Susie keeps Lankan hopes alive - Enters today's WC women's 200m final:

Susie keeps Lankan hopes alive - Daily News

Enters today's WC women's 200m final:

Dinesh Weerawansa reporting from Japan


ATHLETICS: Wonder girl Susanthika Jayasinghe kept Sri Lanka's hopes alive as she stormed into the women's 200m final on day six of the 11th IAAF World Championship at the Nagai Stadium on Thursday night.

Running in the second women's 200m semi final, Jayasinghe clocked 22.66 seconds to finish third behind American Sanya Richards (22.50) and Jamaican Aleen Bailey (22.65).

Today her timing was 0.11 seconds slower than her feat in the first round and in the quarter finals - 22.55, her best 200m timing in seven years.

Yet, that was good enough for her to comfortably book a place in Friday's final. LaShantea Moore (22.73) finished behind Jayasinghe but the American too made it to the final as the first four in each semi final would make it to the last eight.

Defending champion Allyson Felix of USA returned a time of 22.21 seconds to win the first semi final which went on a relatively better pace. The assistance of the wind the sprinters had (+0.8 m/s) too contributed towards that while the second race in which Jayasinghe ran was against the wind (-0.4 m/s).

The Osaka 2007, 100m gold medallist and reigning Olympic champion Veronica Campbell of Jamaica clocked 22.44 to secure the second place. The other two to make it to the final from the first semi final were American Torri Edwards (22.51) and Cylonie Mothersil (22.78) from Caymon Islands, who finished third and fourth respectively.

Jayasinghe did not wish to make any predictions but vowed to give out her brilliant best to 'make Sri Lanka proud'. "Coming to the final alone is a great victory, considering the fact that many tried to dump me, saying my era is gone. But I am happy that I was able to answer all those critics by making it to the last eight," she said after her semi final dash.

This is only the second time that a Lankan has qualified to run in a final of a World Championship in its 24-year-old history. Incidentally, it was Jayasinghe who did it first too, some ten years ago and on that occasion, she went on to bag the silver medal in Athens, 1997 - Lanka's one and only WC medal so far.

Friday could well turn out to be another great milestone in Sri Lanka sports history. "It is going to be a gigantic battle for supremacy. To be honest, I did not have adequate training, compared to those top athletes here. I only had a month-long stint in Los Angeles and I am grateful for the Sports Ministry for assisting me during the last three months," she added.

The Lankan sprint queen said she is ready to take Friday's challenge. "It's a tall order. But I came all the way up to the final, though I was ranked 20th in the world."

"Hence, I am looking forward to my best performance tomorrow," she continued. The much-looked forward to women's 200m final will take place on Friday night at 9.15 p.m. (5.45 p.m. SL time). Besides the women's 200m final, four more gold medallists would emerge on day seven of the 203-nation championship tomorrow.

The other four finals scheduled for tomorrow are women's triple jump, women's javelin throw, men's 400m and men's 100m hurdles.

Susanthika Jayasinghe admits she could have run better, but still enters world championship finals

Short of her best, still among world's best

Susanthika Jayasinghe admits she could have run better, but still enters world championship finals
>
Channaka de Silva reporting from Osaka, Japan

Susanthika Jayasinghe failed to match her brilliance of the previous day in semi final run which even in her eyes was not convincing, but still pulled off a coup by entering the final of the women's 200 metres of athletics world championships, here at Nagai stadium last night. Sri Lanka's only hope at the world level, Jayasinghe who produced flashes of her former brilliance of the glory days when she won an Olympic medal and a world championship medal in the first round and then in the quarter finals clocking 22.55 seconds, failed to match that form yesterday but finished her semi final in third place in 22.66 to secure a place among the final eight.

"I have to agree, I couldn't run well. It just didn't happen" Jayasinghe said after the race in which she ran well in customary fashion round the bend, but slowed down dramatically down the final stretch allowing the others to catch up on her.

"But I am thrilled. This still proves I am still among the best eight runners in the world. Getting into the final is also a big thing" Jayasinghe said and revealed that she had almost given hopes on salvaging her career till about a month ago.

"I lack practice. I was disappointed and was not doing world class training, as there was hardly any motivation" Jayasinghe said adding that it was finally someone in a seat of power who helped her quest.

"I started dong serious work only after the Minister pushed me, giving the full backing. Because of that support, I felt I am still appreciated. Had I been in training for any longer, I am confident I would have done much better" said Jayasinghe who was flown to United States for training just a month ago, after minister Gamini Lokuge intervened and provided her state support, when she was idling in Sri Lanka.

Jayasinghe however was still not confident to predict any medals. "There are so many brilliant girls out there. So, it is difficult to say anything about my medal chances. Whatever happens, we have to accept what God gives us," Jayasinghe said with a smile adding "With the work I have put in, I am happy I have come this far".

Jayasinghe will run the final today at 5.45 p.m. Sri Lanka time, and along with her in the final will be a formidable set of runners including four Americans.

Jayasinghe will run in a fairly disadvantageous lane seven where she wouldn't be able to see the other top runners in the middle lanes till she comes round the bend, but having produced goods in the first two rounds from lane eight and seven, she will be in familiar territory.

Defending champion and hot favourite Allyson Felix will be in lane four surrounded by newly crowned 100 metres world champion Veronica Campbell on lane five and another Jamaican Aleen Bailey on lane three.

Two Americans - 2003 world champion Torri Edwards will be on lane three while 2005 world 400 metre champion and last year's athlete of the year Sanya Richards will be on lane six. In lane two will be Cydonie Mothersill of Cayman Islands while another American LaShauntea Moore will be on lane eight.

The key today will be Jayasinghe's start and the run through the final stretch, as she has been struggling off the blocks ever since her nightmarish disqualification in the 100m quarter final, on which she had pinned a lot of hopes. Even yesterday Jayasinghe was the slowest off the blocks, requiring a whopping .209 seconds to react to the gun, evidently the disqualification though a false start still haunting her. But her biggest worry would be the failure to accelerate as she wiched down the final stretch.

Jayasinghe ran on lane four yesterday, while Richards who ran on lane six won in 22.50 ahead of Jamaica's Bailey who clocked 22.65 and Jayasinghe. Moore, who finished in 22.73 was fourth and also qualified.

In the other semi final which was much faster Felix produced a relaxed run,but still cocked a brilliant 22.21, while Campbell was second in 22.44. Edwards finished third in 22.51 while Mothersill grabbed the fourth to get the final slot in 22.78.

A little later the hot American Tyson Gay completed the sprint double adding the 200m title to his 100m title won earlier. Gay flew home in 19.76 seconds to set a new world championship record while Jamaican Usain Boly clinched the silver in 19.91 ahead of another American Wallace Spearmon who won the bronze in 20.05.

Galle, here we come ! - The Galle Stadium after Tsunami demolish

Galle, here we come !


Let's get back to the Stadium itself. Fringed on both sides by the Indian Ocean, it is one of the most picturesque grounds in Sri Lanka with competition coming from Asgiriya and
perhaps now, the Dambulla International Stadium. Tony Greig in his commentaries praises this venue to the hilt. With the Dutch Fort in the background and the two sea-side views it is indeed picturesque and gives one the sense of 'openness' which other grounds like the MCG for instance or even Eden Gardens in Kolkatta (Calcutta) do not give the cricketer out there in the middle or the spectator.
By Pelham Juriansz




The Galle Stadium four months ago. One of the ground and the other taken from the Galle Ramparts.
The million dollar question is "Will it be ready for the English tour in October?"

I vaguely remember my first glimpse of the Galle International Stadium (well in those days it was simply the Galle Esplanade or the ground on which 'Big Matches' like the Richmond- Mahinda and Galle CC played their games) and its environs way back in the mid 1960's when first the Methodist Church visited and then as a family of Juriansz' we holidayed at Hikkaduwa and made the inevitable journey slightly further 'down South' to what some describe as the 'sleepy town of Galle', the southern capital of Sri Lanka.
Then in 1974 I had the opportunity of playing on this ground when playing Under 16 cricket for S. Thomas. Four months ago I made a trip 'down South' as we call it and happened to have my camera with me and took whatever my non-digital camera could take.

Well at that stage the Galle International Stadium was in a state of repair and according to the Secretary of Sri Lanka cricket, K. Mathivanan, the Stadium should be ready for the Series against England in October. Well, to put the record straight we have heard this kind of story before when the SLC President, Jayantha Dharmadasa said that the Stadium would be ready for the South African series last year. The South Africans came and went and nothing happened at the Stadium. Shane Warne was blamed for not delivering the goods. In other words he had promised a certain sum of money that never materialised. A good enough scapegoat considering the fact that a certain bottle-loving individual is in charge of the funds down South.

Anyway never mind. The cricket out there goes on despite the fact that Bedi is throwing googlies' at Murali, and Murali on the other hand despite having been robbed of bowling at his favourite venue has crossed the 700 barrier, only the second time this has been achieved in the history of the game. No mean feat. After all Shane Warne too has fond memories of this ground having captured his 500th scalp here.

