Thursday 20th August, 2009 Mendis signs Samaraweera’s ton for Hampshire helps SL to 452 Rex Clementine reporting from SCOREBOARD 1st Innings Middle order batsman (Overnight 293 for three) Thilan Samaraweera hit his T. Paranavitana c Mc,llum b Martin 0 tenth Test hundred and his T. Dilshan b O'Brien 92 highest score at home in Tests K. Sangakkara c Flynn b Martin 8 as Sri Lanka posted a strong M. Jayawardene c Taylor b O'Brien 114 452 all out on the second day of T. Samaraweera c Patel b Vettori 159 the first Test against New A. Mathews c McCullum b Vettori 39 Zealand here at the Galle P. Jayawardene c Flynn b Vettori 7 N. Kulasekara c Mc,llum b Martin 18 International Stadium. The T. Thushara c O'Brien b Vettori 0 New Zealanders had little did M. Muralitharan c McClum b Martin 8 not have too many overs to bat A. Mendis 0 before stumps and they did well Extras: (1b, 2lb, 2nb, 2w) 7 to reach 87 for two. The tourists TOTAL: (all out) 452 are trailing by 365 more runs Overs: 117.4 with eight in hand. Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-16, 3-134, 4-300, 5- After more than two hours 386, 6-408, 7-444, 8-444, 9-452, 10-452 of the morning session was lost : Martin 23-5-77-4, O'Brien 21-1- due to rain, New Zealand made 125-2 (2nb,1w), Oram 7-1-25-0, Vettori 37.4- 9-78-4, Patel 24-3-120-0, Ryder 5-1-24-0 (1w) early inroads by seeing the back of , New Zealand 1st Innings who was caught at first slip by T. McIntosh not out 36 to give Ian O’Brien M. Guptill b Thushara 24 his second of the the Sri Lankan lower D. Flynn b Mendis 14 innings. Jayawardene, who on Sri Lanka’s Thilan Samraweera, right, celebrates after completing order. J. Patel not out 6 day one became the joint 10th a century, as teammate Anjelo Mathews looks on during the sec- and Extras: (4b, 3nb) 7 Hampshire have signed Sri most century maker in Test ond day of the first Test match between Sri Lanka and New picked TOTAL: (for two wickets) 87 Lanka’s mystery spinner Ajantha cricket equaling Sir Garfield Zealand in Galle, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009. up four wickets each, Overs:29 Mendis as their overseas player for Sobers and Rahul Dravid, made (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) but weren’t backed up Fall of wickets: 1-45, 2-80 next season. Still to bat: D. Vettori, B. McCullum, R. 114 in 227 deliveries with 15 by the other bowlers, Mendis will replace leg-spinner Taylor, J. Ryder, J. Oram, I. O'Brien, C. Imran Tahir, who is hoping to return boundaries and a six. who leaked too many Martin in 2011. The end of a 166 run stand runs. Bowling: Kulasekera 4-0-21-0, Thushara “Ajantha Mendis is the most excit- for the fourth wicket with his was 8-1-29-1 (3nb), Mendis 11-3-26-1, ing new bowler to explode on to the former didn’t perturb unwell and was not Muralitharan 6-2-7-0 world stage since Shane Warne,” Samaraweera, who exhibited available to bowl and Umpires: D. Harper, (Aus), N. Llong, said Hampshire chairman Rod typical grit and determination to make things worse, (Eng) Bransgrove. in helping Sri Lanka to a very Ian O’Brien and Third Umpire: A. de Silva, (SL) “Anyone fortunate enough to wit- ness his mesmeric effect on batsmen comfortable first innings total. Jeetan Patel were dis- Match Referee: A. Pycroft, (Zim) Toss: Won by New Zealand at this year’s Twenty20 World Cup It was said that Sri Lanka’s appointing, not creat- will eagerly await his arrival in bowling won them the Test ing enough opportuni- English .” series against as the ties. O’Brien came up with the Daniel Flynn for 14 with a few Bransgrove added: “We are par- was found wanting, was taken. He scored just one he scored 14 runs off a Jeetan crucial breakthrough of minutes to go for stumps put ticularly excited that he has decided except in the final Test with run in 27 minutes after the Patel over. Jayawardene early, but he was Sri Lanka slightly ahead in the to join Hampshire, having been several batting collapses put- lunch break, but reached his He was eventually dis- expensive as Sri Lanka scored Test match, but the New courted by a number of counties over the past few months - and he can be ting the Sri Lankans under first hundred in Galle and missed for 159 when he tried to almost six runs an over with Zealanders will take heart assured of a warm welcome from pressure. But on this occasion, against New Zealand in style hit Daniel Vettori inside out his 21 overs costing them 125 ‘cause of the fact that members and supporters of this although Sri Lanka lost their by stepping to the pitch of the over extra cover and Patel cov- runs. Patel meanwhile, failed McIntosh showed some charac- ambitious club.” last four wickets for eight runs, ball and driving Jeetan Patel ered some distance to take a to pick up a wicket and went ter in playing two quality spin Mendis made his Test debut only Samaraweera, together with straight down the ground for good catch. Samaraweera’s 159 for five runs an over. bowlers. last year but already has 39 wickets the lower middle order did his four. came off 277 deliveries with 24 New Zealand’s inexperi- McIntosh was unbeaten on in eight matches. most to put provide Sri Lanka a Soon after reaching the boundaries and a six. enced top order stuck to the 