Late City Edition

Tuesday 25th May, 2010 Murali SriSri LankaLanka beatbeat KiwisKiwis support for Dhoni

Sri Lanka spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan has come to the defence of India Mahendra Singh Dhoni after he was criticised for his by 7 team's poor showing in the recent ICC by 7 wickets World in the West Indies, cricket365.com reported on its website. The off-spinner holds Dhoni in high LAUDERHILL, Florida (AP) - Nuwan Zealand by 29 runs Saturday in the Sri Lanka reached its winning tar- regard, having won the Indian Kulasekera and Lasith Malinga shared first major cricket international played get after having three wickets down Premier League under his leadership seven wickets as Sri Lanka beat New on U.S. soil in the 16th over. with the Chennai Super Kings earlier Zealand by seven wickets in a Malinga had 4-12 as Sri Lanka dis- Later, the United States lost this year. Twenty20 cricket international Sunday, missed New Zealand for 81 runs in 17.3 to Jamaica by 19 runs despite a The 38-year-old thinks the critics leveling the two-match series at 1-1. overs. spirited 49 from American were harsh to judge Dhoni on the basis of just one bad tournament. Man of the match Kulasekera Nathan McCullum top-scored with captain Steve Massiah. Muralitharan said: "He is one of the returned figures of 3-4 from three an unbeaten 36 while captain Daniel Former West Indies test best captains. He won the IPL for the overs at Central Broward Regional Vettori added 27 for New Zealand. player Marlon Samuels hit 36 Chennai Super Kings. A week later, Park Cricket Stadium as Sri Lanka Tillakaratne Dilshan made an from 34 balls and Shawn India were knocked out of the World bounced back after losing to New unbeaten 33 and Thissara Perera 24 as Findlay added 37 as Jamaica Twenty20 and, in their country, when reached a competitive 141 : Sri Lanka's you win you are the best but when you from its 20 overs. Nuwan Kulasekara lose you become the worst. "But you cannot become the worst Steven bowls against New SCOREBOARD in just a week. The media cannot Taylor and Zealand during the New Zealand K.S’kkara st Hopkins b N. McCullum 5 bring him down like that." Massiah com- Pearls Cup T20 B. McCullum b Kulasekara 1 The off-spinner believes India are A. Mathews 0 bined for an Series cricket game still one of the top sides in world A. Redmond lbw b Kulasekara 1 Extras: (b 1, w 6) 7 opening 49, but played at the cricket and were a little unlucky to R. Taylor lbw b Mathews 5 Total: (3 wickets) 86 the U.S. fell Central Broward exit early in the Caribbean. R. Nicol lbw b Kulasekara 0 Overs: 15.3. short, reach- Regional Park in "They don't lack skill. They are the D. Vettori c S’kkara b Mendis 27 number one in Tests and number two Did not bat C. Kapugedera, S. ing 122-5 in Fort Lauderdale, G. Hopkins run out 1 Fla. Sunday, May in ODIs. You cannot reach there if you Jayasuriya, L. Chandimal, N. reply. don't have the skills," he said. N. McCullum not out 36 23, 2010.(AP J. Oram c Kapugedera b Malinga 3 Kulasekara, L. Malinga, A. Mendis The "Twenty20 is a game anybody can Florida series Photo/Jeffrey M. win on his day. While in Tests and K. Mills lbw b Mendis 0 Fall of wickets1-19, 2-63, 3-80 Boan) ODIs, there is time for you to come T. Southee b Malinga 4 was the brain- Bowling: Mills 3-0-18-0, McKay 2-0-11- child of U.S. back, there is no such thing in the A. McKay b Malinga 0 0, Oram 2-0-3-1, N. McCullum 4-0-15-2, shortest form of the game. India had a Extras: (w 3) 3 Cricket chief Vettori 2-0-10-0, good team but they lost the grip after Total: (all out) 81 executive Don winning two matches initially. In this Overs: 17.3. Southee 1-0-15-0 (1w), Nicol 1.3-0-13-0 Lockerbie as format of cricket you need a bit of Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-4, 3-4, 4-8, 5-13, (1w) part of the luck." 6-58, 7-67, 8-68, 9-81, 10-81 Toss: New Zealand, who chose to bat Destination The spinner also thinks the for- tunes did not favour the runners-ups Bowling: Mathews 4-0-22-1 (1w), Series: 2-match series drawn 1-1 USA program, a strategic of the tournament, Australia, but Kulasekara 3-1-4-3, Malinga 2.3-0-12- Player of the match: N. Kulasekara (SL) partnership believes England were worthy champi- 3, Mendis 4-0-19-2 (2w), Jayasuriya 1- Player of the series: D. Vettori (NZ) ons. 0-12-0, Perera 2-0-8-0, Dilshan 1-0-4-0 between USA Umpires: M. Erasmus (SA) and R. "England were the best team and Sri Lanka Cricket and they won the title but Australia won M. J’wardene c B. McCullum b Oram 17 Tucker (Aus) New Zealand all their matches and lost in the final. T.M. Dilshan not out 33 Third umpire: I. Gould (Eng) Cricket. It just shows that you need some luck C. Perera c Nicol b N. McCullum 24 Match referee: A. Pycroft (Zim) too. Like in IPL, the game can change in just one over," he said. Trinity cruise to 24-12 win Afridi ready to