Let's get back to the Stadium itself. Fringed on both sides by the Indian Ocean, it is one of the most picturesque grounds in Sri Lanka with competition coming from Asgiriya and perhaps now, the Dambulla International Stadium. Tony Greig in his commentaries praises this venue to the hilt. With the Dutch Fort in the background and the two sea-side views it is indeed picturesque and gives one the sense of 'openness' which other grounds like the MCG for instance or even Eden Gardens in Kolkatta (Calcutta) do not give the cricketer out there in the middle or the spectator.

The unique feature of the ground is that one has many vantage points and the match out in the centre could be seen from high up on the Dutch Fort itself which on a clear day is a beautiful sight indeed. One for Poets and artists! With the Indian ocean visible on two sides of the ground and the famous clock tower of the 16th-century Dutch fort towering above, Galle's international stadium was one of the most scenic venues in the world, until it was devastated - along with the entire Southern coast of Sri Lanka - by the terrible tsunami that struck on December 26, 2004.

For a time, the future of the venue was in some doubt - especially given the political schisms that had formed at boardroom level in Sri Lanka's cricket administration - but thanks to international support from such luminaries as Ian Botham and Shane Warne (the latter has still to come up with anything concrete) who had taken his 500th Test wicket on the ground earlier that year in 2004, a pledge was made to rebuild the ground from scratch. Until the disaster, Galle had been something of a Sri Lankan stronghold, with six wins and two defeats in 11 matches, the majority of these engineered by Muttiah Muralitharan, who had taken 87 wickets in those games.

First Test in 1998
This ground hosted its first match on 29 February 1984 and Test cricket was first played on the ground on 3 June 1998. The ground favours spin bowling thus the phenomenal success of spin wizard Muthiah Muralitharan. Consequently Sri Lanka has won six of the 11 Tests played here. As mentioned earlier Shane Warne took his record-breaking 500th Test wicket here in March 2004.

The ground was devastated by the tsunami resulting from the December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Sri Lanka cricket first announced that they planned to rebuild the ground by August 2006, in time for South Africa's tour then but a year later one is left to wonder the folly of empty promises.

The cost to reconstruct may be as high as $4 million. The ground is now scheduled to be ready for use when England tours here in October 2007. Seeing is believing!

Muralitharan 'elbowed' out - not fit for even till the end of Oct.

Muralitharan 'elbowed' out

CRICKET: Sri Lanka suffered a major blow less than a week before their departure to South Africa as off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was ruled out of the inaugural ICC Twenty/20 World Cup with an elbow injury.

Secretary Sri Lanka Cricket Kangadaran Mathivanan said that Muralitharan suffered with an elbow injury while playing for Lancashire and will be out for more than four to six week's. The injury also means that Muralitharan may not be fit in time for the five one-day international home series against England which starts on October 1.

Murali walked off the field with a right biceps strain after bowling more than 33 overs on the first day of Lancashire's game against Kent on Wednesday. Though he returned before the close of play, he did not bowl again during Kent's innings.

Muralitharan who is the quickest to take 200 wickets for Lancashire, was making his last county appearance this season and was scheduled to fly home over the weekend to join the Sri Lankan team's preparations for the Twenty20 tournament.

No replacement has been announced as yet but it is almost certain that Dilruwan Perera, the off spinning all-rounder who was on standby when the original squad was announced, is the front runner.

(C.D)

**********************Murali may consult Dr. David Young

By BIPIN DANI

Mumbai, Aug. 30 : Sri Lanka's leading Test wicket taker Muthiah Muralidharan may consult an Australian orthopaedic surgeon David Young for his elbow injury, according to his manager Kushil Gunasekhara.

Speaking to this scribe over his mobile from Colombo, he said, "Dr. David Young is a noted orthopaedic surgeon is Melbourne and he has treated Muralidharan (and few other cirkceters-that includes Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar-around world) in the past. Muralidharan may not be required to travel to Australia but will certainly seek his advice over telephone on injury", he said. Murali has no early plan to return to Sri Lanka. "He is missing Lancashire's important match against Kent but will not prepone his arrival (as hardly few days are left for his scheduled arrival) and as per original schedule is expected to arrive here on Sunday". Murali is missing Twenty20 in South Africa but many in Sri Lanka believe it is going to be a blessing in disguese for him.

Twenty20 is a faster version of game than even one dayers. Considering Murali on a threshold of a world record of highest Test wickets, he would get reasonable rest.

At present, his participation for the forthcoming away-two Tests against Australia is not in doubts but one never knows....He is to consult team physio for scans etc. immediately on his arrival and further line of treatment would be decided thereafter.

ICC World Twenty20 2007 - Schedule

ICC World Twenty20 2007
Group A: Bangladesh, South Africa (A1), West Indies (A2)
Group B: England (B2), Australia (B1), Zimbabwe
Group C: New Zealand (C1), Sri Lanka (C2), Kenya
Group D: India (D2), Pakistan (D1), Scotland

September

GROUP STAGE (all start times BST)

11 South Africa v West Indies, Cape Town (1900)

12 New Zealand v Kenya, Durban (1100)

12 Pakistan v Scotland, Durban (1500)

12 Australia v Zimbabwe, Cape Town (1900)

13 West Indies v Bangladesh, Johannesburg (1100)

13 England v Zimbabwe, Cape Town (1500)

13 India v Scotland, Durban (1900)

14 Sri Lanka v Kenya , Johannesburg (1100)

14 Australia v England, Cape Town (1500)

14 India v Pakistan, Durban (1900)

15 Sri Lanka v New Zealand, Johannesburg (1500)

15 South Africa v Bangladesh, Cape Town (1900)

SUPER EIGHTS
NOTE: Seeds A1, B2, C1, D2 in one group, seeds A2, B1, C2, D1 in the other. If any non-seed qualifies from their group, they will replace the eliminated seeds in the draw

16 C1 v D2, Johannesburg (1100)

16 B1 v A2, Cape Town (1500)

16 A1 v B2, Cape Town (1900)

17 D1 v C2, Johannesburg (1900)

18 C1 v B2, Durban (1100)

18 B1 v D1, Johannesburg (1400)

18 A2 v C2, Johannesburg (1800)

19 A1 v C1, Durban (1400)

19 B2 v D2, Durban (1800)

20 A1 v C2, Cape Town (1000)

20 A2 v D1, Cape Town (1400)

20 A1 v D2, Durban (1800)

SEMI-FINALS/FINAL

22 1st semi-final, Cape Town (1400)

22 Semi-final, Durban (1800)

24 Final, Johannesburg (1400)

Sri Lanka finalise Twenty20 squad

Sri Lanka finalise Twenty20 squad




Sri Lanka have picked leg-spinner Kaushal Lokuarachchchi and all-rounder Gayan Wijekoon for the 15-man squad for the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa.

The pair step up from the 'A' team, which is currently touring England.

Malinga Bandara and Nuwan Kulasekera have been left out from the squad that reached the World Cup final in April.

Marvan Atapattu has pulled out of his central contract and Russel Arnold has retired; all-rounder Hasantha Fernando and batsman Jehan Mubarak are in.

Sri Lanka have played three Twenty20 internationals, beating England and New Zealand, and losing a match to New Zealand in Auckland, when they were bowled out for 115.
**************************************************************************************
Sri Lanka squad: Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Kumar Sangakkara (v-capt), Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chamara Silva, Dilhara Fernando, Lasith Malinga, Farveez Maharoof, Chaminda Vaas, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Jehan Mubarak, Hasantha Fernando, Gayan Wijekoon.

Jayawardene upbeat for Twenty20

Jayawardene upbeat for Twenty20
Jayawardene expects Sri Lankan joy at Twenty20 World Cup




Jayawardene expects Sri Lankan success at the Twenty20 World Cup


Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene is confident his side can carry their excellent form to South Africa and win the inaugural ICC World Twenty20.

"Our bowling attack is very good and so is the batting as it consists of proven performers," he said.

"Our intention is to challenge ourselves and we feel we are capable of winning the championship."

Sri Lanka start off with a tough match against New Zealand in Johannesburg on 14 September.

But both sides are expected to progress to the Super Eights stage from a group which also includes Kenya.

Sri Lanka side are relatively inexperienced in the 20-over format of the game having only played three Twenty20 internationals, the most recent of which was in December, when they lost to New Zealand by five wickets in Auckland.

But they have stuck largely to the squad which reached the final of the 50-over World Cup in April before losing to Australia and Jayawardene said: "I believe we should play the way we are used to and adopt our brand of cricket which has served us well up to now.

"I think it is all about keeping a cool head as one cannot make too many mistakes and expect to come back as it is a very short game...the key will be to minimise mistakes as we do in other games.

"We will attempt to take a game at a time which is the best way to move forward."

Test cricket was the real prize for any cricketer- Mahela

Test cricket was the real prize for any cricketer- Mahela




CRICKET: Embattled wicketkeeper Mark Boucher found support - albeit a bit too late - from an unexpected quarter yesterday.

Sri Lanka’s captain, Mahela Jayawardene, in an International Cricket Council conference call, said he too felt that success in Test cricket was the real prize for any international cricketer.

“It is the ultimate goal,” he said, “but these other forms of the game are exciting as well.”

South African Test and one-day wicketkeeper Boucher voiced similar sentiments 10 days ago and was very heavily punished by Cricket SA - apparently for this observation, among others.

Jaywardene, perhaps having heard of Boucher’s woes, said his preference for Test cricket was purely his personal point of view, and that he appreciated the excitement the new form of the game was bringing into cricket.

