Boxing Coaching Camp at Badulla a Cricket Stadium Plus an Indoor Training Center for Kegalle
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Thursday 3rd August, 2006 11 What a Test Match by Rex Clementine hose who witnessed the first Test Match between Sri TLanka and South Africa at the Singhalese Sports Club ground in Colombo will proudly claim that they were fortunate to witness a historic game. There was sensational batting by the Sri Lankan duo of Mahela Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene were involved in a World Record partnership in the first Test. Pic by Eranga Jayawardene (AP) Jayawardene and Kumar 27 Sangakkara, who batted without Boucher having made 287 and the hander early. Sangakkara was and then picked up two more balls and the Sri Lankans were being separated for almost two hundred whacking a full toss for full days, breaking many a World partnership was finally broken dropped by Jacques Rudolph wickets in the afternoon session. causing problems again. six, his third overall and the sec- after almost two days of batting before he had got into double fig- Farveez Maharoof, picked ahead After tea, Jayawardene opted Record in the process. When bats- ond against South Africa. At close men dominate in such a manner much to the relief of the tourists. ures off Dale Steyn and in the of leg-spinner Malinga Bandara, for the second new ball and in a on day two, Jayawardene was When Jayawardene got to 341 same over was bowled off a no also picked up two wickets while strange move threw the ball to on a flat track, the game eventual- unbeaten on 224 with Sangakkara ly ends in a draw but not this one. by cutting A.B. de Villiers to deep ball. Muttiah Muralitharan caused Muralitharan to bowl the second on 229 and the South Africans had point he became the highest run Sri Lanka had lost the openers much damage picking up four for over and to the surprise of many Jayawardene and Sangakkara spent one full day without getting had scored at such a rapid pace scorer for Sri Lanka in an innings cheaply with just 14 runs on the 41 in 18.2 miserly overs. he struck with the second ball he a wicket. going past Jayasuriya. He also board and if Sangakkara also had The only batsman to show any bowled trapping de Villiers leg that Sri Lanka had more than two On the third morning, went past some of the all time departed it would have been easi- resistance was the young A.B. de before wicket. days to bowl out South Africa and Jayawardene took a more positive greats of the game like Sir Don ly 30 for three. But the reprieve Villiers, generally an opener de Captain Ashwel Prince and despite the wicket offering no role with Sangakkara playing sec- assistance whatsoever, Muttiah Bradman, Sir Len Hutton and Sir was too costly at the end. Villiers had been forced to bat in Boucher ensured they wouldn’t ond fiddle. Garfield Sobers but with just one It was a poor batting display by the middle order due to the Muralitharan proved his class Soon he surpassed his previ- lose anymore wickets finishing picking up his 54th five wicket short of edging pass Lara’s 375; South Africa’s top order in their requirements of the team. He day four on 311 for four. ous best score in Tests, 242 scored the Sri Lankan captain conceded first innings after winning the haul. scored the only half-century in Sri Lanka had to take six wick- against India at the same venue. the first mistake of his marathon toss on a good batting track. the innings, 65 in 72 balls with Sri Lanka eventually won by Sangakkara also established his ets on the final day and had to knock which brought about his The SSC wicket always has eight fours. Six South Africans an innings and 153 runs with a best Test score going past his pre- remove Prince, who was batting downfall. something for seam bowlers in failed to get into double figures. session to go but the victory was vious best of 270 against so well early. Muralitharan foxed Andre Nel had failed to take a the first hour and the tourists had South Africa began their sec- overshadowed by the amazing Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in 2004 the South African skipper in the wicket for six sessions in the Test done all the hard work to see off ond innings with a daunting task batting feat of Sangakkara and and Sri Lanka posted their high- second over of the morning with Jayawardene who established a Match and with Jayawardene just the new ball without losing a requiring to make a