Another stalemate in the offing 

Kingswood's quest for a win in the Big match against -Dharmaraja has been just as frustrating and unfulfilling as the Allied Forces' search for Bin Laden. 

Their last win came in the late fifties and since then, although they produced many talented Cricketers, the barrenness has continued. 

What are their chances in the 96th encounter which begins next Friday at the Asgiriya stadium ? Realistically, not all that rosy. Kingswood has enjoyed a fair season even though they lost to Wesley and Maliyadeva. In the former instance, it was a case of pushing the self-destrict button. 

Buddika Ekanayake, a left handed number four bat, leads the boys from Randles Hill. 

The skipper has mode four fifties, but he is a better bat than his statistics show. He is also the stumper of the side and thus he carries a triple responsibility. 

Left handed opener Milinda Wattegedera, a centurian against Vidyartha, has also crossed the fifty run mark thrice. 

He also purveys some liftarm leg breaks. Fellow opener, Rajith Ariyadasa, also left handed, has scored three half centuries. Rachitha Liyanage who bats at first drop is another centurian (against Trinity). Contributions can also be expected from Kasun Dissanaike ( 3 fifties), Varuna Dharmaratne and Iruka weeraratne. 

Left arm medium Pacie Udayantha Silva is the king-pin in the Kingswood attack . He has scalped 35 victims so far, including a nine wicket match haul against Prince of Wales.

Kingswood has no shortage of medium pacies, with Liyanage, Weeraratne, Kumarage and Pallegedera to pick from, off spinners, too, abound with Dissanayake, Dharmaratne, Gunatilleka and Samudu Wjesinghe available. The find of the season has been Asiri Amerasinghe, barely fourteen years old, a right arm leggie and a capable batsman. He certainly is one for the future. 

The Kingswood team appears a settled side whereas Dharmaraja seems to have a few problems on their plate-Chief among them is the infury to leading allrounder Nirmal Wickremaratne. Happily for the Rajans, he is expected to play, (and contribute) in the Big Match. Last year's skipper Anuradha Jayasundera has also not played in some matches, and this dual absence contributed in no small measure to some mediocre performances. St. Sylvester's, for instance, kept them at bay for almost five sessions and Vidyartha, for nearly four. 

Skipper Haresh Ratnayake has first emerged from a lean trot, and if his unbeaten 130 in the last game is anything to go by, the Kingswood bowlers could pay dearly. Ratnayake played for Sri Lanka in the under 17 Asia Cup. 

Vice Captain Nirmal Wickremaratne, a good striker of the ball, has inexplicably failed with the bat. Opener Muditha Wijekoon has been the most impressive batsman in the Rajan Ranks and he has shown great consistency. 

Kandy's under 15 skipper Chamara Kapugedera has created a good impression with some useful contributions. 

His major achievement has been the hundred against Trinity . 

He has also kept wickets in some matches. Players such as Weerasuriya , Nalin Jayasundara, Anuradha Jayasundera and Chandratilleka can be relied on to swell the socre. 

The Rajan bowling could well be their Achiles heel- A fit and rejuvenated Wickremaratne in tandem with Jayasundera could provide the early thrust. If they make the playing eleven, Dharmaratne and Abeysinghe are the back up medium pacies. Manjiula Herath, a left armer, is the leading spin bowler, and he has picked up around thirty wickets. Rajapakse, Dolupihilla and Weerasuriya are the other spinners. 

Dharmaraja has won 31 matches to Kingswood's nineteen. The former last won in 1981 under Janaka Mendis. By next Staurday evening, the number of draws would have increased from 45 to 46. 

Kingswood (From) Buddika Ekanayake (Capt.) Milinda Wattegedera, Ranjith Ariyadasa, Kasun Dissanaike, Udayantha Silva, Rachitha Liyanage, Gihan Gunatilleka, Varuna Dharmaratne, Iruka Weeraratne, Hemal Kumarage, Hirantha Pallegedera, Samudu Wijesinghe, Asiri Amerasinghe, Niroshan Perera, Dinith Samarakoon, Demintha Dahanaike. 

Dharmaraja (From) Haresh Ratnayake (Capt.) Nimal Wickremaratne, Muditha Wijekoon, Manjula Herath, Mahesh Weerasuriya, Anuradha Jayasundera, Maduka Rajapakse, Chamara Kapugedara, Nalin Jayasundera, Asiri Dolupihilla, Kelum Ariyadasa, Surath Gunasinghe, Jayampathy Chandratilleka, Dakshitha Dharmaratne, Eranda Abeysinghe, Asanga Smarakoon. 

– Aubrey Kuruppu 

Will Punter be a safe bet? 

By Sanjiva Wijesinha and Barney Reid 

In a ruthless move seen as a knee jerk reaction to Australia's loss to New Zealand and South Africa in last month's limited overs competition, the national selectors sacked Waugh as captain of the One Day cricket team.