He admitted Sri Lanka were not particularly experienced in this shortest form of the game, but that they had every chance of doing well in the tournament. “We have only been playing for two years and countries like England have been playing a lot longer, so they have to be favourites,” he said.

“But if we have our game plans - our different strategies - and if we stick to them and execute them properly there is no reason why we should not go all the way,” he said.

He singled out explosive, veteran opening batsman, left-hander Sanath Jayasuriya, as a key figure up at the top of the batting order, but felt, like some others that bowlers would play a key part in the tournament.

“Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan - they are all wicket-takers in all forms of the game, and taking wickets up front in this format is particularly vital,” he said.

“If a side loses quick wickets in a Twenty20 game there is very little time to recover. So bowlers will be a key part.”

He said a challenge would be to get to grips with new tactics and a totally new approach , and it would not surprise him if it became a game for specialists.

“However, many players in my experience have started off in one-day cricket and have had such success that they have graduated to Test cricket.

“When one-day cricket was just beginning, there was a school of thought that Test players would not necessarily make good one-day players and this is still the case in many instances. But there are exceptions and I expect the same will apply to Twenty20 cricket.”

The appeal of Twenty20 cricket, he said, was that it opened the game up and one mistake could completely level the playing field.

“It all happens so quickly any team could suddenly find itself with the advantage. If you make just one mistake, it is very hard to get back into the game.”

That said, if his side did what they had done to get to the final of the World Cup in the West Indies a few months ago, they would do well.

“If we play to our strengths and work hard, there is no reason why we should not succeed in a game which is largely a new one to us,” said Jayawardene.

Business Day, Johannesburg

Susanthika back on track - Daily Mirror

Heart-broken Susanthika back on track

Channaka de Silva reporting from Osaka, Japan

Susanthika Jayasinghe still recovering from the shock of an unexpected exit from the 100 metres second round, will take the field today in the first round of the 200 metres event at 7.10 a.m. Sri Lanka time here at Nagai Stadium, to take a probable final shot at a world championship medal.

Ranked 19th in the world, Jayasinghe has not been in great form in the 200m in recent times but should make it to the second round in the event where she has failed to post even one of the top 50 times this season, though she claimed the Asian championships gold last month in Jordan.

However known for her ability to pull off the unexpected, Jayasinghe still harbours a hope in her pet event which has earned her medals at world championships and Olympics.

"I still find it hard to understand what happened in the 100m. It is a real shock to me. Though I did not claim it in public, I had a secret hope of a medal in the 100m," Jayasinghe revealed yesterday. She however said that she will give her best in the 200m despite the odds in what is likely to be her last appearance at the world championships at the age of 31.

"I always feel a strange strength when I am running for my country. I will give my best tomorrow because I want to give something back to all Sri Lankans who put faith on me," said Jayasinghe but stopped short of predicting a medal.

Jayasinghe will run in the first heat of the first round, where first four of each of the six heats and the eight fastest qualifiers will enter the quarter finals to be run this evening at 4.10 p.m. Sri Lanka time.

Drawn with Jayasinghe in the same heat is one of the favourites, Allyson Felix, the defending champion from United Sates. Felix who is in red hot form this season has been the fastest runner over the distance this year with her 22.18 clocked in May. Having skipped her favourite 100m to concentrate on 200m, Felix, who is also the Olympic silver medallist, will be the hottest prospect for the title.

Four runners out of the seven in the first heat have posted better times than Jayasinghe this season, while running in lane eight will put Jayasinghe at a disadvantage as she will not be able to see the rest of the field to adjust her speed.

The 200m will be one of the most tightly contested events of the championships with several top names vying for honours.

The other hot favourite will be the freshly crowned 100m world champion Veronica Campbell who is also the reigning Olympic champion in the event.

Another American runner Sanya Richards, the reigning 400 metres champion who skipped the 400m event to concentrate on the 200m, will be an equally threatening force. Richards who was adjudged the World athlete of the year in 2006 by the IAAF, has been in brilliant form over 200m this season.

World number one ranked Kim Gavaert of Belgium, world number two Debbie Ferguson of Bahamas and former 100m world champion Torri Edwards of US are the other top contenders.

Meanwhile, it was announced yesterday that the official winning margin of Jamaica's Veronica Campbell over American Lauryn Williams in Sunday night's breath-taking 100m final was an amazing three-one-thousandths of a second.

Due to technological advancement, there was no need to crown joint champions "It was close, but you can differentiate," said Paul Hardy, the IAAF events and competitions director.

Five athletes finished in a bunch in the tightest of finishes, and it took more than five minutes for organizers to announce the final official result on Sunday night.

As everyone waited, first the name of Torri Edwards appeared on scoreboard to baffle everyone including athletes. Even Edwards did not take it seriously as it was obviously a mistake. Lauryn Williams was then displayed on scoreboard as second and a little later was moved to top position though number 2 remained against her name.

Then the scoreboard went blank to put everyone in suspense again. After a while, finally the correct finish order came on the scoreboard, ending the nerve-wracking drama that lasted nearly ten minutes.

The times of both Campbell and Williams are listed at an identical 11.01 seconds.

However it is still not the closest finish at the world championships. At the 1993 world championships in Stuttgart, American Gail Devers edged Jamaica's Merlene Ottey by one-one-thousandth of a second to win the 100m gold.

At a press conference yesterday, IAAF's top medical official Dr. Juan Manuel Alonso said there's a connection between sports doping and mafia.

"It's clear today that doping has become a business for the crime industry. People involved in the drug business are investing in doping because it's a very profitable business and the police from several countries are realizing that" he said.
*************************************************************************************
Decisive day for Lanka as Susanthika runs in pet event
-Daily News

Dinesh Weerawansa reporting from Japan

ATHLETICS: It will be a decisive day for Sri Lanka as Olympic medallist Susanthika Jayasinghe launches her women’s 200m campaign on the fifth day of the 11th IAAF World Championship at Nagai Stadium here on Wednesday morning.

The women’s 200m has always been her pet event and the event in which she gifted Sri Lanka with two rare medals - a silver at the IAAF World Championships in Athens, 1997 and a bronze at the Olympic Games in Sydney, 2000.

Hence, the 31-year-old veteran Lankan sprint queen now gets ready for one of the biggest challenges in her life in what looks like her farewell World Championship.

Despite her false start debacle in women’s 100m quarter finals, Jayasinghe is ready to put aside all those setbacks and have a go.

She looked calm, but confident as she completed her final work out today.

“Honestly, I have a dream, a dream of any athlete competing in the big league. But the talent and determination may not work all the time. It has to be your day.

If tomorrow is my day, I could couple my talent and courage and achieve those dreams,” Jayasinghe said.

She added that the summer weather at Nagai Park looks ideal. “The conditions are good and I am looking forward to do something.

I can’t say what that would be. I want to do something that will make my country proud of,” she added.

Jayasinghe has been drawn to run in the first of the six women’s 200m first round heats due to start at 10.40 a.m. on Wednesday (29) - 7.10 a.m. SL time.

She will run in the outer lane eight with Cuban Roxana Dias on her left. Of the eight sprinters down to run in this heat, only the defending champion American Alyson Felix (22.11 seconds) has a better personal best timing than Jayasinghe (22.28).

Jamaican Veronica Campbell, who emerged the fastest women in the 2007 World Championship, will be launching her campaign for that elusive sprint double - a dream of any short distance runner.

The women’s 100m gold medallist in Osaka will run in heat six which also features American Torri Edwards. Of the 43 competitors in women’s 200m heats, Campbell who was placed fourth at the last World Championship, accounts for the best personal timing of 22.05 - which helped her to win the Olympic gold in Athens three years ago.

Felix has the best 2007 season’s timing of 22.18 seconds out of all 200m runners. Coming even somewhat closer to that this season are Muriel Hurtis -Housairi of France (22.38) and Campbell (22.39).

In contrast, Sri Lanka’s Jayasinghe’s best feat in 200m this season has been her 22.99 in winning the gold at the Asian Championship in Jordan. Hence, on current form, Felix stands way ahead but she is bound to face stiff competition from Hurtis -Housairi, Campbell, American Sanya Richards and Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie of Bahamas.

All in all, it is going to be a keenly contested affair as the women’s 200m quarter finals are scheduled for 7.40 pm (4.10 pm SL time) on Wednesday.

