Wednesday 4th April, 2012 Thilan disappointed with two-Test series BY REX CLEMENTINE somewhere in 2015. It would have been good to play a three-Test series against Veteran Test cricketer Thilan world’s number one ranked team,” Samaraweera expressed his displeasure Samaraweera, who made a half- limiting the current Test series in yesterday’s second Test, told journal- against to a two-match affair as ists. the tourists are currently ranked num- This is the third time the IPL tourna- ber one team in the world. ment has disturbed ’s interna- For two decades since gaining Test tional assignments. The national team status, Sri Lanka’s encounters against had an opportunity to play a two-Test England had remained just one off series against England in 2009 as the games and it all changed when a highly English Board sought a replace- motivated side, admirably led by Arjuna ment for , who had withdrawn Ranatunga, beat England at in from . 1998 to win Sri Lanka’s first Test Match Country’s senior cricketers, led by in that country. , joined a ruthless Since then, all Sri Lanka’s Test campaign run by a player agent and Mahela acknowledges the applause for his timely ton against England yesterday at encounters against England had been with the support of leading politician P. Sara Oval. (AP Pic by Eranga Jayawardena) three-match affairs, but the D. S. de were able to scrap the Test series. In the Silva and Nishantha Ranatunga run end, West Indies, whose players too had Cricket Interim Committee last year IPL contracts, filled the void created by had declined to host England over a Sri Lanka. three-match Test series as they had to Then, last year, Sri Lanka’s IPL con- Mahela and Anderson release their star cricketers for the tracted players, including Kumar (IPL) tourna- Sangakkara who has spoken on count- ment. less occasions on the need to protect Test cricket, arrived late in England for shine on day one In the current Test squad, more than half the players do not have IPL con- Thilan Samaraweera the Test series due to the IPL. It later transpired that the de Silva tracts and while some senior players BY REX CLEMENTINE gain by playing the tournament, majori- series. You don’t get much opportunity and Nishantha Ranatunga run Cricket ty of them and Sri Lankan cricket over- against the number one ranked team in Interim Committee had given players Despite Mahela ter for a first ball duck and the second all is set to lose. the world. We play very rarely against No Objection Certificates without indi- Jayawardene’s second century in the time in the series where he picked up “I really love to play a three-Test England and I think the next series is cating a date to return. series, honours on the opening day of the left-hander in that fashion the second Test between Sri Lanka and The Lancastrian then dismissed England were even as the hosts finished Lahiru Thirimanne with a beauty as the on 238 for six at stumps at the P. Sara youngster shouldered arms to a Oval yesterday. It was an absorbing con- that looked to be shaping away before it Ana elected President of SLGU It’s not the normal test between bat and ball as England swung back. The batsman reviewed the fought tooth and decision unsuc- Ana Punchihewa, nail to square cessfully. who played a key The SLGU office-bearers Oval role as the chair- elected at its AGM: the series and List of scorers of most Once the ball man of the Sri Middle-order batsman Thilan Samaraweera retain their lost its shine, it Lanka Cricket President: Ana says Sri Lanka would have been happier had number one centuries in Test cricket was tough going Board when Sri Punchihewa they lost one wicket less for 238 runs on the open- rank in Test for the England ing day of the second Test Match against Lanka won the Vice President: Lal Dias cricket. England bowlers as Thilan England, but nevertheless with the wicket pro- *51 - Sachin Tendulkar, India (188 Tests) Cricket World Cup Hony. Secretary: Dilhan will lose the top Samaraweera in 1996, has become Abhayaratne viding uneven bounce, things will be difficult for *42 - Jacques Kallis, (152) rank in Tests if joined head the Sri Lanka Treasurer: Glen Mathew England who will have to bat last here. *41 - , (162) Golf Union (SLGU). Council Members: Priath “This is not the normal Oval wicket. The they are unable 36 - , India (164) Jayawardene and Punchihewa, who Fernando, Nimal Piyaratne, wicket is very dry and it has uneven bounce. to win this 34 - Sunil Gavaskar, India (125) added 124 runs After tomorrow’s (today’s) play, from day three was secretary for Ken de Alwis, Michael match. 34 - , West Indies (131) for the fourth the 2011/12 season Mangala Perera, Ranil Pieris, onwards it will be difficult to bat on this wicket,” Seam bowler wicket to take the Samaraweera, said. 32 - Steve Waugh, Australia (168) of the SLGU, has Niloo Jayatilaka, G.V.Tissera, James Anderson initiative back “It’s not the normal Oval wicket. A normal *31 - Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka (130) been appointed as Maj. Gen. Srinath Rajapakse, proved why he is from the tourists. head of the SLGU at Nihal Keppetipola, AVM Oval wicket will have a little bit bounce and the 30 - Matthew Hayden, Australia (103) high in the rank- Samaraweera its Annual General Ana Punchihewa Kapila Jayampathy and G.C. ball will come to the bat nicely. But this wicket is 29 - Sir Donald Bradman, Australia (52) Meeting held recent- Prasanna Ranasinghe. slower,” he added. ings for Test *28 - , Sri Lanka (108) was one time sur- ly. (RC) bowlers when he 27 - Allan Border, Australia (156) prised by a Finn ripped through 26 - Sir Garfield Sobers, West Indies (93) bouncer when he Sri Lanka’s top- 25 - Inzamam-ul-Haq, (120) ducked hoping order in an *-active the ball to rise, unchanged but it remained Students from Britain to play cricket in Pakistan seven-over spell low and hit him in the morning session where he on the head. He reached his half-century BY RIZWAN ALI tional cricket played in Pakistan since a ernment for clearance of the tour. terrorist attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus The team from Britain will play one- reduced Sri Lanka to 30 for