Marsh Wants Improvement Ahead of Bigger Challenges

Thursday 17th November, 2011 Lakmal to Marsh wants improvement return home Fast bowler Suranga Lakmal will return home with a left ankle injury that has ruled him out for two weeks. Lakmal, who played ahead of bigger challenges the first ODI against Pakistan, was the only wicket taker for Sri Lanka picking up two wickets. REX CLEMENTINE Sri Lanka have asked for left-arm seamer reporting from Dubai Chanaka Welagedara, who did well in the Test series as replacement for Lakmal. Since the ICC Cricket World Cup, it’s RC been a tough few months for the nation- al cricket team, where they have played England, Australia and now Pakistan. The trend will certainly continue as there’s no series against the West Smith: ICC move Indies, New Zealand or any other weak- er teams scheduled during the next six not in the interests months as Sri Lanka’s next four oppo- nents will be South Africa, Australia, of cricket India and England. In that backdrop, Sri Lanka’s coach JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa Geoff Marsh reiterated the need for his captain Graeme Smith says the ICC decision team to keep improving in every game to delay the inaugural test championship for they play to reach the heights they are four years until 2017 is disappointing and aiming for. not the right decision for cricket. “We need to continue to improve Smith said on Wednesday that the move when we are playing sides like Pakistan. meant many top cricketers currently playing Our next Test series is against South could now miss out when it is staged, adding Africa, followed by a series against that five years is “a long time” and “you can India and Australia. To beat these sides skip a generation in five years.” you need to keep improving. We can The test championship was originally never stand still in this game and we’ve scheduled to be staged in 2013. got to get better and better,” Marsh, a Speaking a day before the start of the sec- former World Cup and Ashes winning ond test between South Africa and Australia coach with Australia, told journalists at The Wanderers, Smith says “we always Wednesday, at the Dubai Sports City. want the ICC to make decisions in the best In the second ODI, before Sri Lanka interests of the game and I’m not sure that defended the 235 they made, captain that’s happened now.” Tillakaratne Dilshan, addressing the team had stressed that the team was 20 runs short of a defendable total, but they could save those runs with a good Condon says fielding effort. True to form, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan and vice-captain Angelo Mathews during a training session Wednesday, at the Dubai Sports came up with a good effort on the field, City. The third ODI between Sri Lanka and Pakistan will be played on Friday in Dubai. (Pic by Lakruwan Wanniarachchi) inflicting three run outs with two of T20 partially them being direct hits. long ago and we are one of runs. We had a quiet period true, but “We have got a very talented the best One-Day teams against good sides, you are going to have fielding side out there and we going around in the world. It that period where they bowl well and to blame for just want to get better,” Marsh was just a case of getting the you are challenged. We just had to chal- said. train back on track. We were lenge them again and that’s exactly While fielding was good off the track a little bit and what Mahela did,” Marsh explained. spot-fixing overall, there were two dropped we needed to get our heads It was Jayawardene’s first half-centu- catches by Angelo Mathews down. Also remember that ry on tour, having gone through seven LONDON (AP) — The former British and Dilhara Fernando. “We we are playing a very good innings without making one. “At his police chief who set up the International dropped two catches that side. I think Pakistan’s spin- age, Mahela knows his game inside out. Cricket Council’s anti-corruption unit should have been taken. We are ners have bowled very well It was just a matter of giving him confi- believes the proliferation of Twenty20 crick- working on those areas. Angelo and we just had to get our dence and it was only a matter of time et is partially to blame for the increase of is a very good fielder. Nine heads down and work until he got going again. During the spot-fixing in the sport. times out of 10 he would have through a process of getting Test matches, he missed out a couple of Paul Condon told The Cricketer magazine taken it easily. Fernando’s one, ourselves into a very com- times. He’s a great player and his 50 the that the shortest format of the sport took it hung in there for too long petitive total.” other night was beautiful. That was a away the discipline and rigor which the unit and I don’t think anyone would Sri Lanka got off to a bet- fantastic knock.” had been enforcing and the players were have been happy to be under ter start in the second ODI, Marsh also spoke about the impor- exposed to “lots of people making very, very it,” Marsh further said. with the openers adding 56 tance of Lasith Malinga to the Sri big sums of money.” He said that the team lacked runs. But once the spinners Lankan side. Malinga was the Man of “Probably the greatest trigger point was confidence after the humiliat- came on, run making was the Match after derailing the Pakistani the explosion of T20,” he said in excerpts ing eight wicket defeat in the tough. The total was 123 for run chase, when he claimed two wickets released Wednesday from the magazine. first ODI last Friday and that three when they opted to in the first over. “He will be very impor- “The ‘anything goes’ party atmosphere