7th Asia Cup Hockey Championships in Chennai - The Nation

7th Asia Cup Hockey Championships in Chennai

Lankan stickers hope for a better performance

By Samiddha Kalmith Rathnayake

Once a much reputed game, hockey has hardly become a news making source in the local sports arena.
The game of the curved sticks was once a heart-throb in Sri Lanka. During the early fifties to the late seventies Sri Lankan hockey players had a decent reputation in the international arena. For the last two decades or so, that glory and interest for the game has gradually faded away.
The recent success that they had during the South Asian Games (SAG) as the second runners-up was a major victory the game had for quite sometime.
The national squad of 22 players who left for Chennai yesterday to take part in the 7th Asia Cup Hockey Championship from September 1-9 is bubbling with excitement.
“This is an opportunity that we’ve got for quite sometime and we want to prove a point during the tournament,” assistant manager of the team, J.D. Balasooriya said. Being a former national player, Balasooriya is also someone who has got immense experience in the international circuit.
“Teams like Bangladesh continue with their squad even after the SAG, but unfortunately we had only two weeks to do the necessary training sessions. Still we have got a strong outfit and I’m sure the lads can do well in the tournament,” he remarked.
Regional giants India, Pakistan and China are also taking part in this tournament and one cannot see much of a chance for the local lads during their nine days in Chennai.
“It is true that those teams (India, Pakistan and China) will be hard nuts for our kids. But with teams like Bangladesh, Vietnam and Thailand we have got a definite chance of recording victories. It all depends on how the boys will approach the tournament,” Balasooriya said pensively.
A.N. Perera, the head coach in the squad has been a busy man for the past few weeks.
“These boys are really talented. We picked these boys considering their performances at the recently concluded Senior National tournament. Initially there were 40 players and we pruned them down to 22,” said Perera.
“The only thing that bothers us is the financial situation in the association. We are trying our best not to put any sort of financial burden on the players,” he said.
Sri Lanka is placed in Group ‘B’ with India, Korea, China, Bangladesh and Thailand. Perera said that they are focusing on displaying a better performance than in 2005.
“The fifth Asia Cup was the first time we took part in this event. We finished 10th. I’m focusing for a much improved performance this time and I’m sure that our plays will do their best,” he said.

********************************************

SRI LANKA HOCKEY TEAM TO CHENNAI - (L-R) – L. Ettapana (Coach), E. Jayasuriya, P.M. Cramer, T.M.S.D. Abeyratne, H.S. Hettiarachchi, C.L. Sumanaratne, K.S.S. Perera, N.A. Hewage, K.B.J.D. Balasuriya (Asst. Manager), A.N. Perera (Head Coach), S.M. Mulafer (Coach), T. M.A.B. Karunaratne, T.M.P.P. Abeyratne (Captain) A.M.S.B. Wickremasinghe, M.M. Gazaly, P.G. Jayaratne, H.M.C.H. Bandara (Umpire), M.M. Mulafer, D.T. Panditharatne, D.R.M.I.K. Jayasundara, D.M. Weerasuriya, R.C. Fernando, H.T.W. Perera, Nimanka Srimal, R.I.S.F. Megamage, W.L.P. Priyashantha. (Pic by Pushpakumara Matugama)

Collingwood fined for slow over-rate

Collingwood fined for slow over-rate

LONDON (AFP) - England captain Paul Collingwood has been fined 50 percent of his match fee for a slow over-rate during India’s nine-run win in the second one-day international here at Nevil Road.
Match referee Roshan Mahanama ruled that England had been three overs short of its target of bowling 50 overs in the permitted three-and-a-half hours when time allowances were taken into consideration.
The England team was also fined.
And with the shortfall being more than two overs, Collingwood, as captain, was automatically charged with a Level Two breach of the International Cricket Council (ICC) code of conduct, clause 2.11.
Collingwood pleaded guilty to that charge in the hearing that took place after Friday’s floodlit match where he was accompanied by Peter Moores, the England coach, and team manager Phil Neale.


The charge was laid by the two on-field match officials Billy Doctrove and Ian Gould and third umpire Nigel Llong.
Collingwood’s punishment, the minimum available for a Level Two offence, could have been much worse.
Mahanama, if he’d gone to the other extreme, had the option of imposing a full match fee and/or a one Test or two one-day international ban.

Lankan slicers to India

A sport that yearns for sponsorship

By Samiddha Kalmith Rathnayake

Lankan slicers to India

Carrom, the game of the commoner was never popular in the international arena. While the country’s main focus is on cricket it is really sad to see that sports of this calibre is not getting the prominence it deserves.
A fact that most Sri Lankans don’t know is that we are in a much strong position in this sport when compared to the rest of the world.
India, the kings of this game of disc are the sole challengers the locals will get when it comes to international competitions. The picture remains the same when the six-member Sri Lankan team competes at the 11th SARC Championship and the second Asian Carrom Championship in Nagpur.
Rohini Mathiasz, once a talented player who won many championships is now referee and she will be the chief referee for the Asian Carrom Championship this time around.
“A team comprising three men and three women players will be leaving the country on August 29. R. Athauda will be the manager of the team and Langley (Mathiasz) and I will be going as the officials for the tournament,” she said.
“The Carrom Federation understandably runs with the money that they collect from their well wishes,” said Rohini. “The money for a tour of this manner was collected through donations and the Sports Ministry only provides the tickets for the tour, she said in despair.
According to Rohini, the only challenge the locals have India; can be conquered if they initially get the required support from the officials.
The SARC Championship which will be held from September 1-3 will feature all the SARC nations. The Asian Carrom Championship will be the next goal for the local team where 10 countries will fight for supremacy from September 4-8.
“If someone can come forward and offer us with a sponsorship it will be really great,” Rohini said hopefully.

TONY GREIG COLUMN

Two of the best

Just recently there has been speculation in the Australian newspapers about how long the Aussie wicket keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist will continue playing. The general consensus of opinion is that he will give away One Day Internationals and only play Test cricket for a while. This got me thinking about Sanath Jayasuriya and what he might have in mind for his future. What an incredible servant of Sri Lankan cricket he has been. Like Gilchrist he has played a brand of cricket that has captivated all of us. Commentators like everyone else love a snack or coffee, some even have a drink at some stage during a days play. We all need to visit the toilet from time to time but never when Gilchrist or Jayasuriya is batting.

Impeccable behaviour



These two brilliant attacking batsmen have delighted crowds all over the world with their crisp stroke play and it’s sad to think that someday relatively soon they will move on.
Apart from their terrific batting they have both also played crucial roles in the field — Gilchrist with the gloves and Jayasuriya with the ball. Put simply they are both splendid all-rounders.
What I also love about these two fantastic players is the impeccable way they have behaved. They are two of the nicest guys playing the game and set the sort of example we want sportsmen to set for our children.

Walker

Gilchrist has actually gone one step further. The umpires are being made fools of by the modern technology being used to cover the game for television. This is happening despite the fact that the umpires these days are every bit as good and almost certainly better that their predecessors. You would have thought that players would have been eager to help the umpires, who like the players, are also trying their level best to do a good job. After all, these days there is plenty of talk about the importance of the spirit of cricket. Gilchrist is different because unlike the rest of the Australian team, and for that matter most of the top players in the world, he is a walker. In other words if he thinks he is out he doesn’t hang around waiting for the umpire to tell him so - he just walks. Imagine how much easier it would be to umpire if there were more Gilchrists around.
For me, it’s been an absolute pleasure, to sit in the commentary boxes around the world, watching these two great players play the game. If I were asked to pick my best ever one day team the names of Adam Gilchrist and Sanath Jayasuriya would be pencilled in first.

TONY GREIG COLUMN

Two of the best

Just recently there has been speculation in the Australian newspapers about how long the Aussie wicket keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist will continue playing. The general consensus of opinion is that he will give away One Day Internationals and only play Test cricket for a while. This got me thinking about Sanath Jayasuriya and what he might have in mind for his future. What an incredible servant of Sri Lankan cricket he has been. Like Gilchrist he has played a brand of cricket that has captivated all of us. Commentators like everyone else love a snack or coffee, some even have a drink at some stage during a days play. We all need to visit the toilet from time to time but never when Gilchrist or Jayasuriya is batting.

Impeccable behaviour



These two brilliant attacking batsmen have delighted crowds all over the world with their crisp stroke play and it’s sad to think that someday relatively soon they will move on.
Apart from their terrific batting they have both also played crucial roles in the field — Gilchrist with the gloves and Jayasuriya with the ball. Put simply they are both splendid all-rounders.
What I also love about these two fantastic players is the impeccable way they have behaved. They are two of the nicest guys playing the game and set the sort of example we want sportsmen to set for our children.

Walker

Gilchrist has actually gone one step further. The umpires are being made fools of by the modern technology being used to cover the game for television. This is happening despite the fact that the umpires these days are every bit as good and almost certainly better that their predecessors. You would have thought that players would have been eager to help the umpires, who like the players, are also trying their level best to do a good job. After all, these days there is plenty of talk about the importance of the spirit of cricket. Gilchrist is different because unlike the rest of the Australian team, and for that matter most of the top players in the world, he is a walker. In other words if he thinks he is out he doesn’t hang around waiting for the umpire to tell him so - he just walks. Imagine how much easier it would be to umpire if there were more Gilchrists around.
For me, it’s been an absolute pleasure, to sit in the commentary boxes around the world, watching these two great players play the game. If I were asked to pick my best ever one day team the names of Adam Gilchrist and Sanath Jayasuriya would be pencilled in first.

