Inspiration, perspiration and team work bear fruit 

By Bruce Maurice 

Thirty teams were divided into eight groups, with HNB slotted into Group 'B' with Speedbirds, Playgrounds and Kalutara Balika. All preliminary games, quarters and semi finals were of 10 minutes duration, while the final was a one hour battle. 

After coming through the preliminaries undefeated, HNB defeated Speedbirds in the quarter final, Air Force in the semi final and SLPA in the final after the game went into extra time. 

The Ports Authority with six national players doing duty for them must have thought they were the only hens in the yard and the other teams including the bankers were there for the picking. This would also have been due to the fact that HNB were minus three of their national players. Gayathri Lankatileka (wing defence), Jayanthi Somasekeram (goal attack), Somitha Kumari (centre) and H. K.N. Dilrukshi who was away in Thailand for the ABC Basketball Championships. 

These players were replaced by rookies Manoja Ranchagoda, Nazleem Hassim, Sumudumali Geekiyanage while the evergreen Anne Weerakkody who gets better as the years roll on, was coaxed out of semi retirement. 

In the final, HNB were behind the SLPA by eight points at half time. It was here that stand-in coach Somitha Kumari read the Riot Act and got them to pull their socks up. And with it also came some sweeping and inspiring changes in positions. Goal Defence and Goal Keeper swopped places. Goal attack was replaced by former national skipper Deepthi Rupasinghe. Wing Defence was replaced by Anne Weerakkody. Thushari Kodituwakku who played in the Wing Defence position was switched to Wing Attack and when the final blast was sounded the scores were tied at 50 - 50. 

The SLPA who must have thought the game was all sewn up at half time would never have thought that, that final blast was to be the 'Last Post' for them. In the extra five minutes, a tornado in the from of HNB hit them. The HNB damsels fired four broadsides and romped to a thrilling 54-52 win. 

What made the victory taste sweeter for HNB was that they were without a coach. Lourdes Jayasekera , who had been coaching them is now doing duty in the Maldives. So Somitha Kumari who should have been playing, stepped into Lourdes' shoes. This girl without any experience in coaching, proved her worth in no uncertain terms. She proved she knew her coaching onions. She knew exactly where and when to throw her cards and they all tuned up trumps. Well Done ! Take a bow Somitha. 

Victory was also due to superb team spirit and all pulling in one direction. There was no selfishness to hog the limelight. Instead, each one gloried in the others triumphs.

Marlon Nathaniel Samuels

Known As: Marlon Samuels 

Batting Style: Right Hand Bat Bowling Style: Right Arm Off Break

Test Debut: West Indies v Australia at Adelaide, 3rd Test, 2000/01 ODI Debut: West Indies v Sri Lanka at Nairobi (Gymk), ICC KnockOut, 2000/01

Travis John Friend

Career Statistics:

TESTS

Batting & M I NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Ct St

Fielding 3 4 0 66 30 16.50 35.10 0 0 0 0

O M R W Ave BBI 5 10 SR Econ

Bowling 106.4 19 373 9 41.44 3-87 0 0 71.1 3.49

Russel Premakumaran Arnold

Profile:

Russel Arnold, a strong Christian and keen fan of rugby, secured a regular place in the Sri Lankan team after the 1999 World Cup in England. He started his career as an opening left handed batsman and made his Test debut against Pakistan at Premadasa International Stadium in 1996/7. Since then he has dropped down the order and is considered an ideal number six because of his cool temperament and ability to adjust to different match situations. Although capable of playing shots all round the wicket, he has concentrated on limiting his range of shots and playing the percentages. He is particularly strong off his legs and quick to drive. To the spinners he is an avowed and unrepentant sweep-a-holic. He plays his domestic cricket for Nondescripts Cricket Club and has developed into a useful off spin bowler, who is being increasingly used by Sanath Jayasuriya in one-day cricket. Despite a penchant for strange haircuts he is considered a potential captain in waiting. However, for the moment, he is struggling to retain his place in the Test side. 

He was dropped in the recent Asian Test Championship match against after two lean years - in 2000 he averaged 22.52 and in 2001 he averaged just 21.50. This compares poorly to when he first came into the side as an opener and averaged 49.70 in 1999. In the one-day game, though, his place is assured. He averages 40 with a high strike rate of 75 runs per 100 balls and has the knack of taking important wickets at crucial times.

