Sanath Jayasuriya Cricket Foundation win and lose

A fine spell of right arm off spin bowling (4 for 16) by Yoshitha Atukorale failed to help SJCF beat Roy Dias Cricket Academy in a friendly under 13 match played over the weekend.

Charith Mihiranga contributed a fighting 50 for RDCA, that virtually took them through to a fine win. This was the 2nd match of two matches played on the same day.

SJCF did well to convincingly win the 1st match and thus both sides won one match each.

These matches have been organized in preparation for the cricket tour to Bangalore, India by SJCF as they will be embarking on its 1st tour abroad with Sanath Jayasuriya, himself being present.

In the 1st match, SJCF 175 for 9. Y. Atukorale contributing a top score of 25 and in bowling for SJCF, B. Kumararatne captured 3 wickets to bundle out RDCA for 101.

Chief Scores:
1st match.
SJCF 175 for 6 (Y. Atukorale 25, B. Kumararatne 21, A. Dissanayake 20, D. Sumathipala 15).

RDCA 100 all out (B. Kumararatne 3 for 10, Y. Atukorale 2 for 9, B. Perera 2 for 12).

2nd match.
SJCF 117 all out. (A. Dissanayake 30, B. Kumararatne 17, B. Perera 18, S. Rabukpotha 15, Y. Atukorale 10: T. Kavinda 3 for 13, Pushpika 3 for 10).

RDCA 120/7 (V. Samuditha 20, C. Mihiranga 50, Y. Anjana 23 n.o: Y. Atukorale 4 for 16, B. Perera 2 for 12).

Life without Murali, Jayasuriya and Vaas

Sri Lankan cricket is bracing itself for life without three of its greatest ever players.

Spinner Muttiah Muralitharan retired from Test cricket after taking his 800th wicket in a victory over India, while Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas - who have already ended their Test careers - are on the verge of bowing out of international cricket for good.

These three veterans, along with Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva, were responsible for transforming Sri Lankan cricket.

Their collective performance brought an unexpected victory at the 1996 World Cup and persuaded the established powers to arrange extended Test tours in Sri Lanka.
In particular it was Murali, under Ranatunga's captaincy, who led the evolution from underdog to formidable cricketing force.

"I think Sri Lanka will be extremely lucky if it gets another Muralitharan within the next 100 years," Ranatunga told the BBC.

Kent spinner Malinga Bandara agrees, saying: "I think Murali's achievements with bowling are equal to Sir Donald Bradman's remarkable achievements from the bat."

Sanath Jayasurya, meanwhile, has harvested his natural talents with bat and ball.

"I think Jayasuriya is a natural player, both batting and bowling, who actually does not need any coaching," said Champaka Ramanyake, Sri Lanka's bowling coach.

Nicknamed "Master Blaster", Jayasuriya was instrumental in introducing an aggressive batting style - together with Romesh Kaluwitharana - as the opening batsman. His unpredictable batting helped Sri Lanka to win the World Cup and made him player of the tournament.

"There have been occasions that fans left the ground when they learnt that Jayasuriya was not playing," said Ramanyake.

Rating Vaas as the best-ever fast bowler Sri Lanka has produced, Ramanyake believes his contribution has been key to Murali's record success.

"In cricket we talk about pairs. Since 1996, it was Vaas who supported Murali from the other end, while Murali was taking wickets," said the bowling coach.
Vaas also contributed with his patient batting style.

"I think Vaas, with his overall performance, was unlucky not to be appointed as a captain. That is what happens when you are surrounded by a very talented group," said Channaka de Silva, sports editor of the Daily Mirror English.

The trio may yet be re-united, for the last time, at the 2011 World Cup, which will be hosted by Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh.

Both Murali and Jayasuriya are still members of the national team for the shorter version of the game, while Vaas faces an uphill battle despite his good form for Northamptonshire.

"I have been knocking on the door to get back to the ODI team but the selectors have been coming up with different excuses," Vaas told the BBC Sinhala service.

Beyond that tournament, how will Sri Lanka cope without the presence of three legends in the dressing room?

"I think Sri Lanka won't notice a huge impact in the short term," says de Silva.
"Australia, for example, went through a downward tendency long after the departure of many senior players," he said.

Mahela Jayawardene's 10th Test hundred at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Tuesday may be a clear example of the team's new direction.

"The game won't disappear just because players retire," says Ramanayake. "But of course we may not see similar records and performance in the near future."

