Tuesday 20th January, 2009 15 Honours even at Asgiriya What ails ? by Rukshan Razak A total of 24 fell on day one ri Lanka cricket is ailing. The ented players like Mahela Udawatte But the team selectors didn’t give be found fault with, but in One Day of the inter-school cricket encounter last game that we played and Tharanga Paranavitane are him a single match during the internationals, it is difficult to fath- between Trinity College, and Sagainst minnows Bangladesh on there. Remember, the Bangladesh tour. om why the selection committee Isipatana College, at the January 16, proved this. selection panel went !Letter Kandamby has proved keeps him as the and also as Asgiriya International Cricket Stadium Five top order wickets down for 6 ahead with Upul his talents in both a batsman. Mahela managed to win in Kandy yesterday. The game is evenly runs. That’s a world record! Tharanga in the World Cup, ignoring forms of games by scoring heavily some matches, not because of his poised with Isipatana enjoying a slender It was a pathetic situation by any his continuous failures and omitted during the South Africa tour last innovative captaincy, but due to the 81 run lead with just six wickets in standards. Marvan Attapatu, one of the best year. It is sad to see the number of heroics of Murali and Ajantha hand. It is true that we won the match. players that Sri Lanka has ever pro- opportunities given to Jehan Mendis. When the going gets tough, Captain Rushan Jaleel paired up But it was due to Murali’s batting duced. It is high time for the Sports Mubarak but not to Kandamby. Mahela has now started to panic and with spinning partner Akila heroics. What has happened to Sri Minister to think about a new chief Last but not least, skipper Mahela it was really evident in the last Jayasundara as Trinity bowled out the Lanka’s cricket? One month back we for the selection panel. Jayawadena. Mahela’s form in One match against Bangladesh. With the opposition for just 127 runs in 45 overs. struggled to beat a nation like experience he has, the cricket The duo claimed nine wickets between Zimbabwe. This month loving public expect more them. Bangladesh outplayed us in a from the captain and he con- Trinity failed to seize the initiative match and almost beat us in tinuously failed to live up to when they replied as they too were the final. that expectation. Also, bowled out for 151 with Jaleel top scor- First of all, the selection Mahela’s attitude about play- ing with an unbeaten 41. committee headed by ing for the country has been The visitors came up with a better should take debated a lot and the writer effort in their second essay as they half of the blame. does not want to elaborate on reached 105 for four at stumps. The squad selected by that. But Sri Lanka has pro- Isipatana 127 all out in 45 overs them did not include some tal- duced some gentleman crick- (Nilusha Sasanka 38, Pranama ented players who performed eters such as Anura Srivimukthi 19, Sasanka Premaratne 12, exceptionally well in domes- Tennekoon, , Roshan Rushan Jaleel 5 for 44, Akila tic tournaments. It is puzzling Mahanama, Aravinda De Jayasundara 4 for 30) and 105 for 4 in 29 to see the continuous inclu- Silva and overs (Nilusha Sasanka 39, Pranama sion of Upul Tharanga in the in the recent past and Srivimukthi 11, Dimuth Warapitiya 16, team. Upul Tharanga’s last 16 whether Mahela will be Rushan Jaleel 1 for 29, Akila scores included in that list in the Jayasundara 1 for 28) are 14, 40, 8, 15, 4,10, 10, 40, 0, future will be interesting to Trinity 151 all out in 26 overs 26, 29, 17, 6, 43, 0 and 2. A bit see. With all the controversy (Rushan Jaleel 41 n.o; Sameera better than a telephone direc- sorrounding him, World Cup Wijesuriya 26, Mohamed Sajid 22, tory! By including Upul in the winning captain Arjuna Kavinda Jayasooriya 17, Akila team, the selection committee Ranatunge can proudly say Jayasundara 16, Anushka Deemantha 6 has omitted a talented player that his first priority was the for 70, Samitha Sulochana 2 for 39, in Mahela Udawatte. country. Chamara Waduge 2 for 17) Udawatte has performed As