14 Monday 2nd April, 2012 CCC School of Cricket off to India BY STEVEN WINE BY CHATHURA PINNAWALA KEY BISCAYNE, Florida (AP) — The two finalists met at The CCC School of Cricket Under-12 and the net to shake hands, Maria Sharapova standing a head Under-14 teams will fly to India today to taller, even with her shoulders slumped in disappointment. compete in the inaugural triangular cricket She finished second again on Saturday. Sharapova lost serve in the last game of each set and fell tournament, which starts tomorrow at the short in the latest bid for her first Sony Ericsson Open title, Jain International Cricket Stadium, in losing in the final to Agnieszka Radwanska 7-5, 6-4. Bangalore. Sharapova, a three-time Grand Slam champion, is winless CCC, under the tutelage of respected in four Key Biscayne finals. She was also the runner-up in coach Nelson Mendis, will play against 2005, 2006 and last year. Frank Anthony Public School, Bangalore The pattern extends beyond South Florida. Ranked No. 2, and Jain International Residential School, she was runner-up at both the Australian Open and Indian Bangalore, in the triangular, of which the Wells to Victoria Azarenka, which makes her 0-3 this year in finals will be played a week later on April 9. finals. The CCC under-12 outfit is skippered by “It’s always tough, because you do a really good job to get left hand opening batsman, Shehan there,” Sharapova said. “It’s obviously always the toughest Fernando while top order southpaw and round.” wicketkeeper Kavindu Madarasinghe will be She hasn’t won a tournament since August. his deputy. Under-14 captain and all-rounder Radwanska, ranked a career-best No. 4, earned her ninth Ashel Sigera is the cornerstone of the team Under 14 career title and fourth since last summer. She’s 0-4 in 2012 as he has scored a number of centuries and Front row (L-R seated): Nipun Alwis, Harsha Peiris (Chief-De Mission), Ashel Sigera (Captain), Nelson Mendis against the top-ranked Azarenka and 26-0 against everyone with his left-spin, is the best bowler in the (Director Coaching), Mandani Tennakoon (Vice Captain), Sumith Tennakoon (Tour Manager) and Viraj else. side. The only girl in the side, Mandani Weerasekera (Coach). (Back row L_R standing): Vimukthi Gamage, Thathsara Hasaranga, Ravana Lamahewa, The match was 72 minutes old before Radwanska hit her Tennakoon, is the deputy to Sigera and her Thanuka Dabare, Usitha Sakalasooriya, Nipuna Harshana, Dilan Tharuka, Manoj Mahendra, Chandu first baseline winner. She was content to play the role of coun- terpuncher and extend rallies until the more aggressive, hard- off-spin abilities was evident when she won Mallikarachchi and Suhanga Wijewardena. the Player of the Series award during the er-hitting Sharapova would make a mistake. last tour of Malaysia. Other leading players There was a 28-stroke rally in the first game, but many of in the side are opening batsman Suhanga the points were quick, with Sharapova often too eager to end Wijewardena, left hand top order batsman them. She finished with 45 unforced errors, most due to an and promising glove man, Nipun Alwis and unreliable backhand. The relentless Radwanska committed only 10 unforced all-rounder Thanuka Dabare. errors while chasing down almost everything, sometimes Apart from the three-school contest, the scooping balls at shoe-top level to keep a point going. Sri Lankan teams will meet the famous “She hit a lot of good balls on the run, and they were Imtiaz Ahmed Cricket Academy in two deep,” Sharapova said. “She didn’t just bring them back; she matches on April 6. The two Indian teams had something on them. Then the few errors on important are no pushovers themselves, as they both points that I made, I thought maybe I shouldn’t have gone for are holding top positions in the current the line so much, and aimed a little bit closer to the middle.” Inter-School cricket circuit and the winner Radwanska used pinpoint placement of her serves to com- will be awarded the Jain International pensate for their modest pace, and erased all three break Challenge Trophy, along with individual points she faced. awards for the Best Batsman, Best Bowler, “Today was a very tight match,” she said. “I think I was Man of The Final and Player of the Series. just better for couple of points each set.” The tour party officials are Harsha Radwanska gave credit for her style of play to her father Peiris, the Chief-de-Mission, who is an old and coach, Robert. He flew home before the match rather than Cambrian and Mercantile and club cricketer exchanging his plane ticket so he could watch the final. with vast experience as an administrator. Under 12 “He said, ‘You’re playing well. So you know what you have The manager is Sumith Tennakoon, who is a Front row (Left to right seated): Movin Subasinghe, Harsha Peiris (Chief-De Mission), Shehan Fernando (Captain), to do, and just text me after the game,’” she said with a smile. Top-ranked Novak Djokovic will try for his third Key former Trinitian and General Secretary of Nelson Mendis (Director Coaching), Kavindu Madarasinghe (Vice Captain), Sumith Tennakoon (Tour Manager) and the School’s Executive Committee. And Viraj Biscayne title and second in a row when he plays 2009 champi- Weerasekara, a dedicated young cricketer Viraj Weerasekara (Coach). Back row (L-R standing): Gavin Botheju, Tharindu Perera, Heshan Muthutantri, on Andy Murray in the men’s final on Sunday. and qualified coach will be the official Shashimal Abeyasekera, Kanishka Gallage, Dilruk Anthony, Abishka Vithanage, Johanne De Zilva, Dulara The women’s final took place on the hottest day of the