Friday 26th August, 2011

Australia’s Ricky Ponting ges- tures as he watches the three day warm up game between Australia and Board President XI at P. Sara Oval yesterday. Ponting was rested from the warm up game. (Pix by Gemunu Amarasinghe)

While Paranavithana fell one run short of a half-centu- ry,Samaraweera and Mathews were dismissed for six runs each. Test discard Dinesh , but carried Chandimal, who batted at on regardless. number three, got the only The Australians rested Ricky half-century in the Sri Lankan Ponting, Shane Watson, Mitchell innings when he made 59 runs Johnson and James Pattinson with 11 fours and a six. for the game. Martin Corry The Australians, mean- while, faced seven overs from Brief Scores: Former England in Sri Lanka Board President’s Sri Lanka Board President’s XI 258 all XI and reached 26 without loss out (D. Chandimal 59, T. Paranavithana with left-hander Phil Hughes, Sri Lanka next week who is certain to open the 49, L. Thirmanne 32, 36, T. innings making 24 in 21 balls Copeland 5/47) with five fours. He got a nasty Australia 26/0 (P. Hughes 24*) Martin Corry to blow on the helmet from coach Navy rugby team

Former England Rugby Captain Martin Corry MBE will be in Sri Lanka next week to conduct several coaching sessions for the Navy Sports Club rugby team which is rid- ing a swell of success in the current rugby season. The visit by the 64-Cap Corry, anky fast bowler Tent 170 for two, but collapsed to 209 played down prospects of mak- described as one of the most consis- Copeland could share the for nine and were bowled out ing his debut in Galle, it looks tent and durable back-row players of new ball with Ryan Harris eventually for 258 after Thisara the Sri Lankans will bump L his era, has been arranged and fund- and ahead of Peter Siddle after Perera (36) and Dhammika into him somewhere during an impressive effort against Sri Prasad (20*) added 49 runs for the series if Australia opt for ed by Frontier Automotive (Pvt) Ltd., Lanka Board President’s XI saw the last . more spin options in the sole agent for Land Rover in Sri him picking up figures of five “Samaraweera is a guy who spinner friendly Galle track. Lanka, Principal Sponsor of the Sri for 47 in 20 overs that included is entrenched in their middle “No, I’m not going to start Lanka Navy Rugby team. eight maidens in Australia’s order and he’s averaged 60-odd thinking Test matches. I’ll He will impart training tips and three day warm up game at the in Test for the last few take it as it comes. I’m just share his knowledge with the team P.Sara Oval yesterday. years. To build some pressure on absolutely enjoying where I’m Australia’s Trent Copeland, that came from behind to finish sec- The 25-year-old from New him and get him to play a loose at the moment. Opening the ond in the final points table of the left, celebrates the dis- South Wales has played only 17 shot like that - it probably wasn’t for an Australian Caltex Inter-club ‘A’ Division League first class games, but proved that the best ball I bowled all day,but side, getting some nicks missal of Sri Lanka’s Tournament with memorable wins he could be a handful with the something I aspire to do is take through to Brad Haddin and Tharanga Paranavithana, against Kandy Sports Club, new ball. His victims included Test , so for me he is a talking to Michael Clarke unseen, with Michael Clarke Sri Lankan Test players Thilan Test player and it is something I about field settings, that’s a Havelocks and CR&FC in the second Samaraweera, can measure myself against,” little bit beyond my wildest during the three day warm round of the competition. and opener Tharanga Copeland told journalists after dreams. I said to myself I up game against Sri Lanka “As the team sponsor, Land Rover Paranavithana. his heroics. needed to make an impres- Board President’s XI at the is delighted with the grit and flair After Copeland claimed both Copeland may lack pace, but sion when I got here and P. Sara Oval yesterday. Navy SC displayed on the field to end the openers, Sri Lanka Board his height enables him to trouble hopefully I have done,” he the league tournament as a close sec- President’s XI recovered to reach the batsmen and although he added. ond to the table leader,” said Sheran Fernando, CEO of Frontier Automotive. “We are therefore pleased to go beyond our commit- Fernando, Maharoof, Thisara and Chandimal left out ments as sponsor, to reward the team Indian football star Bhutia quits for its passion.” Martin Corry, 38, who played Baichung Bhutia, Number 8, blindside flanker and the poster boy of lock, made his England