheduled bin bin Hammam’s request for an keeps us motivated,” Messi said on son, is seeking to win the award for “It’s great to be again nominat- the 3-1 win over Manchester United Hammam’s challenge to the injunction blocking Zhang’s ed as one of the FIFA Ballon d’Or in last season’s Champions League FIFA’s website. “His attention to the sixth straight year. Asian Football Confederation, appointment. final 3 contenders,” Ronaldo said final. detail also makes a huge differ- The Brazilian is up against which he led since 2002, on Bin Hammam also asked on his Twitter account. AC Milan striker Zlatan ence. When he came in, for exam- United States forward Abby Ronaldo won the Golden Ball Ibrahimovic, who played alongside ple, he decided that we should start Wambach and Japan midfielder Jan. 23. CAS last month to overturn his award in 2008, and his quest to Messi at Barca two seasons ago, having lunch at the club and that Homare Sawa, who was the top Bin Hammam wants to stop FIFA ban. No hearing date was the doctors and our (physiothera- scorer at the World Cup. the AFC appointing an interim set. Warden A.J.C. Selvaratnam Memorial Shield Pakistan beat Bangladesh, sweep series 3-0 S. Thomas’, St. John’s recommence First XI cricket apiece. BY REEMUS FERNANDO Malik returned figures of 3-6 S. Thomas’ College, Mount winner is named after a distin- each other since 1982,” Gopi from four overs and Hafeez took Lavinia will meet St. John’s guished old boy of St. John’s Krishan, one of the coaches of St. 3-27 from his 10 overs. College, Jaffna after a lapse of College, A. J. C. Selvaratnam who John’s, told ‘The Island.’ Mahmudullah top-scored for nearly three decades when their later went on to become the war- Teams: Bangladesh with 35. First XI cricket teams clash for den of S. Thomas’ College. St. John’s (from): the Warden A. J. C. Selvaratnam An official of St. John’s Jesuthasan Adrian (Captain), Earlier, Umar Akmal (57) and Memorial Shield, which will College said that Selvaratnam, Sajeenthiran Rageenthan (Vice Misbah-ul-Haq (47) combined to become an annual encounter who had also served as the chap- Captain), Jeyakumar Amidayan, add 94 runs in Pakistan’s total of from this year. lain of the St. John’s Church, was Ali Akbar Sansajan, 177. The two-day match will com- also responsible for writing the Vivekanantharajah Hariharan, mence at St. John’s College College hymn, in 1998. Paramanantham Scoreboard ground on Friday. The two schools have met each Thuvarakaseelan, Sajeenthiran Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi, second right, The Thomians who have other on a few occasions before Kapilraj, Thangarajah Kabilan, celebrates with Mohammad Hafeez, Pakistan Innings Mahmudullah lbw b Hafeez 35 recorded several victories this the war broke out in early 1980s. Perinparajah Brinthapan, left, the dismissal of Bangladesh’s Mohammad Hafeez c Reza b Shafiul 0 Mushfiqur Rahim lbw b Rehman 0 Nasir Hossain, unseen, during their Asad Shafiq b Shakib 7 Shakib Al Hasan c & b Hafeez 9 season will have the edge over the According to a count of an Navakumaran Kiruthigan, Younis Khan c Rahim b Razzak 26 Nasir Hossain c Misbah b Rehman 3 home team who are playing in official of St. John’s College, the Maheswaran Vintharakan, third one-day international cricket match in Chittagong, Bangladesh, Misbah-ul-Haq c Kapali b Razzak 47 Alok Kapali c Shafiq b Malik 12 country’s division III tournament two schools have met each other Thavarajah Sajan, Sivanesan Umar Akmal st Rahim b Sunny 57 Farhad Reza lbw b Ajmal 21 Dec.6. (AP Photo/ Pavel Rahman) since 2003. Incidentally, for St. in cricket even before 1975, but Gavasgar, Vijayakumar Shoaib Malik c & b Razzak 0 Elias Sunny b Malik 1 John’s, it will be the first match records are not available with the Thusyanathan, Kopalasingam Shahid Afridi c Nasir b Sunny 9 Abdur Razzak not out 1 of the season. school. According to him, there Subarsan. DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) Abdur Rehman lbw b Mahmudullah 4 Shafiul Islam b Malik 0 Sohail Tanvir c Rahim b Mahmudullah 8 Extras: (4b, 3lb, 5w) 12 While the Thomians are cap- are some reports in college sou- Coach: P. Lavendra. — Shoaib Malik and Umar Gul c Rahim b Mahmudullah 0 TOTAL: (all out) 119 tained by Umesh Fernando for venirs of matches played between Mohammad Hafeez took three Saeed Ajmal not out 3 Overs: 38. this encounter, fifth year player the two schools in early 80s. S. Thomas’: Umesh Fernando Extras: (12b, 1lb, 2w, 1nb) 16 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-69, 3-70, 4-72, wickets each to help Pakistan Jesuthasan Adrian will lead St. According to him, S. Thomas’ (Captain), Chamodh Pathirana, TOTAL: (all out) 177 5-81, 6-83, 7-117, 8-117, 9-119, 10-119. John’s. and St. John’s have met each Asiri Wickramanayake, Ramith beat Bangladesh by 58 runs in Overs: 46.1. Bowling: Hafeez 10-2-27-3 (3w), Gul 2- Apart from the main trophy, other from 1980 to ‘82 with the Gunaratne, Rishen the third one-day international Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-37, 3-39, 4-133, 0-3-0, Rehman 10-1-32-2, Afridi 4-0-27- 5-133, 6-148, 7-162, 8-172, 9-172, 0 (1w), Ajmal 7-4-6-2 (1w), Tanvir 1-0- there will be trophies awarded to last two matches producing Mathangaweera, Usman Ishak, on Tuesday and sweep the series 10177. 11-0, Malik 4-2-6-3. the best batsman, best bowler and results. Akthab Abdul Cader, Thilaksha 3-0. Bowling: Islam 6-1-32-1 (1nb, 1w), Result: Pakistan wins by 58 runs. the Man of the Match. “According to some souvenirs, Sumanasiri, Dilum Fernando, Chasing a winning target of Reza 2-1-2-0, Razzak 10-2-21-3, Toss: Pakistan. According to the MiC of S. S. Thomas’ had won the encoun- Sanesh de Mel, Navod Shakib Al hasan 10-2-21-1, Sunny 9-0- Series: Pakistan 3-0. Thomas’, the annual encounter is ters in 1981 and 1982. Matches had Henakankanamge, Ridwan 178, Bangladesh crumbled to 119 36-2 (1w), Kapali 4-0-17-0, Hossain 4- Umpires: Johannes Cloete, South the brainchild of their acting not been played between the two Rahaman, Pruthvi Peiris. all out after 38 overs, with 0-31-0, Mahmudullah 1.1-0-4-3. Africa, and Enamul Haque, Bangladesh Innings Bangladesh. warden Rev. Dushantha Rodrigo. schools thereafter. This is the Coach: Ranil Pieris, MiC: Abdur Rehman and Saeed Ajmal Tamim Iqbal b Hafeez 0 TV Umpire: Sharfuddoula, Bangladesh. The shield awarded to the first time the two schools meet Lakmaal de Zoysa. chipping in with two wickets Shahriar Nafees lbw b Ajmal 25 Match Referee: Javagal Srinath, India.