Tuesday 10th November, 2009

Sri Lanka begin campaign in Hambantota against Canada Tindill reaches new milestone WELLING- TON, New Zealand (AP) - New Zealander Eric Tindill World Cup added a new item to an unparal- leled list of sport- ing achievements over the weekend when he became the world’s longest-living Schedule Test cricketer, as Eric Tindill, who at well as the oldest 95 is the oldest liv- living All Blacks ing Test Cricketer, Rugby player. as well as the oldest Tindill, who living All Blacks lives with his Rugby player. He daughter Molly has a little more to in suburban do to become the Announced Wellington, longest-living test achieved the of February 2011 in rugby player. That milestone when honor belongs to Hambantota. They will he turned 98 Scotland’s Mac play Pakistan on the 26th of years, 325 days, Henderson, who February at R. Premadasa surpassing the died earlier this year Stadium. record of aged 101. Hambantota will also host England’s the game between Pakistan Francis MacKinnon who died in 1947. and Kenya. Pallekelle, mean- The former wicketkeeper-batsman while will host ’s played five Tests for New game against Zimbabwe on the Zealand between 1937 and 1947. He also played test rugby for New 10th of March. Zealand, making a single test appear- The Sri Lankans will play only ance against England in 1936. he is the one of their first round games away only New Zealander to play test from home – the match against New matches in both sports. Zealand, which Mumbai will host on But Tindill didn’t stop there. He the 18th of March. Three more first also was a referee in test rugby and an round games, against Australia, umpire in , achieving a Pakistan and Kenya will be played at R. distinction which is unlikely ever to be matched. by Rex Clementine Premadasa Stadium with the thriller against the Aussies scheduled for the 5th of He has a little more to do to become the longest-living test rugby March. player. That honor belongs to The International Cricket Council yes- The 2011 edition of the tournament Scotland’s Mac Henderson, who died terday announced the schedule for the 2011 will be similar to the competition earlier this year aged 101. Cricket World Cup to be co-hosted by Sri that took place in the sub-continent Lanka, India and Bangladesh. in 1996 where straight after the Of the 12 games that Sri Lanka are to first round, teams played quar- host, new venues Hambantota and ter-finals. Subsequent tourna- Funeral of Mecci Pallekelle will host two and three games ments in 1999, 2003 and 2007 respectively while R. Premadasa Stadium contained Super Six or Macan Markar today in will host as many as seven Super Eight rounds The funeral of Mecci Macan games including one quarter-final and a which meant that the Markar, the Patron of Saracens Sports semi-final. tournament dragged on. Club will be held today. Mr. Markar, a Sri Lanka, the finalists of the 2007 edi- The 2011 tournament will stalwart of Saracens Sports Club held tion of the tournament are pooled in last exactly for six weeks where 49 matches various positions at the club and was Group ‘A’ alongside defending champions will be worked off. The tournament will get hosting 29 matches with Bangladesh stag- the Patron when he passed away. He Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, underway on the 19th of February with ing eight games. The three countries will was also the Managing Director of Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya. In Group India taking on co-hosts Bangladesh in utilize 13 venues during the high profile Macan Markar Limited. ‘B’ are India, South Africa, England, West . Sri Lanka will play Canada the event. His remains lie at 26, Galle Face Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and very next day.The final will be played in The amount of teams participating in Courts, Colombo-3 and funeral will Netherlands. Mumbai on the 2nd of April. 2011 has been reduced to 14 from the 16 take place at Kopiyawatta Burial The 1996 World Champions will begin While Sri Lanka will host 12 games, teams that took part in 2007 in the West Grounds at 8:30 am today. their campaign against Canada on the 20th India has got a large share of the games Indies.

with the sort of video analy- way. He’s a very important sis available. You have to player and we hope he can Sri Lanka look to work harder later on,” he replicate that performance,” said. the Lanka said. Lankan mystery bowler Sangakkara said his team Ajantha Mendis had troubled had two -keeping break India jinx most of the top Indian bats- options in number one India would be under Sangakkara said the has given his team a lot of men when the last series Prasanna Jayawardene and pressure to maintain their Lankan new ball attack may options in both and between the two outfits was Kaushal Silva and hoped his home record of not losing a be an inexperienced one, but and they can even held in Sri Lanka. squad would settle down very single Test to Sri Lanka in that may turn out to be an think of including all three Sangakkara praised left- soon ahead of the first Test in their previous 14 encounters, advantage. spinners in the eleven if arm spinner Ahmedabad commencing on reckons Sri Lankan captain “Sometimes inexperience needed. for the progress he has made November 16. . is good. Maybe the Indian “It’s a great option to have recently, especially in the “Kaushal Silva, who is Sangakkara said he and batsmen have not really three spinners with someone series at home against New understudy to Prasanna his team-mates would do played our fast bowlers regu- like who is Zealand and Pakistan where Jayawardene, has scored a everything to break the jinx larly in the longer format of bowling so well. He gives us Sri Lankan cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara reacts during a he outshone not only Mendis huge amount of runs in but the hosts would not be the game. that flexibility as a frontline but also world record-setting domestic cricket. He gives us press conference in Mumbai, India, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. wicket-taker Muttiah an extra option. But we have without any pressure either. “It’s good to have some fast bowler and batsman. It Sangakkara is hoping to become the first Sri Lankan captain to “We have to wait and see experience when you come to frees us one spot if the wicket Muralitharan. to settle down very soon into how India comes out of this a country like India. But shows us that three spinners lead his country to a Test win on Indian soil during the three- “Herath is a great player. a winning combination loss (against Australia), espe- sometimes a fresh perspec- are a possibility,” match series which starts later this month. (AP) He’s a positive guy who tries before the Ahmedabad Test,” cially at home. We are under tive, enthusiasm and right Sangakkara said. three fast bowlers and two that there was no mystery left his heart out. Such a good he said. no pressure. We have not won attitude will also be an added However, he added, that spinners. The Angelo in world cricket with the spinner had to play third fid- They are scheduled to a Test here before and we are bonus,” said the Lanka cap- on a regular basis his team Mathews factor gives us the video analysis that’s avail- dle to Murali and Mendis play the second and third here to change things. The tain. went in with three fast edge of having a proper all- able today. which has made him hungri- Tests at Kanpur and Mumbai pressure is on India to keep Sangakkara said that the bowlers and two spin rounder in the side,” he “Words like mystery are er. Against New Zealand and before clashing with the hosts their home series record presence of a performing all- bowlers. explained. exaggerated. You are a mys- Pakistan he out-bowled in two T20 Internationals and intact,” Sangakkara said. rounder like Angelo Mathews “Most often we like to play Sangakkara maintained tery only in your first series Murali and Mendis by a long a best-of-five ODI series.

Tuesday 10th November, 2009