tour- coach. Kumarasinghe, Mahoshada Fernando and Yaswanth Ravichandran. nament — a cloudless 85 degrees (30 C) — and the stadium stands were aflutter with fans fanning themselves. Shouts from the South Florida spectators suggested a divi- sion in allegiances. Lin needs knee 8th Sayuru-Giri Lovers’ Quarrel “Vamos Maria!” one spectator yelled for the Russian. “Vamos Agnes!” another hollered for the Pole. Sharapova draped a rolled-up cold towel around her neck surgery, likely during changeovers, but the heat didn’t seem to faze either player. Instead it was the pressure to hold serve that made out for season Sharapova wobble twice. BY BRIAN MAHONEY Serving at 5-6 in the first set, she committed four unforced errors — including a blown overhead — to lose the set. NEW YORK (AP) — New York The second set was just as close, and decided in similar Knicks star Jeremy Lin will have left fashion. Radwanska reached her only break opportunity of knee surgery and will miss six weeks, the set on the final point of the match. When Sharapova sailed likely ending his amazing breakthrough a forehand long, Radwanska lifted her arms in triumph. NBA season. “Obviously I would have loved to be the winner,” The Knicks said Saturday their point Sharapova said, “but that’s just the way it goes.” guard had a scan this week that revealed Radwanska beat Venus Williams en route to the final and a small, chronic meniscus tear. won every set she played. She improved to 2-7 against With the regular season ending April Sharapova, with her other vic- 26, the biggest story in basketball this tory at the 2007 U.S. Open. season is probably out for the rest of the campaign regardless of whether the Knicks make the playoffs. Devapathiraja College team pose for pictures with school officials after they recorded their first victory of the Big He was barely holding on to a place in Match series against archrivals Sri Sumangala College, Hikkaduwa on Saturday. the NBA back in February. Now, after performances that brought him to star- dom from New York to his ancestral homes in China and Taiwan, he has to go back to the bench when he wants to play most. Kaushal wins accolades as “If this was done very early in the year, ... I don’t know where my career would be. I could be, would be definitely Devapathiraja record first win without a job and probably fighting for a summer league spot,” Lin said. “But BY REEMUS FERNANDO Match. having said that, this happening now Devapathiraja was impressive this season hav- hurts just as much, because all the play- Sri Lanka Under-19 poolist, Tharindu Kaushal ing won as many as eight outright victories in 13 ers, we really put our heart and souls excelled with a match-bag of 12 wickets and a half outings this season. into the team and into season, and to not be there when it really matters most is century to guide Devapathiraja College, Rathgama hard.” to an innings and 70 runs victory over archrivals INDIVIDUAL AWARDS New York will continue to turn to Sri Sumangala College, Hikkaduwa in their 8th Best Fielder – Prasanna Karunawansha Baron Davis in place of Lin, the undraft- Sayuru-Giri Lovers’ Quarrel Big Match which (Devapathiraja) ed Harvard alumnus who became the ended at the Public Grounds, Ratgama on Saturday. Best Batsman – Ramindu Nikeshala starter in February and turned in a Incidentally, it was the first victory of the (Devapathiraja) series of brilliant performances, kicking series for Devapathiraja who trailed 1-0 in the Best Bowler and Man of the Match - off a phenomenon that was called series before this year’s encounter. Tharindu Kaushal (Devapathiraja) Linsanity. Kaushal picked up five wickets in the first Lin is averaging 14.1 points and 6.1 innings and rattled seven wickets in the second Scores: assists, but the numbers only tell a essay to restrict Sri Sumangala to paltry 65 runs. Sri Sumangala 97 all out (Ravindu Deshan 17; small part of the story. In the first innings, Sumangala were bowled out Tharindu Kaushal 5/22, Chathura Lakshan 3/33, for 97 runs. Dilshan Kanachana 2/15) and 65 all out (Ravindu Kaushal was also the top scorer for Menaka 13, Tharindu Kaushal 7/15, Chathura Devapathiraja. He scored 73 runs while Ramindu Lakshan 3/30) Nikeshala added vital 50 runs as Devapathiraja Devapathiraja 232 all out (Tharindu Kaushal scored 232. 73, Ramindu Nikeshala 50, Tharindu Nuwan 27, Kaushal won the Man of the Match and the Avishka Gimhana 25, Dilshan Kanchana 21, Akila Best Bowler awards both. He also went pass the Iroshana 18; Pramod Chathuranga 5/50, Thusitha 100-wicket milestone for the season in this Big Chamra 3/52) Agnieszka Radwanska Battle of Kelaniya Limited Overs Match Man of the Match and Best Batsman: Chamod Sulakshana Gurukula in nine wickets win Scores: Gurukula College, Kelaniya recorded unbeaten 64 runs inclusive of nine fours played between the two schools. The vic- Dharmaloka 123 all out in 39.5 overs a comprehensive nine-wicket victory and a six as Gurukula reached a victory tory tally now stands at 11-9 in favour of (Janaka Pathum 23, Sulaj Gayashan 24; over archrivals Dharmaloka College in target of 124 runs with 23 overs to spare. Dharmaloka. Nalin Perera 3/31, Anjana Nimnath 2/16, their annual Limited Overs Big Match, Dharmaloka were restricted to 123 Hashan Dumindu 2/18) played at R. Premadasa Stadium in runs with Nalin Perera being the pick of INDIVIDUAL AWARDS Gurukula 125 for 1 wkt. in 26.5 overs Colombo on Saturday. the bowlers with three wickets. Best Fielder: Lisula Lakshan (Kasun Madusanka 32, Chamod Chamod Sulakshana scored an It was the 21st Limited Overs Match Best Bowler: Nalin Perera Sulakshana 64 n.o., Lisula Lakshan 25 Jeremy Lin n.o.).