Category Archives: cricket and life

December 6, 2012 · 1:40 pm

Test Cricket far from DEAD

Somasundaram Skandakumar, in email dated 26th November 2012

Hi Guys…..Who said Test Cricket was dying…..just look at the quality of cricket both at Adelaide and in Mumbai where England
pulled off a great win …and here at the P. Sara a gritty showing by the black cats !!……

T 20 in comparison reminds me of the indiscretion of a happily married, faithful husband and devoted father……lured into a one night stand ……while bookmakers timed his
orgasm !!!

Skanda.

A viewpoint futher confirmed by the Saf victory over the Aussies in Perth and the character of that match

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October 21, 2012 · 6:29 pm

Irish Cricket — from Samuel Beckett to World Stage

Padraig Colman, in Sunday Island, 21 October 2012 and http://pcolman.wordpress.com/2012/10/21/irish-cricket/

I was recently invited to a reception at the Galadari Hotel in Colombo to meet the Irish cricket team participating in the T20 tournament. Our boys in green were rather glum at the Galadari, following a defeat by Australia (in a joust truncated to ten overs each). Captain William Porterfield had been dismissed with the first ball (he had suffered the same fate against England in Bangalore last year and he repeated the same trick against the West Indies in Ireland’s next and final game 2012 T20 game). I had heard rumours about a stomach bug but that did not stop the glum players tucking enthusiastically into the spicy buffet.

Samuel Beckett is second from left

It was quite a quirk of fate that Ireland’s cricket team should depart from a tournament in Sri Lanka partly because torrential rain prematurely ended their match against the West Indies. When I first came from Ireland to live in Sri Lanka ten years ago, a friend asked me if I missed the Cork rain. I said that I missed its moderation. Up in the mountains where we live, the monsoon season generally seems to last for 13 months each year. Hiding indoors, it seems as if we have been living underwater. However, this year there has been a prolonged drought even at our mountain retreat. Continue reading →

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October 11, 2012 · 2:54 am

ICC and others who helped Murali Cup and Northern Empowerment — via Sanga’s ESPN interview

THIS IS AN AUDIO ONE MUST LISTEN TO … it is about the Sri Lankan cricketers, aspects of theie cricket, the work of the Foundation of Goodness and so many aspects of the ramifications of cricket in Lanka and its promotion of reconciliation http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/video_audio/585472.html Alison Mitchell and Kumar Sangakkara in conversation.

Summary Points of interview presented here by Michael Roberts

* ICC invested 100,000 dollars towards the Murali Harmony Cup

* MCC continued its support

ALSO SEE http://cricketique.live/2012/09/08/murali-harmony-cup-in-the-north-launched-by-mahela-and-sanga/ Continue reading →

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October 10, 2012 · 1:13 pm

Darren Sammy’s Audio Interview after Windies beat Kiwis to enter T20 semi-finals

URL: ftp://windiescricket.com

Username: media

Password: Windiesc0mm$

Filename: WICB Media 2012-09-30 Darren Sammy audio Eve of ICC World T20 vs NZ

Duration: 3 mins, 45.332 secs

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September 18, 2012 · 3:34 am

Helicopter Cricket begins Today in Sri Lanka

Pic by AFP

Also read David Hopps: “Fun format has serious issues at stake” …. http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-world-twenty20-2012/content/current/story/582681.html

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September 17, 2012 · 10:22 am

In appreciation of Gajan Pathmanathan

Jagath Fernando

Gajan attended Royal College from 1966-1974 where he represented the first X1 cricket team in 1971 and 1972. He had the distinction of making the highest fresher’s score in a Royal-Thomian match at that time when he most unfortunately was out just short of a well-deserved century for 97! I was fortunate enough to be able to watch and experience this classy knock at first hand from the other side of the wicket for the entire innings where we were associated in what was then a record breaking stand of 178 runs.
He left for England to complete the first phase of his higher studies where he graduated from Oxford University and represented them in cricket. He then proceeded to Harvard University in the US
to do his Masters after which he returned to the Cambridge University UK to do his doctorate which he did not complete as he was recruited by the World Bank for their Young Managers Program. He has the unique distinction of representing both Oxford and Cambridge at cricket. Upon completion of his undergraduate studies Gajan returned to Sri Lanka and represented the country in a Test match when we were still playing unofficial tests. He also played for Sri Lanka in the ODI team. Continue reading →

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September 11, 2012 · 2:40 pm

Gaster Tuder, Man of the Match, as Jaffna Combined Schools beat Maliyadeva College to enter Finals

… and Yes Percy is there too!

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September 11, 2012 · 9:34 am

Percy part of the harmonizing at Murali Harmony Cup

Hai Hoi Babi-Achigey Bicikal eka !!

