Thursday 1st March, 2012 78th Battle of the Saints Coaches optimistic of a result oriented clash BY REEMUS FERNANDO bringing back memories of his good batting performance of the past big The coaches of St. Joseph’s match. College, Darley Road and St. Peter’s While stressing the importance of College, Bambalapitiya are looking going for a result, Ramanayake was forward to a result oriented clash hopeful that spinner Supeshala when the two school teams meet in Jayathilaka would use his reserved the annual cricket Big Match at P. energy to trouble Petes. “We did not Sara grounds on Friday and Saturday. burden him much during the season Despite collapsing for low scores as he was also attending Sri Lanka on a couple of occasions and conced- Under-19 training. He will be ready to ing a defeat once this season, Keerthi deliver at the Big Match,” said Gunaratne believes that his team has Ramanayake. enough firepower to pull off a victory The annual encounter has pro- Sachin Tendulkar and said that his team would come up duced two results during the last four with a positive frame of mind for the years after a long phase of draws that 78th edition of this annual encounter. bored the series. The results pro- Sachin Tendulkar “We may have failed on a couple of duced during recent times have occasions. But we have enough mate- increased the spectator interest in the named in India rial to fight for a result. We are keen ‘Battle of the Saints’ and the two on fighting for a result,” Gunaratne Dilan Ramanayake Keerthi Gunaratne teams are entrusted with that task of told The Island. (Milantha). Getting rid of them early keeping that interest alive. The annu- squad for Asia Cup While he banked on bowlers led Petes line up to bring the Rev Fr M.J. is important if we are to win,” Dilan al Big Matches have often ended in MUMBAI, India (AP) — Indian selectors by spinner Julian de Zilva to deliver Le Goc Memorial Trophy back to Ramanayake, the coach of St. dull draws due to negative batting included Sachin Tendulkar in a 15-member twenty wickets to pull of a victory, Darley Road. Joseph’s told The Island. St. Peter’s and this time around Joes and Petes squad named Wednesday for the four-nation his opposite number had already “We are certainly going to target skipper Shehan Fernando has scored can find out whether are they differ- Asia Cup tournament to be held in Dhaka from planned targeting key batsmen in the Shehan (Fernando) and Lahiru over 1000 runs this season and is ent from others. March 11-22. Tendulkar has been struggling to get big scores as he targets an unprecedented 100th international century, although he may get a Springboks dealt blow ahead Badminton disciplinary crack at the milestone before the Asia Cup if India makes next week’s best-of-three final of the ongoing tri-series in Australia. of Hong Kong Rugby Sevens Tendulkar, who has been choosy in playing South Africa have been dealt a committee member responds ODIs, was picked despite managing only 143 blow ahead of the 2012 Hong Kong runs in seven innings in the tri-series which Sevens as Mark Richards has also features Sri Lanka. been ruled out for up to two to ‘The Island’ article months after surgery to repair a Hard-hitting opener Virender Sehwag and torn shoulder muscle. y attention is drawn to the news item on the pace bowler Zaheer Khan do not figure in the The Springbok Sevens are cur- Sports page of The Island of 20th Feb. 2012 Asia Cup squad because of injuries. rently third in the HSBC Sevens Munder the headline ‘Disciplinary Inquiry Sehwag has scored only 65 runs in his last World Series, 16 points behind against Achini and Upuli’. five one-day innings after also showing indiffer- leaders New Zealand, and their I take exception to the statement purported to ent form in a preceding test series in Australia hopes of winning a first Hong but chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth Kong Sevens title may also be have been made by the President SLBA as stated in affected by other injuries. the news item...... said form was not a consideration for leaving Kyle Brown might miss the Basnayaka added that the players had missed the him out. next two tournaments in Hong Uganda Open Championship and the Iran Fajir “Sehwag and Zaheer have been rested due Kong and Japan because of injury International because the inquiry was in progress to injuries,” Srikkanth told reporters without as the Blitzbokke skipper is strug- ..... elaborating on the injuries. “It has been done gling to shrug of a shoulder prob- The SLBA had decided to withdraw Achini`s and on the basis of reports from the physiothera- lem and