Wednesday 31st December, 2008 AUSTRALIA HAS FALLEN

The South African team pose for photographs after becoming the first tour- ing team to beat Australia since the West Indies in 1992-1993. The Proteas won the first Test by six in Perth and sealed the series when they recorded a nine win in Melbourne. The third Test will start in Sydney on the 3rd of January 2009. has secured the most sig- nificant success in its cricketing history. Scoreboard It was a triumph that reached beyond Australia 1st 394 sport. When flicked anoth- South Africa 1st innings 459 er ball off his pads and scampered the Australia 2nd innings 247 winning run he achieved more than mere South Africa 2nd innings victory. G. Smith lbw b Hauritz 75 It was a stroke that spoke for genera- N. McKenzie 59 tions of Indian cricketers unable to com- H. Amla not out 30 pete for places in the national team. Extras (lb 9, w 2, nb 8) 19 Suddenly they knew their records meant Total: for one wicket 183 something, that they had been right, the Did not bat: J. Kallis, A.B. de Villiers, champions of previous generations could J.P. Duminy, D. Steyn, M. Boucher, M. A female fan hugs Man of the Match after the Proteas took an unassailable lead in the three match series. Steyn play the game. When Jean-Paul Duminy Ntini, M. Morkel, P. Harris. picked up a match bag of ten wickets and starred in a 180 run partnership for the ninth wicket with Jean Paul Duminy. constructed his accomplished innings he Fall of wickets: 1-121. Pix by Johann Jayasinhe was representing a coloured community : Lee 10-0-49-0 (6nb), Siddle 14-5- that languished for so many years in a calm in adversity and retained confi- was so nervous in the rooms that he was has so much fury been spent to so little 34-0, Johnson 11-1-36-0 (1nb, 2w), Hauritz dence in itself. By no means has its rise as sick as a school leaver. On the field he effect. He has returned as an affable man twilight world. When Makhaya Ntini 10 0 41 1 4.10 (1nb), Clarke 3-0-14-0. took wickets he was uplifting downtrod- been an overnight sensation. To the con- resembled Bjorn Borg. In the end South happy to play every ball on its merits. Toss: Aus trary, the team has been rising steadily Africa had six wickets to spare. So far Assisted by an astute coach and support- den tribes. If hearts swelled with pride Series: SA (2-0) across the country it’d hardly be surpris- throughout the year and even between Australia has lost 40 wickets and taken ive staff, he has turned a diverse and once Player of the Match: D. Steyn (SA) matches. After failing in Perth the visit- 25. inconceivable collection of players into a ing. Others rejoiced in the peaceful revo- Umpires: A. Dar (Pak) B. Doctrove (WI) lution that made it possible. ing tailenders worked at their batting and If this turnaround was exceptional formidable fighting force. TV umpire: B. Oxenford (Aus) played a vital role at the MCG. then the feat performed by the tourists in Long before the end the Australians Miraculously, these varied characters Match Referee: R. Madugalle (SL) were all playing for the same side. For so Unimpressed with their contributions Melbourne was mindboggling. At stumps were beaten and bemused. Although the many hard decades it seemed a ridicu- in the first match, the pacemen toiled on the second day they were down for the well-paid selectors remain obtuse, the parading around in the disrespectful lous dream, like the removal of the Berlin hard and improved markedly. Changes count, 196 behind with three wickets left, time has come to think about tomorrow. manner displayed by both parties last Wall. Yet there it was before our eyes, a were also made between innings, with a novice at the crease and callow tailen- The team chosen for the SCG Test does summer, before congratulating each devout Muslim stroking the decisive runs Neil McKenzie playing forwards and ders to keep him company. Sixty-four not serve the purpose. Not by a long other, the batsmen shook hands with alongside a belatedly sane Salty Dick (the Smith using a deeper