Saturday 23rd April 2011 13

Asian 5 Nations curtain raiser in Colombo pion Kandy SC team making them- selves available for this encounter, which doesn’t offer a platform to try- out or groom budding rugby players, given the nature of the opposition. Any team less than the best from Sri Lanka will not stand a chance of surviving in this top league which features the rugby giants from Asia. Sri Lanka’s front five look solid UAE scrum down with with skipper Sean Wijesinghe com- Says he pleting the forwads line-up as num- ber eight along side players in the is fully likes of Terrence Henry, Eranga Swarnatilake, Bilal Hassen, Senaka available for Bandara and the promising Sajith Saranga. As in the past the three selection for quarters will hold the key for Sri all Sri Lanka with Fazil Marija, Chanaka rugby hungry ‘Lions’ Chandimal, Pradeep Liyanage, Lanka’s Gayan Weeraratne and Saliya Kumara carying both loads of expe- one-day BY RAVI NAGAHAWATTE rience and the skills to move the ball Sri Lanka and United Arab The Teams around fast and wide. Running skills internation- Emirates will scrum down in the aside, Sri Lankan three quarters’ als and T20 curtain raiser to the 2011 Asian 5 Sri Lanka-Terrence Henry, Eranga Swarnatilake, Achala Perera, focus should be on ensuring their Nations in Colombo today with both defence is air tight and they fight for matches. teams knowing little as what’s been Bilal Hassen, Senaka Bandara, Sajith Saranga, Dinesh Sanjeewa, Yoshitha Rajapaskse, Keith Gurusinghe, the ball during tackle situations. written or spoken about them over United Arab Emirates (UAE) past three years. Dhanushka Perera, Sean Wijesinghe (), Roshan hold the advantage in this encounter The two teams last met in a 15-a- Sri Lanka’s Weeraratne, Prasad Chathuranga, Fazil Marija, Chanaka and have the experience of playing side match in 2007 in the IRB Asian Ranking Fixtures tournament and Chandimal, Pradeep Liyanage, Gayan Weeraratne, Nuwan in this top devision last year. UAE, the islanders suffered a morale dent- Hettiarachchi, Charith Senewiratne, Lasintha de Costa, Saliya last year, had wins against Hong Malinga retires ing 52-11 thumping at the hand of Kumara, R.Meepage, Kong and South Korea in the Asian the winners in the match played in United Arab Emirates Rugby Association-Mohanned Shaker, 5 Nations. Dubai. These two teams have met The significance in this UAE from Test occasionally in IRB sanctioned sev- Dan Heal, David Vettes, Mike Cox Hill, Simon Osborne, Renier team is that for the first time in ens tournaments between 2007 and Els, Carl Van Rosenvelt, Scott Kerr, Chris Jones Griffiths, their rugby history, the players from COLOMBO, Sri Lanka Lanka in its run to the 2010 and this 15-a-side rugby meet- Andrew Miller, Llyod Budd, Duncan Murray, Jonathan Grady, nine countries, which made the (AP) — Sri Lanka paceman World Cup final this month, has says he is “fully available for ing serves as a good test to judge the Arabian Gulf Rugby Union team, Steve Smith, Tim Fletcher, David Clousten, Jon Beeton, Stefan announced his retirement selection for all Sri Lanka’s progress of Sri Lanka which has are fielding a team under the flag of been ‘starved’ of international expo- Imbert, Sean Hurley, Dan Boatwright, Stuart Quinn, Yousf from in an effort one-day internationals and Shaker, Ali Mohammed, Abdulla Ahmed one country. to prolong his limited-overs T20 matches.” sure in the longer version of the UAE is coached by Bruce game. career. Malinga recently chose to Birtwistle while opponents Sri Sri Lanka will be under pressure Malinga says a long- make himself unavailable to Lanka will be coached by New to perform in the Top Division standing degenerative condi- Sri Lanka for the team’s Zealander Ellis Meachen. The kick- tion in his right knee “needs where they must win this encounter who are: Japan, Hong Kong and Tournament, the Sri Lankans seem three tests in England this off is scheduled for 4pm and the to be carefully managed” to have some chance of retaining Kazakhstan, which finished as run- to have got the cooperation of all summer, while continuing to and fears playing test cricket their slot in this elite group in Asian ner-up in the last edition of the tour- leading players and have fielded one game is scheduled to be telecast on play in the lucrative Indian “could lead to a permanent rugby. Sri Lanka will definitely not namnt. of their strongest sides. Hopes are national television with Channel Eye Premier League. injury.” start as favourites against any of its Like at the 2010 Asian 5 Nations, high in the Sri Lankan camp with having secured broadcasting rights. Malinga played 30 tests, The 27-year-old fast other opponents in the tournament in which they won the Division 1 the cream of players from the cham- bowler, who starred for Sri taking 101 .

