14 Monday 22nd November, 2010

or sheer theatre, against the called on and deliver five sharp overs ously embarrassed at the end of the first with a set of bowlers who are under MADRID (AP) - Lionel unique backdrop of the Galle Fort, apiece with the new ball at the end of day in Galle, expressing the frustrations pressure and frankly what we have seen Messi scored a hat trick in Fthere was nothing better. A pity the the day. of “a bad day at the office” comment so far this year, suggests that Sri Lanka, Barcelona's record 8-0 rout rain spoilt the event and a possible victo- Little wonder the rumour that a that would have left the furious with the decision to mothball Lasith of Almeria, while ry for the West Indies. tight-lipped Kumar Sangakkara was and the coach bemused as the selection Malinga for the World Cup, is a gamble. Cristiano Ronaldo It just wasn’t the Chris Gayle triple unhappy with the bowling attack he was of two bowlers who struggled to make an In his eleven Tests, Nuwan answered with three century that was so remarkable, given for the Test at Galle International. impact once the shine had gone off the Kalusekara has 25 at 34.58 and goals of his own as Real Madrid beat Yahaluweni. It was the spectacular show- He had a right to gripe. It is ball. his last Test was against India in Athletic casing that brings to the like a general looking for his In fact, until after lunch on Mumbai almost a year ago. In partner- The Chesterfield Files Bilbao 5- stage such as this and explains why it is attacking options only to Day Two, when he slowed, ship with Welegedara (1/131 off 30 overs) 1 to stay still a more powerful magnet than the find them missing in action Ajantha Mendis, paid the he managed a single for 105 off 20 top of the shorter formats. or unfit for duty. penalty for bowling flat and too overs and squandering runs at more Spanish Spectacular as it exploded a few Anyway, so much for the quickly.Only when he slowed than five an over as India plundered the league on myths surrounding the current Sri pre-match media hype where and began giving the ball loop bowling – Virender Sehwag falling seven Saturday ahead Lanka team. It also exposed the theory the success of the Australian with the slower googly, did he short of what would have been a third of their upcom- that Sri Lanka can field fit fast men venture would rub off on the make an impression. At least Test triple century. ing meeting. capable of bowling twenty or more overs Test squad. There is always a he is learning from the earlier Questions need to be asked whether Messi continued his a day at this level. Also, in this case, to danger of assuming too errors. While three of his six this rotation of fast bowlers – six in a impressive recent scoring answer the needs much and this was so obvi- wickets were from batsmen on matter of four Tests – is a desperate ploy spree to become only the Lionel of the cap- ous after the Test against the charge looking for quick by the selectors, in this case panels head- fourth Barcelona scorer to tain India at Saravanamuttu with runs for declaration time, ed by De Mel and De Silva to find the go over 100 Spanish league Messi when the five-wicket defeat. by Trevor Chesterfield Mendis at least knew what was right combination. Shrewd man as he is, It became more obvious required of him to deliver De Silva suggests there is a transition at Galle where the fast bowlers spells that his captain wanted. period. Dammika Prasad and Thilan (Thushara) In Galle, Thushara (79) and Prasad What we have seen so far is a disaster Mirando were not able to take the extra (116) gave away 195 runs in the 51 overs and it will continue this way until the Messi, Ronaldo step up to Test level, suggesting the they bowled, leaking runs close to four current coaching system is coaching system is falling down some- an over without taking a wicket. Their capable of putting fit men into the where. These will not be popular views, spray-painting exercise was a disastrous attack, and those who can deliver but there is a difference between bowling performance and they deserved to be impressive spells, as Vaas apart, Sri post hat tricks 10 overs, divided in spells of four or five summarily axed for their ineffectual Lanka’s bowling has revolved around the overs in an ODI to twenty-five a day in a efforts where their masquerade was Murali factor for so long, they have for- Test. At times, the way they bowled, they exposed for what it was – a sham. gotten what it means to have a consistent would have been better in a spray paint- On checking the new ball bowling fast bowling attack to give