mid-off for hours later South Africa had won by nine chalk. An opportunity to play a young opponents and umpires. Nor did their term used by locals convinced that Matthew Hayden. Of course, the tourists wickets. opener and an aggressive spinner has teammates forget themselves when they Englishmen have one foot in Africa and caught superbly in the slips and ran Duminy’s innings was a marvel of been spurned. came onto the field. one in Australia). And there was Graeme sharply between wickets. South Africa skill, durability and temperament but he After remaining calm for 10 days the For their part the Australians were Smith hugging Duminy and old stagers has played a lot of good cricket. Australia could not have managed without Steyn. visitors finally let off steam. Long after gracious, none more so than Ricky with tears in their eyes and Jacques relied on superb individual performances Suitably inspired, the speedster promptly the ground had been cleared the entire Ponting at the awards ceremony.His team Kallis taking his wife out to inspect the from accomplished batsmen. produced the spell that settled the match, party returned to the scene of their tri- had been beaten fair and square. pitch and managers and support staff Not the least of Smith’s achievements an incisive burst that stopped Australia umph, linked arms and sang merry Australia had won both tosses. Far from smiling from ear to ear. is that his team was not scared to win. in its tracks. A fortnight ago the series songs, not all of them flattering to their claiming a low catch, too, Smith asked the Rugby had led the way and now crick- Previously the visitors had been ham- was cast as a duel between and hosts. umpires to check its legitimacy. Pity that et has played its part. Amid the crime and pered by a desire so strong it became des- Steyn. In part it has been. In that moment they revealed the pas- did not happen last summer. corruption there is hope. peration. Now they chased 414 in Perth Smith also deserves credit. Four years sion that lurked beneath the cool exterior, South Africa played intelligently, con- And yet in this long-awaited moment, and stormed home thanks to a measured ago he arrived as an angry man expecting uniting them, sustaining them, driving sistently and with the utmost determina- this moment of exaltation, the South collaboration between Duminy and A.B. to encounter and determined to slay arro- them till finally the deed was done. tion. Throughout, Smith’s side remained Africans behaved impeccably. Far from de Villiers. Apparently the newcomer gant Australians. Not since Don Quixote Melbourne Age Ashraful takes Test Waruna, Dilanka shine in Bens’ fourth win outright win of the season and the second 2/11) and 83 all out in 32.1 ovs (Chathura by Reemus Fernando win in a row as their off-spinner Rushan Damith 20, Dananjaya Madusanka 18; Jaleel, with a match-bag of 10 wickets and Malith Cooray 4/34, Samith Shiroman into fifth day Spinner Dilanka Auwardt came up paceman Thushara Gunathissa with an 2/17, C. de Silva 2/05, Najee Dewmith 2/02) with an impressive five-wicket haul in the impressive six-wicket haul in the second DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) - second innings and completed a match- innings, guided the home team to an Dharmapala in first innings Bangladesh Mohammad bag of eight wickets for St. Benedict’s innings and 38 runs victory over St. win Ashraful hit an unbeaten half century College to record a ten-wicket win over Anne’s College, Kurunegala, in their U-19 Tuesday for his team to need another 267 Lumbini College in their Inter-School match ended at Kandy yesterday. Dharmapala College scored a first runs to beat Sri Lanka on the final day of Under-19 cricket encounter that ended at innings win over Nalanda College in the first test with five wickets in hand. Kotahena yesterday. Scores: their Inter-School U-19 cricket match claimed three While Waruna Fernando top scored for St. Anne’s 84 all out in 43 ovs (D. ended at Pannipitiya yesterday. wickets