Thursday 25th February, 2010

Thursday 25th February, 2010

I refer to your article with theheading ‘SLC Clarifies’ in thesports page ofyour newspa-per on the13/02/2010.The issue isbetween yourcorrespondentand Mr.NishanthaRanatunga.Therefore, it isa matter ofregret that youhave unneces-sarily alludedto me in annfavourablelight as fol-lows.

“Crickethas been sopoliticizedthat we wouldn’t be surprised ifthe notorious B.H. Perera, betterknown as ‘Podi sir’ is appointed asthe Secretary of the InterimCommittee tomorrow.”

In this connection, I can onlycomment that I was appointed onmerit and if I were to be appoint-ed Secretary, it would be an excel-lent choice and SLC would have avery bright future.

B.H. Perera writes…

B.H. Perera, betterknown as Podi Sir

If New Zealand wasn’t concernedabout taking on Australia in the upcomingtwo-match Twenty20 series beforeTuesday night then it should be now.

Australia has been on song for muchof the summer, winning five of the sixTests, nine of the 10 one-day internation-als and all three Twenty20 games againstthe West Indies and Pakistan, with only adrawn Test and washed out ODI prevent-ing a possible clean sweep of the 19matches.

Aussies takeaim at Kiwis

GWALIOR, India (AP) - Sachin Tendulkarscored the first ever double century in one-dayinternational cricket in a display of majesticauthority for India against South Africa atRoop Singh Stadium on Wednesday.

Tendulkar finished with 200 not out ineclipsing the previous highest score of 194,jointly made by Zimbabwe’s Charles Coventryagainst Bangladesh in Bulawayo last Augustand Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar against India atChennai in May 1997.

Tendulkar reached the landmark in the lastover off 147 deliveries - featuring 25 boundariesand three sixes - and carried his bat through,helping India amass 401-3 in the allotted 50overs.

The nearly 30,000 in the partisan crowd wentdelirious as he surpassed the previous highestscore in one-day international.

Tendulkar’s previous best was 186 not outagainst New Zealand at Hyderabad inNovember 1999.

He plundered runs from the Proteas almostat will with some dazzling cover drives and pullshots. He picked up deliveries from outside theoff stump and hit them over mid-on for sixesand fours.

Tendulkar was involved in a record 194-runsecond-wicket partnership for India withDinesh Karthik, who scored 79.

An aggressive knock of 68 not out off 35balls by India captain Mahendra Singh Dhonihighlighted India’s domination.

India lost Virender Sehwag early as heslashed hard at a delivery from fast bowlerWayne Parnell, trying to clear the third manboundary. He was caught by Steyn for 9.

However, Tendulkar was in sparkling formand punished Parnell for two successive bound-aries in the first over he faced.

India reached 100 in 14.6 overs.Brief scores:India: 401-3 (Sachin Tendulkar 200 not out,

Dinesh Karthik 79; Wayne Parnell 2-95).

Tendulkar scores firstone-day double century

Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar acknowledges the crowd during his memorable innings whichcame in the second one day cricket match between India and South Africa, in Gwalior, India,Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010. (AP)

by Ravi Nagahawatte

The Sri Lanka SchoolsRugby Football Association(SLSRFA) on Wednesdayannounced that it hadobtained the green lightfrom the Education Ministryto conduct the inter-schoolleague rugby tournament for2010.

Denzil Darling SecretarySLSRFA told The Island thatofficials of the school rugbybody had had a fruitful dis-cussion with EducationMinister SusilPremajayantha yesterdayand the minister had verbal-ly told them to go ahead andorganize the tournament.

“We are awaiting an offi-cial letter from the educa-tion ministry which willgrant us permission to con-duct the tournament andalso approach a sponsor,”Darling said.

He added that theEducation Minister hadrequested the SLSRFA towork closely with the SriLanka Rugby Football Union(SLRFU) in conducting the

tournament.The SLSRFA till Tuesday

maintained that it had theauthority to conduct theschools league tournament.SLRFU CEO LasithaGuneratne was surprised tohear of the EducationMinistry decision and said,“No one has informed therugby union of the plans tohandover the conducting ofthe schools league tourna-ment to the SLSRFA”.

Gunertane said that itdidn’t matter to the SLRFUwho conducted the tourna-ment as long as matcheswere conducted in keepingwith the system that wasintroduced last year. TheSLSRFA maintained that thetournament would be con-ducted with ten teams pergroup in keeping with thesystem introduced last year.

Darling said that hewished to work closely withthe SLRFU in conductingthe schools league tourna-ment. “We need the help ofthe SLRFU to obtain theservices of the referees,” hesaid.

Education minister givesSLSRFA okay to conductschools rugby league

I refer to your articleappearing in the Sports Page(16) of your 24th edition.

Please note that we do notwish to engage in the politicsof Rugby which has dimin-ished the value of this greatgame which is the most pop-ular sport in the countrytoday. Our interest is in spon-soring the schools rugbyleague & knock out tourna-ments of 2010. If the respec-tive parties can decide whois to administrate theschools league and knock outrugby tournaments, our

management is prepared towork with either of these 2parties. With the openinggames of the rugby leaguetournament now staring inour face it will be meaning-ful if the two parties con-cerned who are contendingfor the administration ofthis year’s tournamentinform us so that the spon-sorship cheque can be for-warded to the rightful partyin due course.

Hemaka Amarasuriya Chairman Singer (Sri Lanka) PLC

Singer responds

by ReemusFernando

RajanayagamHajeeban, captainof St. John’sCollege Jaffna islooking forwardto playing posi-tive cricket andhopes that thespectators who are expect-ed in big numbers willhave something to cherish,when they play arch rivalsCentral College, in the‘Battle of the North’ BigMatch for three days com-mencing today.

“This year, we have astrong side and we arelooking forward to playingpositive cricket and pro-viding the spectators agood treat. This year theyare expected to come intheir numbers. We will putup a good show,” Hajeebantold ‘The Island’.

St. John’s go into the104th encounter, havingconceded a hat-trick ofdefeats in the last threeeditions.

“This time we are

expecting even old boyswho have been abroad forlong periods to arrive hereto witness the match.Although we have beenbeaten thrice in consecu-tive matches, that will nothinder us from playingpositive cricket,”Hajeeban said with thehelp of a translator.

Although St. John’shave suffered defeats inthe last three editions theylead the series 33-25 in thiscentury old Big Matchwhich is only the third bigmatch in the country tomake it a three-dayer.

The three dayencounter is expected tostart at 10.00 am on allthree days.

‘104th Battle of the North’

Hajeeban in positiveframe of mind

Highest One-Day International Cricket Scores200* - Sachin Tendulkar (Ind) vs SA, Gwalior, Feb 10194* - Charles Coventry (Zim) vs Ban, Bulawayo, Aug 09194 - Saeed Anwar (Pak) vs India, Chennai, May 97189* - Viv Richards (WI) vs England, Manchester, May 84189 - Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) vs Ind, Sharjah, Oct 00188* - Gary Kirsten (SA) vs UAE, Rawalpindi, Feb 96186* - Sachin Tendulkar (Ind) vs NZ, Hyderabad, Nov 99183* - M. S. Dhoni (Ind) vs SL, Jaipur, Oct 05183 - Sourav Ganguly (Ind) vs SL, Taunton, May 99181- Matthew Hayden, (Aus) vs NZ, Hamilton, Feb 07181 - Viv Richards, (WI) vs SL, Karachi, Oct 1987.