12 Tuesday 13th July, 2010 St. Bridget’s fight Absence of Umpire Review back to secure System disappoints SL captain semi berth BY REX CLEMENTINE Sreeshanth injured his left knee during U-17 Colombo North BB practices in Colombo on Sunday. Sri Lanka captain Kumar Right arm paceman Munaf Patel will St. Bridget’s Convent, Colombo Sangakkara expressed his disappoint- come in as replacement for Sreeshanth. made a remarkable recovery during the ment over not having the Umpire “Of course we will miss Zaheer, but the dying stage of a thrilling game to beat Decision Review System (UDRS) for the guys who have replaced them are equal- Good Shepherd Convent, Kotahena by upcoming Test series against India and ly talented. Ishant Sharma, who is here, two points to secure their semi-final hoped the International Cricket Council is bowling really well. I am expecting berth in the Under-17 Colombo North will make it a must for all Test Matches. them to do a good job for us,” Indian Zonal Girls Basketball Tournament This he said while addressing a media captain M.S. Dhoni said yesterday. against Sirimavo Bandaranaike briefing in Colombo yesterday to launch The first of the thee Tests that starts Vidyalaya, Colombo. The semi-final will the three match series between Sri Sunday in Galle will also be the last for get under way today at St. Paul’s Lanka and India. off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, the College premises at Milagiriya at 3.00 The current ICC ruling allows the highest wicket taker in both Test and pm. host country to adopt the UDRS system ODI cricket. Muralitharan requires St. Bridget’s who were trailing by in consultation with the touring team. eight more wickets to become the first nine points just five minutes to go for The Sri Lankan board decided not to bowler in the world to claim 800 Test the final whistle did well to fight back to adopt the system for this series after the wickets. record their ultimate scorer of 73 Indian board opposed its usage. Dhoni speaking on Muralitharan, against St. Bridget’s 71 points. St. The UDRS system allows captains to whom he captains at Chennai Super Bridget’s Convent, riding on Swairie challenge the decisions of on-field Kings in the Indian Premier League was Fernando’s 46 did a late recovery just in umpires and once it’s challenged the tel- full of praise for the off-spinner. “I don’t time while her team mate Shanelle evision umpire will take a look at the have much to say about his cricket Perera played a supporting hand netting video footage and make a decision. Indian captain M.S. Dhoni (left) and Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara hold because you all know about it. Apart 22 points during yesterday’s final group The system was first used in 2008 the Trophy which will be presented to the winners of the Test series. from his cricket, he will be remembered match played at Kotahena. when the Indian cricket team toured the (Pic Dimuthu Premaratne) as a great human being as well when he Holy Family Convent, island for a three Test series, but, when retires. The way he helps the young Bamabalapitiya had a great run in this Sri Lanka made the return visit to India, System cost us about 500 runs. One bats- the world in Test cricket and their quest cricketers and the way he plays the tournament and they will take on St. the system was not used and it affected man nearly went onto score a triple hun- to maintain that position has been chal- game is sensational,” Dhoni said. Paul’s Miligiriya in their semi-final the tourists in a big way and they went dred (Virender Sehwag). Most sides play lenged by the fact that two of their key Following the first in Galle the teams which will start at 4.30 pm at Milagiriya. onto lose the series 2-0. with the Review System and we should bowlers, Zaheer Khan and S. Sreeshanth will move to Colombo for the remainder Nine teams participated in the Sri “As a player I am very much in sup- go that way as well,” Sangakkara said have been ruled out with injuries. of the series. SSC will host the second Lanka Schools Basketball Association port of the Decision Review System. yesterday. Zaheer injured his left shoulder before Test Match while P. Sara Stadium will organised tournament which will con- Last series, the absence of Review India are ranked number one team in the squad was announced while host the third and final Test Match. clude on Wednesday. (RS) Referee Webb fails Horrible nightmare for batsmen in bid to stay in Ugly football loses the game