Past Rugby Captains of St Peter’s College 1932-2007 - The Nation

Past Rugby Captains of St Peter’s College 1932-2007

Year Captain Year Captain Year Captain

1932 Lim Billimoria 1961 Didacus de Almeida 1985 Rajith Abeygoonewardena
1933 J.E.F. Pereira 1962 Jeyer Rodriguaz 1986 Rowern Gunasekera
1934 Shelly IIlesinghe 1963 Stephen Alagaratnam 1987 Rohan Ekanayake
1935 Fred Kellar 1964 Rohan Abeysundere 1988 Shadwell de Silva
1936 Archibald Perera 1965 Darrel Wimalaratne 1989 Collin Dinesh Peter
1937 Percy Perera 1966 Hamzi Hameed 1990 Harendra Wijesena
1938 Percy Perera 1967 Rodney Patternott 1991 Manoj N. Bakshani
1939 Vernon Peiris 1968 Ronnie Gunaratne 1992 Roshan D. Fredricks
1940 Kenneth Silva 1969 Sunil Perera 1993 Leonard de Zilwa
1941 W.A. Chandrasena 1970 Hamish Patternott 1994 Roshare L. Alles
1942-47 No rugger (World War II) 1971 Jizvi Nizar 1995 S. Abeygoonewardena
1948 Harold de Silva 1972 Jeffery de Jong 1996 Kirk Williams
1949 Ken Ariyaraja 1973 Rohan Wiratunga 1997 Achala Silva
1950 Alfred Perera 1974 Nimal Jayasuriya 1998 Rajiv Perera
1951 Ago Paiva 1975 Frank Hubert 1999 Gavin A. Ludowyke
1952 Geoff Garnier 1976 Roshan Deen 2000 Gladwyn Georgesz
1953 Terry Williams 1977 Angelo Wickramaratne 2001 Dilan Abeygoonewardena
1954 G. Tharmaratnam 1978 Jerramy Gomez 2002 Dilanka Wijesekera
1955 Lakshman Serasinghe 1979 Hussain Didi 2003 Rumaiz Ishaq
1956 Desmond Euphraims 1980 Ainsley Baldsing 2004 Mohamed Rinaz
1957 Jayantha Fernando 1981 Keith Nugegoda 2005 Sajith Adikari
1958 M. Salih 1982 Rohan Paulus 2006 Harendra Ariyawardene
1959 I. Johnson 1983 Prasanna Wimalasena 2007 Ranuka Jayasinghe
1960 Adiel Anghie 1984 Viraj Fernando

Susie won’t find it easy in Osaka

Susie won’t find it easy in Osaka




Fresh from intense training in Los Angeles, USA, Sri Lankan star Susanthika Jayasinghe will battle it out in the shorter sprint heat of the World Athletic Championships in Osaka, Japan at 8.10 am local time in order to earn a place in the quarter-finals scheduled for this evening.
Jayasinghe who will run in lane four, has the third fastest qualifying timing in heat one, 11.25 seconds, and earning a place among the best 32 wouldn’t be a too much of a problem for the celebrated sprinter.
Her biggest challenge would initially come from Carmelita Jeter, an American who has a seasonal best time of 11.05 seconds and Kim Gevaert of Belgium who has a seasonal best time of 11.13 seconds. Interestingly, Merlene Ottey, 47, who won the bronze medal in the 200m dash at the 1997 championships behind Jayasinghe, will compete alongside Jayasinghe in the first heat.
If Jayasinghe qualifies for the second round, she would be in action at 17.05 local time to book her berth in the semi-finals, scheduled for tomorrow, 16.30 local time.
Reports from Japan says Jayasinghe is in high spirits ahead of today’s curtain raiser and may pull off a surprise win in the longer sprint, 200m, for which she has won a silver Ten years back.
Jayasinghe initially entered the 200m dash where she clocked 22.39 seconds during the 6th World Championships in athletics in Athens but decided to compete in the shorter sprint following her impressive run at the Asian Championships.
“The conditions are close-to-a-home feeling,” Jayasinghe was quoted as saying following a training session ahead of today’s 100m dash.
Jamaican Veronica Campbell, the world leader with a forget-me-not effort of 10.89 will be front-runner for the World’s Fastest Woman tag followed by Christine Arron (11.06 seasonal best(SB), Debbie Ferguson of Bahamas (11.12 SB), Kerron Stewart of Jamaica (11.03 SB), Chandra Sturrup Bahamas (11.18 SB), Uzbekistani Guzel Khubbieva (11.20 SB), Lauryn Williams of USA (11.11 SB) and the American Torri Edwards, the second fastest seasonal timing of 10.90 seconds.
But Jayasinghe who pulled off a gold double during the recent Asian Championships in July vowed to make a good come-back in Osaka.
The semi-finals and final are scheduled for Monday, 16.30 and 18.50 respectively.
Meanwhile Jayasinghe will compete in the 200m dash on Wednesday at 7.10 local time and if she qualifies will battle it out in the quarter finals at 16.10 local time on the same day. The semi-finals are scheduled for Thursday at 18.30 while the final is on Friday 17.45.
Jayasinghe who clocked a personal best 22.28 seconds in 2000 for her Olympic bronze in Sydney has a seasonal best of 22.99 seconds.

World’s fastest man has new record in sight - LakbimaNews

World’s fastest man has new record in sight




The world’s fastest man this year Tyson Gay says the 100 metres world record is in jeopardy and could fall this weekend at the World Athletics Championship in Osaka.
The American, who is aiming for “the triple gold” in the 100 metres, 200 metres and the 4x100 metres relay at the championships, says the quick Nagai Stadium track could help him break thes world record of 9.77 seconds held by Jamaica’s Asafa Powell. “I’ve heard about the track and it’s supposed to be really fast,” Gay said. “I think it is possible for the world record to be broken.”
Gay was a top 200 metres runner but recently shifted his focus to the shorter event and his results have been startling this season. The American ran a wind assisted 9.79 seconds at the adidas Track Classic at Carson, California in May this year.
On June 2 in New York he ran under Asafa Powell’s world record clocking 9.76 seconds.
It was one-hundrenth of a second faster than Powell’s world record.
Unfortunately for Gay the time was disallowed because of excessive wind assistance.
Gay yesterday brushed off speculation that doping had played a part in his rapid progression this year.

The men’s 100 metres final is on Sunday night.

Mahela happy with Bayliss and co.

Mahela happy with Bayliss and co.

Champika Fernando



Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayewardene lauded Sri Lanka’s new team management that assumed duties ahead of the next month’s inaugural Twenty20 Cricket World Cup in South Africa and said the trio blends well with the team.
“They seem to fit very well with us,” Jayawardene said.
The new team management headed by coach Trevor Bayliss, his assistant Paul Farbrace and trainer Jade Roberts assumed work on Monday and had several training sessions with the team during the week.
“It’s too premature to say anything more at this point since they are just a week old. But, I can tell you that we had a couple of very good training sessions during the week and are looking forward to more exciting moments ahead,” Jayawardene added.
Jayawardene however said that the coach Bayliss does possess similarities to his predecessor Tom Moody but said it’s a bit difficult to elaborate on the matter at the moment.
“He seems quite similar to Moody who keeps a very good rapport with the players but apart from that I can’t elaborate because he is just settling in,” he explained.
Sri Lankans will leave on September 5 for the two-week long inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa where they will confront New Zealand and Kenya in group C in the first round.
Earlier, coach Bayliss said at a press conference that he was very impressed with the team’s approach to the game.
“They are a bright bunch of guys and very friendly people. Before we came here everyone was telling us how good these guys were, lovely people, hard trainers and hard workers. Certainly that’s what we got this morning. I am looking forward to working with them,” he said on Monday.
Meanwhile, Jayawardene also said that Sri Lanka could pull off the first ever Twenty20 World cup title despite little Twenty20 match experience.
Sri Lanka has played only three Twenty20 matches but Jayawardene believed that it wasn’t a disadvantage.
“All the countries do have a realistic chance of winning the cup and it all depends on how you perform on that particular day. I think we have a very good chance of winning too.
“We are very much looking forward to the event; hope we can strike rich in South Africa,” Jayawardene said.

You do selections, I’ll do coaching — Bayliss

You do selections, I’ll do coaching — Bayliss

By Champika Fernando


Sri Lanka’s new cricket coach Trevor Bayliss said that he would not intend to interfere in team’s selections — an approach he had maintained throughout his coaching career.
“I would be quite happy for the selectors to do the selection and for me to coach the team,” said the Australian at a packed press conference at Sri Lanka Cricket headquarters last week.
Bayliss, 44, however said he would intend to give his view on the team but would not intend to have a vote on the selections.
“The attitude I had in New South Wales when I was coaching was the same thing. I didn’t actually have a vote on the selections, but the one rule we put in place for the players was that there should be no complains. Whatever you have been dealt, just get on with it,” Bayliss added.
Bayliss was responding to a question from the house whether he would follow his predecessor, Tom Moody, who had a larger say in the team selection.
Bayliss and his support staff, assistant coach Paul Farbrace, and trainer Jade Roberts started their reign with the national team last week ahead of next month’s Twenty20 Cricket World Cup in South Africa.

Twenty20 World Cup

Bayliss, believed that Sri Lanka could give a good showing at the upcoming world cup, as the Twenty20 form of cricket suits best for the attacking style of cricket of the Lankans.
“Sri Lanka hasn’t played a lot of Twenty20 cricket. But the style of cricket they play can be suited to the Twenty20 game.
“Sri Lanka is a team that plays an attacking style of the game. With a bit of experience and playing a few practice games, I am hoping the players can learn fairly quickly. I’m confident that we can give a good showing,” Bayliss said. The new coaching staff had their first session with the national team on Monday, hours before meeting the press.
“Before we came here everyone was telling us how good these guys were, lovely people, hard trainers and hard workers. Certainly that’s what we got this morning. I am looking forward to working with them.”
A middle-order batsman and a brilliant cover fielder, Bayliss quickly made his mark as the head coach of NSW when he succeeded Steve Rixon three years ago before being appointed as the new Sri Lanka coach in mid June.

