Monday 5th December, 2011 leave for South African challenge today Sangakkara regained the position during his team’s series against Pakistan in the UAE. However, Sri Lanka’s batting overall has been found wanting in the last six months, resulting in series losses to England, Australia and Pakistan. Former South African Keppler Wessles too had made a stinging attack on the Sri Lankans, saying that South Africa’s ‘A’ team would beat the tourists. “If ever there was a time to make changes, now is the time. The selectors have some seri- ous things to think about. We are playing Sri Lanka…have you seen Sri Lanka play recently? They have two batsmen, Mahela (Jayawardene) and Kumar (Sangakkara). We could beat them with our ‘A’ side,” Wessels told the ‘Cape Times’ newspaper. Tour Itinerary The addition of middle order batsman Thilan Samaraweera, after being initially over- Dec 9th to 11th: Warm-up match against South Africa A at Benoni looked for the series should be some consola- Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage plays a pull shot during Dec 15th to 19th: 1st Test at Centurion tion while spinner too returns Dec 26th to 30th: 2nd Test in Durban a game of at Torrington Ground yesterday. Parliamentarians to the side after being sidelined due to injury. will engage in a cricket tournament titled ‘Speaker’s Cup’ to be played Jan 3rd to 7th: 3rd Test in Cape Town Injuries to fast bowlers , Jan 11th: 1st ODI in Paarl , Shaminda Eranga and Nuwan shortly and several parliamentarians had a training session yester- Jan 14th: 2nd ODI in East London Kulasekara have also compounded Sri Lanka’s day. World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga and Most Valuable Jan 17th: 3rd ODI in Bloemfontein problems. Reliable wicketkeeper Prasanna Player in the 1996 World Cup are also expected to

Jan 20th: 4th ODI in Kimberley GRAPHICS BY JEFFREY Jayawardene also has been ruled out of the play in the tournament. (Pic by Nishan S. Priyantha.) Jan 22nd: 5th ODI Jo’burg series as he was expected to undergo a hernia operation. The first Test starts on the 15th of innings. BY REX CLEMENTINE December at Centurion while Durban will host Sri Lanka has not won a Test match in 16 Premier Limited Over Tier ‘A’ Tournament the Boxing Day Test match. The third Test will months, having gone through 14 games without he national cricket team will emplane for start in Cape Town on the 3rd of January. tasting victory. On the fast and bouncy South Johannesburg this evening on a seven Apart from India and Australia, South African , the Sri Lankans will have to Tweek tour of South Africa where they Africa is the only other place where Sri Lanka Bloomfield in adapt quickly and play extremely well against will play three Test matches and five One Day has not won a Test match. the likes of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Internationals. Sri Lanka Test squad: Morne Morkel and co. This is Sri Lanka’s first Test tour to South (Captain), Angelo one win The tourists will have 10 days to adapt to Africa in 10 years. Mathews, Tharanga Paranavitana, Kumar South African wickets and will play a three day Sri Lanka have a horrendous record in Sangakkara, , Dinesh Fast bowler Tharanga Sampath 2/57) warm-up game in Benoni against South Africa South Africa, having lost all but one Test match Chandimal, Kaushal Silva (Wicketkeeper), Lakshitha took four wickets ‘A’ . they have played there. , Dimuth Karunaratne, as Bloomfiled record a Maharoof takes During the series, and South Africa has hosted Sri Lanka in seven Chanaka Welegedara, , thrilling one wicket win over NCC to victory Jacques Kallis will battle for the number one Test matches and the tourists were only able to Nuwan Pradeep, , Ajantha Ragama CC in their Premier All-rounder Farveez rank in . Kallis was the number one save the rain curtailed game in Durban in 2000. Mendis, and Thilan Limited Over Tier ‘A’ Maharoof captured four wick- ranked batsman in the world before Three of those six defeats have been by an Samaraweera. Tournament match played at ets and made a useful contri- Reid Avenue yesterday. bution with the bat to guide Thanks to contributions NCC to a six wicket win over from Malinga Bandara and SSC in their first game of the Madura Lakmal, Ragama Premier Limited over Tier ‘A’ were able to post 228 for eight, Tournament match played at but Bloomfield chased the tar- NCC yesterday. SL beat Russia wins volleyball World Cup get with 23 balls to spare. Maharoof captured four Brief Scores: wickets for 39 runs to restrict Macau in Ragama CC 221 for 8 wkts SSC to below 200 mark and TOKYO (AP) — Russia won the volleyball in 50 overs (Sameera Zoysa then scored 30 runs opening World Cup on Sunday, beating Poland 25-22, FIBA Asia 47, Indika de Saram 39, batting. 