BEST RATE IN TOWN Saffty & 2 592 592 Comfort is our Concern A MEMBER OF THE KANGAROO GROUP Saturday 15th January, 2011 hundred in the first Test at Lord’s and then whitewashing England 5-0 in the ODIs that fol- lowed. Jayawardene scored back- to-back hundreds ending a long century drought and big scores kept coming from then on. He arrived in the West Indies for the 2007 World Cup determined to make amends for failures in the previous competi- tion and made enough amends emerging as the second highest run getter behind Australia’s Mathew Hayden. Jayawardene averaged 60.88 and had a strike BY REX CLEMENTINE rate of 85.09 that included a century and four half-centuries and was one of he knock that announced the three players in the tournament to Mahela Jayawardene’s arrival to score more than 500 runs along with Tinternational cricket, with a Hayden and Ricky Ponting. His consis- bang, was his epic 120 against tency in the West Indies made the 2003 England, in that ill-tempered Carlton nightmare a distant blur. & United Series encounter in Adelaide After scoring half-centuries in 1999. Jayawardene wasn’t even part against Bermuda (85), West Indies of the original squad that was picked (82), England (56) and Australia (72), for the series and was a late addition he produced a knock of pure class in place of the injured Aravinda de when it was most needed in the semi- Silva. final against New Zealand in In that contentious game, which Kingston, Jamaica that secured Sri Sri Lanka won with one wicket and Lanka’s place in the World Cup final. two balls to spare, Jayawardene made Mahela Jayawardene on his way to an unbeaten In that crucial encounter against his mark barely few months prior to century during the World Cup semi-final against the Kiwis, his first 17 runs were care- the 1999 World Cup in England and New Zealand in Kingston, Jamaica in 2007. fully drafted as he took 47 deliveries, Shane Warne went onto comment that Jayawardene had a disastrous World Cup cam- but the next 23 came at a run a ball the 21-year-old Sri Lankan is the bats- pace. After being well set, he stepped paign in 2003 where he managed 21 runs in man to watch out for in the competi- up the scoring rate getting 60 runs off seven innings. Four years later, he made tion. 39 balls to score his maiden World Cup amends for his failures by ending the 2007 cam- While he didn’t produce anything Part 10 hundred and finished things off in paign in West Indies as the second highest run spectacular in 1999, leading up to the style by hitting 15 runs off the last getter behind Matthew Hayden. 2003 tournament in South Africa five balls to remain unbeaten on 115 Jayawardene had become the coun- off 109 balls with ten fours and three try’s premier batsmen despite the sixes. presence of the formidable opening He joined Graham Gooch, Saeed combination of Marvan Atapattu and Anwar and Sourav Ganguly as the Sanath Jayasuriya. fourth batsman to score a hundred in But his returns in that competition a World Cup semi-final and equalled were absolutely none as he produced Gooch’s 115 as the highest individual scores of 1, 5, 9, 1, 0, 0 and 5 and he score in a World Cup semi-final. had played nine games of that World His efforts largely helped Sri Cup (he didn’t bat against Canada and Lanka to secure a spot in the final Bangladesh) without reaching the only for a second time. Although Sri double figures even once. Lanka couldn’t repeat what the 1996 Jayawardene had initiated a chari- team achieved, Jayawardene earned ty to build a cancer hospital and one the admiration of the cricket world of the donors had promised to con- for the role he played in ensuring tribute Rs.1,000 for each run he scored ICC’s flagship event didn’t end in utter during the World Cup, but his returns farce after the match officials made a during the tournament were a meager real mess of the rules in the final. 21 runs. The game was affected by rain A popular joke that was doing the and Sri Lanka were 206 for seven at rounds at that time was during the the end of over number 33 when the tournament, on his way out into the light was offered to the batsmen. Sri middle to bat, Jayawardene gets a call Lanka were chasing a revised target from his mother and the team coach of 269 from 36 overs. So cocky were Dav Whatmore tells her he’s heading the match officials that they insisted to the middle to bat. Then the mother that the players needed to come back replies; ‘I’ll hold, he won’t be long!’ the following day, the reserve day of Despite the setback, the fact that the final, to complete the game Sri Lanka persisted with him through- although even spectators and viewers out the tournament shows that they clearly knew that once both sides were absolutely sure that it’s just a have faced at least 20 overs, a One- matter of time before he gets going. Day International is complete. Sadly for Sri Lanka that breakthrough To save the World Cup from end- knock didn’t come and, therefore, for ing in complete mockery, the next competition, he would have Jayawardene chatted with the come hungrier and more determined. umpires and agreed to send down his The period soon after the 2003 players to face the three overs that World Cup didn’t bring him the big the umpires insisted should be scores either. From December 2001 bowled to complete the game and until June 2006 he had failed to score a having done that, he convinced Ricky One-Day International hundred going Ponting that he should bowl his slow- through 120 ODIs without a three-fig- er bowlers, rather than Glen ure score? McGrath or Shaun Tait, as it was But his breakthrough series came totally dark. Ponting agreed and as captain when he took the team to Chaminda Vaas and Dilhara England. The Test series prior to the Fernando blocked the three overs five-match ODI series saw Sri Lanka bowled by Michael Clarke and coming from behind to square the Andrew Symonds to save the reputa- series with Jayawardene making a tion of the cricket World Cup. Cook awarded Freedom Colombo out of Cager Nationals after ten years of City of London Alastair Cook has been this year, said: “I am greatly 48th National Basketball Championship rewarded for his stunning honoured and privileged to be BY ROSHEN STEELMAN meant that they were out of the competition. efforts during England’s Ashes given the Freedom of London Meanwhile, in the women’s category, Sri win by being afforded the free- for doing something I love ... dom of the City of London. beating the Aussies. I would Colombo District who have qualified for Lanka Navy beat University in a quarter- Cook racked up 766 runs in like to thank all those involved the semi-finals of the National Basketball final to secure their semi-final berth. The the series at an average of 120 - with this decision.” Championships in the last ten years failed to final score was 72-33. Solanji Gunawijaya top including three centuries - as Traditionally, the award book a last four berth after suffering heavy scored for the winners with 14 points while England retained the urn in means he is entitled to drink in defeats at the hands of Sri Lanka Air Force P.W. Weerarathne scored 12 points for losers. dominant style. He is now back any public house in the city for and Hambantota District. in England having been over- free - an honour that held Their last group game was against Army Other men’s Results looked for the ODI and T20 Andrew Flintoff in good stead sides, but he has not been for- when he was granted the free- SC and although they won 77-61 that was Hambantota beat Puttalam 69-60 only a consolation win as two successive Sri Lanka Schools beat SL Navy 88-85 Alastair gotten. dom of Preston in 2005 - and Cook Cook, who will receive the drive sheep and cattle through losses in the early stage of the tournament Mercantile services beat SL Police 78-64. accolade at a ceremony later the streets. Published by Upali Newspapers (Private) Limited, 223, Bloemendhal Road, Colombo 13 and Printed at 195/187, High Level Road, Homagama on Saturday 15th January, 2011.