Premier League Cricket SCOREBOARD West Indies Innings Asad Shafiq c Hyatt b Bishoo 25 L. Simmons run out (Wahab/Salman) 65 Umar Akmal c Samuels b Rampaul 41 Andre Fletcher lbw Rehman 1 Misbah-ul-Haq hit b Bishoo 0 whacks a century D. Bravo c Umar Akmal b Rehman 42 Shahid Afridi c Sammy b Bishoo 12 Opening batsman Dimuth Brief Scores Marlon Samuels st Salman b Ajmal 4 Mohammad Salman run out (Sammy) 5 Karunaratne scored 139 runs to help Police SC 164 all out in 50.5 overs Danza Hyatt c Umar Akmal b Ajmal 14 Abdur Rehman b Bishoo 7 SSC reach 311 for seven in their (Dammika Rajapakse 51, Tharanga Darren Sammy c wk Salman b Wahab 1 Wahab Riaz c Sammy b Rampaul 6 Premier League Tier ‘A’ match Indika 33; Malan Madusnaka 4/55, Chris Barnwell 11 Saeed Ajmal not out 21 against Bloomfield which began at Andy Solomons 3/38, Nimesh c Rehman b Wahab 0 Junaid Khan not out 3 Bloomfield Grounds, yesterday. Perera 3/17) Karunaratne scored 139 runs off 202 BRC 170 for 2 wkts in 37 overs not out 6 Extras: (b1, w1, nb6) 8 deliveries with 20 fours while his (Nimesh Perera 86 n.o., Supun Extras: (lb1, w4, nb1) 6 TOTAL: (for 9 wickets) 143 opening partner Tharanga Perera 53 n.o.; Manjula de Silva TOTAL: (for 7 wickets) 150 Overs: 20. Paranavitana scored 50. 1/34) Overs: 20. Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-20, 3-49, 4-49, 5- Brief Scores: Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-101, 3-114, 4-125, 78, 6-93, 7-109, 8-110, 9-123. SSC 311 for 7 wkts in 90 overs Moors SC wobbling on day one 5-126, 6-141, 7-141. Bowling: Ravi Rampaul 4-0-31-3 (4nb), (Dimuth Karunaratne 139, Did not bat: , Ravi Darren Sammy 3-0-26-1, Andre Russell 4- Tharanga Paranavitana 50, Kaushal Moors SC got off to a shacky start Lokuarachchi 35 n.o., Sachithra and were 17 for 4 at stumps after Rampaul. 0-28-0 (1nb, 1w), Devendra Bishoo 4-0- Senanayake 25 n.o.; Tharanga bowling out Army SC for 240 in their Bowling: Junaid Khan 2-0-15-0, Abdur 17-4 (1nb), Christopher Barnwell 1-0-7-0, Lakshitha 3/42, Nipun Premier League Tier ‘B’ match Rehman 4-0-22-2 (w1), Saeed Ajmal 4-0- Ashley Nurse 4-0-33-0. Karunanyake 1/25) which commenced at Panagoda, yes- 35-2, Wahab Riaz 4-1-24-2 (w2, nb1), Toss: West Indies. terday. Army’s innings was bol- Shahid Afridi 3-0-20-0, Result: West Indies won by 7 runs. Badureliya on top stered by Sulan Jayawardene who T. N. Sampath, Gayan Sirisoma made 79 runs. 3-0-23-0 (w1). Umpires: Norman Malcolm, Jamaica, and and Ranesh Perera shared nine Peter Nero, Trinidad & Tobago. wickets between them as Chilaw Brief Scores Pakistan Innings Third umpire: Gregory Brathwaite, Marians who choose to bat first SL Army 240 all out in 60.2 overs Ahmed Shehzad c Barnwell b Rampaul 12 Barbados. Match referee: Jeff Crowe, New were bundled out for a total of 210 in (Sulan Jayawardene 79, Charith Mohammad Hafeez c Nurse b Sammy 3 Zealand. their Premier League Tier ‘A’ match Fernando 30, Dilan Soysa 27; Irosh against Badureliya which com- Samarasooriya 4/58, Sanjaya menced at FTZ grounds in Fernando 3/53) West Indies’ captain Katunayake, yesterday Moors SC 17 for 4 wkts in 7.3 Badureliya were 57 for two wick- overs (Nuwan Liyanapathirana Darren Sammy holds the ets at stumps. 