Category Archives: murali

October 25, 2013 · 1:42 pm

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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August 26, 2013 · 8:44 am

Tendulkar and Murali: Issues of Retirement for Aging Cricketers

Bill Ricquier

Australia v India - Commonwealth Bank Series 1st Final First, it was the wait for the hundredth international century. That took just over a year and, let’s be honest, it was grim. The event, when it came, was almost morbidly bathetic: a century against Bangladesh in an Asia Cup qualifier in Mirpur which India lost. In the run-up India had been flattened on tours of England and Australia where spectators had turned out in their thousands in the hope, indeed expectation, of seeing history made. The comparisons with Bradman are never far away. This time however, irony is near the surface. It is not just that The Don never had to wait anything like as long for his next hundred (I think we can ignore World War Two for this purpose). It is more that, together with cricket’s other most iconic statistic, Jim Laker’s nineteen wickets at Old Trafford in 1956, Bradman’s Test average of 99.94 is a constant reminder that no player is greater than the game.

Now we are waiting to see when Sachin Tendulkar is going to retire. With his apparent yearning for statistical perfection, it seems plausible to think that he might want to bow out after India’s tour of South Africa in late 2013. The second Test will be his two hundredth if he plays. But then again, would he not prefer to say a proper goodbye at home, which would mean waiting for the West Indies visit in October 2014. It is all very difficult. Tendulkar’s extraordinary cricketing longevity makes it more so. It’s a bit like the Queen, in England. There are millions of Indian cricket fans who simply cannot remember life without Tendulkar. He, too – even he, perhaps especially he – must harbour the natural uncertainties about what will come after cricket. Continue reading →

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July 8, 2013 · 3:45 am

A historic little cricket match at Kilinochchi recently

Kushil Gunasekera

Kushil Kili 77 Michael Tissera hands over a prizeKushil Kili 01 Skandakumar (Chief Guest), David Cruse and Kushil during national anthems

Making history in the annals of local sports, a T20 over Cricket Match was held between Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern Province Combined Team vs Melbourne’s Ferntree Gully District Cricket Association & Australian Hellenic Federation Combined Cricket Team recently. The match was played at the Kilinochchi Central College playground.

The Kilinochchi Central College play ground was packed to capacity with school children, sports enthusiasts and the general public who had come in their numbers to witness this historic event. Having won the toss, the local team opted to bat first. Their strong batting line up ended up scoring 174 for six wickets at the end of the innings. A.L Nadeeshan’s knock of fifty was the main feature in their scorecard. Chasing the home team the visiting Australians were routed for a mere 104 runs in just 19 overs. Well executed bowling and excellent fielding by the local lads led to the downfall of the young Australians. It was a show of emerging young talent of the once war ravaged North and East. Continue reading →

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May 8, 2013 · 10:17 pm

Three Jaffna lads receive elite encouragement

Andrew Fidel Fernando courtesy of ESPN where the title reads “Jaffna players in Sri Lanka squads for tri-series”

 Three young cricketers from Sri Lanka’s war-affected regions have been named in the squads scheduled to participate in a one-day tri-series, which aims to prepare Sri Lanka’s national side for the Champions Trophy. Fast bowler S Silojen and wicketkeeper Rishan Tudor, both 19, have been named in the Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka Combined sides respectively, while top order batsman S Sanjeewan, 21, has been picked for Sri Lanka A.

 Tudor, who played for St. Patrick’s College, Jaffna, had impressed Muttiah Muralitharan and Kumar Sangakkara last year, after he was chosen for the Unity Team that traveled to Singapore in October last year. Sanjeewan, who played for St. Michael’s College in Batticaloa, had also been part of that side. Continue reading →

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December 7, 2012 · 1:38 pm

“I feel ready to go,” says Warne

THAT was on the 6th December as reported in the Australian on the 7th December morning.

On the 7th evening Warne WENT for 41 runs in two overs courtesy of Aaron Finch and Ben Rohrer of the Melbourne Renegades.

murali warne-the aus

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December 7, 2012 · 1:01 pm

Warne and Murali — buddies against each other

W and M 11

Spin greats Shane Warne (Melbourne Stars) and Muthiah Muralidaran (Melbourne Renegades) ahead of tonight’s Big Bash showdown. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun 

I: “Shane Warne and Murali forever linked, but spinning greats just want to perform” — Mark Hayes, in Herlad Sun, 7 December 2012

THE names Shane Warne and Muthiah Muralidaran will be forever linked.  Their eye-popping bowling records aside, the Test trophy for which Australia and Sri Lanka compete bears their names and will ensure a timeless bond. But there’s a genuine spirit between the pair, evident yesterday in a warm embrace and banter before they sat together as opponents to promote tonight’s Big Bash opener. “People say this match is Murali against Warne, but it’s much more than that,” Muralidaran said. “People say it always has been between us — especially when Sri Lanka and Australia played — but we just both do our best, try hard, for our team. I’m happy our names are together because I’m happy with my achievements and I think Warne is the same and we both did well in international cricket.” Continue reading →

