Category Archives: FOG

Afghanistan undermine Bangladesh comprehensively

Mohammad Isam, in ESPNcricinfo, 3 June 2018, with title as “Shenwari and spinners topple Bangladesh”

Afghanistan 167 for 8 (Shahzad 40, Shenwari 36, Mahmudullah 2-1) beat Bangladesh 122 (Liton 30, Mahmudullah 29, Rashid 3-13, Zadran 3-40) by 45 runs

Mohamed Nabi   Rashid Khan

Afghanistan began their historic tour of India with a dominant performance against Bangladesh, crushing them by 45 runs in the first T20 in Dehradun. The clinical display went along expected lines as their big-hitters Mohammad Shahzad, Samiullah Shenwari and Shafiqullah got them to competitive 167 for 8 in 20 overs. That set it up for the usual suspects – Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman – to do their thing and dismantle Bangladesh, as they were bowled out for 122 in 19 overs.

Having broken the back of the chase, Rashid snaffled an excellent catch – diving to his left and grabbing Abu Jayed’s slap overhead with both hands – giving Afghanistan a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. It was a complete performance from Afghanistan, characterised by a clinical bowling performance that didn’t give Bangladesh any chance of chasing down the total. Continue reading

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UNITY team forged from Murali Cup to play in UAE in KP’s Initiative

The Foundation of Goodness confirmed Tuesday that it is organising a Murali Harmony Cup Unity tour to the United Arab Emirates following an invitation from Kevin Pietersen’s KP24 Foundation. The Unity Squad includes exceptionally talented under 18 cricketers from different schools island-wide, including five boys from previously war-affected areas in the North and East. The young cricketers were invited to participate in the tour after their outstanding performances during the 2015 Murali Harmony Cup completed in October.

A= unity team Continue reading

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Kumar’s Insightful Appreciation of Mahela as Cricketer and Person

Kumar Sangakkara, whose preferred title is Mahela Jaywardene –The Master Architect,” in http://www.wisdenindia.com/wisden-almanack-2015/mahela-jayawardene-master-architect/175888

The retirement of Mahela Jayawardene marks the end of an era in Sri Lankan cricket – an era in which records were chased, winning became a habit, and standards reached new heights. The baton has passed to a new generation to emulate the standards he took such pride in.

MAHELA

MHELA KUMAR FAREWELL Mahela and Kumar say farewell to the Sri Lankan fans

Very few batsmen in the world played with the same ease, grace and technique. Mahela had these qualities even as a teenager – and carried them through an international career that lasted 17 years. When, aged 16, I first saw Mahela bat during a school match, his natural skill and flamboyance were strikingly evident. He was an instinctive batsman, aggressive but with a sound defence, and possessing an extraordinary combination of touch and power. Though he is only five months older than me, he had already appeared in 21 Tests by the time I played my first, and had a double-century under his belt. On my debut, against South Africa at Galle in July 2000, he made 167. More than two decades on from his school days, his game was still the same. Continue reading

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Tharindu Kaushal featured in Indian Express

Bharat Sundaresan,  in The Indian Express, 19 August 2015, where the title reads: Tharindu Kaushal: Breaking walls, building walls”

In December 2014, Tharindu Kaushal left from his 100-year-old ancestral home to make his Test debut in New Zealand. When he returned from tour a month later, there was nothing left of it. The young off-spinner had no home to come back to. There was only rubble.The disintegration of the already-dilapidated house started with the roof caving in one night. Kaushal’s parents, father PH Dhanapala and mother Deepti Hemalatha were asleep inside the house at the time, but they escaped without any injury.

Next morning, they had no choice but to shift their stuff, along with Kaushal’s, away. Luckily Dhanapala’s sister, Induvati, lived just 100 yards away—at Rathgama’s highest point—in a slightly more opulent house. In a day or two, Dhanapala’s home had completely crumbled. When Kaushal heard the news, he was understandably upset, but not too surprised.

kAUSHAL FAMILY Tharindu Kaushal’s parents, father Dhanapala and mother Deepti Hemalatha (centre), pose with their son’s gift to them, a rickshaw.