36 at stumps having faced 88 Hampshire’s first-team manager Giles White is hoping the Sri competitive total. milestone, the 33-year-old went Apart from Mathews, who task as opener Tim McIntosh deliveries inclusive of four Lankan’s association with the Rose He was involved in an 86 for quick runs to make up for hit 39 from 60 deliveries with and Martin Guptill added 45 fours. New Zealand sent night Bowl will be enduring. run stand for the fifth wicket the lost time earlier in the day. four fours and a six and runs for the first wicket before watchman Patel ahead of Ross “The signature of Ajantha Mendis with and was He accelerated from 100 to 150 (18) there Guptill dragged one on to the Taylor after the dismissal of is very exciting for the county game unbeaten on 96 when lunch in quick time in which phase was not much resistance from stumps. The dismissal of Flynn and he was on six. and for Hampshire cricket in particu- lar,” he said. “He follows the trend of top-class overseas spinners at the club, and we hope that we can form a long- lasting relationship with both Ajantha Golden Oval — Ovation to Federer tips Murray to and Imran Tahir over the coming years. “The fact that Ajantha chose take NY by storm Hampshire to be his club ahead of "If you look at last week's bounce back strong if he's fit many of the other interested parties is testament to the progression the draw in Montreal, so many and healthy." club has made over the last few The Tamil Union Cricket Cinnamon Grand Hotel and guys are very equal, I think, Murray, who won last years and the environment the play- and Athletic Club which has will be a formal event with Sri right now," Federer said. "The year's Cincinnati title and er’s have created.” been in existence since 1899 Lanka’s leading cricketing final was close, for instance. I then reached his first grand (Press Association) has been inextricably linked luminaries in attendance. think there are many guys slam final at the US Open, with the heritage of cricket in Murali has been playing for who are beating each other begins the defence of his title Sri Lanka. Tamil Union since leaving right now so it's quite an in Ohio on Wednesday On 23 August, the club school and presently holds the interesting dynamic. against Spain's Nicolas My selection plans to make this link even record for most number of one "We all know Rafa [Nadal] Almagro. stronger with the presentation day and Test Match wickets. He was injured, so he couldn't "I think Murray depends upon the of the first Golden Oval award is also the present vice-captain put in the fight he wished to announced himself when he to Muttiah Muralitharan, for of the Sri Lanka cricket team. concerning the rankings. won in Cincinnati last year," pitch: Hauritz his achievements and contribu- A limited number of tickets Now he's back. I'm back play- Federer said. LONDON: Australian off-spinner tion towards Sri Lankan crick- are available at the club office ing again after a few weeks. "From then on he had an Nathan Hauritz has said that his selec- et. with the CEO Lionel Almeida "Everybody seems healthy unbelievable run, especially tion in the team for the fifth and final The event is scheduled to be who could be contacted on again, and that can only be a on the hard courts. He's won Ashes Test to be played at The Oval held at the Oak Room of the 2693006/ 0722435654. good thing for the rest of the almost everything there is to from Thursday will depend entirely Muttiah Muralitharan season. I'm sure Nadal will win. on the pitch that the game will be played on. "Selection will come down to how the wicket is and what they think the best ICC investigating bookmaker who approached Aussie cricket team mix is. The wicket may still be dry and they might want to take four quicks," An Australian cricket player Australian team management ment for promptly reporting The report comes shortly contacted the ICC after it sus- The Age quoted Hauritz, as saying. has told the ICC that he was have reported that their player this matter." after an ICC investigation pected bookmakers were stay- "If picked I know I'm going to do my approached by a bookmaker was approached. It is being Although there has been no cleared Pakistan cricket play- ing on the same floor as their role well. Every time that I've had the earlier this summer. The inci- investigated by our ACSU (Anti- details released about the book- ers last week of coming into team hotel in after the opportunity I've done that. I was only dent is believed to have Corruption and Security Unit)," maker, it is understood that he contact with bookmakers dur- tourists lost the test series 2-0 hoping to play a Test and go from there, occurred in a hotel bar after the an ICC spokesman told Reuters. is already under investigation ing their recent tour in Sri and had lost the first three that was the main goal. But to do a second test at Lords. "We are full of praise for the by the ACSU for attempting to Lanka. games of their five-match one- steady job - nothing outstanding - has "I can confirm that the player and the team manage- fix matches. The Pakistan Cricket Board day series. been good and to play a role, I've been very happy with that," he added.

Thursday 20th August, 2009