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November 2, 2012 · 5:46 pm

Unity Tour of Singapore turns out to be a success story

Aided by Emirates Airways and others the Unity Team chosen after the recent U 19 MURALI CUP played several cricket matches in Singapore and participated in several fundraising events for the FOUNDATION OF GOODNESS and its programme of reconcilition via sport. The presence of Kumar Sangakkara and Ravindra Pushpakumara as coaches and Russel Arnold as commentator and raconteur spiced and enhanced the programme. And then, of coure, was Murali the livewire — here there and everywhere. What better ambassadors for Lanka and for the paths of reconciliation: two Tamils, one mixed Sinhala-Tamil (Ravi) and two Sinhalese (Kumar and Kushil).

FOG has committed itself to dividing the proceeds into two halves, with one half being committed to the enrichment of sport in the north and the other in the south.

For the Unity Tour Fundraiser Story, visit  http://www.unconditionalcompassion.org/sub/23102012_unityTour.php

For the Unity Tour Photo Gallery, visit  http://www.unconditionalcompassion.org/sub/Murali_Harmony_Cup_Unity_Tour_2012_Gallery_pics.html

The Unity Team comprised of the outstanding players who made their mark during the Murali Harmony Cup tournament in the North, and most often they were recognized as man of the match during the games. Lead by team captain and Man of the Series Jason Buultjens, the Unity Team is as follows:

    • Jason Buultjens (captain) – St Peters’ College-Colombo
    • Tharindu Kaushal (vice captain) – Seenigama FOG Academy
    • L.P.Dilantha – Debarawewa Central College-Debarawewa
    • Yohan De Silva – Dharmasoka College-Ambalangoda
    • Rasanjana Jayaratne – Maliyadeva College-Kurunegala
    • Sandeep Nissansala – Anuradhapura Central College-Anuradhapura
    • Chemila Obeyesekera – St Peter’s College-Colombo
    • Guster Tuder – Jaffna Combined Colleges
    • Edward Edin – Jaffna Combined Colleges
    • S.Sanjeeve – Trinco & Batticaloa Combined Colleges
    • L.G.Asela Sampath – Trinco & Batticaloa Combined Colleges
    • Gahnesh Lakitharan – Kilinochchi Combined Colleges
    • Paramakuru Aruna – Mullativu Combined Colleges
    • Koneswaran Haripranvan – Vavuniya & Mannar Combined Colleges

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September 13, 2012 · 7:55 am

Murali at Murali Cup at Oddusuddan as Army Ladies beat A’pura Shakthi Ladies

Muttiah Muralitharan addresses the tournament finalists of the Murali Harmony Cup in Oddusuddan.

Muttiah Muralidaran greets the Shakthi Anuradhapura Ladies, runners-up of the Murali Harmony Cup at the IODR Oval in Oddusuddan.

Sri Lanka Army Ladies win inaugural Murali Harmony Cup

 Sri Lanka Army clinched the inaugural Murali Harmony Cup with a tense 16 run victory over Shakthi Ladies from Anuradhapura at the IODR Oval in Oddusuddan on Wednesday. Watched by a large crowd, including excited children from all the surrounding local areas and Sri Lanka spin legend Muttiah Muralidaran, Army took early control of the match with a solid batting display. Continue reading →

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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 9, 2012 · 7:44 am

Murali assists Swann in developing his doosra

Paul Newman, in Mail Online, 7 September 2012

Graeme Swann has been working on a new, mystery delivery with the great Muttiah Muralitharan as he looks to add another weapon to his armoury in response to the most disappointing summer of his Test career. Swann, 33, returns to the England side for the first Twenty20 international against South Africa at Durham after resting his chronic elbow condition for three matches, with his own version of the ‘doosra’ up his sleeve.

The off-spinner was shown the delivery by the legendary Sri Lankan mystery spinner Murali when the pair met earlier this summer and Swann has been working on it in the nets ever since. “Mentally I am still working on things, new ways of getting people out,” said Swann. “I’m working on a mystery ball that Murali showed me when we did a sponsor’s day.”

‘He said, “Have you tried this?” It’s a really good ball, I think. It’s just a question of when I try it out because I’m worried it’s filth at the moment!’

The new delivery, which will emerge from the front of his hand and turn away from right-handers, remains a work in progress and it is far from certain Swann will unveil it in the three-match short-form series. Yet the fact he is working on it is evidence Swann, who was rested for the Headingley Test last month after enduring his most lean season to date, is an old spinning dog who realises he needs to learn new tricks.

 Pic from AP

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