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West Indies won by 9 wickets in 1975

Prudential World Cup, 1975, 4th Match Sri Lanka v West Indies, Group B Old Trafford, Manchester 7 June 1975 (60-overs match) Result: West Indies won by 9 wickets Points: West Indies 4, Sri Lanka 0 Toss: West Indies Umpires: WL Budd and A Jepson ODI Debuts: IVA Richards, AME Roberts (WI); DS de Silva, ER Fernando, PD Heyn, LWS Kaluperuma, LRD Mendis, ARM Opatha, HSM Pieris, AN Ranasinghe, APB Tennekoon, MH Tissera, B Warnapura (SL). Man of the Match: BD Julien 

Sri Lanka innings (60 overs maximum) R B 4 6

E.R Fernando c Murray b Julien 4 6 0 0 
B. Warnapura c Murray b Boyce 8 49 2 0 
A.P.B Tennekoon c Murray b Julien 0 3 0 0 
P.D Heyn c Lloyd b Roberts 2 16 0 0 
M.H Tissera c Kallicharran b Julien 14 36 1 0 
L.R.D Mendis c Murray b Boyce 8 12 1 0 
A.N. Ranasinghe b Boyce 0 2 0 0 
H.S.M. Pieris c Lloyd b Julien 3 12 0 0 
A.R.M. Opatha b Roberts 11 18 1 0 
D.S de Silva c Lloyd b Holder 21 50 2 0 
L.W.S. Kaluperuma not out 6 23 0 0 

Extras (b 3, lb 3, nb 3) 9 

Total (all out, 37.2 overs) 86 

FoW: 1-5 (Fernando), 2-5 (Tennekoon), 3-16 (Heyn), 4-21 (Warnapura), 5-41 (Tissera), 6-41 (Mendis), 7-42 (Ranasinghe), 8-48 (Pieris), 9-58 (Opatha), 10-86 (de Silva). 

Bowling O M R W 

Roberts 12 5 16 2 
Julien 12 3 20 4 
Boyce 8 1 22 3 
Gibbs 4 0 17 0 
Holder 1.2 0 2 1 
West Indies innings (target: 87 runs from 60 overs) R B 4 6 
R.C .Fredericks c Warnapura b de Silva 33 42 4 0 
D.L Murray not out 30 44 2 1 
A.I. Kallicharran not out 19 39 0 0 

Extras (b 2, lb 1, w 1, nb 1) 5 

Total (1 wicket, 20.4 overs) 87 

DNB: RB Kanhai, C.H Lloyd, I.V.A Richards, B.D Julien, K.D Boyce, V.A Holder, A.M.E Roberts, L.R Gibbs. FoW: 1-52 (Fredericks). 

Bowling O M R W 

Opatha 4 0 19 0 
Pieris 2 0 13 0 
de Silva 8 1 33 1 
Kaluperuma 6.4 1 17 0

Havies dethrone CH & FC 17-3 

By Bernie Wijesekera

Havies playing to a better game plan, ran the ball to score two tries after being led by a penalty put over by Dev Wijewardena.

Undaunted the Park Club scored a dandy try, fullback Charith Kodagoda formed the overlap gave it to Tissaratchchie who passed it to Tisal Jayawardena to touch down. Kodagoda added the extra points. The second try was scored by prop T. Amarasinghe who barged over. Kodagoda converted it. Before the short whistle Kodagoda put over a penalty to lead 17-3.

CH who defeated Kandy SC in the quarters, played below form. The pack was made to look a scrap heap and they lost two certain tries with the line staring at them. There was no scoring after the turn around.

Havies player D.S. Jayakody was shown the Yellow Card and was sent to the sin-bin.

Easy for Kandy

Kandy SC outplayed and outclassed SLRFU Outstation Development Squad by 54 points (3 goals, 6 tries and a penalty) to 5 (a try) in the Plate semi-final at Nittawela yesterday.

Referee Anil Jayasinghe. (BW)

Today: Galle Rugby FC led by Bandaranayake take on CR&FC in the Cup semi-finals to be kicked off at Longden Place at 5 p.m.

In the Plate semi-finals at 3.30 p.m. Kandy Youth take on Havelocks B. The final will take place on November14 at Longden Place. The chief guest will be Capt.Harsha Mayadunne, President of the SLRFU.

An exhibition to help disabled

Sri Lanka skipper Sanath Jayasuriya will be the chief guest, while Ambassador for Saudi Arabia H.E. Mohamed M. Al-Ali will be the guest of honour. 

The purpose of this exhibition is to display the talent of those handicapped persons who could still contribute their knowledge and skills. 

Today is also Poppy Day. This exhibition is open to the public and will go a long way to help them said a senior official of Hameedias. Quite a number of people have promised to help this worthy cause - including sportsmen. Aravinda de Silva is helping the deaf and blind school inmates at Ratmalana. (B.W.)