Sri
Lankans agree to sign controversial ICC contract
By Marlon Fernandopulle
The 14 Member Sri Lanka cricket squad was expected to sign
the controversial ICC contract after the Sri Lanka Cricket
Association(SLCA) and the Interim Committee of the Board of
Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka(BCCSL) reached a compromise
on the guarantee fee payable to the team.
Following
six rounds of discussions between SLCA representatives and
the Interim committee of the BCCSL a consensus was reached
on Friday afternoon on the Guarantee fee payable to the team.
Although the players were scheduled to sign the contract on
Friday they were unable to do so since the paper work was
not complete.The BCCSL and the SLCA were making preparations
to finalise the signing last evening. However the Sunday Times
learns that the contracts were not signed yesterday and will
now be signed tomorrow.As at yesterday all countries except
for Sri Lanka and India had signed the ICC contract.
Earlier
this week the SLCA insisted that the BCCSL pays 30% of the
guarantee money received from the ICC to the team.However
this request was flatly rejected by the BCCSL which stated
that the Financial position of the Cricket Board this year
was not satisfactory and whatever money received from the
ICC will have to be channelled for the development of the
game.
However
after intense discussion between the two parties it is believed
that the SLCA and the BCCSL agreed on a figure which was below
30%. The Sunday Times learns through reliable sources of the
Cricket Board that the agreed figure was in the region of
18%.
Meanwhile
the SLCA through its parent body is urging the ICC not to
sign contracts of this nature without getting the consent
of the players in future. The ICC which is meeting in Dubai
is expected to take up this issue today. As a cricket analyst
pointed out the ICC earns the revenue at the expense of the
players and then prevents the players from earning any money.It's
time that the ICC looks after the interest of the players
and also realises that there will be no tournaments without
players.
Cifford
Cup first semi-final
CH kicked out of the finals
By Aubrey Kuruppu
Kandy SC came from behind (and virtually from the dead) to
score a punishing 35 points ( 3 goals, 1 try, 3 penalties)
to 22 (2 goals, 1 try, 1 penalty) win over the CH & FC
in the first semi-final of the Cifford Cup played at Nittawela
yesterday.
CH's game
plan was to shock Kandy early on and Bertie Jayasekera scored
almost from the kick off. Kandy reduced the 7 point deficit
at once when Laga broke from a scrum five yards out and Omar
touched down.
CH then
came back with a dandy try. One moment Kandy were attacking
five yards from the CH line. The ball went loose, Nalin Dissanaike
boosted it ahead. Bandaranaike was tackled and Jaysinghe finished
it off by touching down at half time, the CH lead 17-8.
The CH
probably thought they had done enough to win. Their fitness
was also in question. Further that man Bandaranaike was a
constant thorn in their flesh. He kept close watch on the
dangerous Jimoco Vaniyawa and made sure his threat was nullified.
Bandaranaike
galvanised a struggling Kandy side early in the second half
by sprinting 70 yards to score. Weerakody converted (17-15)
CH's fly half played the ball from an off side position and
Weerakody capitalised on it to give Kandy the lead for the
first time (18-17). Vaniyawa then made a dreadful mistake
almost on the line and off the ensuing penalty, Mallikarachchi
went over. Weerakody made it 25-17 and Kandy had put some
distance between them and their opponents. Another penalty
by Kandy's full back saw the gap widening. (28-17).
CH came
back through Vaniyawa who made a determined run and clipped
to avoid Ibrahim's challenge. Vaniyawa collected himself and
scored but the extra points were not forthcoming ( 28-22).
Dilip
Chelvam put the icing on the cake by touching down in the
closing minutes and Weerakkody capped a good performance with
an easy conversion. With this win, Kandy keep their tryst
with destiny and reach another Clifford Cup final. Referee
- Dilroy Fernando
Oshada
in line for a triple
By M.Shamil Amit
Fifteen year old Oshada Wijemanne a student of Stafford International
has put himself in line for a triple in the ongoing Sri Lanka
Junior Nationals being played at the SLTA tennis courts in
Greenpath which is scheduled to come to an end today.
Having
earlier won the Under 18 doubles title partnered by Amrit
Rupasinghe. Top seeded Oshada went on to win the Under 16
singles defeating his doubles partner Amrit 7/5, 6/1 in a
gruelling 90 minute game. Though taken to the maximum in the
first set he went on to make short work of Amrit winning the
second set convincingly.
Today
Oshada is tipped to beat fourth seeded D.Mayadunne in the
Under 18 singles semi finals and he is expected to meet the
same opponent Amrit whom he defeated in the Under 16 final
yesterday.
In the
girl's category second seeded Mahesha Seneviratne is poised
for a double. She defeated Jancy Paramanathan in the Under
16 singles finals and is scheduled to confront third seeded
Nawchali de Silva in the Under 18 singles final. The Under
12 Girl's singles title went to Jithmi Jayawickrema who defeated
Hasini Jayatileke with Thiyumi Abeysinghe partnered by Dinushka
Premananda took the Girl's Under 14 title defeating Navodhi
de Zoysa and I.Ekanayake while T.Dineshkanthan took the Under
12 Boys singles title overcoming U.Hewakottage.
Todays
schedule programme are 8.30 a.m. Girl's and Boy's Under 14
semi finals and Boy's Under 18 semi finals. 4.00 p.m. Girls
and Boys Under 14 and Under 18 finals. Followed by the 87th
Senior Nationals and Sri Lanka Junior Nationals prize giving.
Results
- Finals:
Girl's Under 12 - Singles: Jithmi Jayawickrema beat Hasini
Jayatileke 6/2, 6/1. Girls Under 14 - Doubles: Thiyumi Abeysinghe
and Dinushka Premananda beat Navodhi de Zoysa and I.Ekanayake
7/6, 6/1. Boy's Under 12 - Singles: T.Dineshkanthan beat U.Hewakottage
6/2, 4/6, 7/5. Boy's Under 14 - Doubles: S.Sashivarnan and
D.Wijesuriya beat C.Talagala and R.Kohulan 6/4, 6/1. Boy's
Under 16 - Singles: Oshada Wijemanne beat Amrit Rupasinghe
7/5, 6/1. Boy's Under 18 - Doubles: Oshada Wijemanne and Amrit
Rupasinghe beat S.Sabanathan and H.Kaneshyogan 7/5, 7/6(7/5).
Isipathana
A and B in quarters
The quarter finalists for the cup, plate and bowl championships
of the The All Island Under 19 Milo Interschools Rugby 7's
which got underway yesterday at the Royal College Complex
grounds in Reid Avenue were finalised after the preliminary
round having been completed.
The tournament
were minus three main rugby playing schools namely Royal,
S.Thomas' and Wesley but most of the other well known rugby
playng schools participated. Today's quarter final matches
will start from 8.30 a.m. onwards.
St. Peter's,
Vidyartha, St Anthony's Kandy, Carey 'A', Kingswood, Isipathana
'A', Mahanama and Isipathana 'B' qualified to play in the
cup quarter finals. While DSS, St Sylvester's, Ananda 'A',
Science College, Dharmaraja, Prince of Wales, Maliyadeva and
Thurstan qualified to the plate quarters with Carey 'B', Zahira
'A', St Joseph's 'A', Zahira 'B', Nalanda 'A', Ananda 'B',
Nalanda 'B' and St Joseph's 'B' qualifying to play in the
bowl championships. -MSA
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