While Sangakkara and Jayawardene may feel the absence of three veterans in the dressing room, the younger generation will be assigned with the difficult task of carrying on.

For the moment, though, it seems it is business as usual for the Sri Lanka squad.

Jayasuriya’s exclusion may prove costly for Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan all rounder, Sanath Jayasuriya has been dropped from the squad.  He was not one of the twenty players who were offered new central contracts by Sri Lanka Cricket for the upcoming season. Jayasuriya who is now 41 years old, has been playing since 1989 and played an essential role in Sri Lanka winning the 1996 World Cup. Despite Jayasuriya’s public wishes to play until the 2011 World Cup before retiring, he was not amongst the twenty players who were offered contracts, which could be blamed on his recent poor performance.

Jayasuriya held the record for the highest Test score by a Sri Lankan, 340 against India, and the longest partnership in a Test match, with Roshan Mahanama, where they managed 576 runs in 1997. However, almost 10 years later, the records were broken by fellow Sri Lankans, Mahela Jayawardene with partner Kumar Sangakkara.  Jayasuriya also holds the honour of being the first Sri Lankan and the 33^rdcricketer in history to reach the 100 Test mark.

Jayasuriya also has an impressive record in his One Day International career, he holds the fourth highest One Day International score with Viv Richards, and also boasts one of the four highest individual Sri Lankan scores. He is the current holder of the record for the fastest fifty in ODI’s, which he scored just off of 17 balls. He was the record-holder for the fastest century and the world record for most ODI sixes, both of which he lost to Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi.

He became the fourth batsman in the world to score more than 10,000 runs and the second batsman to score more than 12,000 and 13,000 runs in the history of the One Day Internationals. He also holds the third highest number of centuries in One Day Internationals, with an impressive 28 centuries. In addition to that he heads the most international ODI caps, 444, closely followed by Sachin Tendulkar of India.

Jayasuriya made his mark in Twenty20 cricket as well, in the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, he impressed by scoring two centuries in the group stages.

His form started declining and he didn’t impress too much in the One Day International series against England after the World Cup, which Sri Lanka lost 3-2. In 2007, he signed for Warwickshire in the Twenty20 Cup, but only a year later he signed with the Mumbai Indians to play in the Indian Premier League. He now plays with Worcestershire Royals in their Twenty20 cup campaign.

Glenn McGrath said, Jayasuriya was in his list of XI toughest batsmen, “it is always a massive compliment to someone to say they changed the game, and his storming innings in the 1996 World Cup changed everyone's thinking about how to start an innings.” Jayasuriya whose trademark shot is a lofted cut over point, can diversify with both cuts and pulls. Sri Lanka Cricket’s decision to leave Jayasuriya out may prove costly, because despite his age and recent poor form, the Sri Lankan star still has a lot to offer.

I owe my good captaincy record to Murali - Jayasuriya

Sanath Jayasuriya - Former Lankan skipper pays rich tributes to his retiring mate

Sanath Jayasuriya, accompanied by his son Ranuka, share a light moment with Muttiah Muralitharan during a Sports Ministry event in Colombo on January 2, 2010. President Rajapaksa presented tokens of appreciation to Jayasuriya for having completed 20 years in the international arena. Muralitharan was feted for his world records, while retired sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe was honoured for her silver medal at the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney.

Their careers overlapped for the most part, the marauding batsmanship of the one complemented beautifully by the cunning and guile of the other during the golden era of Sri Lankan cricket.

Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan share a wonderful relationship, one born out of mutual admiration and respect, as well as both individuals’ desire to be the best in their chosen vocations.

The 41-year-old Jayasuriya recently completed 20 years in international cricket and is still available for limited-overs duties. Three days from now, Muralitharan, 38, will bid adieu to Test cricket but will keep his options open so far as the one-day format is concerned, with an eye on the World Cup in the sub-continent early next year.

Both men were crucial cogs in the wheel during Sri Lanka’s triumphant march to the 1996 World Cup, and once Jayasuriya took over the captaincy at the turn of the millennium, Muralitharan played a key role in the former’s successful stint at the helm.

Under Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka won 18 of their 38 Tests. Muralitharan played in 17 of those triumphs, and played a significant part, too. In all, 35 Tests under Jayasuriya brought Muralitharan an astonishing 230 wickets at 20.22, well below his career average of 22.71, with 20 five-wicket innings hauls and nine ten-wicket match collections.