his troublesome knee is a pist and there need not be any speculation in further cause for concern. Upuli`s entry to Iran tournament the very evening Boom Prinsloo is currently the D.I Committee was called to sit for the first time this regard.” to conduct the inquiry. That is on the evening of the Srikkanth said there was no need to panic A South African player mingles 30th Jan. 2012. despite India’s stuttering form since the World The teams in their respective pools Thus our inquiry could not have had any impact Cup victory at home last April. Pool A-Samoa, England, Argentina, Kenya with fans at last year’s Hong Kong Sevens on Achini and Upuli`s non participation at the Iran “We had a dream run recently during which Pool B-New Zealand, South Africa, Wales, United States tournament. we were the top test side and also won the Chase Minnaar will accompany Pool C-Fiji, Australia, Scotland, France the SA Sevens Academy team to I have chronologically traced the process of the World Cup, but we have not done well in Pool D- Tonga, Uruguay, Hong Kong, China an international tournament D.I Committee and its final report in the letter I sent England and Australia after that,” Srikkanth Pool E-Canada, Spain, Zimbabwe, Philippines, which takes place this weekend in to the Secretary SLBA. said. “In England, we had a lot of injuries but I Pool F- Portugal, Russia, Japan, Guyana Zimbabwe. The SLBA has made the D.I. Committee the scape- was expecting the team to win the test series in The Hong Kong tournament is goat to cover up their failings and manoeuvres to Australia.” William Small-Smith also re- from 23 to 25 March and the Japan deny Achini and Upuli the chance to play in Iran The Indian cricket team has been criticized event from 31 March to 1 April awaiting further results from a joined the squad yesterday after and other tournaments to follow. for crashing to humiliating 4-0 test defeats in specialist after hurting his neck and South Africa will face match- he missed the previous two out- With malice to none. England and Australia but Srikkanth said the in Las Vegas three weeks ago ings due to South Africa Under-20 es with Wales, USA and leaders Yours Truly ODI team looked settled. whilst Chris Dry is also nursing a duties. New Zealand in Pool B in round knee injury. Coach Paul Treu is taking no six. S.H.Kumarasinghe “We have not done too badly in ODIs and On the bright side, utility chances and has already added SA Treu’s side have not won a Cup Member of the Badminton Disciplinary are in with a chance even now in Australia,” he Cornal Hendricks will most likely U20’s Kevin Luiters to his train- title this season - their best tour- Committee added. recover in time from his shoulder ing group as a precautionary nament was on home soil in Port And Retired Principal, Middle-order batsman Virat Kohli, who Elizabeth when they finished run- niggle while Pieter Engelbrecht is measure. Royal College, Colombo-07 smashed a superb 133 not out Tuesday against now finally over his long term ners-up to Gordon Tietjens’ side. Engelbrecht, MJ Mentz and 117/1, Niyandagala Road, Pannipitiya Sri Lanka to help India finish with a bonus ankle problem. (www.irb.com) point that kept it in contention for the final of the tri-series, has been named vice-captain ahead of Gautam Gambhir. Allrounder Yusuf Pathan and pace bowler Delayed start to Lumbini-St.Benedict’s match Ashok Dinda returned to a squad that includes 12 of the 17 players currently in Australia. Lumbini College posted 140 for (Damith Priyadharshana 57, Raffan Under-19 Cricket (Danush Lakmal 31, Dilshan de Soysa Another seamer, Umesh Yadav, was rested. seven wickets at close against St. Mannan 25; Yohan Soyza 3/47, Dilan 37, Samith Priyamihiran 33, India squad: Benedict’s College on day one of their Angelo 2/36) wickets to restrict Revata College to Hishantha Lakshan 25; Ashan Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat last Under-19 tournament encounter 225 runs in their last Under-19 tour- Madusanka 5/34) Kohli, Suresh Raina, Manoj Tiwary, Rohit which commenced late due to a wet Madusanka takes five wickets nament encounter which commenced Sharma, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), wicket at Kotahena yesterday. St. Aloysius’ College, Galle were at Ratgama yesterday. St. Aloysius’ 79 for 2 at stumps in Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, Scores: 79 for two wickets at close after Scores: 40 overs (B. Samarakoon 19, Deshan Ravichandran Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Lumbini 140 for 7 in 48 overs Ashan Madusanka picked up five Revata 225 all out in 61 overs Ashan 27, R.