The Island, Thursday 16th November, 2006 Bandara out of Test squad Silva recalled after four years by Rex Clementine named in the Test squad yet Very much in the centre of again — meaning that he’ll media attention for his sur- keep and bat at num- prise omission during the ber seven, while Kumar Champions Trophy tourna- Sangakkara will play as a spe- ment, leg-spinner Malinga cialist batsman alone. Bandara was ignored yet again as the National Selection Test Squad cricketer Chamara Kapugedara receives the Prince of Wales Committee announced the (Capt), Trophy from Sri Lanka’s British High Commissioner Dominick Chilcott squads for Sri Lanka’s upcom- (Vice- yesterday. - Pic. by Gamini Munasinghe ing tour of New Zealand. ), , Bandara was not included in , T. M. Dilshan, Prince of Wales Trophy to ‘Kapu’ the 14-member Test squad for , the two Test series as the selec- Chamara Silva, Prassanna by Revata S. Silva commemorate the Prince of Wales’ Sri tors opted for an additional Jayawardene, Farveez Lanka visit for the island’s 50th independ- paceman. The uncapped NCC Bandara Silva Ganegama Maharoof, , Prince of Wales Trophy, given by the ence anniversary, was given to “Kapu” by seamer Akalanka Ganegama , Dilhara British High Commissioner in Sri Lanka for the British HC, Dominick Chilcott, at a spe- (25) was named in the squad along- Zealand. “The team management had a Fernando, Akalanka Ganegama the most outstanding schoolboy cricketer, cial ceremony held at Westminster House side middle-order batsman Chamara Silva (26) has been chat with Dilshan. However, in fair- and . went this year to Chamara Kapugedara, at Wijerama Mawatha yesterday. Former Chamara Silva, who last played for recalled to the side after he did ness to him, Dilshan has done rea- Stand by: Upul Chandana Dharmaraja College, Kandy schoolboy who Sri Lanka Captains Michael Tissera and Sri Lanka four years ago. exceptionally well in the ongoing sonably well in Tests in the last 12 ODI Squad has already played 16 ODIs for the country. too were present on the The selectors justified Bandar’s Duleep Trophy tournament in months. He hasn’t done badly to get Mahela Jayawardene (Capt), The award, inaugurated in 1998 to occasion. omission by saying that it was just a India. Although Silva showed lot of dropped or whatever,” de Mel Kumar Sangakkara (V. Capt), matter of picking horses for cours- potential earlier on when he was remarked. Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, es. “Thinking of the composition of picked to the national side, his While Silva’s recall was long , T. M. Dilshan, the side we thought that we’ll not international career was cut short overdue, Ganegama’s selection Chamara Kapugedera, Chamara Warnapura leads Lankan resistance need an additional specialist spin- in 2002 when then Sports Minister comes as a bit of a surprise. Silva, , Malinda Warnapura led Sri Lanka A’s Rajesh Sharma and Ashish Nehra and retract- ner in New Zealand. The is Johnston Fernando unceremoni- However, the chief selector justified Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga, resistance on a day on which North Zone strug- ed after the loss of a partner. Compared to his going to be green and the team man- ously meddled with selections and his committee’s decision saying , Muttiah gled to maintain their control over the Duleep first-innings 81-ball 65, this was a far more agement was confident in taking an denied him his Test debut in that he was more suited to condi- Muralitharan, and Trophy final at the Eden Gardens, yesterday. measured effort, but crucial given the lead con- additional seamer,” Asantha de January 2002. tions in New Zealand. Ruchira Perera. North declared as soon as Mahesh Rawat got ceded to North. Mel, chairman of Selectors, “He’s been brilliant with the ‘A’ There’s no place, however, for to his hundred in the morning, and the bowlers No other batsman dominated the bowling - told ‘The Island’. team in India. There’s no doubt opener Michael Van Dort, who Sri Lanka ‘A’ Squad grabbed a few early wickets, but Warnapura’s though Koushal Silva did begin with bound- “It’s not that he’s dropped or about his talent and he could hit the made a hundred the last time he (Capt), unbeaten 82 ensured the home side worked aries peppered across the field in the final ses- anything. We thought that it would ball hard too. His exceptional field- toured with a Sri Lanka side on a (V. Capt), Malinda hard for their wickets before bad light forced an sion - but Sri Lanka A did well to keep North be appropriate for Bandara to go to ing is a plus point too and he difficult wicket in Edgbaston. De Warnapura, Mahela Udawatta, early close to fourth day’s play with Sri Lanka A Zone in the hunt. the West Indies instead with the ‘A’ deserves to get a chance,” de Mel Mel reasoned that his omission was Jeevan Mendis, , 81 runs behind. Sri Lanka ‘A’ 296 and 259 for 4 (M. Vandort 37, M. Udawatte 28, M. Warnapura 82 n.o, T. team before he comes back to the said. due to lack of form. “True that he Kaushal Silva, Malinga Bandara, Warnapura, who hit his second half-centu- Samaraweera 31, J. Mubarak 36, K. Silva 26 senior side for the ODIs,” he added. Silva was named in both the scored a hundred in England, but Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Sajeewa