Waugh, a veteran of 325 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and captain of the team that won the World Cup in 1999, has been one of Australia's most successful cricket captains to date. They have won 63% of the 106 One Day games in which he led the side - and last year under his leadership posted a record 16 game winning streak in their Test matches.

Although they have retained the 36-year-old Waugh (for the moment) as skipper of the Test team, the selectors have called on nuggety batsman Ricky Ponting to replace him as One Day captain. Affectionately nicknamed 'Punter' by his team mates because of his fondness for betting on greyhound races, the 27-year-old Tasmanian takes up his new position for next month's ODl series against South Africa.

Ponting was indeed a surprise selection for the top job - bypassing vice-captain Adam Gilchrist and veteran Shane Warne.

"I was surprised," says 85-year-old cricket fan Laurie Ferguson, who has been around long enough to have seen giants like Sir Don Bradman and Richie Benaud play, "that the selectors didn't select Adam Gilchrist. 

Apart from being a superb wicket keeper as well as opening batsman, Gillie is after all one of the few true gentlemen (in traditional cricket parlance) in the Aussie team."

Gilchrist would certainly have been the ideal choice as Captain of Australia. But the Aussie selectors' traditional reluctance to give the top job to the team's wicket keeper would have been a major factor against his selection.

Another factor that would have gone against Gilchrist was the last Ashes series. With Waugh injured, Gilchrist was made acting captain for this series. Unfortunately Australia lost - and with that, Gilchrist lost his chances.

Many here still feel that Shane Warne, veteran of 175 One Day Internationals, would have made the most successful captain. His flair, his sharp cricket brain and his performance when previously entrusted with the job (he has 10 wins from 11 games as acting One Day captain), should have made him the obvious choice. Unfortunately for Warne, performances on the cricket field alone are not enough for the prestigious post of Australian cricket captain - a position often described as the second most important job in Australia after that of Prime Minister.

Warne's encounters with shonky bookmakers (he was found guilty and fined a few years ago by the Australian Cricket Board for having accepted money in exchange for information), his much publicized "phone sex" conversations with a female fan on the 2000 tour of England, and now fresh allegations of off-field indiscretions and inappropriate behaviour have jeopardised his selection in these image-conscious days. 

The ACB is sensitive to the fact that Australia's cricket captain is seen as a role model for thousands of young people - and Warne's indiscretions have proved too frequent for even the "victory at all costs" selectors to overlook.

Moreover, Warne's recent form in ODIs has been on the skids. His bowling now lacks the variety he used to exhibit in the past. Batsmen who previously used to lose their nerve when Warne was passed the ball have recently shown a lot more confidence in advancing down the track and taking him on. 

An intuitive and inventive tactician on the field, his various problems, particularly those off field escapades, upset his chances.

The final choice lay between Ponting and Darren Lehmann. The latter is a tough competitor, desperately unlucky to miss selection for the national team over the past few years despite phenomenal performances in domestic cricket. During the current season he has established himself as the most prolific run scorer in the history of the Pura Cup inter-state competiton. Unfortunately he was not able to turn in similar performances when given his chances in the national.

The 32-year-old Lehmann, although considered an outsider, is an experienced leader and would have been a worthy successor to Waugh. A tough and talented player who impressed as a member of the 1999 world cup team, he currently captains the South Australian state side.

With Steve Waugh now being sacked as 'Limited Overs' captain, the question that pops up is whether Ponting is the best choice to take over the reins. Observes Tasmanian Peter Smallbane,

"Ricky is one of the most talented players in the One day game - but it is a risky move thrusting the captaincy on him. I believe the selectors have taken a bold gamble."

Adds cricket fan Menaka de Silva, "I am sad that after all his good work, Steve Waugh has been dumped like this. In their ruthless pursuit of winning at all costs, the selectors have sacrificed a Gentleman - and replaced him with a Player."

A tough all rounder who is relentless in his pursuit of excellence in the field, Ponting can be expected to marshal his troops aggressively. A player who asks for no quarter and expects none to be given, he has been known on occasion to go over the top in this regard - as exemplified by one incident some years ago when a particularly fast ball delivered by Indian bowler Javagal Srinath struck Ponting. Srinath apologetically ventured down the wicket to inquire as to Ponting's well-being, only to be berated by an angry batsman who with colourful language and gestures invited him to return to his bowling mark and send the next ball down as fast as he liked..

Ponting's exuberance will be the vital factor that determines the success of his team. Conversely, if luck does not come his way in the early stages of his captaincy, his team-mates may find him to be a very hard taskmaster. He doesn't have the icy temperament of a Steve Waugh when faced with adversity, or the cool calculating genius of a Mark Taylor who could coax his team to victory when all seemed lost. Ponting is the type of hot blooded leader who would himself lead the charge, slashing all around him and expecting his teammates to be equally ruthless. Whether he would be ab!e to recover after setbacks would be the question.

It will be a safe bet to assume that Ponting will be in control of the Australian team at the 2003 World Cup. Barring any bar room brawls or brushes with bookmakers, it is also a reasonable punt to expect Ponting to be appointed captain of the Aussie Test team in the not too distant future.