three. by cutting for four and ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan might and security convoy in 2009. is day matches against Pakistan’s under-19 Anderson exhibited stamina and skill fell four runs later when still be a no-go zone for staging interna- in talks about a tour this month, which team in on Wednesday and Friday. as he troubled the batsmen with his trapped him leg before wicket. tional cricket, but a team from Britain would end that isolation. Last year Afghanistan’s national team away swinging deliveries. He struck in A 62-run stand followed between began a week-long tour with a match A high powered security delegation — played three one-dayers against Pakistan’s successive deliveries in the fifth over of Jayawardene and for against a local college team on Tuesday. led by Bangladesh Cricket Board presi- second-string team and Hong Kong also the morning to remove Tillakaratne the fifth wicket as Sri Lanka took con- The visiting team comprises university dent Mustafa Kamal — visited Pakistan sent its team on a training tour to Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara; the lat- trol of the game. students and players from the Marylebone last month and got a briefing on proposed Pakistan before last month’s World Cricket Club. security from Pakistan government offi- qualifier in the United Arab England could have dismissed “Pakistan really needs cricket because cials. Emirates. Jayawardene when he was on 79 as cricket is the most important thing in the The delegation also visited Lahore and “It’s almost three years ago that unfor- SCOREBOARD Anderson produced the edge and country and it keeps everyone going,” cap- were shown a mock demonstration of how tunately we had a nasty incident ... we do although stretched out tain Kamal Alam said. the teams will be escorted from the hotel sincerely hope that things will go from Sri Lanka 1st Innings his left hand from first , he wasn’t “It’s almost like taking the oxygen out to the ground. here onwards and we will have more L. Thirimanne lbw b Anderson 8 able to take the half chance with Sri of the country when you don’t have inter- The Pakistan Cricket Board is still teams coming to Pakistan and playing T. Dilshan c Prior b Anderson 14 Lanka’s total on 169 for four. national cricket.” awaiting a response from BCB, which has here,” PCB director Intikhab Alam said. K. Sangakkara c Strauss b Anderson 0 Jayawardene reached his 31st Test There has been no top-level interna- submitted its security report to the gov- M. Jayawardene lbw b Swann 105 hundred and the eighth against England T. Samaraweera lbw b Bresnan 54 A. Mathews 41 with a single to wide mid-on off Samit P. Jayawardene c Prior b Finn 7 Patel. Although his knock was not as S. Randiv not out 5 prolific as the one in , it was Extras: (4b) 4 extremely crucial as it came after the Shot at Olympic berth motivating Venus TOTAL: (for 6 ) 238 top-order had failed. Although traditionally the P. Sara BY STEVEN WINE there. I need to get cracking.” me on the straight and nar- Overs: 90. time: 387 minutes. Indeed, as the 2012 Games row.” Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-21, 3-30, 4-154, Oval wicket has had carry and bounce, KEY BISCAYNE, Florida approach, Williams has work Williams’ ranking fell to 5-216, 6-227. yesterday’s wicket kept low and (AP) — Venus Williams eager- to do. She must improve her 134th because she has been Still to bat: , Suranga Jayawardene’s knock could go onto ly looks forward to the London ranking to qualify, with the idle for most of the past seven Lakmal, Dhammika Prasad. prove to be the difference between the Olympics, and not just because teams to be chosen in early months after being diagnosed : Anderson 17-2-52-3, Finn 18- two sides. Sri Lanka required him to she wants another gold medal. June after the French Open. with an autoimmune disease 3-43-1, Bresnan 15-2-32-1, Patel 16-3-32-0, There’s a lot of tennis to be that causes fatigue and joint stay when the new ball was taken, but Williams also collects Swann 22-2-71-1, Pietersen 2-0-4-0. Olympic pins, and has sou- played before the Olympics, pain. She climbed to 87th by he fell three balls before it was due England: Andrew Strauss (captain), venirs from each of the including the French Open winning four matches at the when Graeme Swann trapped him leg Summer Games going back to and Wimbledon. But Williams Sony Ericsson Open in Key , , Ian before wicket. Jayawardene challenged 2000. — a three-time gold medalist Biscayne before a quarterfinal Bell, , , the umpire’s decision, but television , Graeme Swann, Tim “I pretty much hide them — says her focus on the loss last week. replays didn’t prove anything substan- London Games is what moti- In the past, the cutoff for Bresnan, James Anderson, Steven around the house to the point tial to change the umpire’s decision. where I can’t even find them,” vates her these days to prac- making the Olympics in sin- Finn. Wicket-keeper Prasanna Williams says. “So then it tice. gles has been around 68th. The Toss: Sri Lanka takes me a few months to fig- “My goal is to peak for the former No. 1 and seven-time Series: Sri Lanka leads two-match Jayawardene fell for the new ball when ure out where I hid them. Olympics,” she says. “When I Grand Slam champion pre- series 1-0. Finn dismissed him. Mathews and Suraj They’re my pride and joy. don’t want to get up or, you tends not to monitor her rank- Umpires: Asad Rauf, Pakistan and Randiv batted out the remaining five “I have an Olympic pin know, I want to do something ing status. Bruce Oxenford, Australia . overs without losing further wickets to different, then I think about “That’s like such a rookie holder set. You unzip it and TV umpire: Rod Tucker, Australia. ensure Sri Lanka came out again on the you open it, and I have 2000 the Olympics and how if I move to calculate points,” she Match referee: Javagal Srinath, second day morning to get a total that and 2004 in there. Strange don’t do the right thing I says. “I try not to do that, but would test England. Venus Williams enough, I haven’t put 2008 in might not be there. That keeps secretly I probably am.” India.

Wednesday 4th April, 2012