ry of the match, shared in stands of 68 and 90 n.o; R. Sharma 3/31) However, what it means is that Test and ODI squads and that puts what we’ve got to see is his current for the third and fourth wickets with Thilan Weerakoon, Gayan Wijekoon, North Zone 636 for 7 declared (A. Chopra 188, Sri Lanka will be left with one spe- tremendous pressure on T.M. form. We have two stable openers Ruchira Perera, Avishka Samaraweera and Jehan Mubarak, and was by far the most fluent scorer for the Sri Lankans. R. Ricky 122, Y. Singh 77, M. Rawat 104 n.o; R. cialist spinner in Muttiah Dilshan (30) who’s been under fire and we’ll stick to that formula.” Gunawardane, , Herath 3/201, I. Amerasinghe 3/124) Slow of the blocks, he opened up with fours off Muralitharan for the Tests in New after a string of low scores. Prasanna Jayawardene was Ishara Amarasinghe. - Cricinfo.com Karunaratne, Samarawickrama in big stand by Reemus Fernando Mahela, Kumar, Sanath A fourth wicket partnership of 130 runs between Umesh Karunaratne (59 n.o) and Buddhi Samarawickrama (82) helped and Upul to be honoured Thurstan College compile 231 for 5 wick- ets declared on the first day of their Inter- Sri Lanka cricketers Mahela School Under-20 Elephant Lemonade Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Trophy cricket match against Dharmapala Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul College which commenced at Thurstan Tharanga are to be honoured by Sri ground, yesterday. Lanka Cricket (SLC) at a gala dinner In reply, Dharmapala were 10 for 1 match between St. Benedict’s College and at the Cinnamon Grand hotel on wicket when bad light stopped play. Isipatana College which ended in a draw at Sunday, November 19 for their against England at Leeds last sum- Thurstan 231 for 5 declared in 69 Kotahena, yesterday. recent achievements on the interna- mer. Jayasuriya scored 152 and overs (Umesh Karunaratne 59 n.o, Buddhi The match started late in the after tional fold. Tharanga 109. Samarawickerama 82, Geeth Kumara 35, noon on both days due to wet ground con- Jayawardene, who took over as “We must honour the players Charith Wickramaratne 26; Sithara Kasun ditions and only 59 overs were bowled on captain from Marvan Atapattu, was who bring glory to the country with 2/65, Ishara Herath 2/77) both days. named the captain of the year in the their achievements on the cricket Dharmapala 10 for 1 wickets 8 overs St. Benedict’s 144 for 7 declared in recent ICC Awards held in Mumbai. field,” said K Mathivanan, the Sri 57 overs (Chanaka Wijewardena 60 n.o, S. His excellent leadership and , Lanka Cricket secretary. “This sort Rain the winner Nandalal 36; Wadheeba Perera 2/36, especially during Sri Lanka’s tour of of recognition will motivate not An unbeaten 60 runs by Chanaka Sachith Jayasinghe 2/36) England and in the home series only the national cricketers further Wijewardena was the highlight of the Isipatana no run for no loss in 2 overs against South Africa, helped him but others as well.” win the prize. He established a The 400 guests will include past world-record partnership of 624 with presidents and secretaries of Sri De La Salle cruise to easy win Kumar Sangakkara in the first Test Lanka Cricket, the 47 clubs affiliated against South African at the SSC, to SLC and former national crick- De La Salle College, Mutuval cruised to was 46-25. the highest partnership in Test and eters. Among the honoured guests a 27 point win over Dehiwala Central The final score was 88-61 in favour of first-class cricket history for any expected to grace the occasion are College in their annual friendly basketball De La Salle. wicket. Arjuna Ranatunga, the former Sri match at Mutuval yesterday. Playing an For the winners, captain Nalin Jayasuriya and Tharanga also Lankan captain, , aggressive defence right from the start the Gajantha top scored with 28 points while figured in a world-record stand Jayantha Dharmadasa, SLC’s inter- hosts put the Dehiwala boys under tremen- Mohammad Shabrin and Danushka when they put on 287, the highest im committee president and Jeevan dous pressure and took an early 21 point Nishantha chipped in with 14 and 16 opening partnership in ODI history, Kumaratunga, the Sports Minister. lead. At the end of the first half the score points respectively.

U-15 Division IV cricket final Spinners seal win for Loyala by Reemus Fernando among them within the course of 15.1 overs to skittle out their opponents for 41 runs. In an unusual cricketing scene, the spinners opened the Earlier, put in to bat first, Loyala College scored 176 for bowling for Loyala College and bundled out their oppo- 9 in their allotted 45 overs. nents, St. Sebastian’s College, Kandana, for a scanty 41 Loyala College, Negombo 176 for 9 in 45 over (K.S. runs in just 15 overs to guide their side to an impressive Fernando 39, S.T Puthra 33, J.L. Mendis 30; P.L.G.L. Sagara 135-run victory in their Inter-School Under-15 Division IV 4/40, T.H. Rajapakse 2/24) cricket final played at Darley Road, yesterday. St. Sebastian’s, Kandana 41 15.1 overs (P.A.D.A.D. The spin trio of Asiri Wijegunaratne, Janith Chamara 10; K. Asiri Wijegunaratne 4/18, Janith Warnakulasuriya and Thuwan Puthra shared 9 wickets Warnakulasuriya 3/05, Thuwan Puthra 2/08)

Thursday 16th November, 2006