before an unbeaten 74-run sixth- Bens with a valuable century (138), a defi- Gunasekara 22, H. Silva 14; Rushan Jaleel The latter school made amends to wicket stand between Ashraful (70) and ant ton in the first innings from Lumbini’s 6/14 Suresh Wickrama 2/19) and 89 all out their below par performance in the first (34) boosted Mohamed Aslam went in vain as St. in 28.3 ovs (L. Lankeshwara 17; Thushara innings posting 303 for nine wickets at Bangladesh to 254-5 by stumps on the Benedict’s managed to restrict the visitors Gunathissa 6/39, R. Jaleel 4/37) close with Tharindu Wickramasinghe fourth day. The hosts had been flounder- to 164 and 130 runs in the two innings. The Trinity 211 all out in 47.2 ovs (K. top scoring with 66 runs. ing at 150-4 at tea. Bens’ openers scored the winning runs of Wimalaweera 61, D. Weeraratne 44, Akila In reply to Nalanda’s 196, Ashraful’s eighth test fifty contained just two without losing their wickets. Jayasundara 45; Narada Ratnayake 5/80, Dharmapala made 242, with Rasitha 11 fours in 153 balls, and also ushered Incidentally, it was St. Benedict’s D. Gunasekara 2/47) Gamage top scoring with 70 runs. him into the 2000-run club in his 47th wicket stand brought 52 runs until fourth outright victory in five outings. match. Siddique (37) was also caught by Chathuranga shines as Scores: Ashraful had become the youngest Jayawardene, this time off Scores: St. Aloysius’ down Kalutara V Nalanda 196 all out in 60.3 ovs test hundred-maker after hitting a ton Muralitharan. St. Benedict’s 293 for 4 decl. in 69 ovs (Sayuru de Silva 50, Dinuk Jayasinghe against Sri Lanka in Colombo on his Muralitharan claimed his second (Varuna Fernando 138, Eranga Ratnayake All-rounder Chathuranga de Silva 43, Chetan de Silva 30, Adeesha international debut in 2001 at age 17. wicket when he bowled Hasan for 24. He 71, Ashan Sirimanne 46 n.o., M. Aslam scored a half century and picked up four Nanayakkara 16; Rashitha Gamage 3/54, Earlier, Sri Lanka declared its sec- also dismissed Mehrab Hossain for 23 3/94) and 2 for no wickets in 0.2 ovs first innings’ wickets as St. Aloysius’ Hasitha Nirmal 2/15) and 303 for 9 wkts ond innings before lunch at 405-6, after tea. Lumbini (69-5 o/n) 164 all out in 54.3 College scored an innings and 36 runs vic- in 63 ovs (T. Wickramasinghe 66, Dinuk anchored by captain Mahela Muralitharan finished the day with ovs (M. Aslam 107, V. Sanjaya 21; Heshan tory over Kalutara Vidyalaya in their Jayasinghe 39, Nipun Karunanayake 41, Jayawardene’s 166. figures of 3-85 off 28 overs. Chamara 3/17, Dilshan Perera 3/22, D. Inter-School U-19 match that was ended at Prashan Wickramasinghe 39, Primesh Bangladesh’s run chase started Resuming on 291-4 after a break day Auwardt 3/72) and 130 all out in 55 ovs Uyanwatte Ground yesterday. Dassanayake 36, Chandimanthu badly when opener Imrul Kayes was run Monday for the Bangladesh election, (Danushka Sandaruwan 29, Ashan Rusiru Rodrigo 21; Dilrukshan Jayasundara out for 13. Jayawardene added 37 to his overnight 19, M. Aslam 19, Zaman Osman 33; D. Scores: 3/74, Hasitha Nirmal 3/79) Tamim Iqbal and Junaid Siddique score of 129 before Siddique caught him Auwardt 5/35, Surein Silva 3/29, Eranga St. Aloysius’ 221 all out in 96.2 ovs (C. Dharmapala 242 all out in 71.1 ovs took the score to 72 in the second ses- off Mehrab Hossain. Jayawardene’s Ratnayake 2/16) de Silva 56, Samith Shiroman 32, Dasun (Rashitha Gamage 70, Nipun Pavithra sion before Iqbal was caught by 24th test century came off 269 balls with Abeywardena 24; Chathura Damith 6/56) 32, Tharindu Liyanage 24, Hasitha Jayawardene off Dammika Prasad for 19 boundaries and one six. Trinity record third win Kalutara Vidyalaya 92 all out in 45.2 Wickramasinghe 24, Tharindu Gamlath 47. Sri Lanka 293 and 405/6 decl ovs (Sandun Chamara 33; C. de Silva 4/09, 16; Dinuk Jayasinghe 6/63, Nipun Siddique and Raqibul Hasan’s third- Bangladesh 178 and 254/5 Trinity College recorded their third Najee Dewmith 2/07, Samith Shiroman Karunanayake 2/95).

Wednesday 31st December, 2008