was a key area he addressed take the Batting Power Play tant to any side. He’s that sort of a allowed some really bad people back into the ahead of the second ODI, in the 36th over and that bowler who can come on and take quick game. Some of the notorious fixers from which Sri Lanka won by 25 enabled them to accelerate. wickets. His presence in the team has early years started to re-emerge on the cir- runs. “Basically, our message “We got off to a good been fantastic. Having other bowlers cuit in India, Pakistan, South Africa, to the players was to relax and start and then their spin- with a bit more experience also helps. I Australia and the UK. go out and enjoy the game. If ners came on and there was thought they all bowled very well. It’s “It almost legitimized the bad guys being you were feeling down in confi- a quiet period. But we were good to have that experience in our back around cricket again, and fixers were dence, one shot can turn that aware of that and we needed attack. Pakistan are a very good one-day even seen in promoters’ boxes and at match- around and we went out there to kick start. Mahela batted side and our boys hung in there and we es. What up to then had been pretty tight with a better plan and we “You’ve got to remember that these beautifully. He is a class player. It was continued to take wickets which is what and regulated suddenly became a free-for-all. played positive cricket right from the guys played in a World Cup final not too good to see him getting back among the we had to do to win the game.” I think the temptation was to do a little fix first ball.” here and a little fix there and still win the match — and they were not seeing it as criminal.” Earlier this month, Pakistan players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Under-19 Cricket Mohammad Amir were sentenced to jail in London on corruption charges for spot-fix- ing by bowling predetermined no-balls in a test against England last year. Bens in ‘historic’ win over Ananda In February, the ICC suspended the trio for a minimum period of five years from 13-over resistance by Nalanda College having any involvement in cricket. last wicket pair of Kusal Dias and Condon became the youngest commis- Lahiru Wijeratne to record a thrilling sioner of the Metropolitan Police at the age innings and 57 runs victory in the of 45 in 1993. He was appointed chief of ICC’s first anti-corruption unit in 2000. penultimate ball of their Under-19 cricket encounter which ended at Moratuwa yesterday. Spinner Amila Aponso completed a match bag of ten wickets as he shared Clarke: We made four wickets apiece in the second innings with Isuru Mendis to restrict a pact to leave Nalanda to 125 runs. St. Sebastian’s posted 347 for eight wickets declared with Sanitha de Mel, Cape Town behind Anuk Fernando (94) and Sachintha JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Australia cap- Fonseka contributing with half cen- tain Michael Clarke says his team left the turies. mental scars of its painful first-test defeat in St. Benedict’s College cricketers pose for a picture after beating Ananda College in their Jason Perera St. Sebastian’s last beat Nalanda in the dressing room in Cape Town, and is ready to have a “red-hot crack” at South Africa at under 19 cricket encounter 2004. for nearly 39 overs. the Wanderers. But Clarke said there also could be a num- BY REEMUS FERNANDO not tasted a victory since the team cap- Scores: ber of changes in Australia’s lineup for the tained by Quintus Perera beat Ananda Ananda 70 and 151 all out in 54.5 Scores: decisive second test starting on Thursday, St. Benedict’s College recorded a in 1963. overs (Geshan Wimaladharma 21, Nalanda 165 and 125 all out in meaning players could pay the price for that crushing innings and 38 runs victory Jason Perera was the hero for Bens. Danuka Madushan 17, Pasindu 59.5 overs (Ishan Rangana 38, Manula heavy defeat at Newlands. over Ananda College in their Under-19 Perera, who was unbeaten on 82 runs Madushan 50, Thushara Samarakoon Jayasekara 25, Koshan Danushka 19,; Clarke confirmed injured batsman Shaun overnight, scored 135 runs inclusive of tournament match as skipper Jason 25; Jason Perera 7/32, ) Amila Aponso 4/36, Isuru Mendis 4/37) Marsh will be replaced by Usman Khawaja at 17 fours. Bens scored 259 for eight Perera excelled with a seven-wicket St. Benedict’s 128 for 1 overnight No. 3 in a straight swap, and said “there is the wicket wickets declared in 70 overs. haul and a century on the final day at 259 for 8 decl in 70 overs (Jason St. Sebastian’s 112 for 5 possibility of a couple of other changes as Ananda, commencing their second Kotahena yesterday. Perera 135, Heshan Yasanthika 32, overnight 347 for 8 decl in 73.2 well.” essay with a deficit of 189 runs, were The huge victory left coach N.I.C Sameera Sandamal 38, Venuka Ashan overs (Luke Jayadewa 41, Avishka Pushing hard for a place in an underper- Silva and MIC Vivian skittled out for 151 runs as Perera 2/68, Geshan Wimaladharma 3/19) Fernando 31, Sanitha de Mel 62, Anuk forming bowling lineup is teenager Pat Saverymuthapulle busy digging past ripped though their batting line up Fernando 94, Sachintha Fonseka 64n.o, Cummins, with the captain saying on records as a victory in their favour was with a seven wicket haul. For Ananda, Aponso bags ten wickets as Sebs Nishamal Fernando 27; Kusal Dias Wednesday “there’s certainly a chance that achieved after a lapse of many years. skipper Pasindu Madushan waged a beat Nalanda he could be playing.” According to Bens’ officials they had lone battle. He scored 50 runs batting St. Sebastian’s College staved off a 4/118, Nikila Weerasinghe 2/44)