On Tom Moody

Bayliss admitted that he had consulted his predecessor, Tom Moody on several occasions before and after accepting his first international assignment.
“We have got fairly similar views on the way cricket should be played and the way it should be taken forward,” he said, adding that he doesn’t intend to bring in drastic changes to the national team. “Not a lot will change in the process.
Sri Lanka has been very successful in their last 18 months. I don’t want to change too much but think that it’s appropriate to continue along those lines.
“Tom’s opinion of the team was that they were a bunch of guys, very talented, easy to work with and easy to talk to.
They play an attacking style of cricket similar to Australia. From that point of view and coming from Australia, there won’t be a big change in the way we are going,” he added.
Meanwhile, Bayliss said that he was elated at the opportunity granted on him to train one of the most successful international cricket teams in the world.
“It’s a dream, I suppose, where you can reach the top in whatever endeavours that you try. I am honoured that I’ve been given the opportunity to coach the Sri Lankan cricket team,” Bayliss said.

Assistant coach Farbrace

Speaking on his deputy Paul Farbrace, Bayliss said Farbrace is a hard worker who shared a similar personality to him.
“Paul is a coach who knows his stuff and is a very hard worker. He is also a guy whom I can get on with.
He’s probably got a similar personality and similar views on the way the game should be played. I think it is important that the two of us should work together.” Sri Lanka Cricket had no second thoughts in enlisting former Kent coaching director, Farbrace as assistant coach on recommendation of Bayliss
“To work with Trevor and the other guys here, it really wasn’t a contest. It’s an exciting opportunity.
You don’t very often get the chance to work with exciting teams who are playing good cricket. “I really want to get into and get stuck in.” Farbrace said.
Meanwhile, the trainer Jade Roberts, who is also a dietician, said that he too had a chat with former Sri Lankan trainers Alex Kountouri and C.J. Clark before accepting the job.
“I am excited and thrilled to take this new position,” 29-year-old Roberts said. He was at the strength and conditioning position at the Queensland Academy of Sports before signing up with Sri Lanka Cricket. He has also worked for two years as a Performance Coach at the Australian Acceleration (Brisbane), the sports performance enhancing company in Australia.

Susanthika could reach 100m final - Wijesundera

Susanthika could reach 100m final - Wijesundera

By Channaka de Silva



Susathika the sole representative of Sri Lanka on the track.

Sri Lanka’s hopes at the World Athletics championships lie on the shoulders of champion athlete Susanthika Jayasinghe who remains the last bastion of the country golden era in athletics.

Jayasinghe who has been the strength of local athletics in the past with a World championships and an Olympic medal among her laurels is the sole athlete from Sri Lanka who has qualified for the world championships this year, marking an end to a period of time when Sri Lanka used to send dozens of athletes to the world’s highest track and field showpieces.

Jayasinghe at 31, is not getting any younger will not be a top favourite unlike in the past, but the determined Sri Lankan has baffled and shocked the world a few times in the past.

Clocking an excellent 11.9 seconds in winning the gold at last month’s Asian championships, Jayasinghe has once again hit the top level, but still a lot of improvement may be needed at the world’s top according to experts.

Yogananda Wijesundera, a former top coach and director of the country’s sports training institute, believes that Jayasinghe would be able to make it to the finals of the 100 metres event at the World championships according to her timing at the Asian championships, but says there are hardly any hopes in the 200 metres.“Theoretically Susanthika can’t reach above 22.8 in the 200 metres according to her 100 metres timing. At her age, the neuro-muscular co-ordination is not as good as when you are younger, so, it is impossible to do better. But if she can maintain the Asian championships timing she can enter the final of the 100 metres” Wijesundera said.

Wijesundera also commented that the level of the country’s standards has fallen and a lot of work is needed to regain the past glory.

According to latest IAAF world rankings Jayasinghe remains at number 18 in the 100 metres and number 20 in the 200 metres.

Forget Bedi, concentrate on record, Arjuna tells Murali

Forget Bedi, concentrate on record, Arjuna tells Murali

By S.R. Pathiravithana





Arjuna Ranatunge

Sri Lanka’s World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunge who is a staunch supporter of champion off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan does not think that Murali should waste his time on suing people like the former Indian captain Beshen Singh Bedi who called him the best shot putter in history.

Arjuna speaking to The Sunday Times said “I do not think Murali should waste his time on chasing behind futile people like Bedi. It is well noticed that when he praises a person it is always an Australian and never even an Indian or a Sri Lankan. “Either he has a kink on white people or else he is looking to get a work permit in Australia. He is clearly a publicity hunter when ever a Sri Lankan tour of Australia comes close he comes out with a statement of this nature. So what Murali really should do is to concentrate in breaking that World record and prove to that he is undoubtedly the best bowler in cricket history”.

The whole controversy surfaced when Bedi took a swipe at Murali calling him the best shot-putter in history. He went on to accuse Murali of killing the game. Bedi also said that even if Murali takes 1000 wickets, he would count them as run-outs. Bedi has been the biggest critic of Muralitharan and has time and again referred to him as a 'chucker'.

Meanwhile Muralitharan has sent a letter of demand to the former Indian left arm spinner Bedi claiming Rs.750 million or face a legal battle in court.

The Indian newsline Times also referring to the same issue quoted Arjuna as saying “When a dog bites you, you don’t bite the dog” and also dismissed Bedi as a publicity hound and said “Muralitharan should not be worried about an old man whose life is ending”.

India level series against England

India level series against England




LONDON, Aug 24 (Reuters) - India struck back to level their seven-match one-day series with England 1-1 on Friday after an imposing total of 329 for seven proved too much for the hosts in the second one-dayer at Bristol.
India won by nine runs after England reached 320 for eight on the compact west country ground.
Sachin Tendulkar hit 15 fours and a six before he was caught behind in a controversial decision for 99. It was his 80th one-day 50, a milestone also reached by captain Rahul Dravid, who ended on 92 not out.
India set the pace with an impressive century opening stand between Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly.
The Indian pair capitalised on a hot afternoon to put on 113 following Dravid’s decision to bat first.
Tendulkar led the way, reaching 50 off 56 balls, although it was a flurry of shots to the short boundaries from partner Ganguly that took India to 100 in the 17th over.
Ganguly made 39 before he fell to Andrew Flintoff in the 20th over. Tendulkar also fell to the England all-rounder, caught behind though replays showed that the ball appeared to strike his elbow.
India continued to pile on the runs before Yuvraj Singh, after making 49 off 53 balls, was caught by Collingwood off Stuart Broad in the 41st over.
Flintoff finished with his first five-wicket haul in one-dayers.
Alastair Cook (36) and Matt Prior (33) came out swinging but their stand came to an end when both fell in the 11th over.
Ian Bell tried to keep things moving and reached 64 but when Kevin Pietersen (25) and Collingwood (27) were both bowled by spinner Piyush Chawla, England’s hopes of a remarkable win seemed to have disappeared.
Dimitri Mascarenhas produced a spectacular late blast, crashing five huge sixes in a 52 of 39 balls off the medium pacers before falling in the penultimate over going for another big hit.

SCOREBOARD

India

S. Ganguly c Collingwood b Flintoff 39 (54)
S. Tendulkar c Prior b Flintoff 99 (112)
Y. Singh c Collingwood b Broad 49 (53)
R. Dravid not out 92 (63)
M. Dhoni c Tremlett b Anderson 21 (18)
D. Karthik lbw b Flintoff 1 (02)
A. Agarkar c Prior b Flintoff 1 (03)
R. Powar c Prior b Flintoff 1 (02)
P. Chawla not out 1 (01)
Extras (lb 8, w 9, nb 8) 25
Total (7 wickets; 49.6 overs) 329
Fall of wickets: 1-113, 2-180, 3-243, 4-302, 5-310, 6-324, 7-326
Did not bat: R.Singh, M. Patel
Bowling: S. Broad 9-0-54-1, J. Anderson 10-1-56-1, A. Flintoff 10-0-56-5, C. Tremlett 9-0-73-0, D. Mascarenhas 4-0-31-0, P. Collingwood 4-0-24-0, R. Bopara 4-0-27-0

England

A. Cook c Dhoni b Patel 36 (41)
M. Prior c Dravid b Patel 33 (28)
I. Bell c Patel b Piyush Chawla 64 (96)
K. Pietersen b Piyush Chawla 25 (25)
P. Collingwood b Piyush Chawla 27 (25)
A. Flintoff c Agarkar b Powar 9 (07)
R. Bopara lbw b Patel 17 (20)
D. Mascarenhas c Agarkar b Singh 52 (39)
S. Broad not out 29 (24)
C. Tremlett not out 0 (01)
Extras (b 1, lb 6, w 15, nb 6) 28
Total (8 wickets; 50 overs) 320
Fall of wickets: 1-76, 2-76, 3-134, 4-176, 5-185, 6-220,
7-240, 8-299
Did not bat: J. Anderson
Bowling: A. Agarkar 9-1-67-0, R. Singh 10-0-56-1, M. Patel 8-0-70-3, S. Ganguly 3-0-17-0, P. Chawla 10-0-60-3, R. Powar 10-0-43-1
Result India won by 9 runs
Series tied at 1-1

England - Sri Lanka Tests

From The Sunday Times

SLC scoffs at Sanath’s ICL rumours - The Sunday Times

SLC scoffs at Sanath’s ICL rumours

By Marlon Fernandopulle



Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) scoffed off rumours that their champion batsman Sanath Jayasuriya has made a request to release him from their contract for one month in order to play in the controversial Indian Cricket Leagues (ICL) Twenty-20 tournament later this year.