2/04) trophy after defeating West Indies beats Pakistan Brief Scores: Pakistan by seven runs Chilaw Marians 210 all out in Ranga Cooray scores 132 66.4 overs (Gayan Wijekoon 56, during a cricket Janaka Gunaratne 37, Harsha Panadura SC’s Ranga Cooray match in Gros Islet, St. by 7 runs in Twenty20 Cooray 30; T.N. Sampath 4/53, Gayan scored 132 runs and was amply sup- Lucia, Thursday, April 21, Sirisoma 3/49, Ranesh Perera 2/19) ported by Tharidu Tushan (57) as 2011. (AP) CASTRIES, ST. LUCIA (AP) — over, but fast bowler Andre winning the toss when Andre Badureliya 57 for 2 wkts in 19 Panadura posted 288 for nine wick- Opener Lendl Simmons hit a 31- Russell held his nerve to seal the Fletcher fell leg before wicket to overs (Yashodha Lanka 23; Malinda ets at stumps on day one in their ball 50 and legspinner Devendra win for West Indies. Paceman Pushpakumara 1/19) off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, but Premier League Tier ‘B’ match Bishoo followed up with four Ravi Rampaul claimed 3-31 to Simmons and Bravo revived the against Antonians SC at Panadura, wickets to lead a new-look West boost the home side. innings with a stroke-filled stand Another century form yesterday. Indies side to a seven-run win Captain Darren Sammy was that tilted the balance. Brief Scores: Dayaratne wins over Pakistan in the one-off thrilled by the victory in front of Bravo eventually holed out to Tamil Union skipper Jeevan Panadura SC 288 for 9 wkts in 90 Twenty20 match on Thursday. his fellow St. Lucians. Mendis scored 109 runs off 128 deliv- long-on against Saeed Ajmal’s off- overs (Ranga Cooray 132, Tharidu West Indies included five debu- “We wanted to start off on a eries with 13 fours and two sixes as Tushan 57, Amila Perera 47; spin and when Simmons was run javelin gold tants for their first ever Twenty20 winning note. It shows the prepa- his team reached 347 for five wickets Chathura Randunu 4/81, Vinoth out by Wahab Riaz’s slick throw match against Pakistan, with for- ration we have been putting in at in their Premier League Tier ‘A’ Selveraja 2/33) R.W.L. Dayaratne and D.A. from short third man, the innings mer captain Chris Gayle among the camp in Barbados and here in match against Saracens SC which lost its momentum. Shashikala Samanmali won gold the notable absentees. St. Lucia,” Sammy said. “The began at P. Sara Oval, yesterday. Abdur Rehman (2-22), Riaz (2- Singha 127, Seeduwa 149 for 5 and silver medals respectively for After West Indies captain guys went out there and played as Mendis was amply supported by 24) and Ajmal (2-35) led the Sri Lanka on the first day of the Darren Sammy won the toss, a team and we came out victori- Sachithra Serasinghe, Gayashan Seeduwa’s Jeffrey Vandersay, Pakistani bowling. Weerasekera and who Thailand Open Athletics Simmons hit 65 off 44 balls and ous. Manjula Liyanage and Chamara went on to register half centuries. Championship in Bangkok, fellow Trinidadian Darren Bravo “That was a good start for us Sammy struck an early blow Soysa shared eight wickets between Brief Scores: Thailand yesterday, the Sri Lanka added 42 off 33 deliveries to form for the West Indies when them to restrict Singha SC for 127 in and we’re just looking to improve Tamil Union 347 for 5 wkts in 90 Athletics Association announced. the backbone of West Indies’ total Mohammad Hafeez swung to deep their Premier League Tier ‘B’ match coming into the one-day series.” overs (Jeevan Mendis 109, Sachithra of 150-7. backward square leg at 7-1, and which commenced at Thurstan An official of SLAA said that Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi Serasinghe 80 n.o., Gayashan Dayaratne had cleared a distance Pakistan’s reply started badly complimented his bowlers for lim- Ahmed Shehzad soon followed Weerasekera 79, Isuru Udana 52; College Grounds, yesterday. of 72.84 metres to establish a when they lost both openers iting the West Indies total after when he miscued a pull off Udara Waruna 2/48) Brief Scores: Rampaul to mid-on. Singha SC 127 all out in 35.4 new Thailand Open Athletics inside the first four overs and the early onslaught from Akmal played with freedom but overs (Lochana de Silva 41, Nalaka Championship meet record