Thursday 17th February, 2011

BY LAL GUNESEKERA Thuhashini has served on the AWGA Former national Board of Directors amateur champion and since January 2010. She teenaged sensation has been on the coach- Thuhashini ing staff of Xavier Sanga seeks personal improvement Selvaratnam is going College Preparatory great guns in the state High School for the past of Arizona, in the five years and held the United States of position of Assistant America (USA). She cre- Coach for four years ated history by being and in 2010 was promot- named Player of the ed to Head Golf Coach. Year (2010) by the Xavier’s finished 2010 as in his third World Cup Arizona Women’s Golf the state runners-up Association (AWGA) for and remain unbeaten game against Canada as he the 10th consecutive since 1997 as the region- was supposed to travel to year. al champions – Xavier Bangladesh on Wednesday Tui, as she is popu- College Preparatory and return home after larly known in Arizona, also holds the record for Friday’s Opening Ceremony the most consecutive led with a total of 1822 Thuhashini Selvaratnam in Dhaka and will immedi- points, while her near- matches won at 155. ately travel to Hambantota to catch up with his team-mates ahead of Sunday’s game. “The Manager and I will Thuhashini Selvaratnam be going to Dhaka. We are leaving tomorrow and will be back on the 18th and will going great guns in Arizona be flying to Hambantota. It’s going to be a hectic couple of est competitor was over 500 points Her job as coach and mentor to days before the first game, behind. She established her compe- young women golfers along with her but that’s something the ICC tence as a golfer and continues to be own accomplishments on the course expects us to do,” he said. renowned in Arizona amateur golf emphasizes her commitment to the sport. Her ongoing participation in Batting second at R. with her focus, skill and consistency in local, state and national tourna- major golf events is an inspiration to Premadasa Stadium has ments and has been tagged as a legend those around her. Although some may been a challenging task in in the history of women’s amateur golf think she has natural talent, she is no the last four years or so, but in the state of Arizona. stranger to hard work and practice, after the were Thuhashini’s achievements last which has resulted in her long term relayed, Sangakkara said year (2010) includes the AWGA State status as a champion golfer. there was a marked improve- Amateur Match Play Championship, The awards ceremony of the AWGA ment. “The was much AWGA Four-Ball Stroke-Play was held on January 26 at the better than we expected it to Championship with her partner, Wildhorse Pass Hotel. be. They put a lot of work Phoenic City Championship, medalist Thuhashini is listed in the Guiness Book of World Records in 1989 as the in. When we started three in the AWGA State Amateur Match Play Championship and the Tucson youngest player at 12 years of age to weeks ago, they asked us not City Women’s Amateur Championship. win a national title. Among the Asian to play any on this so Her national accomplishments titles she has won are the Epson that they could prepare the include qualifying for the US Women’s Saujana Ladies’ Open, Singapore wickets and that hard work Amateur Public Championship, Ladies’ Amateur Championship, Hong has paid off. There’s good Women’s Western Championship Kong Ladies’ Open Championship, bounce, enough turn and all (played to round of 32), North/South China Ladies’ Open Championship, Kumar Sangakkara hopes for a better World Cup with the bat. in all a good track to bat Amateur Chamiopnship at Pinehurst, Thailand Ladies’ Open Championship, on.” NC (qualified to match play and played Philippine Ladies’ Open BY REX CLEMENTINE World Cup, the Sri Lankan batted at number nine, seven He also said that the to round 64), Women’s Trans National Championship, All-India Ladies’ Open Championship, Emirates Ladies’ Open said he’s hoping for and five. When you are more team needed to improve in championship (played to round of 32) and qualifying for the USGA Women’s Championship as well as winning the umar Sangakkara an improved performance in settled in the line up it gets a certain areas particularly Mid-Am Championship (played to Sri Lanka Open Amateur Ladies’ was more than once his third World Cup. bit easier, but there is always giving away too many runs round of 32). Championship on four occasions. Kofficially ranked as His World Cup average – room for improvement. I just in the first 15 overs. world’s best batsman and he 30:94, is way below the want to kick on and do as “Preparation wise there is has been held in high esteem career average of 36:86 and well as I can, score as many still a lot of work to be done among contemporary crick- in 21 World Cup matches the runs and keep wickets as although we don’t have England given Cheema scare before 16 run win eters. In World Cups, howev- Sri Lankan captain has man- well and make sure my con- much time. The first 15 er, Sangakkara has been less aged just four half-centuries. tribution on the field adds overs today were not good BY RUSSELL PALIPANE 39 runs. than impressive and address- “You always want to do value to the team,” enough. For World Cup Earlier, England won the toss and ing journalists after Sri well in big tournaments and Sangakkara said. cricket we need to make sure England were given a Rizwan were bowled out for 243 in 49. 