“Tharindu had asked us to move to my sister’s house before he left. I wanted to fix the house but never had the money,” says Dhanapala, dressed in a purple shirt and trousers. So the first thing the 22-year-old, who spun India to a massive defeat in Galle, did upon his return was buy a tiny plot in the neighbouring town of Seenigama — which was badly affected by the tsunami — and start building a house for his parents, both 50 now. For now, even Kaushal still sleeps in the aunt’s house when in town. Continue reading

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Murali Harmony Cup 2014 sprouts more buds

Courtesy of the Sunday Leader, 26 October 2014 … http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2014/10/26/murali-harmony-cup/

murali harmony The Third Murali Harmony Cup, a reconciliation cricket tournament that promotes unity, goodwill, teamwork, the spirit of fair play and service to disadvantaged rural communities in post-war Sri Lanka will be held from 29 October – 5 November in Northern Sri Lanka. Championed by legends of Sri Lankan cricket Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, and handled by the Foundation of Goodness and Red Dot Tours, the Murali Cup unites both local and international cricketing counterparts to galvanise outstation schools’ cricket development in Sri Lanka. Continue reading

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Botham and the FOG Unity Team at Lords Cricket Ground

What a moment for the young multi-ethnic reconciliation cricket team from the length and breadth of Sri Lanka … our congratulations to Kushil Gunasekera, Anura and others at the Foundation of Goodness … and our thanks to Sir Ian Botham an Family

SAM_7044 Continue reading

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Foundation of Goodness is a GOOD CAUSE

IF YOU ARE INSPIRED BY THIS FORM OF CRICKET and Ian Botham’s works of charity please do follow up and support FOG… which has two centres of committed charity via sport and more: MANKULAM and SEENIGAMA

Foundation of Goodness
Temple Road, Seenigama, Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka
 
Direct   :  +94 (0) 91 5 623 390
Fax      :   +94 (0) 91 2 277 942
 

?????? Botham and Kushil Gunasekera of FOG

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Unity Team beats ETON College as well as Trinity Group Combined

GAME ONE

MHC UNITY TEAM – 164 all out in 42.1 overs…..  Kaveesh Dilranga 42, Sudesh Indunil 12, Ravin Sayer 13, Kasun Veeranga 21,  Roshen Fernando 14,  P Thuvarakaseelan 15

—  A.Gravin 3 for 20, Ros Powel 3 for 30, P.Mclanghlan 2 for 26

Trinity Group Combined Team 141 all out in 45.2 overs.G Thomas 20, A Gravin 21, G Jackson 34, R Powel 2

—    Janith Liyanage 4 for 21, Ravin Sayer 3 for 2

Result: MHC UNITY TEAM WON BY 23 RUNS. ………MAN OF THE MATCH: Janith Liyanage

 GAME TWO

MHC UT winning the toss made 244 for 09 in 50 overs……… Kaveesh Dilranga 41, Janith Liyanage 27, Sudesh Indunil 25, P Thavarakaselan 22, Kasun Veeranga 59

— Bowling – R Macmillan 2 for 50, J Watt 2 for 24

Eton College 161 all out in 46.2 overs….  D Gandde 41, G Lanax 27, P Watt 26

— Bowling – Ravin Sayer 2 for 31, Sudesh Indunil 2 for 32, K Thanushan 4 for 34

Result: MHC UT Won by 83 Runs. ……… Man of the Match : K Thanushan from Tamil MMV – Vauniya Continue reading

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Reconciliation through cricket sponsored by FOG and the Bothams

Murali Harmony Cup Unity tour to UK

The Foundation of Goodness confirmed last Friday that it is organising a Murali Harmony Cup Unity tour to the United Kingdom. The Unity squad includes exceptionally talented U-19 cricketers from 14 different schools island-wide, including seven from the previously war affected areas in the North and East.

AA--UNITY TEAM click PIC to enlarge

The young cricketers were invited to participate in the tour after their outstanding performances during the 2013 Murali Harmony Cup, initiated by Sir Ian Botham. The Unity Tour, designed to showcase Sri Lanka’s cultural diversity, while promoting nation building and reconciliation, will depart for the UK on Monday (tomorrow), and play three matches against top English schools. The 50-over limited overs matches will be played against Emanuel School (11 June), Eton College (12 June) and Oundle College (15 June). Continue reading

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Murali Harmony Cup returns to the Northern Sri Lanka

DSC_0260x Kushil, Sanga, Murali and Mahela at Media Event

murali cup crowd at KILI Crowd at one venue –Murali Cup 2012

MEDIA RELEASE, 24 October 2013 Sri Lanka cricket legends Muttiah Muralidharan, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena announced the return of the Murali Harmony Cup to Northern Sri Lanka from 1-5 November at a media conference on Thursday night. The Murali Harmony Cup is a 20-team reconciliation cricket tournament staged to promote community-building and friendship in post-war Sri Lanka. The schoolboy tournament will follow the same format as the inaugural event held in 2012 with twelve U19 boy’s teams and eight U23 ladies’s club teams competing against each other in the northern towns of Jaffna, Oddusuddan, Mankulam, Kilinochchi and Vavuniya. Continue reading

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