BY RUKSHAN RAZAK right flank engineered from a return to Test cricket ather mediocre in their per- move in the midfield to culminate formance amidst wet and far right to add another uncon- Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Cup, to be held in Sri Lanka from Rdamp conditions underfoot, verted try and thus increase the Afridi said on Saturday he would June 15-24, and his availability for but Trinity College proved them- lead by 10-5. end his self-imposed exile from Tests makes him favourite to lead selves to be better mud larkers In the process, Wesley Test cricket, saying he was now the team on the tour of England and thus prevailed over Wesley although had their chances could ready to play the longer form of as well. College by 24 points (2 goals, 2 not make any headway due to poor the game for his country. After the Asia Cup, Pakistan tries) to 12 (1 goal, 1 try) in their handing. "I am ready to play Test cricket will play two Twenty20 matches inter-school rugby fixture of the Lions at this stage were lucky because I feel that my country and two Tests against Australia in President’s Schools Rugby League enough to increase their lead fur- needs me... and in this time of England before taking on England of the top division at Maitland ther when lock forward Gotabaya need I would not let my team and in four Tests, five one-day and two Crescent on Sunday. Mahesh sneaked through the the country down," Afridi is quot- Twenty20 matches from July to Strategies go off the skylight Wesley defence to touch down off ed as having told AFP. September. when the match in a playing a forward rush. Centre Thisila Citing family commitments in The Pakistan Cricket Board ground turns into a paddy field Karunathilake put over the con- 2006 after playing the last of his 26 (PCB) is due to appoint the cap- and this was evident on Sunday at version for the visitors to lead by Tests, against England in tain for both the Asia Cup squad Maitland Crescent due to heavy 17 points to 5. Manchester, the 30-year-old had and the tour of England on showers during the game and the Not withstanding, the scored 1,638 runs, five centuries Tuesday. better side ultimately triumphed. Action from Sunday’s inter- Wesleyites shot back when their and took 47 wickets in Test match- Pakistan have had no one-day At the end of a closely fought school President’s Trophy lock forward Tharindu Pathirana es. or Test captain since their disas- first-half, the scores were dead picked up the ball in the twenty "My father was ill and my fami- trous tour of Australia, in which rugby encounter between ly wanted more attention from me they lost all three Tests, five one- locked at 5-5. Trinity College and Wesley two metre line and went wobbling The enhanced performance by down the park to touch down so I was mainly focusing on the day matches and a Twenty20 College at Maitland Crescent. the forwards of the Lions enabled under the post for skipper and shorter forms of the game, but match. them to breathe a sigh of relief in Trinity won 24-12. centre Azmi Omar to add the extra now we have to play six Tests in Following that tour, the PCB contrast to equally good perform- points and reduce the gap 12-17. England and my team needs me, banned former captains Younus ing. so I am available," said Afridi. Khan and Mohammad Yousuf ance by the Wesley three quarters. But they made amends at the Taking the issue beyond the It was twenty three minutes reach of the Campbell Park lads Appointed captain of the indefinitely because of "infighting blow of the short whistle when Twenty20 squad after regular cap- which let the team down". into the game when Wesley centre their centre Dharshana Suraweera was once again Akila Dissanayake three quarter Viraj Nisansala who made a valiant effort to pene- tain Younus Khan retired from Another former captain, unlocked from a rolling maul to the format last year, Afridi led Shoaib Malik, and Rana Naved-Ul- went over to draw first blood off equal the scores off an unconvert- trate the Wesley defence for an unconverted try.Later though Thisila Karunathilake to do the Pakistan to the semi-finals of the Hasan were banned for one year ed try to cross over with the scores World Twenty20 in the West and fined, while Afridi, Kamran the Lions had the chance of level- deadlocked at 5-5. made a brave come back after a honours and wrap up the affair ing the score it was not to be so as dormant shape in the last few with a 24-12 win for the visitors. Indies last week. Akmal and Umar Akmal received Upon resumption, it was their He is now tipped to lead heavy fines and were placed on they went past the dead ball line winger Akila Dissanayake who encounters that made his presence Referee: Gamini Indrawansa and lost a vital possibility of scor- felt off a slashing run down the Pakistan in next month's Asia six-month probation.

Tuesday 25th May, 2010