“I have a good record as a Sri Lankan captain, and the main reason for that, I think, is that I was fortunate that Murali was at his peak during the four years I captained the side,” said the former skipper, now a television expert, among other things, as he bides his time hoping for a recall to the one-day set-up.

“Murali is a great character,” he went on, his eyes twinkling with admiration. “There’s never a dull moment when he’s around. He’ll keep all of us going, cracking jokes and giving insights on basically anything. He’s also very positive, hardly gets into a negative mentality and basically it’s fun when he’s around. He’s a very genuine guy as well, and the work he did after the tsunami has been very much appreciated by everyone.”

Jayasuriya was serving apprentice under Arjuna Ranatunga when Muralitharan was called in Australia for chucking in 1998. It is no secret that Ranatunga took on the establishment and steadfastly stood by his star bowler. Jayasuriya provided a ringside insight into those difficult days. “Murali owes a lot to Arjuna for the way he defended him, and he’s been grateful to Arjuna ever since,” Jayasuriya observed. “When he was called for throwing in 1998 in Australia, I was the vice-captain of the side. Some of the measures Arjuna took to defend him will be hard to match.”

Reflecting on his time alongside Muralitharan in the national team, the towering left-hander said, “Our careers ran parallel. The hard times and the good times we went through together… Going on to win the World Cup in 1996 was the pinnacle.

“I also remember the Oval Test with great fondness, when we beat England in England for the first time,” Jayasuriya reminisced. “We both played a crucial part in our team’s success. Murali got 16 wickets in that Test, and I got a double hundred. That victory is a very special moment along with winning the World Cup.”


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[VIDEO] Jayasuriya presenting an IFFA Award

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Sanath Jayasuriya Blogspot

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Contract snub doesn’t bother Jayasuriya

Sri Lanka's 41-year-old all rounder, Sanath Jayasuriya has no regrets over missing the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) annual contract. He has been a permanent fixture in the Sri Lanka side after playing a key role in the 1996 World Cup, but found himself dropped from the list.

Speaking exclusively over his mobile from Worcestershire, he said, "I have no regrets. Those who perform well, get contracts. I can not make comments on who have made this decision, but even without contract, I can play for the nation".

In January 2009, during the first ODI against India, he became the second man to cross 13,000 runs in ODIs', and at the age of 39 years and 212 days, he became the oldest man to score an ODI century.

The contracts to the 20 players have been worked out on previous year's performances and found no place for him. Interestingly, Muthiah Muralidharan, who is set to retire from Test cricket after the Galle Test against India, has been retained in the list.

Sanath Jayasuriya will not be able to witness Murali's farewell Test from the VIP enclosure. "I am returning (to Sri Lanka) only by the end of this month and will miss watching him play the last Test. However, I have already sent him a good-luck message for his last Test. He is a great player, who has done lot for the country and not only we, as team mates, but the entire nation will miss him", Jayasuriya further added.

Jayasuriya is likely to be appointed as a guest studio commentator by Ten Sports to air his views on the Sri Lanka-India matches, along with Arun Lal and Dean Jones. He may not play for Worcestershire's final two matches.

Jayasuriya to be a part of Ten Sports Expert Analysis team

The Micromax Cup between India and Sri Lanka will be telecast live on Ten Sports. The three-match test series begins on July 18, 2010.

Commenting on the live telecast of the series, Atul Pande, chief executive officer, Ten Sports, said, "Ten Sports is committed to bringing the best of international cricket to its viewers. The matches in the Series will also be tied with in-depth pre- and post-match analyses from experts in the cricketing space.”

Some of the guests scheduled to appear on the studio shows include Charu Sharma, Arun Lal, Dean Jones and Sanath Jayasuriya. To promote the series, Ten Sports has launched a 360-degree marketing campaign revolving around the thought “The No.1 Test Team is back”, to appear in print, outdoor, digital, radio and television.


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Jayasuriya may not play for Worcester's final 2 matches

WORCESTERSHIRE Royals could go into Sunday’s final Friends Provident t20 North Group match without an overseas player after they revealed Shakib Al Hasan will not be arriving until next week.

It was hoped that the Bangladesh vice-captain would join the New Road outfit for the final two games - Warwickshire Bears away on Friday night and Lancashire Lightning at home on Sunday.

However, he will remain with his national side until next Tuesday night before joining up with the rest of his new team-mates in Derby for the LV= County Championship Division Two clash with Derbyshire the following day.

New Road chief executive Mark Newton said Sri Lankan star Sanath Jayasuriya may be released prior to the clash with Lancashire should the Royals’ quarter-final hopes be over.

