Thursday 20th January, 2011 SLRFU appoints Ellis Meachen guides Wayamba to victory Teams Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts NetRR

Wayamba 4 3 1 0 0 12 +0.340 as rugby head coach Kandurata 4 2 2 0 0 10 +1.095

BY RAVI NAGAHAWATTE al coaches are Tulagese Tawita (fondly Ruhuna 4 2 2 0 0 10 +0.349 known as Laga), Rawiri Mako (rugby Basnahira 3 1 2 0 0 4 -0.933 ri Lanka appointed New sevens) and the controversial Willie Zealander Ellis Meachen as its Hetaraka, who allegedly left the island Uva 3 1 2 0 0 4 -1.455 Shead coach on Wednesday, the Sri without finishing his contract in 2006. Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU), It is understood that the SLRFU has said. been very watchful in the past since BY ROSHEN STEELMAN managed just 5 runs. SLRFU Secretary Shane Dullewa the ‘Hetaraka episode’ when negotiat- Skipper was the top scor- told ‘The Island’ that the executive ing with expatriates for the national Opening bats Dimuth Karunaratne er with 45. committee of the SLRFU had unani- coach’s job. scored a half for Wayamba, as -keeping batsman Dinesh mously decided to give the coaching Meachen’s main assignment during they beat Ruhuna by five in the Chandimal captained Wayamaba due the Inter-Provincial Limited Overs job to Meachen at a meeting held yes- his contract with the SLRFU will be to absence of . Tournament match played at SSC, yes- terday. prepare the national team for the Kandurata, Ruhuna and Wayamba upcoming Asian 5 Nations. Sri Lanka terday. “Meachen has been contracted till 1 have already secured their semi-final June. What weighed heavily in is expected to play against last year’s Ruhuna, deciding to bat first, col- spots, while the winner of today’s game Meachen getting the job was his expe- champions Japan, Hong Kong, Arabian lapsed and were all out for a mere 196. rience,” said Dullewa. According to Gulf and Kazakhstan at the Asian 5 Wayamba reached the target for the loss will also make it to the semis. Dullewa, the New Zealander is expect- Nations. of five wickets with 16 balls to spare. Brief Scores: ed in Sri Lanka before end January. The SLRFU also interviewed New Chasing the paltry target, Dimuth Ruhuna 196 all out in 47.4 overs (Upul Meachern is a former Rugby Zealander Greg Smith and Johan Karunaratne stood tall for Wayamba, Tharanga 45, Muthumudalige Director of Romania and also held the Taylor, who coached Kandy SC, for the scoring a match winning . He Pushpakumara 41; Sahan Wijeratne 3/34, managed to equal the highest score of post of assistant coach with the coaching job. Chanaka Welegedara 2/39, Madura the tournament, but fell three runs short Tongan national rugby team. The SLRFU plans to offer lucrative Lakmal 2/33) The 50-year-old Meachen is an IRB contracts to the players who’ll come of a century. Facing 126 deliveries, he Wayamba 197 for 5 in 47.2 overs accredited Level 4 rugby coach. under the eyes of Meachen. The stroked nine fours before he was out Sri Lanka has over the years pre- national rugby squad was named in by Chamara Silva. (Dimuth Karunaratne 97, Sachithra ferred the expertise of New Zealanders October, but couldn’t commence train- Earlier, Ruhuna winning the toss Senanayake 30) for the head coach’s job. New ing due to the SLRFU’s delay in decided to bat first, but they lost wickets Today’s Fixture Zealander George Simpkins probably appointing a national coach. at regular intervals. In form opening bat Basnahira Vs Uva at SSC enjoyed the longest run. George has The SLRFU has appointed three been a regular visitor to Sri Lanka for assistant coaches to help the head over a decade and held the posts of coach in preparing the players for the national coach and technical adviser. Asian 5 Nations. The three assistant He was also twice the tournament coaches already appointed are C. P. P director of the Carlton Sevens, now a Abeygunawardene, Ronnie Ibrahim permanent stop at the annual Asian and former Sri Lanka hooker Viraj Sevens Series. Prashantha. According