23-25, 25-22, 17-25, 17-15. Malinga Bandara 35 n.o., Brief Scores: Russia, which improved to 10-1, and Basketball Madura Lakmal 34 n.o.; SSC 198 all out in 48.2 Poland (8-3) had already wrapped up berths Tharanga Lakshitha 4/58) overs (Thilina Kandamby 50, for the London Olympics by finishing first Tournament and second. Bloomfield 222 for 9 wkts Tharanga Paranavitana 35, in 46.1 overs (Daminda Dimuth Karunaratne 29; Sri Lanka Denis Biriukov led Russia with 13 points Ranaweera 44, Dilshan 4/39, Youth Girls recod- while Dmitriy Muserskiy added 12 and was named player of the match. Munaweera 41, Chamara 2/33, Imesh ed their first victo- Silva 34, Chinthaka Udayanga 2/29) ry in the Second “It was a very difficult match,” Russia’s Maxim Mikhaylov said. “We won the World Jayasinghe 31; Kaushalya NCC 200 for 4 wkts in 43.4 Under-16 FIBA Weeraratne 3/34, Malinga overs (Farveez Maharoof 30, Asia Basketball Cup and qualified for the Olympics. Volleyball is all about the team. It’s not about Bandara 3/38, Sachith Yohan de Silva 47, Chamara Championship the individual, it’s about team effort.” Pathirana 2/34) Kapugedera 52, Jehan when they defeated Brazil (8-3) clinched the final berth for Mubarak 39; Sachithra Macau 57-51 in a London with a 25-21, 25-19, 25-22 win over host Badureliya lose despite Senanayake 1/29) thrilling game Japan. Brazil had to avoid conceding two sets Sampath’s century played in China, to finish third ahead of Italy, which also T.N. Samapath spellbind- Perera’s half-century yesterday. ended with an 8-3 record. ing century was in vain as sink Chilaw Marians The Sri Lankan Brazil’s player of the match Sidnei dos Tamil Union enjoyed a five Kushal Perera’s half-cen- team was leading Santos paced Brazil with 15 points. wicket win in their opening tury was enough for Colts CC 33-29 at half-time. encounter of the Premier to beat Chilaw Marians by 22 The top scorers for Limited over Tier ‘A’ runs according to the D/L Sri Lanka were Tournament match played at method in their opening game Russia players toss Head coach Vladimir Alekno in captain Natasha P. Sara Oval, yesterday. of the Premier Limited Over Perera with 28 the air after beating Poland at their fourth round Sampath scored 112 runs Tier ‘A’ Tournament match points and Imesha match in the men’s World Cup volleyball tournament off 135 deliveries with ten played at Colombo Cricket Tathsarani with 12 in Tokyo, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2011. fours and two sixes but wick- Club yesterday. points. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi) ets fell around him as Colts who chose to bat Badureliya fell under the 200 first posted a total of 236 and run mark. in reply Chilaw Marians were Tamil Union’s reply was 204 for nine when bad light powered by Tillakaratne interrupted the game. Dilshan’s half-century while Brief Scores: Our ‘A’ side can beat Sri Lanka he was well supported by Colts CC 236 all out in 49.4 youngster Ashan Priyanjan. overs (Kushal Janith Perera - Kepler Wessels Brief Scores: 77, Roshen Silva 38, Harsha Badureliya SC 193 all out Vithana 30, Akshu Fernando Former South African cricket However, Wessels has come out to play recently? They have two bats- in 49.3 overs (T.N. Sampath 22; Chinthaka Perera 3/38, captain Kepler Wessels has further fuel the notion that it is well men, Mahela (Jayawardene) and 112, Asanka Silva 16; Arosh Janoda 2/28, Janaka expressed his concern ahead of within the Proteas capabilities to Kumar (Sangakkara). We could beat Chaminda Vidanapathirana Gunaratne 2/39, Geeth South Africa’s upcoming series whitewash the hapless Sri Lankans, them with our SA ‘A’ side,” Wessels 3/36, Malinga Surappulige Kumara 2/29) against Sri Lanka. so much so, that he thinks it is an said in the Cape Times newspaper. 3/29, Chatura Randunu 2/34) Chilaw Marians 204 in 9 It is widely considered that the ideal time for Kirsten to experiment. Wessels explained that the nature Tamil Union 194 for 5 wkts in 46.2 overs (Lahiru Sri Lankans will not pose much of a “If ever there was a time to make in which the Proteas approached the wkts in 34.5 overs Weragala 75, Janaka threat to Gary Kirsten’s men in changes, now is the time. The selec- recent series against Australia was a (Tillakaratne Dilshan 61, Gunaratne 34; Sajeewa South Africa, as their best result to tors have some serious things to little reckless and that a more cau- Ashan Priyanjan 50, Weerakoon 1/33, Kanishka date has been a rain-affected draw in think about. We are playing Sri tious approach may have allowed Kithruwan Vithanage 30; Alvitigala 1/41) Durban 11 years ago. Lanka … have you seen Sri Lanka them to be more clinical. Kepler Wessles Jeevan Mendis 24 n.o.; T. N. (RS)

Monday 5th December, 2011