4 overs. Cheema scare by Canada’s middle order Matt Prior top scored for England Lanka beat West Indies in in big games. This is my The Sri Lankan captain that we are focused. We can’t bat who hammered a 70 ball 93 which with 78 in 80 balls and hit one six and their final warm up game third World Cup. In my first will have a hectic schedule allow 100 runs off the first included five sixes and 10 fours before four boundaries. ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa I ahead of his team’s first 11 or 12 overs.” his team was dismissed for 227, handing The only other batsman to score England a 16 run victory in a World cup more than 50 was J. Trott who made 52 warm-up match at the Osman Ali in 81 balls. He had four fours in his Stadium in Fatulla, in Bangladesh, on innings. Wednesday. This was England's first official India pile up Paceman Stuart Broad was England’s warm-up game going into the World saviour as he captured five wickets for Cup. 360 runs against ICC seeks ruling on Butt’s TV job for World Cup DUBAI, United Arab Emirates ing “we are not satisfied with this (AP) - ICC chief executive Haroon appointment.” New Zealand Lorgat wants the tribunal that banned Butt was given a 10-year ban with Salman Butt for five years for corrup- five years suspended for his role in a CHENNAI, India (AP) - man with a slow- tion to determine if his new job as a tel- spot-fixing scandal that also resulted in India captain Mahendra Singh er ball in the eighth over. evision commentator breaches the bans for two teammates earlier this Dhoni hammered an unbeaten Fellow opener Virender terms of the suspended part of his sen- month. century and Gautam Gambhir Sehwag (23) soon followed, tence. Butt has since been hired by a added 89 as the World Cup co- clean bowled by Jacob Oram, Lorgat said Wednesday in an Pakistan television station to work as a hosts rattled up a remarkable to leave the home side on 42-2 International Cricket Council statement pundit for the World Cup, which starts 360-5 against New Zealand in a at M. A. Chidambaram warm-up match on Stadium. that he has written to the tribunal, say- Saturday. Wednesday. But a run of blistering per- India got off to a faltering formances from Virat Kohli start with the eagerly-awaited (59), Dhoni, who struck 108 off Under-19 Schools Cricket innings of the world’s top 64 balls, and Gambhir gave batsman Sachin Tendulkar India a vice-like grip on the ending after only 17 runs match, India’s second World Suranga cracks unbeaten when he was bowled by pace- Cup warmup outing after defeating Australia on Sunday. India’s captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni bats during an ICC It was just the response Cricket World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand in 207 in 130 balls SCOREBOARD Dhoni had hoped for after the Chennai, India, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011. skipper lamented the middle- BY REEMUS FERNANDO India Inninngs (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) In reply, Thomians had Virender Sehwag b Oram 23 order’s flop against Devananda College cap- scored 150 for eight wickets at Australia. Sachin Tendulkar b Southee 17 neck speed with the century After Gambhir’s depar- tain Sham Suranga has close. Dhoni and partnership coming up in a ture, it was Dhoni and Raina G. Gambhir c How b Southee 89 scored an unbeaten 207 runs V. Kohli c McCullum b Oram 59 added 124 runs at a break- mere 45 balls as they all the way as they pulver- in just 130 balls according to Scores: M.S. Dhoni not out 108 wrought havoc ized the bowlers - Dhoni S. Raina c Taylor b Mills 50 with New memorably striking seven reports received, for his Devananda 363 for 9 decl in Yusuf Pathan not out 3 Zealand’s bowling fours in a row. team to post 363 for nine 51.2 overs (Akila de Silva 21, Extras: 11 (4lb, 7w) attack. Such was the dominance wickets declared against St. Sham Suranga 207n.o, Rishika TOTAL: (for five wickets) 360 The fast- of the Indian batsmen that Thomas’ College, Kotte in Theekshana 41, Randima Overs: 50 improving Kohli the final 16 overs brought 193 their Under-19 match which Vidyaratne 48; D.K. Silva 2/49, kept the innings runs. Fall of wickets: 1-35, 2-42, 3- commenced at Darren Ebert 3/135, N.M. Perera going with his 68- For New Zealand, led by Sham Suranga 148, 4-216, 5-340 Ambalangoda yesterday. 3/116) Bowling: 10-1-81-1 ball 59 which in Daniel Suranga has scored 17 St. Thomas’ 150 for 8 at close (4w), Tim Southee 10-1-67-2, included seven Vettori’s absence, Southee Jacob Oram 9-1-70-2 (2w), boundaries and and Oram were the most suc- fours and 15 sixes in his knock and has in 47 overs (Yohan Kulathunga 71, M.S. added 106 with cessful bowlers with two James Franklin 2-0-17-0, Nathan combined for two fruitful partnerships Perera 19; Mahesh Sanjeewa 2/32, Gambhir before wickets apiece, while the McCullum 10-0-61-0, Luke with Rishika Theekshana (109 for the Sham Suranga 2/44, Charith Sudaraka he fell, chasing a spinners Nathan McCullum Woodcock 5-0-31-0 (1w), Scott 5th wicket) and Randima Vidyaratne 3/28) wide and Luke Woodcock failed to Styris 4-0-29-0. from Oram. make an impression. (147 for the 9th wicket). (See page 14 for more Schools Cricket)

Published by Upali Newspapers (Private) Limited, 223, Bloemendhal Road, Colombo 13 and Printed at 195/187, High Level Road, Homagama on Thursday 17th February, 2011