background BY GRAHAM DUNBAR for the Netherlands Basilica restrict St. JOHANNESBURG (AP) - World Cup final referee Howard Webb did not have BY RAF CASERT Van Marwijk has taught his team to a perfect game, by his own exacting JOHANNESBURG (AP) - The Dutch were win ugly when it needed, and they started Thomas’ to 16 runs standards. bent on showing that they could win ugly doing so. And as long as they won in South Webb booked 13 different players for their first World Cup title, but they Africa, six victories in a row, all was well. BY REEMUS FERNANDO and sent off John Heitinga after show- only got the ugly part right. Millions in the Netherlands painted was played on a new matting at ing the Netherlands defender a second With eight yellow cards, one red and every village and town orange and thou- Basilica College, Ragama has Ragama yesterday and not being yellow card in extra time of its 1-0 loss endless arguing that even spilled over sands traveled to Johannesburg happy beaten St. Thomas’ College, Kotte by accustomed to a new matting would to Spain. beyond the final whistle, the Netherlands such football brought them within one four wickets after restricting the lat- have caused problems for the bats- The English referee did not show a lost much more than 1-0 to Spain in the game of winning the World Cup. ter to a paltry 16 runs in a low scor- men of both teams leaving it to last second yellow card to Spain defender final - it lost a lot of its credibility as cre- When it counted, though, their creativ- ing Inter School Under-15 Division I for a total of 15 overs only. Carles Puyol when he appeared to ative masters as well. ity was stifled and the nastiness came out. match between the lowest placed He said that the two teams were impede Arjen Robben in the 82nd Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk Reflecting his intimidating and cynical teams in their group, which Manjula the lowest ranked teams in their minute, allowing Robben to play on and changed the “Total Football” of flair and play all through the tournament, midfield- Vas, the MiC of Basilica who is also a group and the victory only helped attempt to score. spontaneity of the 1970s into “Result er Mark van Bommel went straight over to member of the SLSCA tournament them avoid a demotion to the lower Netherlands coach Bert van Football,” using cynical plotting for victo- referee Howard Webb in the Spanish half committee referred to as the lowest division. Marwijk said he didn’t think Webb con- ry. The outcome was the same - the at the end of the game to protest and was totals in the tournament yesterday. trolled the game well. Netherlands is still waiting for its first soon joined by Wesley Sneijder, Robben After paceman Ashen Ishara Scores: “I don’t look at referees but if I look World Cup. and a gesticulating Joris Mathijsen. picked up six wickets to rattle St. St. Thomas’ 16 all out in 9.4 overs at the .. chance of Arjen then he should Van Marwijk took his silver medal off “We are angry that we lost because we Thomas’ for 16 runs Basilica have (Ashen Ishara 6/09, Vidura Wathsala have given a second yellow too,” Van as soon as he walked off the podium, with came so close,” Netherlands forward Dirk lost six wickets to reach the target. 4/08) Marwijk said. a look of disgust on his face. Kuyt said. “I know you cannot blame oth- Asked for his comments on the Basilica 18 for 6 in 5 overs Webb, who also refereed the “Our fouls may be a sad thing for a ers, but the ref was more favorable to lowest total he said that the match (Samith Rishitha 05) Champions League final, said before final, but it is not our style,” Van Marwijk Spain. the game he wanted to have a calming said. “We had much more yellow cards than influence on the action. Four years after Zinedine Zidane was we deserved.” He described his perfect game as sent off in the final, it was John Heitinga’s After being involved in the dirtiest one when “nobody is speaking about turn for collecting his second yellow card World Cup match in history, a round of 16 the officials, and they are speaking in the 109th minute. At that time, six Dutch loss to Portugal which featured four red In Mexico, celebrations of about the excellent game of football and players had already been booked and two cards and 16 yellows four years ago, the the skill of the players.” more were to follow. Dutch now were the overwhelming con- The 14 yellow cards, one leading to “I would have loved to win it with foot- tributor in the dirtiest World Cup final.