Sangakkara in big wins ing shop. statistics of the India series, Chanaka confidence. The introduction of Nuwan Welegedara collected two wickets in A team needs 20 wickets to win a goals after starting the triumph with Kalusekara and Dilhara Fernando for Galle for 112 runs off 29 overs; his sec- Test, since Murali retired, Sri Lanka his 17th-minute opener. the second Test at an as yet, untested ond innings stint of 10 explains how he have failed to achieve even that target. He added another in the 37th before pitch is the fifth set of new-ball bowlers failed, while it was Lasith Malinga What are the so-called marvellous coach- pouncing on a loose ball in the 67th for Aravinda de Silva’s selection panel whose seven wickets for 105 explained es running the system doing to find his 13th of the season and 14th goal in have tried in as many Tests and his value to Sangakkara’s bowling plans. replacement? Precious little it seems. eight games in all competitions. makes you wonder how it is coun- Prasad, at Stonehenge, aka Sinhalese No wonder Sangakkara lamented Substitute Bojan Krkic scored tries such as South Africa, Sports Club, managed 22 overs giving post-match in Galle how they had their twice, while Andres Iniesta and Pedro England and even Australia away 101 runs without taking a wicket; eyes opened in the first Test was a won- Rodriguez also netted for the Spanish these days have the same even Dilhara Fernando struggled. And at derful batting exhibition by Gayle and champion. Santiago Acasiete added an laid bare how own goal as Barcelona matched its - powerless Sri and the league's - best ever away-win Lanka are as from 51 years ago. they cope Almeria coach Juan Manuel Lillo without the was fired right after the game at Juegos Murali Magic Mediterraneos Stadium. at Test level. With coach Jose Mourinho watch- It could be ing on from the Santiago Bernabeu suggested that stands as he served out a two-game the flexation ban, Ronaldo led Madrid after Angel Di issue facing Maria slid a pass to Gonzalo Higuain to Shane open for the hosts in the 19th minute. Shillingford is Mesut Oezil tapped a long pass into an issue that the path of the Portugal forward to fire the past goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz and International make it 2-0 after half an hour. Cricket Fernando Llorente, who had two Council creat- chances kept out including an impres- ed. They sive individual effort early on, volleyed allowed a loose ball home from inside the box Muralitharan for the Basque side just before the a fifteen per- break. It was the Spain striker's ninth cent level and of the season to trail only Ronaldo and Tamil Union, Welegedara was equally in defending this Dave Richardson said Messi. useless as he was at Galle, serving up there were bowlers who had degrees of But Sergio Ramos restored the two- jam for Indian joy – 122 runs without a flexation that went beyond this level. goal lead with a 57th-minute penalty wicket; even his second innings effort of Shillingford, it seems has a problem earned by Di Maria then Ronaldo sur- 8.3 overs went for a costly plus four runs with the . This is the the prised Iraizoz with a dipping free kick an over. 27-year-old Dominican bowled in the Test from over 30 metres out. In Prasad’s case, little wonder at Galle that caught the attention of the Ronaldo capped Madrid's resound- fast bowlers the selectors have cut him from officials. Recall if you will, Chris Broad, ing win with an injury-time penalty for fronting a the side. No team, not even who the Pakistan terrorists tried to kill his league-leading 14th goal. pace attack in your Sunday Social League in their wild fusillade spree in the Madrid tops the standings with 32 a series of side can afford anyone who Lahore attack in March last year, was points and Barcelona has 31 going into games of three squanders 217 runs in two unhappy with the elbow extension that their "clasico" at the Camp Nou on Nov. or four matches. attempts at bowling without a the Sri Lanka spinner used to bowl the 29, with the pair facing Champions Dale Steyn and wicket to show for it. What this ball. League matches beforehand. Morné Morkel, Chris explains is that Sri Lanka are in serious Now, once he was cleared, all seemed "Let's see if Barcelona can score Martin and Tim trouble post their CWC11 exercise, with well, although there were grumblings of eight goals next Monday," Ronaldo told Southee and in the tours of England and against the “racist” and “racism” aimed at Broad La Sexta TV. past Glen McGrath for Pakistan vagabonds, most likely in the who is entitled to his views as an official Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola left Australia, have all UAE, and a visit by Australia. and also former Test player. Presently, Gerard Pique on the bench with the been able to front up, As suggested in last week’s files, Sri the West Indies management had not Spain defender a yellow card away bowling sharp com- Lanka, sans and issued a statement. from suspension ahead of the Madrid pelling overs. For Sri the retired Chaminda Vaas, whose bowl- Philip Spooner the team’s friendly match. But it hardly mattered as Lanka, when they ing ethic has always been a guide for media liaison man was helpful with his Barcelona's offense pulverized its 18th- want a fast bowling wannabe hopefuls, are in serious trou- “we have no comment at this stage” place opponent. attack post- ble. Even the hoped for spark by Suraj remark when approached. It is under- "Every time we got to goal we Chaminda Vaas, you Randiv was blunted by the Gayle standable. There did appear to be a prob- scored, unlike some other days," get a lottery system onslaught as the tall off-spinner failed to lem, but those on the field have a far bet- Guardiola said. "It's hard to say much in operation. It sug- find his length. ter idea of what is involved in the after such a result. I just want to con- gests there is some- He was given a lesson in what not to mechanics of citing a bowler with a gratulate the team because they were thing wrong with bowl. Whether he has learnt from it is dodgy action. They know too the reper- so effective." the training pro- another matter and the selectors may opt cussions of such action. Now comes the Messi capped a well-worked combi- gramme being used for a more defensive bowler in Rangana trial period and the ICC need to sort out nation with David Villa by firing past by the coaching pro- Herath for Premadasa as a counter foil their language as well. You cannot have goalkeeper Diego Alves for the opener. gramme. to Mendis to get an idea whether it is a a system that allows one bowler flexa- Iniesta jumped on an Almeria defensive error to fire past Diego Alves Nuwan Kalusekara . . . selec- For this, you better strategy.This is especially as tion of certain latitude while penalising into the roof of goal two minutes later tors looking for answers cannot blame the Malinga Bandara is being looked on as another bowler. This is where the ICC before Acasiete poked Maxwell's pass checking an empty cupboard senior coach Trevor fit for foreign duty only for lesser sides. need to be transparent. home in the 27th. Bayliss. He was seri- It is always a gamble to go into a Test (email: [email protected]) Martinez delivers crushing knockout of Williams

BY DAVE SKRETTA expectations, with the prema- takes," Martinez said. "He left ture end leaving fans at The me a lot of room to come in ATLANTIC CITY, New York (AP) Boardwalk stunned. and hit him." - Sergio Martinez knocked out "I started to attack, and Williams was looking to Paul Williams in the second when I did, we knew he was land his own hook and instead round Saturday to retain his going to make a mistake, walked into a left which landed WBC middleweight because he always makes mis- flush on the chin and sent the championship and American face-down turn a clash of two onto the canvas. of the world's top Argentina's Martinez boxers into an immediately ran anticlimax. across the ring to cele- The bout was brate while doctors a rematch of the rushed in to tend to epic fight of Williams. December last year It took several when they traded minutes before he first-round knock- finally got to his feet, downs and went 12 and by that point, ring rounds before announcer Michael Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao hugs his daughters Princess, right, and Queen Elizabeth, Williams won a Buffer was already while posing with his family upon arrival early Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010 at the Manila International Airport split decision. Sergio Martinez celebrates after knocking out Paul announcing the end at in Manila, Philippines, from Los Angeles. Pacquiao, now a congressman, defeated Mexico's Antonio This one Williams in the second round of Middleweight 1:10 of the second Margarito in their WBC super welterweight boxing fight on Nov. 13 to become the only boxer to hold 8 failed to live up to Championship Bout in Atlantic City, N.J. on Saturday, round. championship belts in 8 different divisions. Also pictured are his wife Jinkee with sons Jimuel, left, and Nov. 20, 2010. (AP Photo/Tim Larsen) Michael, and his mother Dionisia, right. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)