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Thursday 10th July, 2008 Lokuge cancels Dharmadasa’s controversial deal Minister of Sports the suspicious television Gamini Lokuge has agreement with Taj TV instructed Sri Lanka extending its contract with AJANTHA – Cricket to cancel a con- the board until 2012. Taj troversial television TV’s existing contract with deal that was singed by Sri Lanka Cricket was to former President of expire this year, but the Cricket Interim Dharmadasa singed a fur- Committee Jayantha ther deal for three more Dharmadasa and CEO years spanning from 2009- of SLC Duleep Mendis. 2012. But the Minister of “I have instructed Sports found fault with Our new star SLC to cancel the contract. I have Dharmadasa for entering into an done this on the basis that the con- agreement for a period for which by Sanath Jayasuriya tract was entered into in an irregu- he hadn’t got a mandate. lar manner. This was done after an The Ministry also found fault Not everything went entire- extensive inquiry,” Lokuge told with Dharmadasa for not following ly to plan with our early hic- ‘The Island’ yesterday. proper tender procedures. cups, but in the end it worked Dharmadasa, last year, signed RC out brilliantly for Sri Lanka and we were all thrilled to have retained the Asia Cup. The lion's share of the credit should go to Ajantha Mendis, our new St. Thomas' Kotte establish spinning star, who bowled quite brilliantly. new record in Junior cricket When we found out that India had added a seventh bats- by Reemus Fernando Susamayawardena. man, we knew they would field The centurians were helped by first if they won the toss. That Two brisk centuries from Roy Niranjan, who scored a brisk suited us perfectly as our inten- Ranga Peiris and Milroy Perera 51 not out in just 12 balls. tion was always to bat, as we and a hurricane half-century from Niranjan hammered five sixes and did throughout the tournament. Roy Niranjan helped St. Thomas' five fours in his unbeaten knock. Chasing in a final is never College, Kotte, break the record With the Thomians going great easy, especially if you have two for the highest score of the Under- guns, P.A.T.S Anuruddha, who spinners like Murali and 17 Inter-School tournament as was the only bowler to pick up two Ajantha. I assume, however, they amassed a massive 423 runs wickets, conceded as many as 110 that Mahendra Singh Dhoni and beat Susamayawardena runs in his ten overs. had greater confidence in his College by 291 runs in their In reply, Susamayawardena batsmen and wanted them to Limited Overs match played at were bowled out for 132 runs. shoulder the responsibility of Kotte yesterday. Scores handling the pressure. They broke the record estab- St. Thomas' 423 for 7 in 50 Nevertheless, we could not lished by St. Sebastian's College, overs have started any worse. We Moratuwa (406 for 6 against (Rangeeth Peiris 129, Milroy were very unlucky to lose C.W.W. Kannangara,Colombo) last Perera 139, Roy Niranjan 51, week. Sanga so early on and it was a Eroshan Perera 29; P.A.T.S. While skipper Rangeeth Peiris big blow – for me as his partner, Anuruddha 2/110) hammered 19 fours and six sixes and for the team. He has been Susamayawardena 132 all out for his 129, Perera hit 21 fours and the solid rock on which we nor- in 44 overs two sixes against the toothless mally build our totals and that (W.G. Thusitha 22, T.W.H.K. bowling attack of put us under pressure. Silva 31; Nipuna Mahesh 4/25) When we started losing wickets steadily, things got worse. However, with the score 66 for 4 with Dilshan walking Life time achievement award to late into bat, I knew I must continue attacking. I did not want to Honourable Gamini Dissanayake change my natural game and felt we had to capitalise on the PowerPlays or risk falling well- short of a good total. Fortunately, Dilshan played really well and we were able to wrestle back some of the initia- tive. After the PowerPlays, we reduced our risk-taking and concentrated on batting out the Veteran Sanath Jayasuriya accompanies by new spin sensation Ajantha Mendis after the national cricket overs. If we did that, we knew we should get to 270 plus. team arrived at the Kantunayake Airport yesterday. Pic by Nishan S. Priyantha. In the end, we might have got even 300 but we were confi- very different. But Mahela has a lot of variety. What's ing a partnership with Murali dent that 270 was defendable. (Jayawardene) took the brave more, there was not a single for the next couple of years is The key was taking a few wick- decision of bringing Ajantha loose delivery on offer. His very exciting for Sri Lanka. The ets in the first 10-15 overs. Only into the attack in just the 10th length was immaculate, leaving next test could be the three- wicket-taking would give us a over and the rest is now history. the Indian batsmen, who clearly match Test series with India. I His performance will linger chance to control India's dan- could not read him, in two am sure he will be in the squad long in the memory. gerous batting line-up. minds as to whether to go for- and there is every chance he'll A few more overs of Sehwag Ajantha may not spin the ward or backwards. ball a huge amount, but he still make his debut. Siffy and the result could have been The prospect of him form- Gunawardena stresses the need to nurture Ambepitiya by Reemus Fernando The sprint prodigy became berth in a World Junior Susanthika Jayasinghe, he is the Sri Lanka's first ever junior ath- Championship. He should be only athlete to have run in a Sunil Gunawardena, the lete to qualify for a final event of looked after well," said final. And in the junior level he coach of Shehan Ambepitiya a World Junior meet when he Gunawardena. is the only athlete to have done The late Honourable Gamini Dissanayake, who was a President of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board and who was instrumental in obtaining Test Status for pointed out the need to look after clocked 10.59 seconds in the 100 "He is still a teenager and ran that. We have a great future Sri Lanka in 1981 was given a life time achievement award by the Asian the athlete with greater care meter dash of the on going with 20-year-olds. He can run in prospect in him”, he said. Cricket Council in the recently concluded Asian Cup Tournament in after the sprinter made history Junior World Championship. the next edition as well. We Shehan Ambepitiya was Karachi. This was because he was a pioneer who formulated the concept by earning a final berth in the "He has proved what an asset should look after him," said schedule to run in the final last of the Asian Cricket Council. Picture shows Syed Ashraful ul Haq Chief Junior World Championship 100 he is. He is the only Sri Lankan Gunawardena. night. Executive Officer of the Asian Cricket Council, together with Mrs. Srima meters yesterday. sprinter to have earned a final "After Duncan White and Dissanayake and Navin Dissanayake Minister of Investment Promotion who collected the award in Karachi. Thursday 10th July, 2008.