Speaking to the Sunday Times SLC Secretary K Mathivanan said,”Sanath has not made any form of request asking SLC to release him to play in the ICL tournament. This is all nonsense.Infact SLC will not even consider such a request from a contracted player”.

Earlier this week it was reported that the Lankan Master Blaster was offered US$ 500,000 by the ICL and Jayasuriya had subsequently made a request from his employer SLC to release him for one month in October.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) sent a stern warning to all players on Friday stating that if any cricketer participates in tournaments not approved by SLC they will not be eligible for selection for Sri Lanka at National/International and domestic tournaments conducted by SLC.In addition such players will also not be able to participate in cricket related activities coming under the auspices of SLC.

Selectors Fiasco!
Despite another week passing by Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge was unable to complete his selection of four Selectors. His latest inclusion, former wicket keeper batsman Amal Silva rejected the offer following his exclusion from the original selection. At a time when many past cricketers are lobbying for positions in the Selection Committee Amal Silva snubbed the Sports Minister with a firm No.

Silva’s rejection left only chairman Ashantha de Mel and Ranjith Madurusinghe to sit along side skipper Mahela Jayawardene to select Sri Lanka’s Twenty-20 squad for next months world cup. The only other selector Don Arunasiri is currently in England with the Sri Lanka A team.

Sri Lanka Cricket will now send a few more names to the sports minister to fill in the fourth selector’s position as the remaining members in the original 10 names Graeme Labrooy and Flavian Aponso are unlikely to get the consent from the sports minister. Although Ashley de Silva’s name is in the list, it is believed that he will not be able to serve as a selector due to his involvement with the Sri Lanka Under 19 team while Shabbir Asgerally, a former selector has informed SLC that he is not interested in another term.

Mubarak Injured –Out of Tri -Nation
Sri Lanka A team skipper Jehan Mubarak was forced to pulled out of the Tri Nation tournament following an injury to his knee. Mubarak sustained the injury while at practices on Wednesday. The tall left hander who has also been selected to represent Sri Lanka in next month’s twenty – 20 tournament is expected to be out for two weeks.Malintha Waranapura will now lead Sri Lanka in the Kenya Triangular tournament which will also feature India A as the third team.

Sri Lanka’s 9/1 in athletics - The sunday Times

Sri Lanka’s 9/1 in athletics

By Namal Pathirage

Is Sri Lanka heading for yet another world record?



Though it was only Sri Lanka’s short distance sprint queen Susanthika Jayasinghe who qualified to take part at the 11th World Athletic Championships in Osaka Japan which is scheduled to begin on August 26 it is reported that a whopping contingent of nine officials have applied for visas to accompany the athlete.

They are: Sunil Jayaweera (Manager), Dhammika Nandakumara (coach), Robert Mohan (masseur), Maj. Gen. Palitha Fernando (President AAASL), Prema Pinnawela (Representative of the World Athletic Association), Shantha de Silva (observer), Lt. Gen. Sudath Madugalle (observer), Y.K. Kularatne (observer), Mrs. Jayanthi Pinnawela ( Chaperone).

Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge speaking to The Sunday Times on the issue said that the ministry will bear the costs of only Susanthika Jayasinghe, Dhammika Nandakumara. However, the minister added that if any official wants to make the trip at his own expense he has no objections against that.

The Sunday Times also learns that the World Athletic Association President, Prema Pinnawela and his wife Jayanthi will meet their own expenses while the AAASL will have to sponsor the rest of the contingent. The return air ticket will cost Rs. 85,000 while the entire trip will cost approximately Rs. 200,000 per person.

Meanwhile one of the employees of the Athletic Association said that the work at the AAASL may come to a grinding halt from August 22 to September 5 as the above mentioned personnel hold all the key positions of the association.

However, Prema Pinnawela is also scheduled to represent Sri Lanka at the World Atheletic Association AGM which will also run concurrently at the same venue.

Susanthika to run both 100 and 200m at world meet - Lakbimanews

Susanthika to run both 100 and 200m at world meet

Champika Fernando

Susanthika Jayasinghe has slipped back on her decision to skip the shorter sprint at this year’s World Athletics Championships in Osaka this month.
Thus, the renowned sprinter will feature in the 100m dash in addition to the longer version, 200m dash. Jayasinghe earlier said she would only concentrate on the 200m dash at the World Championships, as she is focused on winning her second medal at the event.
Jayasinghe clocked 22.38 seconds ten years back in Athens to raise the Lankan flag high on air as she won country’s first ever medal, a silver at the meet.
Jayasinghe, who is currently in Los Angeles for a brief training stint before the mega event in Japan, clocked a improved 11.19 seconds to win gold at the recent Asian Championships; thereafter has been advised to compete in both sprints.
“She informed me of her decision,” said Prema Pinnawela, athletics secretary.
Jayasinghe has never won a medal beyond Asia in the 100m dash as she is a vulnerable starter.
“I have a very poor start which I couldn’t get over,” she said earlier reasoning out her decision to skip the 100m dash.
Jayasinghe, Sri Lanka’s only competitor at the World meet, will fly directly from the USA to Japan where a host of Sri Lankan officials are set to accompany the star-sprinter.
Meanwhile, former Sri Lanka high jump champion Nagalingam Ethirveerasingham, who helps the champion sprinter in the USA told LAKBIMAnEWS, that Jayasinghe is well focused on the event.
“We couldn’t get Tony (Campbell) this time as he is in Europe with his athletes. But I have got a very good coach, who has trained a number of USA national athletes. He has given Jayasinghe the workouts. I am helping her,” Ethirveerasingham, who won Sri Lanka’s first-ever Asian Games gold medal in high jump, said.
“She is doing very well. I expect her to run faster than her personal best times in the 100m and 200m. To me that is the most important achievement. It is an added bonus if those times are good enough to get a medal,” he further said.
Meanwhile, the Olympic bronze medallist Jayasinghe has been offered a further training stint in the USA from January to July in view of the next year’s Beijing Olympics.
“I expect her to train in Los Angeles under the same coach from January till July 2008 to prepare for Beijing. It’ll give her a chance to get a medal better than bronze. I hope the government will help her to train in LA for seven months continuously,” he further said.

Sanath Jayasuriya turns his back on Indian League - Lakbimanews

Jayasuriya turns his back on Indian League

Ranjan Paranavithana

Veteran opener Sanath Jayasuriya yesterday turned down a half a million dollar contract with the proposed Indian Cricket League just hours after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) threatened to ban any Sri Lankan players joining the ‘controversial’ league.
Jayasuriya, a veteran of 398 ODI’s, has been reportedly offered a US$ 500,000 to accept a three year contract, but the opener said that he decided to stick to his central contract with Sri Lanka Cricket.
“I had a long thought about it before reaching the decision. Financially it was a good offer. But I am a contracted player with the SLC. So it’s not right to take up anything else right now,” Jayasuriya told LAKBIMAnEWS.
The names of Jayasuriya, former skipper Marvan Atapattu and retired batsman Russel Arnold are linked with the ICL. Only Atapattu has confirmed an interest in the ICL.
Jayasuriya, who reportedly earns a handsome US$ 100,000 per year from the SLC, however, denied that he had made a request to the SLC asking for his release to play in the ICL.
“There’s no reason for me to put forward a request, because my interest is with the national team.
“I am looking forward to our next assignments against England and Australia,” he added.
Meanwhile, the SLC has threatened to ban any Sri Lankan player who signs up for the Indian Cricket League. Sri Lankan players participating in any ‘tournament or league other than Sri Lanka Cricket approved events shall not be eligible for selection to represent Sri Lanka,’ an SLC statement said.
“They will not be considered for selection to play even domestic cricket, hold any position in the cricket administration or officiate as umpires or commentators,” SLC secretary K. Mathivanan said.
Jayasuriya, who will be the only player to feature in 400 ODIs (398 at present) during the home series against England, is due to arrive in the country today after completing a month long personal visit to Europe.
Meanwhile, a top Sri Lankan cricketer said that the board’s decision to ban players from playing the proposed league is outrageous.
“It’s not fair at all. Let our club cricketers earn some money, something more than what they earn when they can. It’s just like playing club cricket in England, Australia or any other country,” the player who wished to be anonymous said.

Rebel series affect Lanka ? - "Friday" Newspaper

Rebel series affect Lanka ?
By Pelham Juriansz

Rebel tours and rebel series have been around for quite some time. Rebelling is nothing new. Ever since the first rebel Lucifer, rebelled against God Almighty it has been fashionable to rebel against authority and question authority. But with the recent hue and cry over the Indian rebel series which retired players like Brian Lara, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath (the latter two have denied being involved) there is much furore over the idea of rebels and rebel tours and series.