mammoth est Test score against South a delivery that turned slightly new World Record for the best a few runs away from reaching a wicket with Andrew Hall and 587 to avoid innings defeat and Africa in Tests. away from the left-hander after he partnership in Test cricket. They grand milestone he produced a Herschel Gibbs doing a good job had to bat for over two days to Soon after breaking the World delivery that kept a bit low and in the first hour. had made 61. added 624 runs for the third wick- Record for the highest partner- save the Test. et, a record for any wicket in Tests jagged back in and he was bowled In fact they were 78 for two at Their first target was to not to Muralitharan picked up three ship in Tests the pair also estab- on 374. He had batted for over 12 lunch with Rudolph and Hashim more wickets in the second and beat the previous record of lished the best partnership in lose any wickets on the third day 576 established by the Sri Lankan hours, which spoke a lot about his Amla, both of whom had scored where 15 overs were bowled and innings and finished with six for first class cricket which had stood concentration prowess and in the in excess of 150 in South Africa’s 131 and ended with a match bag of pair of Sanath Jayasuriya and for 59 years. In 1947, Vijay Hazare in the absence of Gibbs, who was Roshan Mahanama nine years process faced 572 balls hitting 43 only warm up game at the crease. forced out of opening the innings ten for 172, the 17th time he has and Gul Mohammad had scored fours and a six. But the afternoon session was a ago at R. Premadasa Stadium. due to a stomach complaint, taken ten or more wickets in a 577 runs in a first class game for Now he stands as the fourth sort of a disaster as South Africa Sangakkara made 287 while Rudolph opened with Hall. They Test. Baroda against Holkar and the highest run scorer in a Test crick- lost eight wickets in one session Jayawardene was dismissed on did well to reach 43 without losing Jayasuriya picked up the wick- Sri Lankans became the first pair et behind Lara’s 400*, 375 and and were bowled out for 169. 374, just 26 runs short of Brian in Test or first class cricket to be a wicket. et of Boucher after he had made Lara’s World Record for the best Matthew Hayden’s 380. Sri Lanka were without 85 and Lasith Malinga cleaned involved in a partnership in At Jayawardene’s dismissal, The pair also saw off the first individual score. Chaminda Vaas for the Test and things up removing last man excess of 600 runs. Sri Lanka declared with the score in his absence Dilhara Fernando session of the fourth day taking The whole of Colombo cele- In the afternoon, Jayawardene South Africa’s score past the 150 Makaya Ntini for 16 as South brated the moment when the part- on 756 for five, their second high- did well keeping things tight. became the second Sri Lankan to est total in Tests and sixth overall Fernando was dropped for Sri mark and both batsmen reached Africa were bowled out for 434. nership was broken on Saturday score 300 runs in a Test Match their half-centuries. But in the Jayawardene was named the evening. in the history of the game. Lanka’s tour of England after he when he hit an exquisite cover His partnership with failed to overcome no ball prob- second session, Sri Lanka hit Man of the Match as Sri Lanka Sangakkara’s 287 was his Test drive off Andrew Hall. back claiming three wickets. went one up in the series winning highest score and the fourth dou- Sangakkara cost South Africa lems, but in South Africa’s first South Africa finally had some Rudolph was gone ten short of a the Test by an innings and 153 ble hundred in his career while dearly and would have certainly innings he bowled admirably not success when Sangakkara nicked well deserved hundred while Hall runs, their biggest win against Jayawardene got to his double hurt them as the tourists had the conceding a single extra. Hall to wicketkeeper Mark chance of getting rid of the left- He accounted for the openers was out for 64. Amla lasted only 16 the tourists in Test cricket. Kumar Sangakkara Boxing coaching camp at Badulla and Mahela Jayawardene, who Text & Picture by T. Rajah — our were involved in a Badulla sports correspondent World Record part- Sri Lanka Amateur Boxing Association conducted a three- nership, were day Boxing coaching camp awarded two cars organised by the Badulla Police by Sri Lanka was conducted at the Badulla Cricket soon after New Library hall from recently.