to the SLRFU, Some of the other prominent New all three assistant coaches will be on Tendulkar is a Zealanders who have Sri Lanka nation- Ellis Meachen the SLRFU’s payroll. Imran’s advice Federer survives 2nd-round genius, says Lara scare in Australia BY A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT parts of the world. I didn’t see Sir Don Bradman but I respect his averages.” MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - which Arjuna ignored! NEW DELHI: A “rusty” Brian Lara Hailing the great run by the West Defending champion Roger Federer gifted the sprightly youngster the Indies in the 1970s and 80s and Australia admitted he was lucky to survive a thereafter, Lara observed that the trend BY REX CLEMENTINE going to do. I said we moment of his life. The ball sneaked were going to field major scare at the Australian Open on past the bat and grazed the pads before of invincibility was not possible to Former Sri Lanka cap- first, but he said that Wednesday, beating Gilles Simon 6-2, 6- disturbing the stumps. Lara was return. “Can’t really tell which team is tain we should bat first and 3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3 in the second round. bowled! the number one in the world! Each team has its time.” says that he had to ignore I started wondering as For a while, it seemed as if Simon, Many bowlers have treasured such moments on the cricket field in interna- a piece of advice by for- to what I should do,” who had beaten Federer in their only tional cricket. But this was a non- Picks India, S. Africa mer Pakistan Ranatunga recalled. two previous meetings, would send the “I have great descript under-19 seamer, part of the Lara rated India and as Imran Khan, just before Swiss star packing out of a Grand Slam the toss of the 1996 World respect for Imran as a group of youngsters attending the hour- favourites to win the forthcoming World Cup final in Lahore. captain and as a per- before the third round for the first time long cricket clinic organised at the Cup. “India would counter home pres- Ranatunga says that as son. More importantly, since the French Open in 2003 - a total Ferozeshah Kotla by the Delhi and sure but will be hard to beat. In the sub- he went out for the toss he knew about the of 31 majors. District Cricket Association (DDCA) in continent, it is important to build a in the biggest game of conditions quite well conjunction with the Trinidad Tourism momentum.” his life, Imran met him as he was from Lahore here on Tuesday. About South Africa, he said, “they Lara, who is the Ambassador of have a bogey as far as World Cup was close to the pitch area and it was tough to Sport for Trinidad and Tobago, concerned.” and was surprised to ignore his advice. So I remained a cricketer to the hilt. “I He picked Tendulkar, , hear that the Sri Lankans was sort of thinking enjoyed but I was a little rusty. I Michael Clarke, and Kevin were going to field if they now what do I do. But must say I saw quite a few good players Pietersen as the batsmen to watch. won the toss. Arjuna Ranatunga finally it stuck me that today and was very impressed.” He also picked Tendulkar, Virender “The day prior to the we as a team had decid- Sehwag and Gayle to overhaul his Test final, we decided we will ed to field first and we record of 400 . He also noted that chase as we were confi- should stick to that Better pitches needed the score of 200 was more likely to be dent of chasing even big decision,” Ranatunga And then he spoke of India’s added. weakness when faced with quality scaled because, “T20 has changed the scores. On the day of the shape of the game.” Sri Lanka went onto fast . “I wish the practice match, Aravinda took a Looking ahead, Lara, 41, smiled, “I win the World Cup that pitches could be a little more enter- look at the wicket and felt am still travelling, involved with the night in Lahore and prising, conducive to pace.” Bounce that if we bat first we Zimbabwe team, coaching