another writer has well in his nine One Day Ashantha De Mel Mahela Jayawadena mentioned in a Sunday paper, Edirisinghe slams ton for Maliyadeva internationals by scoring 0, from the day Sri Lanka crick- A blazing century by opener 14, 73, 67, 43, 38, 7, 1 and 14. He scored And then, the continuous omis- Day Internationals in the recent past et led by Ashantha De Mel and Chamikara Edirisinghe placed heavily against strong teams like sion of Thilina Kandamby from the has been pathetic. Mahela Jayawardena treated Marvan Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala on a India and West Indies, unlike Upul team. Kandamby has been hailed as His last 12 innings scores are 16, Atapattu with indifference, the Sri strong footing after they were put in by Tharanga. Udawatte has been rated one of the best batsmen and he has 12, 15, DNB, 4, 0, 0, 0, 2, 8, 0. Looks Lanka team has been going down Vidyartha College, Kandy in their inter- by critics as a possible replacement been in terrific form in the recent like a telephone directory. hill. We could not find a suitable school cricket encounter that com- for . The selection past. He has been given only five One He is the first Sri Lankan capitan replacement for him and also the val- menced in Kurunegala yesterday. panel dropped Udawatte from the Day Internationals from 2004 and to lose a home series to India, ues and pride of playing for the coun- Edirisinghe’s century included nine squad after a failure in Zimbabwe. It scored a fighting 40 against England and also the first captain to try have been overcome by playing boundaries while Vimanga Perera is difficult to understand the special Zimbabwe, when the other highly be beaten by minnows Bangladesh for money. chipped in with 55 runs to help treatment meted out by de Mel and rated players failed and guided Sri not only once, but twice. His captain- Jehan Perera, Maliyadeva post a formidable 308 for 6 company to Upul Tharanga when tal- Lanka to victory. cy and form in Test matches cannot Kolonnawa. declared. Vidyartha in reply were 21 for two at stumps. Maliyadeva 308 for 6 in 73 overs 26th ITF Junior International Championship (Chamikara Edirisinghe 103, Vimanga Roddick lauds Lance Armstrong Perera 55, Nimna Karunaratne 33, Dasun Madumal 23, Dharshana Year’s first international Mahawatta 20, K. Wijekoon 2 for 60, Y. Dissanayake 2 for 28) tennis event from Vidyartha 21 for 2 in 6.3 overs Feb. 23-28 SL women to play by Revata S. Silva Jithmie Jayawickrema, who tri-nation series The first international ten- has a present ITF junior world nis competition held this year rank of 381, is expected to par- in Bangladesh in Sri Lanka, the 26th ticipate in this Championship International Tennis which will be conducted in Federation (ITF) Junior both girls’ and boys’ singles Championship will be held at and doubles. A sizeable num- the ber of Indian players are clay courts from February 23- expected to participate in both 28, the Sri Lanka Tennis girls’ and boys’ segments. Association (SLTA) said on The Singles Main Draw Monday (19). will comprise of a 32-player The entries for the event size and the Doubles will have will be closed on Feb. 2 at the a 16-pair size in its Main SLTA, No.45, Sir Marcus Draw. The entry fees will be Fernando Mawatha, Colombo- US$50. Trans Asia Hotel and Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, center, of the U.S. gives a cancer patient Dot Dempsey 7. The Tournament Directress Hotel Renuka, Colombo, will his autograph at the Royal Adelaide Hospital before the Tour Down Under cycling event in Adelaide, Australia will be Shalini de Silva and be the official SLTA hotels Monday, Jan. 