debut Indian football, Eranga and Prasanna named in Test squad announced his inter- against Argentina in 1997 and was a national retirement by Rex Clementine member of England’s 2003 World on Wednesday follow- Cup winning squad. He was ing months of injury Sri Lanka’s selectors named a 16 member England’s National Rugby Captain problems. squad for the three match Test series against thrice, from March 2005 to March the touring Australians yesterday drafting in Bhutia, who 2006, in November 2006 and turns 35 in promising fast bowler Shaminda Eranga (25) September 2007. He captained his December, said his and leg-spinner (26). failure to regain full Both players were part of Sri Lanka’s club Leicester to five Premiership fitness after missing ODI squad in the recently concluded five titles, two Heineken Cups and the most of India’s cam- match ODI series between the countries and Anglo-Welsh Cup. paign at the Asian did fairly well. Eranga, who hails from Corry retired from international Cup in Qatar in Chilaw, was rushed to Colombo from rugby in 2008 and has established his England where he was representing Sri January prompted own rugby development programme him to end his 16- Lanka ‘A’ and impressed on his debut at in the UK. year career with the Suriyawewa. Among his four victims in ODI national side. cricket so far are former Australian captain “Under the cir- Ricky Ponting and current skipper Michael cumstances, this was Clarke. the best decision,” Prasanna, the spin partner of Ajantha Bhutia told reporters Mendis at Sri Lanka Army was the only con- Dhoni: I don’t believe in New Delhi. “I solation for the Sri Lankans during the made several fourth ODI where the hosts were shot out for attempts in the last 132 runs. The leg-spinner picked up three in surrendering few months to make wickets in an over on that occasion making a comeback, but his debut and is one of the four spinners Captain Mahendra Dhoni conced- could not because of named in the 16 member squad. ed India had been thoroughly outdone recurring injuries. Opener Lahiru Thirmanne, who made his Shaminda Eranga but hoped for a prompt change of “But I will contin- Test debut at Rose Bowl after injury to cap- form and fortune after his side ue playing club foot- tain has been retained slumped to an innings and eight-run ball.” in the squad as the third opener while fast Wednesday followed by the next two Tests at defeat and series loss to England. bowler Dhammka Prasad has been drafted The striker, who Pallekele and SSC. Australia are ranked The tourists lost their number-one into the squad. Angelo Mathews, who didn’t number five in Tests in official ICC Rankings hails from the north- Test ranking to the English after award. play the Tests in England has also been while Sri Lanka are ranked number four. eastern state of Sikkim, co-owns defeat in the third match at Edgbaston and plays for United Sikkim FC in Bhutia’s engaging personality named in the squad. and on Monday endured a whitewash Indian domestic football. helped bring football to the fore- Of the five fast bowlers who toured Sri Lanka Test Squad: as Andrew Strauss’ men racked up a Bhutia was the first Indian to front in cricket-crazy India, earning England, only and left- T.M. Dilshan (Captain), Tharanga Paranavitana, armer Chanaka Welagedra have been four-nil sweep. play professional football in Europe him lucrative endorsement con- , , Thilan when he was signed by English club tracts with major firms like Adidas retained while , Farveez Feeble at every turn in the face of Bury on a three-year contract in and later Nike. Maharoof and Thisara Perera, all played two Samaraweera, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Suraj the hosts’ pace attack and string of 1999. Bhutia said he was frustrated Test Matches each in England, have been Randiv, , , Suranga double-centurions, Dhoni’s side lost 80 He is the recipient of India’s that India were ranked a lowly 153 dropped. Lakmal, , Dhammika Prasad, wickets and averaged a mere 25.55 per Promising batsman , batsman to the opposition’s 47 and fourth-highest civilian award, the in the FIFA rankings despite having Angelo Mathews, Shaminda Eranga, Lahiru Padma Shri, and has also been hon- a huge population to draw from, who toured England, but didn’t play in the 59.76. oured with the Arjuna award, the adding that he was willing to join Tests, also has been left out. Thirimanne and Seekkuge Prasanna. “We tried out best and that’s country’s second highest sporting the sport’s administration. The first Test starts in Galle on what’s important,” said Dhoni.

Friday 26th August, 2011