Sanath, Vaas off to the Caribbean

Batting maestro Sanath Jayasuriya and veteran all-rounder Chaminda Vaas are among hosts of Sri Lankan ex-cricketers who will represent Sri Lanka at the four-nation CLOBI Cup World Master’s Cricket Tournament to be held in Barbados, West Indies.

The tournament, a brainchild of Cricket Legend’s of Barbados is aimed at brining the legends of cricket together for the purpose of providing a world class, exciting and entertaining tournament to Barbados, the region and the world. All matches will be played at the Kensington Oval, formerly known as Pickwick Cricket Club.

The one-week event will commence on October 30 while the finals is to be played on November 5. 

Sri Lankans legends will be up against the likes of Mohammed Azharuddin and Javagal Srinath from India, Graeme Hick and Graham Thorpe from England and Courtney Walsh, Courtly Ambrose and Carl Hooper from West Indies. Former Sri Lanka skipper Marvan Atapattu will captain Sri Lanka legends team.

Though Sri Lanka is yet to finalize the team, players Romesh Kaluwitharana, Upul Chandana, and Indika de Saram have all confirmed their participation for the tour.

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Discarded Saram shines in Ruhuna win after Jayasuriya / Tharanga Blitz

Sri Lanka discard Indika de Saram hammered a career best knock of 94 to spearhead Ruhuna Province to a rousing 51 run victory over Basnahira North in their SLT Inter Provincial cricket tournament match worked off at the Moors grounds in Braybrooke Place yesterday.

De Saram launched a fierce attack on the Basnahira North bowlers after the two season campaigners Upul Tharanga and veteran Sanath Jayasuriya had provided a flying start to their innings.

Tharanga went on to hit a sparkling half century from 47 deliveries inclusive of two sixes and four boundaries while Jayasuriya raced to a 13 ball 32 with one six and half a dozen of boundaries. De Saram took over the honours from there onwards with a swashbuckling innings from just 43 deliveries that contained as many as nine sixes and four boundaries.

Basnahira North never looked like overtaking this formidable total despite a valiant effort from wicket keeper batsman Kaushal Silva who hit a 47 ball 60 with the aid of nine boundaries. Paceman Tharanga Lakshitha was the pick of the bowlers with excellent figures of four wickets for 28 while Lasith Malinga and Kosala Kulasekera claimed two wickets each.

Ruhuna: 203 for 6 in 20 overs (U. Tharanga 52, S. Jayasuriya 32, I. de Saram 94)

Basnahira North: 152 in 19.1 overs (K. Silva 60, A. Mathews 23, N. Kulasekera 22 n.o, L. Malinga 2 for 24, T. Lakshitha 4 for 28, K. Kulasekera 2 for 28)

All Stars banking on Jayasuriya fireworks | Hong Kong Sixes

Sri Lankan great faces compatriots in clash of the day

Sri Lanka star Sanath Jayasuriya once played second fiddle to compatriots Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga at the Hong Kong Sixes in the early 1990s but he is expected to hog the limelight at Kowloon Cricket Club this weekend.

Jayasuriya will not be in the colours of his country, but for the All Stars in the US$200,000 tournament.

"I don't remember when exactly I played here. It was a long time ago, in the early days," Jayasuriya said after a short training session yesterday.

Then, he walked in the shadow of De Silva and Ranatunga. But all that has changed, ever since the 1996 World Cup triumph over Australia when Jayasuriya made his mark as the pinch-hitter to transform the nature of one-day cricket.

Now pushing 40, Jayasuirya is also still pushing the boundaries. He was one of the stars in the Indian Premier League for Mumbai and last month spearheaded Sri Lanka to victory over Pakistan in the final of a Twenty20 tournament in Canada.

"I have given up test cricket and only play the short form of the game now. I have no regrets at all and I'm still enjoying myself hugely," Jayasuriya said. "I'm really looking forward to the Sixes."

All Star captain Stephen Fleming, a former New Zealand skipper, is hoping his two teammates from Sri Lanka - fast bowler Chaminda Vaas is also in the side - will lead the way in batting and bowling.

"If they don't bowl like they used to bowl to me, or bat the way they used to bat when I was fielding against them, I will be disappointed," Fleming said. "Sanath Jayasuriya haunted me when I was playing and Chaminda Vaas used to get me out with his eyes shut, so if we don't get wickets and runs, then I'll be upset."

The pair will face their countrymen and defending champions Sri Lanka in a mouthwatering clash this afternoon. "It will be kind of strange playing against my country," Jayasuriya said.

Sri Lanka, led by Indika de Saram, have come back with four players who were part of the Cup-winning team last year. Apart from their skipper, the others are Jeewantha Kulatunga, Kaushalya Weeraratne and Dilhara Lokuhettige.

"We have got a strong squad of all-rounders, five of whom bowl medium-pacers with one off-spinner. These guys are all in good form, having played in a Twenty20 tournament back home recently," said manager Ranil Abeynaike. "This tournament is being shown live in Sri Lanka and the public are expecting the boys to do well again."

The All Stars, Sri Lanka, Australia and hosts Hong Kong are in one group, while the other comprises India, Pakistan, England and South Africa. The top two from each group enter the Cup competition tomorrow. "We are in a tough draw, but I expect us to do very well," said England skipper Dimitri Mascarenhas. "We have a good all round side with a number of young blokes who are all keen to do well."

Sanath Jayasuriya vs Indika de Saram | Hometown mates to light up the Hong Kong Sixes

Master blaster Sanath Jayasuriya will come up against hometown mate Indika de Saram, who will lead a strong Sri Lanka outfit at the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes on November 8-9 at the Kowloon Cricket Club.

De Saram. who captained Sri Lanka to a memorable victory over the All Stars in last year's final, will be back again with three other players - Jeewantha Kulatunga, Dilhara Lokuhettige and Kaushalya Weeraratne - who figured in the 16-run victory 12 months ago, which gave the island-nation their first win in Hong Kong.

The rest of the squad will be made up of talented all-rounder Gayan Wijekoon - who played at last year's Twenty20 World Cup and has figured here in the past - Chintaka Jayasinghe and Muthumudulige Pushpakumara.

"It is a good side who has the potential to win again," said former Sri Lankan test spearhead Rumesh Ratnayake, who is in town in his role as development manager with the Asian Cricket Council.

De Saram and Jayasuriya - who both come from Matara in the south of the island - are known to hit the ball a long way.

De Saram made a top score of 40 in the final against the All Stars last year, treating leg-spinner Shane Warne with disdain, as Sri Lanka rattled up 127 for three. Whether he can repeat that effort on the opening day when the Sri Lankans meet the All Stars in a preliminary match will be a mouth-watering prospect.

"That should be something worth going a long way to watch, Jayasuriya up against his own country," Ratnayake said.

Sri Lanka are drawn with the All Stars, Australia and Hong Kong in the preliminaries. The other group comprises India, Pakistan, England and South Africa.