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Aman Sharma) the Referee will be Ishara during this tournament. The Seneviratne, an ITF White Qualifying Rounds of both MELBOURNE, Australia from Lance in Austin (Texas),” as well. Badge official. girls and boys are scheduled (AP) - Andy Roddick isn’t sur- Roddick said. “I’m not really “In the States, he’s gotten According to the SLTA, to begin on Feb. 21. prised by all the hype sur- surprised, I mean, he’s an icon into the political side of can- rounding his near-neighbor pretty much wherever he cer research and fundrais- Lance Armstrong’s return to goes.” ing,” Roddick said. “He wears competitive cycling. Armstrong, who survived so many hats that I’m not Royal in Command While Roddick won his testicular cancer, has made really too surprised by it. first-round match at the awareness of the disease a big This is his first comeback by Roshen Steelman tors for 141 in 40 overs, Royal Australian Open on Monday, part of his message during race, so I think that probably Left-hand batsman Banuka cruised to 236 for five in 57 Armstrong was preparing to his return to the sport after adds a little drama to it.” Rajapaksha scored 95 runs overs. ride in the start of the Tour three years in retirement. Some players at with 13 fours and three sixes Scores: Down Under at Adelaide, Roddick figures Armstrong is Melbourne Park are wearing Sashikala Siriwardane and shared a vital 121 run St. Benedict’s 141 all out in about a 30-minute plane flight very well-placed to do it - and hats and warmup jackets with announced a 14 stand for the second 40 overs (D. Fernando 56, west of Melbourne. generate a huge amount of Armstrong’s “LiveStrong” member squad to play the women’s tri- with Shan Hettiarachchi to Priggish Fernando 33, J. “I live about two miles interest in the Adelaide race logo on them. nation tournament in Bangladesh also guide Royal College to a com- Abeykoon 4/43) involving Pakistan. The tournament manding total in their inter- Royal 236/5 in 57 overs at will be worked off from 3rd to 17th of school match against St. stumps (Banuka Rajapaksha February.The team will be captained by Benedict’s College, started at 95, Shan Hettiarachchi 44, K. Renault unveils 2009 F1 car Sashikala Siriwardane. Reid Avenue yesterday. Janith 63 n.o. Eranda PORTIMAO, Portugal (AP) - Renault has closed the season with two victories in the last Sri Lanka women’s squad: After out the visi- Ratnayake 2/17) unveiled the race car it believes will deliver four races to renew belief in the team’s ability to Sashikala Siriwardane (Capt), Chamari Fernando Alonso a third F1 drivers’ champi- challenge for the F1 title. Polgampola, Dedunu de Silva, Suvini de onship. Alonso, a two-time world champion with Alwis, Chamani Seneviratne, Eshani The French team wheeled out its new R29 Renault, finished fifth in the drivers’ standings, Kaushalya, Sripali Weerakkody, Dilani Mercantile TT League Tournament car at the Portimao circuit in Portugal on while the French team was fourth in the con- Manodara (wk), Hiruka Fernando, The Mercantile Table Secretary, Mercantile Table Monday, with a striking yellow color scheme the structors’ championship. Rose Fernando, Chandi Tennis League Tournament Tennis Association, The most visible change to last year’s blue-orange F1 rival Williams also revealed its 2009 car at Wickramasinghe, Inoka Galagedera, will be held on the 5th and 6th Lanka Hospitals Corporation design. Portimao, simply wheeling the dark blue FW31 Deepika Ranasinghe, Udeshika of February 2009 at S. Thomas’ PLC (Apollo Hospitals Renault’s 2009 car has followed the trend of out of the garage to put on display. Prabodani. College courts at Mt. Lavinia Colombo). those of rival F1 teams Ferrari and McLaren, Test driver Nico Hulkenberg will drive the Stand by: Prashadini Weerakkody, from 5pm onwards. Telephone:+011 4 539064 displaying a wide nose and narrow rear wing. It car later Monday, with Renault pair Alonso and Gayathri Karyawasam, Sanduni Entry forms for the above Mobile: 0773 497502 has also carried over use of the shark fin engine Nelson Piquet Jr. also testing. Abeywickrama, Indrani Abeyratne tournament can be collected Fax : 011 5362367 cover from last season. Williams is coming off a disappointing sea- (Manager), Chitral Mendis (Coach) and from the above address: e mail : sdharma@apollo- Alonso committed to Renault through 2010 son where it finished eighth in the constructors’ Dinendra Jayasinghe (Trainer) S.D.Dharmaratne, Hony colombo.com in December after the 27-year-old Spaniard standings.