The Bangladeshi cricket authorities told Newton today that the world’s leading one-day all-rounder will play their two one-day internationals in Ireland before heading north to play Scotland on Monday and the Netherlands, in which County batsman Alexei Kervezee will feature, on the Tuesday before making the near 300-mile trip from Glasgow to Derby.

It is a bitter blow for the Royals as the news comes after Australian opener Phil Jaques headed back home to New South Wales.

“We understand the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s stance,” Newton said. “Of course, we are disappointed, but they regard all their matches as important and they have picked up a number of injuries.

“But when you sign international players this can happen as their boards have first rights, so it’s a great shame that Shakib will miss our Twenty20 campaign.”

Newton said the County will talk to Jayasuriya this week about his involvement in the final two matches of the Royals t20 campaign.

Worcestershire need to win their remaining two games to stand a chance to progression, but the New Road chief executive admits all hopes of a place in the last eight would be all but over should Derbyshire Falcons beat Durham Dynamos tomorrow night.

If the Falcons win in the north-east it would mean, should they lose their final two matches, that progression would go down to run-rate and Derbyshire have a vastly superior one to Worcestershire.

“Sanath will be in the squad on Friday, but we will talk to him this week about the final match if we are no longer in contention,” Newton said.

“The key match is tomorrow’s meeting between Derbyshire and Durham. If Derbyshire win then it could go down to run-rate and we are a long, long way behind.”

Jayasuriya, Vaas to be considered for WC 2011 - Aravinda

Not only Sanath Jayasuriya, even Chaminda Vaas will be considered for the World Cup 2011, said Aravinda De Silva, Chairman of National Selection Committee. He added they are keeping a close eye on them and if the need arises they will definitely be given a chance to play.

Aravinda De Silva made this statement speaking exclusively to Ada Derana yesterday. He also said that this decision would not hinder the opportunities for younger players as they have enough and more time before them.


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[VIDEO] Sanath Jayasuriya - 54 off 29 balls vs Lancashire

Sanath Jayasuriya smashed 54 runs off 29 balls, playing for Worcestershire Royals vs Lancashire in the Friends Provident T20 County Tournament 2010 which included 4 sixes and 4 fours.


Scorecard: http://www.cricinfo.com/countycricket2010/engine/match/435780.html

Jayasuriya left out of SLC Contract list

Finally it is curtains for 41-year-old Member of Parliament Sanath Teran Jayasuriya as far Sri Lanka cricket is concerned. The Panel of selectors led by Aravinda de Silva has decided upon the contracts for the 2010/11 season and requested the Lankan cricket hierarchy to omit the Lankan cricketing veteran from the list of contracted players for the coming season.

Jayasuriya who played 110 Tests for Sri Lanka and scored 6973 runs with an average of 40.07 making 14 centuries and 31 half centuries. Jayasuriya made his Test debut for Sri Lanka against New Zealand at Hamilton on February 22, 1991. He is also one of the triple centurions for Sri Lanka making a highest score of 340 against India at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

The left hand opening batsman who was more prolific as a ODI player turned out for Sri Lanka in 444 One-day Internationals and scored 13,428 runs at and average of 32.43. The Contracts for the Lankan players expired at the end of March this year and was delayed owing to logistical reasons. SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga explaining the situation to the Sunday Times said “Now we have ironed out the few creases on the sheet and are ready to sign them up before the first Test against India at Galle on the 18th of July.” He also added that there would be some more names added to the list after the Sri Lanka A tour of Australia.

In category 1 comes the incumbent national cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara along with former skipper Mahela Jayawardena, vice captain Muttiah Muralitharan, Thilan Samaraweera and T.M. Dilshan. However as Muralitharan has retired from Test cricket he will be paid only 40% of his contract, but, still will remain with the top five contracted players.

With Muralitharan calling it a day in Test cricket, the next hurdle for the selectors would be to select a vice captain from the second Test against India which will begin on the 26th of July at the Sinhalese Sports Club Grounds. On the head to head count it would be a toss up between the next most senior player T.M. Dilshan and consistent Thilan Samaraweera, but one could not leave out promising all rounder Angelo Mathews for the job if they are looking for Lankan cricketing fortunes beyond 2011. It is noteworthy that the 23-year-old allrounder had been placed on the category III contract over several other seniors.