and mentor- the Australian slow was the reason, he said, why the could put up a score of ing, playing more golf, still being busy. bowlers found it diffi- Indian batsmen failed in the Test at the 300 on the board. So good The shine is not off the ball yet.” cult to grip the ball due Centurion recently against South were the conditions to (The Hindu) bat. But we decided to to the dew. Africa. stick to our original deci- The full Arjuna Even as former Test opener Chetan Chauhan, as part of the organisers, sion,” Ranatunga said. Ranatunga interview requested “no questions on IPL (Indian “Then as I went out to will appear in ’50 Premier League)”, Lara was forthcom- toss, Imran Khan saw me Memorable World Cup ing. “I was not overly disappointed,” he and asked what we were Moments’ shortly. said on being unsold at the auction. Brian Lara “It (auction) is not the greatest situa- tion any player would like himself to find in. I can understand the reserva- Scoreboard tions the owners and the managers must have had but they missed the Fiery Pathan South Africa V. Kohli c De Villiers b Morkel 28 broader picture. G. Smith c Kohli b Harbhajan 43 Y. Singh lbw b Duminy 16 “I would have made a difference H. Amla b Khan 16 M. S. Dhoni c De Villiers b Botha 5 with my knowledge. Private ownership spearheads India win C. Ingram c Kohli b Harbhajan 10 S. Raina c De Villiers b Morkel 37 is a good idea like club football. It would A blistering knock of 59 from 50 balls AB de Villiers c Khan b Pathan 16 Y. Pathan c Morkel b Steyn 59 have given me an opportunity to contin- JP Duminy b Khan 52 H. Singh not out 23 from helped India post a ue my love with India but maybe some c Kohli b Patel 60 Z. Khan c Smith b Tsotsobe 14 other time.” stunning two-wicket triumph over South J. Botha b Khan 9 A. Nehra not out 6 Africa in the third one-day international in W. Parnell run out (Patel/Dhoni) 5 Extras: (5lb 6w) 11 Cape Town. D. Steyn c Raina b Patel 5 TOTAL: (for 8 wickets) 223 Comforting message After sealing an unlikely one-run win at M. Morkel not out 0 Overs: 48.2. Lara, 11953 runs in 131 Tests and the Wanderers to level the five-match series L. Tsotsobe run out (Pathan) 0 Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-56, 3-61, 4-69, 5-93, 6-168, 7- 10405 in 299 ODIs, had a comforting mes- at 1-1 on Saturday, India chased down their Extras: (4w) 4 182, 8-208. sage for , who also victory target of 221 with 10 balls to spare TOTAL: (all out) 220 Did not bat: Munaf Patel. remained unsold at the IPL auction. at Newlands today. Overs: 49.2 Bowling: 10-1-31-2 (1w), Lonwabo “It didn’t tarnish his message. He Debutant Faf du Plessis had top-scored Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-49, 3-83, 4-90, 5-200, 6-202, Tsotsobe 10-0-41-1 (3w), 8-0-53-0 has been a great leader (of Indian crick- for the Proteas with 60, with JP Duminy 7-207, 8-216, 9-219, 10-220. (1w), Morne Morkel 10-0-28-3 (1w), 7.2- et) and a good friend of mine.” contributing 52, but their score of 220 all Bowling: Khan 9.2-0-43-3 (2w), Patel 10-1-40-2, 1-48-1, JP Duminy 2-0-9-1, Faf du Plessis 1-0-8-0. On ’s longevity in out proved insufficient. Nehra 7-0-42-0 (1w), Harbhajan 9-1-23-2 (1w), Y. Toss: South Africa the game and the benchmarks set by his India must have fancied their chances Pathan 6-0-27-1, Yuvraj 6-0-30-0, Sharma 1-0-5-0, Result: India won by 2 wickets. “dear friend”, Lara was generous in his as they began their pursuit, but Dale Steyn Raina 1-0-8-0. Series: India lead 2-1 in five-match series. praise. “It would be almost impossible gave South Africa the perfect start by India Umpires: Johan Cloete (SA), Simon Taufel (Aus) for anyone to break his records. I feel claiming the wicket of Murali Vijay for one R. Sharma b Morkel 23 TV : Shaun George (SA) great to referred to in the same breath Sachin Tendulkar in the third over. M. Vijay c and b Steyn 1 Match referee: Chris Broad (Eng) but he is a genius and outstanding in all

Thursday 20th January, 2011