Let us analyse some of the problems involved. Well as the good old saying goes, ‘Love of money is the root of all evil’. But then is the love of money all that is at stake here? After all if you take the Sri Lankan scene the three players who are being considered are two players whose careers are almost over and one retired player.
Take further the fact that Marvan Atapattu was meted out step-motherly treatment by the selectors during the World Cup is it wrong to now point fingers at him? When a player like Upul Tharanga was failing so badly was it not right to give the former skipper who has contributed so much to Sri Lankan cricket a go in the middle, instead of merely relegating him to the position of ‘drinks boy’?

Packer and the WSC
Rebel series started when Australian Kerry Packer decided that ‘enough was enough’. The cricketers were getting ‘peanuts’ compared to other sportspersons in the 1970’s. So began the World Series Cricket where Packer hired the VFL Park in Melbourne to host the Series and also telecast the matches on his Channel 9 TV.
Taking advantage of the low remuneration paid to players, Packer retaliated by signing several of the best players in the world to a privately run cricket league outside the structure of international cricket
World Series Cricket hired some of the banned South African players and allowed them to show off their skills in an international arena against other world-class players.
I remember watching WSC in Australia in 1979 and wasn’t I in 7th Heaven! It was a great opportunity to watch players of the calibre of Barry Richards, Graeme Pollock, Eddie Barlow, who had hitherto been banned from international cricket because of the Apartheid problem that existed in South Africa at the time.

In fact for 21 long years the South Africans were unable to participate in the Test Arena and we the cricket enthusiasts were denied watching some of the best players in the World. Kerry Packer with his ‘pyjama’ cricket played in the night, changed all that.

The schism that the World series created with established Cricket, lasted only until 1979 and the “rebel” players were allowed back into established international cricket, though many found that their national teams had moved on without them. Long-term results of World Series Cricket have included the introduction of significantly higher player salaries and innovations such as coloured kit and night games.

Limited overs cricket
In the 1960s, English county teams began playing a version of cricket with games of only one innings each and a maximum number of overs per innings. Starting in 1963 as a knockout competition only, limited overs grew in popularity and in 1969 a national league was created which consequently caused a reduction in the number of matches in the County Championship.

Although many “traditional” cricket fans objected to the shorter form of the game, limited overs cricket did have the advantage of delivering a result to spectators within a single day; it did improve cricket’s appeal to younger or busier people; and it did prove commercially successful.

The first limited overs international match took place at the MCG in 1971 as a time-filler after a Test match had been abandoned because of heavy rain on the opening days. It was tried simply as an experiment and to give the players some exercise, but turned out to be immensely popular. Limited Over Internationals (LOIs or ODIs, after One-day Internationals) have since grown to become a massively popular form of the game, especially for busy people who want to be able to see a whole match.

The International Cricket Council reacted to this development by organising the first Cricket World Cup in England in 1975, with all the Test playing nations taking part.

Cricketers’ future
on the line

But how does all this affect our tiny island? The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Interim Committee (at the time of typing) will take a decision as to what action could be taken in connection with the players who are set to play in the highly controversial Indian Cricket League (ICL) Twenty20 tournament which has already taken the cricketing World by storm.

Sri Lanka recall Hasantha Fernando and Wijekoon for wenty20 World Championship, 2007

Twenty20 World Championship, 2007-08

Sri Lanka recall Hasantha Fernando and Wijekoon

Cricinfo staff

Gayan Wijekoon is recalled after a successful time with Sri Lanka A © AFP
Sri Lanka have recalled allrounders Gayan Wijekoon and Hasantha Fernando in the 15-member squad for the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa in September. Mahela Jayawardene will lead a full-strength squad that includes as many as six fast bowlers.

Fernando, the right-arm seamer and lower-order batsman who has played two Tests and seven ODIs, last toured Bangladesh with the senior team in early 2006. Wijekoon, the left-arm seamer and top-order batsman, played the last of his two Tests in July 2005. Another notable inclusion was Kaushal Lokuarachchi, the legspinner, who got the nod ahead of Malinga Bandara and Upul Chandana. Lokuarachchi makes a comeback after being overlooked for the recent home series against Bangladesh.

All those currently playing county cricket in England - Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Sangakkara, Lasith Malinga and Chaminda Vaas - have been included to boost the squad. It was earlier reported that Muralitharan might be rested, with the tour of Australia up ahead.

Squad Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Chamara Silva, Chaminda Vaas, Farveez Maharoof, Muttiah Muralitharan, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Hasantha Fernando, Gayan Wijekoon, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Jehan Mubarak

© Cricinfo

Durham v Sri Lanka A, Chester-le-Street, 3rd day

Durham v Sri Lanka A, Chester-le-Street, 3rd day

Sri Lanka A end tour in style

Cricinfo staff


Sri Lanka A 379 and 212 for 8 dec (Lokuarachchi 45) beat Durham 220 (Welegedara 5-45) and 217 (Park 51, Welegedara 4-41) by 154 runs
Scorecard

Sri Lanka A ended their tour with a 154-run win against Durham after bowling them out for 217 on the final day. Chanaka Welegedara claimed four wickets as Durham collapsed following a fourth-wicket stand of 93 between Gordon Muchall and Gary Park.

After batting on for a further 50 runs, Sri Lanka set the home side 372 for victory but they never threatened to get close. However, their bid to save the game started solidly with an opening stand of 71 between Will Smith and Mark Stoneman before Smith was trapped lbw by Dilruwan Perera.

Park made 51, but he was caught behind off Welegedara shortly after Muchall had been run out. The lower-order didn't offer much resistance as the last six wickets fell for 50 runs, the third run-out of the innings completing the victory for Sri Lanka and a highly satisfactory tour where a number of fringe players have shown pleasing form.

© Cricinfo

Sri Lanka board threatens to ban players joining ICL

Atapattu expresses interest in unofficial league

Sri Lanka board threatens to ban players joining ICL



Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has threatened to ban any national player who signs up for the Indian Cricket League (ICL). Sri Lankan players participating in any "tournament or league other than Sri Lanka Cricket-approved events shall not be eligible for selection to represent Sri Lanka," an SLC statement said.

Kangadaran Mathivanan, the board secretary, said those who played in the ICL would also not be associated with any official cricket activity in Sri Lanka. "They will not be considered for selection to play even domestic cricket, hold any position in the cricket administration or officiate as umpires or commentators," Mathivanan said.

Mathivanan said no current Sri Lankan player had approached the board with an intention to take part in the ICL. Marvan Atapattu, the former captain, is the only Sri Lankan player to have a confirmed interest in the ICL. Atapattu asked the board to release him from his contract and the board accepted his request.

The board's decision follows a similar one taken by the Indian board which effectively asked the players to choose between it and the ICL. The BCCI issued a statement on Tuesday saying: "Every individual has the right to choose whether he wishes to associate himself with the BCCI or any other organisation. However, if he associates himself with any other organisation, he will not derive any benefit or be connected to any of our activities in any way."

The ICL, which is scheduled for October, will feature six teams playing Twenty20 matches. Each team will comprise four international players, two Indian players, and eight upcoming players. Brian Lara is the only confirmed player on the ICL list.

© AFP

Galle Stadium moving towards hosting Test

Galle Stadium moving towards hosting Test

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Work on one of the world’s most picturesque cricket grounds the Galle International Stadium is going ahead as scheduled to host the third Test between Sri Lanka and England starting on December 18.
There was much consternation among cricket fans especially from England when Galle which was originally scheduled to host the first Test of the three-match series was changed to the third Test.
There was fear that Galle may not host a Test match at all because of the delays the stadium underwent during its rebuilding process following the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami which entirely destroyed it.
However with the construction part of the pavilion, dressing rooms, media centre, VIP enclosures etc being handed to Sierra Construction Ltd., a leading construction company in the country last week, work on the stadium has increased at a hectic pace.
“It is a very challenging task but I am confident we can complete it by the deadline of November 15 set by Sri Lanka Cricket. We did Dambulla Stadium in 155 days,” said Priyantha Perera, a director of the construction company.
“We have been given only about three and a half months to complete construction. It all depends on the weather conditions we will experience in that time. We are working round the clock to deliver on time,” he said.
Galle Stadium curator Jayananda Warnaweera was more definite in his assumption. “We will definitely host the Test match,” he said.
“The centre wicket is ready to stage a match even now. Grass has been planted on the outfield. All that needs to be complete is the pavilion, dressing rooms and media centre which will be able to accommodate 150 journalists,” said Warnaweera.
Sri Lanka Cricket secretary K. Mathivanan outlining the delays they experienced in getting work started on the stadium said: “Our original intention was to put up a five-storey building. But we ran into trouble with the Archaeological Department and the Urban Development Authority who objected to it because there is a rule that does not allow construction of buildings higher than two storeys in front of the Galle Fort which is on the UNESCO list of world monuments.”
“We eventually settled for two storeys but we expanded horizontally demolishing the Galle Cricket Club and Municipality buildings so that we had 38,000 square feet of space. Even then the UDA did not approve it. We had to finally seek the help of the President. All these delays pushed back the construction to the stadium,” said Mathivanan.
He said subsequently tenders were called and construction was awarded to Sierra. The total cost to Sri Lanka Cricket is expected to be around Rs. 400 million.