Gahapan Machan ….. Boundary Boundary!

.….. …… and PERCY is in the thick of celebrations as St. Peter’s College XI celebrate their win in the semi-finals…

St. Peter’s College reach Murali Harmony Cup finals

St. Peter’s College Colombo reached the finals of the Murali Harmony Cup after beating Anuradhapura Central College by five wickets at Kilinochchi on Tuesday.

Colombo’s premier school team of last year produced a professional display after putting Anuradhapura Central College into bat in the morning. Anuradhapura struggled against some aggressive and disciplined bowling with opening bowler Chemila Obeysekera taking 5 for 27.

Set a modest 126-run target, St. Peter’s chased confidently with Man of the Match Dushan Hemantha batting intelligently and stylishly for his unbeaten 56. Jeson Bultjuns, one of the top-scoring batsmen in the tournament, recovered from a nasty head injury while taking a brilliant running catch to score 27. St. Peter’s will on Wednesday face the winner of the second semi-final between Maliyadeva College Kurunegala and Jaffna Combined School later on Tuesday.

The Murali Harmony Cup is a 20-team reconciliation tournament staged to promote community-building and friendship in post-war Sri Lanka. The five-day tournament has been jointly organised by Muttiah Muralidaran’s charity the Foundation of Goodness, travel company Red Dot Tours, the International Cricket Council and the Sri Lanka Army.

Summary Scores: St Peter’s College v Anuradhapura Central
Anuradhapura Central 124 for 9 in 20 overs (Suresh Nivanthaka 25*, Dilshan Chamika 24, Chemila Obeysekera 5 for 27, Julian de Zilva 3 for 19) v St Peter’s College 128 for 5 in 15.3 overs (Dushan Hemantha 56*, Jeson Bultjuns 27, Kasun Weeranga 2 for 22). St Peter’s College won by 5 wickets
MOM: Dushan Hemantha

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September 9, 2012 · 2:41 pm

Day Two Results in the Murali Harmony Cup

a direct hit from the Trinco-Batti team runs out a Seenigama batsman
to help seal victory at Kilinochchi

Trinco-Batti upset star-studded Seenigama on day two of the Murali Harmony Cup

A Trincomalee-Batticaloa Combined Schools team continued the theme of upsets on the second day of the Murali Harmony Cup with a 17-run win against a strong Seenigama FOG XI at Kilinochchi Central College grounds on Sunday. The Seenigama XI from the Foundation of Goodness near Galle, an academy team that includes three outstanding Sri Lanka U19 players, were outplayed by a talented and determined Trinco-Batti team that scored 149-8 in their 20 overs and then restricted Seenigama to 132 for 9. Seenigama struggled to keep up with the required run rate against some disciplined seam bowling and lively fielding in front of another large Kilinochchi crowd and a carnival-like atmosphere that included papare bands, pole-walkers, Jaffna dancers and a brass band. Medium pacer Asela Sampath sealed Seenigama’s fate with three wickets in an over and finished with 4 for 17 to earn the Man of the Match award, a special ball signed by Sri Lanka legend Muttiah Muralidaran who will be attending the tournament on Wednesday.

After a dramatic gymnastics display from the Sri Lanka Army to keep the 4000 spectators entertained during the luncheon interval, St Peter’s College proved too strong for a Kilinochchi Combined XI. Kilinochchi started promisingly with the bat, but lost momentum after a middle order collapse and thereafter could only post a modest 96 for 9 against their more experienced opponents. A confident St. Peter’s College, riding high after their one-wicket win against Trinco-Batti on day one, then raced to their target in just eight overs and won by seven wickets. Stylish left-hander Lahiru Milantha top-scored with an unbeaten 48 full of attractive and powerful strokes to pick-up the Man of the Match award. Continue reading →

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September 8, 2012 · 4:35 pm

Jaffna Schools stun Trinity College in Murali Harmony Cup

Media Release

Jaffna Combined Schools stunned Trinity College, one of the tournament favourites, with a brilliant four-wicket win on the opening day of the Murali Harmony Cup on Sunday. The upset by Jaffna’s talented young cricketers was one of the highlights of an action-packed first day to the tournament that included 10 matches played in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mankulam, Oddusuddan and Vavuniya.

The IODR Oval school cricket ground in Oddusuddan is the flagship venue of the 20-team reconciliation tournament staged to promote community-building and friendship in post-war Sri Lanka.The five-day tournament has been jointly organised by Muttiah Muralidaran’s charity the Foundation of Goodness, travel company Red Dot Tours, the International Cricket Council and the Sri Lanka Army.