| Sports
|
||||
|
Thurstan-Isipathana
to open big match fever From the 39 matches that have been played so far Thurstan lead with five wins against Isipathana's four. The last time a result was produced was in 1999 when Isipathana led by Krishantha Jayawardena beat Thurstan by seven wickets. Thurstan’s last win was in 1992 under Mackenzte Perera. With both teams well balanced the match promises to be a batsman’s game as they have batsman's who are capable of making big scores. And both teams will be going with a positive frame of mind to produce a result. Last year Isipathana's Saman Nishantha set a new batting record for the series when he cracked an unbeaten 150 which was to the name of Thurstan's Kamal Mahendra who scored an unbeaten 146 in 1990. The lowest score of the series is 56 by Isipathana while the highest score is 301 by both teams in 1990 and 1997. Thurstan is led by that dynamic right handed batsman Damith Indika who has represented the Sri Lanka Under-19 team at the Junior World Cup. Damith is in terrific form at the moment having scored over 700 runs with two unbeaten centuries -150 against Nalanda and 157 against Maliyadeva. So the Isipathanians will have to watch out. If you don’t get him out early you are in for trouble. He has a dependable deputy in Asela Umayangana who has scored over 250 runs and taken over 30 wickets. Thurstan will expect their openers left handed Thilina Massmulla and Sandaruwan Wijesundara to give them a good start. Both have scored over 800 runs between them. Skipper Damith will come in at number three followed by another batsman who has been in the runs in Osaka Maharachchi. Others who are expected to give a good account of themselves are Sumithra Warnasuriya, Tharindu Deepal, Jeewan Chamikara, Roshan Balasuriya and Dilan Guneratne. Opening bowlers Asela Umayangana and Tharindu Deepal will be expected to give Thurstan an early breakthrough with support coming from right arm off spinner Jeewan Chamikara who has been their most successful bowler for the past two seasons and occasional spinners in skipper Damith and Thilina Massmulla. Isipathana will be led by third year player Oshadee Nawaragodagedera and Saman Nishantha a second year player as his deputy. The Isipathanians batting line up has revolved around third year players Chanuka Perera, Chaminda Prasad, second year player Anushka Bandara and fresher Dilan Anuruddha. Top order right handed batsmen Anushka has scored over 550 runs with three half centuries while Dilan has scored over 450 runs also with three fifties. Last year's record holder Saman Nishantha will be expected to give of his best which has been lacking this season. Wicket-keeper and middle order batsman Thusitha Weeraratne should also be a trouble maker to the Thurstanites. Fresher and right handed batsman Sanjaya Dilruksha is turning out to be top hard hitting batsman who has been successful this season having scored over 500 runs. Watch out for this youngster. Second year player Chatura Panawenna and fresher Gayan Seneviratne will open the attack for the Isipathanians with skipper Oshadee who bowls right arm off spinners and taken over 45 wickets along with Isuru Vindana, Chaminda Prasad and Amila Isurendra to support them. Thurstan is coached by Jayalath Aponsu while Isipathana is coached by Keerthi Gunaratne. The encounter is played for the Blackham Wijewardena Memorial Trophy and the new feature of the series is that a Motorcycle will be awarded to the Man of the Match donated by the Junior OBU of Thurstan College. Rohana,
the poor guy in a rich sport We have (in this fair isle) our share of brassy politicians (and of course their trashy offspring) who wake up drunk on power and certain public figures of reputation who believe that transgression is game, set and won. But, what about those that genuinely deserve a break? Those who do not shout and raise hell or command and demand. If houses and land and riches and national fame is heaped on one or (is it) two silver medallists, we think it is only fair that others with the same achievements ( in different sports) receive similar treatment and recognition - whether they raise hell or prefer to wear their medals with unassuming pride. Anura Rohana sat in front of me and rattled off his achievements. I was impressed and so were the others. For golfers, Rohana's achievements are phenomenal. For a 29-year old, who started off at a young age as a ball picker and then caddy mainly to support his family, to win a silver medal at the Busan Asian Games is worth a little bestowing of recognition and maybe some well deserved rewards. After all, his silver medal is also a medal, the similar one worn around another's neck albeit a little modestly. Anura Rohana's recent achievements are staggering. In 1998, playing off a scratch handicap, he won the Malaysian Open Amateur title in Kuala Lumpur. In 1999, he won the Sri Lanka Amateur Championships played at the Ridgeways in Colombo. The millennium year was memorable to Rohana. He won the Bangladesh Open Amateur, was runner-up in the Singapore Open Amateur, and came fourth in both the Thailand Open Amateur and Chinese Taipei Open Amateur titles. And yet, his two biggest achievements are the Silver Medal in the Busan Asian Games and the Asian PGA Tour played in Malaysia where he came 10th from over 390 competitors. "This is the most elitist tour in Asia and fiercely contested by golfers from all over the world,"commented a RCGA member. "This is the stepping stone to the US PGA". The only other player Sri Lankan to play in the APGA has been Nandasena, although he did not qualify, Rohana qualified to play for one year. However, Rohana faces a financial dilemma. With a total purse of US $1.6 million, he needs sponsors to meet his expenses which will include airfares, accommodation, equipment etc. At the APGA he could not even afford to buy rainwear to shield him self from the weather. And yet he achieved tenth place. With golf being the highest paying sport in the world, the opportunity for sponsors is tremendous, especially with budding talent like Rohana's. And while the latest grumble is the exorbitantly high fees paid to some sportsman (whose performance remains questionable) it is about time that either the Sports Ministry recognizes Rohana’s talent or some eligible sponsor picks up the cue here. Pick
an agile 'Wicket keeper' But poor Kumar, sending the ball through the legs constantly and fumbling with his catching at crucial stages of the game has cost the team dearly. It was witnessed on screen not by cricket fans in Sri Lanka alone - but worldwide. It should have been better if Hashan Tillekeratne stood behind the stumps. He is still a good wicket-keeper and a key member of the tour party. He has a record to his credit 7 (6 caught and one stump) in the 1992 World Cup. Romesh Kaluwitharane equalled it in the 1999 W.C in England. Hashan has proved in both departments - his gritty batting and competent 'keeping. It would have been better if Sangakkara was made to field in the country than making him look a laughing stock among the cricketing public for no fault of his. |
||||
Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