Whatever course his captaincy takes, we wager that Australia will be in for a thrilling ride. Hold on tight.

Jung repeats victory in Oberoi Stableford 

Stefan Pfieffer Chief Executive of the Oberoi Hotel has always been an enthusiastic golfer and whenever opportunity affords he supports golf. 

The Ladies' Annual Stableford event moves through 12 competitions one a month January-December and this he sponsors lavishly. This extremely popular event packs participation and month after month it becomes highly competitive. 

G.J. Jung was overall winner having collected the most number of points over 12 outings in the year 2000. A popular winner she took a handsome Oberoi Trophy. 

Last year 2001 saw her inch her way month after month piling up points and by the end of the year she collected an unbeatable number of points to be judged a winner again. The Ladies' Section was very supportive and Jung was at the receiving end of a pack of accolades. 

The Award Ceremony was held at the Oberoi with Pfeiffer playing absolute host in lavish style. The banquet hall was packed with participants and members of the Ladies Committee who are an excellent bunch of delightful personalities. Handsome trophies were awarded, great wines were served and a super banquet dinner followed. R. Sangani was runner -up. 

Very rightly Stefan Pfieffr collected packets of thanks and applause. Ladies golf certainly benefits from this great sponsorship and they happily exhibited appreciation. 

Anita Bisschop the short trousered attractive golf coach from the land of Windmills, Embankments & Tulips is no more. Henk Stevens mate - she is Mrs. Henk Stevens and they power a massive coaching clinic in the Netherlands. Greatly attached to Sri Lanka and its people particularly the golfing fraternity the delightful couple just left for home after an extremely successful and rewarding coaching scheme which enveloped the Royal Colombo, the Victoria in Kandy and the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club. 

Peterites clinch Peter Pillai Trophy

By M.Shamil Amit

The Josephians winning the toss and taking first lease of the wicket were able to score only 122 in 38.1 overs. They were let down by some careless batting by their batsmen who threw away the wickets and not offering any fight. The Peterites going into bat took their own cool time with the openers Denver Faux and skipper Jehan Jayasuriya putting on partnership of 46 runs. They were not in a hurry of scoring but the runs were coming and reached the target in just 28.5 overs.

Denver Faux won the Best Batsman's award and Nadhula de S Wijeyaratne the Best Bowlers award. While the Best Fielders award was won by Shiraz Illiyas while Peterite skipper Jehan Jayasuriya was selected as the Man of th Match,

St. Joseph's - 122 in 38.1 overs (Hashan Goonetileke 17, Shenon Gunawardena 15, R.Fernando 12, Joel Sabreen 22, Sameera Costa 22; Suren Mendis 3 for 20, Sheehan Wijetunge 2 for 38, Nadhula de S, Wijeyaratne 3 for 12, Samidha Gallage 2 for 13)

St. Peter's - 123 for 4 in 28.5 overs (Denver Faux 30, Jehan Jayasuriya 32, Prajeev Jansz 14, Samidha Gallage 18 n.o; Joel Sabreen 2 for 37)

Wycherly I.S. rout C.I.S. by 144 runs

Wycherly International School routed Colombo International School by 144 runs in their seventh annual 50 over cricket encounter played at the NCC grounds yesterday. W.I.S taking first lease of the wicket made a challenging score of 257 for 8 in the allotted 50 overs with Shiraz Badurdeen and Ali Asgar being the chief scorers. C.I.S. in their turn were bowled out for 113. Three special awards were given to the Best Batsman which was won by Shiraz Badurdeen of W.I.S. Best Bowler S.Damith of C.I.S. with Vivek Sunderlingam of W.I.S. winning the man of the match award.

W.I.S - 257 for 8 in 50 overs (Channa Gamage 31, Shiraz Badurdeen 64, Gayan Gamage 20, Ali Asgar 54, Vivek Sunderlingam 25; S.Damith 4 for 77)

C.I.S - 113 in 32 overs (Mahesh Dharmadasa 17, Amrit Wijesuriya 21, Safraz Rilwan 45; Vivek Sundarlingam 2 for 8, Gayan Gamage 2 for 12, Mathinda Wickramasinghe 2 for 0) -MSA

Adams, Ntini lead South Africa fightback but Australia lead

In reply to South Africa's 239, Australia were 265 for six at the interval with their last remaining specialist batsman Adam Gilchrist unbeaten on 49 and Shane Warne not out 39.

The pair had added 80 for the seventh wicket to put their side ahead by 26 runs with four wickets in hand.

But the first hour of the afternoon session belonged to the South Africans as four Australian wickets fell in just eight overs.

Adams struck first with two wickets in consecutive overs shortly after lunch, Ricky Ponting (47) nicking a bottom edge to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher and Steve Waugh (0) bowled by a full-length delivery which deflected off his pads.

Ntini then removed Mark Waugh (25) and Damien Martyn (two), Waugh playing loosely away from his body and gliding the ball to Herschelle Gibbs in the gully and Martyn edging behind to gift Boucher with a routine catch.