in the Bishoo (4-17) ripped through the Simmons and Bravo. He blamed Ragama CC takes early lead none of the partnerships Afridi Kaluarchchi 21; Jeffrey Vandersay men’s javelin event. middle order as the visitors fell the loss on the batsmen. short at 143-9 off 20 overs. needed materialized and West 4/31, Manjula Liyanage 2/19, Meanwhile, Samanmali is “The main thing we were miss- Ragama’s Right-arm fast bowler Umar Akmal topscored with a Indies were comfortable winners Chamara Soysa 2/16) reported to have clocked four ing was partnerships and we Nilantha Premaratne took four run-a-ball 41 but West Indies were in the end. wickets to restrict Lankan CC for a Seeduwa Raddoluwa 149 for 5 minutes 22.04 seconds on her missed an opportunity because it in control throughout before a The opening one-day interna- paltry total in their Premier League wkts in 51.1 overs (Kalum Fernando way to win the silver medal in the was a very good wicket,” Afridi 48, Hashan Gunathilleke 25; Mahesh feisty, unbeaten 21 from Saeed tional of the five-match series Tier ‘A’ match which commenced at women’s 1500 meter event. (RF) Ajmal gave Pakistan late hope. said. Moratuwa, yesterday. Kumara 2/27, Levin Moshin 2/30) between the teams is at the same Pakistan needed 14 off the final West Indies faltered early after Brief Scores: venue on Saturday. Lankan CC 159 all out in 55.2 Kalhara takes seven wickets for Navy overs (Chanaka Wijesinghe 62, Sri Lanka Navy’s Dulanjana Ashen Silva 31; Nilantha Kalhara took seven wickets to Premaratne 4/23, Kaushalya weer- restrict SL Air Force for a paltry aratne 2/21, Madura Lakmal 2/39, total of 106 runs in their Premier Athletics trials for Commonwealth Youth Games today and tomorrow Upual Indrasiri 2/49) Ragama CC 140 for 3 wkts in 34 League Tier ‘B’ match against SL Navy which commenced at BY REEMUS FERNANDO the SLAA has been given a quota last three editions. The athletes It will be a challenging task for overs (Rumesh Buddika 67, Nayana for eight athletes. who are doing closest to those junior athletes as it will be their Fernando 37 n.o.; Harsha Vithana Welisara, yesterday. 2/52) Brief Scores: The Sri Lanka Athletics A selection committee member performances or do better than first national level athletic event SL Air Force 106 all out in 35 .5 Association will conduct its first told The Island yesterday that those performances are likely to for the season. overs (Angelo Emmanuel 37, Raju they would compare the perform- be picked,” a selector told ‘The However, the SLAA said that if Nimesh Perera shines for BRC youth trials today and tomorrow Gayashan 25; Dulanjana Kalhara at Diyagama to pick a team of ances of youth athletes with the Island’ yesterday. there were any impressive per- Nimesh Perera’s all-round per- 7/44, Sudeera Karunadasa 2/ 23) and eight athletes for the IV records during the past three edi- Athletes born between 1994 formances at the forthcoming formances helped BRC get an early 26 for no wicket in 8 overs Commonwealth Youth Games. tions of the CYG when they January to 1995 December are eli- Johan Tarbet Athletics lead in their Premier League Tier SL Navy 182 all out in 42 overs The fourth edition of the decide the team. gible for selections. Championship and the Junior ‘B’ match against Police SC which (Ranil Rasanga 37, Udara Commonwealth Youth Games “We will compare the perform- The SLAA said that trials will Nationals, they will be consid- commenced at BRC Grounds, yester- Jayasundera 73, Pishan Hewage (CYG) will be held in the Isle of ances of athletes with the (best) be held for all track and field ered. day. 3/36, Akila Isanka 3/45) (RS) Man from September 7 to 13 and third place performances of the events.