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Worcs fall four runs short after Jayasuriya fireworks

WORCESTERSHIRE Royals' hopes of reaching the Friends Provident t20 quarter-finals are all but over after a nervy three-run defeat to Durham Dynamos.

Set 145 to win at New Road, Steve Rhodes' side took the match to the last ball but, having slumped from 51-1 to 67-4, were always behind the run-rate and lost cheap wickets chasing the target.

Despite 45 from Sanath Jayasuriya, it was a disappointing effort with the bat from a promising position and the Royals now go into tomorrow's match with Leicestershire Foxes at HQ bottom of the North Group.

It had all looked so good for Worcestershire after their decision to bowl upon winning the toss saw Durham openers Phil Mustard and Mark Stoneman stifled by Moeen Ali and Imran Arif before Jack Shantry bowled Mustard in the third over.

There were, though, a few nervy moments with Shaaiq Choudhry, making his Twenty20 debut, letting a Mark Stoneman drive slip through his fingers.

Choudhry also put down Stokes on 36 off Moeen as he juggled what seemed a certain catch before allowing it to squirm from his grasp.

Stokes was finally dismissed for 44, following a second-wicket stand of 85 with Stoneman, to a fine catch by a Moeen at long-on.

Stoneman was stumped by teenager Ben Cox off returning skipper Vikram Solanki for 46, but Durham's progress remained pedestrian. From there, the visitors lost the wickets of Dale Benkenstein, Albie Morkel and Gordon Muchall for 12 runs as they closed on 144-6.

In reply, Jayasuriya was quickly into his stride and plundered two successive sixes off Morkel in the fifth over.With Phil Jaques, the pair eased passed 50 but the Australian was soon on his way as he skied Ben Harmison to Gareth Breese.

The Royals then lost two wickets in the eighth over to Breese, Moeen chipping to Will Smith and Jayasuriya going leg-before five short of his half-century.

Having made such a prom-ising start, the Royals had only reached 67 at half-way and things got worse when Alexei Kervezee was well caught at mid-wicket by Stoneman, again off Breese, who finished with 3-14.

Solanki hit the first six of the innings in the 13th over but, when he was caught by Muchall for 25, his team's chances deteriorated.

There was a late moment of controversy as a wayward Steve Harmison delivery was given as a wide despite the ball appearing to slip out of the seamer's grasp.

Clearly riled, the former England paceman sent Daryl Mitchell's stumps cart-wheeling with next ball and with it went any realistic chance of a Royals victory.

Jayasuriya & Worcester Royals facing do-or-die time

WORCESTERSHIRE Royals head to Leicestershire Foxes this evening (5.40 pm) requiring snookers if they are to stand a chance of qualification for the quarter-finals of the Friends Provident t20.

While the New Road side can overhaul everyone in the North Group except leaders Nottinghamshire Outlaws, most teams have four matches remaining, meaning a 100 per cent record in the five remaining games for Steve Rhodes’ outfit might not be enough.

The Royals are looking to bounce back from their crushing 46-run defeat at Lancashire Lightning on Monday night.

Worcestershire’s failure to come to grips with the 20-over game has not been made any easier due to injuries to some of Rhodes’ key performers.

Skipper Vikram Solanki has been missing since the third match of the competition with a pelvis problem and is unlikely to be fit until late next week when the Royals could be just playing for pride.

Seamer Chris Whelan, a bowler Rhodes says would be first on his teamsheet, has not featured at all due to a number of injuries.

Alan Richardson has only been able to play twice due to an on-going elbow complaint, while fellow paceman Matt Mason pulled up injured two balls into his second over at Old Trafford with a groin strain. He is facing at least a fortnight in the treatment room.

“It has been hard — but you have to get on with it,” Rhodes said. “We have given some good opportunities to some young guys to try and gain experience.”

But injuries have only been one of the problems with the County’s t20 campaign.

Dropped catches, miss-fields, loose bowling and batsmen crumbling under pressure have been the story of another disappointing 20-over campaign. The positives have been few and far between.

Worcestershire will welcome back seamer Richard Jones for the trip to Grace Road after the quick bowler missed the visit to Lancashire through illness.

But the 23-year-old has gone at 10.5-an-over in the five matches he has played, picking up just two wickets.

However, the other seam options, Imran Arif and Chris Russell, are either more expensive or yet to be tested.

Worcestershire Royals: (from): Jaques, Jayasuriya, Moeen, Kervezee, Mitchell (capt), Manuel, Cameron, Cox (wkt), Andrew, Jones, Shantry, Choudhry.