Tuesday 28th October 2008 15 Letter SL look to ‘Fab Four’ for title defence Four of the players who over the past 16 years include Mahela helped Sri Lanka to their maid- Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, en Hong Kong Cricket Sixes tri- Steve and Mark Waugh, Sir Viv umph last year have been Richards, Andrew Flintoff, included in the team that will Adam Gilchrist, Aravinda de Money at any defend the title next week. Silva and Wasim Akram. Captain Indika De Saram - The tournament is organ- the hero of Sri Lanka’s stun- ised and promoted by the Hong cost seems to ning final victory over the All- Kong Cricket Association’s Stars - will lead the team once commercial arm, China more. Cricket International Limited. be their motto! He will be joined by three The HKCA’s proceeds from Living cricketing legends of a other members of the victori- the Sixes will be ploughed bygone era, Michael Tissera, Anura ous 2007 squad, Jeewantha directly back into cricket devel- Tennakoon, Roy Dias, Duleep Mendis, Kulatunga, Dilhara opment in Hong Kong. Indika de Saram Jeewantha Kulatunga Dilhara Lokuhettige Kaushalya Weeraratne Rumesh Ratnayaka, Ranjan Lokuhettige and Kaushalya Madugalle, Sidat Wettimuny, Weeraratne. Squads: part by dismissing Craig Lanka), Justin Langer Indies with the fastest World Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna The three newcomers Sri Lanka: Indika de Ranatugna, to name a few, played at a include talented all-rounder McMillan - the Player of the (Australia), Stephen Fleming Cup century in history. Saram (Captain), Jeewantha Tournament - with the first ball (New Zealand) and Matthew “It should be a great experi- time when money played no role, in Gayan Wijekoon, who played Kulatunga, Dilhara this ‘Gentleman’s Game’. for his country at Test level and in the All-Stars innings. Hoggard (England). ence for our team,” said Lokuhettige, Kaushalya Sri Lanka went on to win by The Bradman Group con- Davison. Yet, their brilliance in the cricket- in last year’s Twenty20 World Weeraratne, Gayan Wijekoon, ing fields won the hearts of all lovers Championship in South Africa. 16 runs for their first Sixes suc- tains India, Pakistan, England “We’ve got some very good Chinthaka Jayasinghe and cess in 11 attempts. and South Africa. up and coming cricketers in of the game. If you compare them “It’s a strong squad, packed Muthumudalige with most of the present Sri Lankan with experience, and they’re The 2008 Hong Kong Cricket Australia have chosen a our side and it will be a fantas- Pushpakumara. Sixes will be staged at the squad containing some of the tic experience for them to trav- cricketers, they were streets ahead of bringing back players with a Hong Kong: Manoj them. proven track record at the Kowloon Cricket Club on 8-9 country’s most promising el to Hong Kong and play Cheruparambil (Captain), November. young cricketers, including against some talented opposi- Today, this game has been commer- Sixes,” said tournament direc- Najeeb Amar, Hussain Butt, cialised, and as such lost much of its tor Mark Burns. “They are Sri Lanka have been drawn Michael Hill, who captained tion from around the world.” Monir Dar, Irfan Ahmed, in the Sobers Group together Australia’s U-19 ICC World Cup The Hong Kong Cricket glamour. Today, money comes before going to be very difficult to Nadeem Ahmed and Phil the game or country; it has been beat.” with the 2008 All-Stars, team last year. Sixes is fully sanctioned by the Pemberton. Australia and Hong Kong. The squad will be led by International Cricket Council reduced to just a money spinner. Most De Saram scored a tourna- Australia: John Davison of the present Sri Lankan cricketers ment high of 40 not out, when This year’s All-Stars team player-coach John Davison, and is the sport’s longest-run- (Captain), Brendan Drew, John will include Test greats who hit the headlines in 2003 ning, best-established and most hail from the deep south, or the big Sri Lanka recorded an impos- Hastings, Michael Hill, city. Most of them are from ordinary ing 127-3 in last year’s final. Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West when, playing for his native high-profile sixes tournament. Stephen O’Keefe, Nathan Indies), Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Canada, he stunned the West Players who have taken part middle class families, who never in Lokuhettige then played his Reardon and David Warner. their wildest dreams would have imagined that they would be million- aires. No one would grudge their good Sri Lanka to host South fortune. But the irony is that the sen- ior players, who have been in the Maliyadeva clinch Singer game for well over a decade, and are Asian Beach Games in their 30s still want to hang on to Sri Lanka will host the the game, without giving the talented first ever South Asian Beach youngsters who are on the wings the opportunity to enter the big league, Games next year, the Sevens U-20 Trophy mainly due to the greed for more Secretary of the Sports money. These seniors, who have Ministry S. Liyanagama told Text and pix by M. Farook Lantra received this fabulous amount of our sister paper Divaina at money, on a platter, a sum that could the conclusion of the first last them a lifetime, are still, like ever Asian Beach Games in The Maliyadeva College, Oliver Twist, asking for more. Bali on Sunday. Kurunegala, clinched the In this scenario, what is most Liyanagama said that fac- Singer Sevens Trophy beating amusing is that some of these present tors like weather and sea con- St. Sebastian’s College, players are in the pay of advertising ditions will determine in Kandana, in grand style, by 20 firms, who make use of them to boost which month the island will points (four tries) to nil, in the their sales and these players respond host the games. All Island Inter Schools Div 11 for the sake of wealth. It is sickening The Games will include Seven-a-Side tournament to see the captain and his deputy, on five disciplines and the staged at the Public Grounds, the TV screen, in an advertisement, at Sports Ministry is intending Panadura, on October 25 and the fall of a wicket, boosting the sale to use the southern beaches 26. of Coca Cola, in an utterly boyish of the country for the pur- marathon, swimming, sailing The skipper of Maliyadeva College, S. A. S. Subasingha receives The Devans played an manner. It is unbecoming of National pose. and surfing teams that took the Singer Sevens Trophy from the guest of honour, K. D. S. excellent run and pass game to cricketers of their repute. A case in point is the much educated vice cap- Meanwhile, the Sri part in the Bali games will Kanishka, Promotions Manager, Singer Sri Lanka Ltd. Also in plant four tries. tain, with a good family background Lankan beach volleyball, leave Indonesia tomorrow. the picture are; Gamini Sarathchandra, Vice President, SLRFA The Sebastianites, who who hails from an elite school in the and Rohitha Indunil Sooriyaarachchi, Secretary, SLSRFA. played up to expectations right hills. throughout the tournament, It is surprising that brilliant crick- did not fare well in the final, eters like Murali and Sanath are in Sigamoney Pillai’s since they were guilty of not the same camp. As for Lasith Malinga, feeding the ball to the three one should leave a large margin for quarters. goldilocks; he is a raw lad from the funeral today The try scorers for the deep south, who, with his fantastic Devans were Sandun Herath, feat of bowling, where he claimed Former Xaverian soccerite which was under the purview Hasitha Ratnayaka, four wickets in four balls in the William Sigamoney Pillai of the Rectors, Rev. Fr. D. Chathuranga Mendis and Caribbean, suddenly found himself in passed away on October 25 Baldarelli and Fr. Clement Damith Hettige. the timelight of international cricket. after a brief illness at the age Marri. He was also the The Plate was won by up The latest to jump the bandwagon of 82. President of the OBA of St. and coming Richmond is the magical spinner of the ball, As a schoolboy soccerite, Xavier’s College, from 1998. College, Galle, who easily beat Ajantha Mendis. Let’s hope his he brought glory to St. His funeral will take place Hindu College, Colombo, by 19 remarkable success in the game so Xavier’s College and the today at Nuwara Eliya. The skipper of Richmond College, A. C. Akalanga receives the points to 7, while the Bowl was early in his career would not go too Nuwara Eliya District teams Cortege will leave resi- Plate trophy from Dr. K. A. D. Punniyadesa, President, SLSRFA. won by Sri Sumangala much into his head. The bottom line in the late 40s and was hon- dence at 10.00 a.m. today, for is that the interest of the seniors in College, Kandy, who beat oured many a time. After leav- burial at the Roman Catholic the team are focused on the goldmine Devapathiraja College, ing St. Xavier’s College in cemetery, Nuwara Eliya, after — the IPL. Rathgama, Galle by 17 points 1943, he joined the Old the Holy Mass at St Xavier’s Skipper Mahela Jayawardene Xaverian’s football team Church. to 5. showed little interest in the two More than 250 participants match Test series to he played early from 24 schools took part in next year on English soil, one of the tournament which was which is or was to be played at Lord’s, Sri Lanka ‘A’ 309 for seven sponsored by Singer Sri Lanka a happy hunting ground for Mahela.