Sri Lanka recorded their first series victory in two years at home when they beat India in the decisive final Test Match in Colombo on Sunday and Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya hoped that it would be a springboard to future Test success.”It was an important series victory and hopefully first of many to come,” he said with a beaming smile.Failures against Pakistan, South Africa and England had put the team under considerable pressure in this series, especially when India leveled the series in Kandy.”The last two series were pretty disappointing,” said Jayasuriya. “We just didn’t bat well on those occasions and luckily the players realised that. If you take the decisive third Test against England, we were bowled out for 80 odd runs in our second innings. You simply can’t do that.””Everyone was under a bit of pressure and as the captain I am always under extra pressure to perform.”India’s seven-wicket victory in Kandy seems to have been a wake up call for the team.”We had a meeting just before this game with all the batsmen and I told them to play their natural game,” he revealedThe Sri Lankan captain paid tribute to Mahela Jayawardene and Marvan Atapattu, both of whom scored centuries, but singled out veteran left-hander Tillakaratne and debutante Thilan Samaraweera for special praise.”Thilan (Samaraweera) batted like an experienced player out there and never looked like getting out,” he said. “He looks like a genuine allrounder.””Hashan (Tillakaratne) was under tremendous pressure to perform in this game and I am really happy that he came back to form at the right moment,” he said.Sri Lanka took control of the match after a spectacular eight-wicket burst from man of the series Muttiah Muralitharan.”We needed was to get them out for 250 and it was not going to be easy, but Murali just changed the whole game in the first day itself by bowling out India for 234,” he said.”We were then able to enjoy the best batting conditions of the match on the second and third day,” he said.India were left 376 in arrears with over two days to bat to save the game. They started well adding 107 for the first wicket.”When the wickets proved hard to come by we didn’t get worried, because it was such a huge task that I knew the Indians would panic at some stage if we kept bowling tightly, ” he said.

New Zealand’s cricket selectors must have issued a collective prayer when hearing that CLEAR Black Cap Jacob Oram had been diagnosed with a broken bone in his foot.After almost providing permanent work for New Zealand’s health service with an amazing bout of injuries last summer, the last thing the selectors want is injuries before a ball has been bowled in the domestic cricket season.But that’s what they got when Oram was examined after his injury was realised during a training session at Palmerston North at the weekend.Oram wasn’t sure where the injury occurred but after returning from New Zealand A’s tour of India he found the injury in his left foot got progressively worse the more he practised.He faces four weeks keeping the pressure off his foot while on crutches and while he may be able to bat in six weeks, he won’t be able to bowl for another four weeks after that.That puts him on a tight schedule to get match hardened in readiness for his near certain selection for New Zealand’s VB Series team which travels to Australia in early January.Oram, the tallest man to play cricket for New Zealand at 1.98m, made his debut last summer in the Black Caps and quickly cemented his place with a string of good performances. A batsman who has quickly developed his bowling he is regarded as a developing force in the national side.He captained Central Districts during the last domestic summer and took them to a celebrated Shell Cup victory.

The potential violence that faces Sri Lanka ahead and afterits December 5 parliamentary elections is of little worry tothe West Indies team.Captain Carl Hooper, manager Ricky Skerritt and the rest ofthe squad were in an upbeat mood ahead of their departurefor the Asian country yesterday.While speaking to reporters at the Grantley AdamsInternational Airport, Hooper said the whole situationshould hopefully have no effect on the team.The minute the decision was taken for the tour to go on, weas professionals have had to focus straight on the cricket,the West Indies captain said.If we start worrying about what is happening off the fieldwith the politics in Sri Lanka, it would be a wrong note tostart the tour on. We are totally focussed and committed toplaying good cricket in Sri Lanka. What’s happening off thefield will take care of itself.Last July, there was a Tamil Tigers attack on ColomboAirport that destroyed several aircraft and killed 30people, while there was a blast on the outskirts of thecapital two days ago that killed a suicide bomber from theTamil Tigers, a policeman and injured 17 others.In light of safety concerns, West Indies Cricket Boardpresident Reverend Wes Hall was given assurances oversecurity from goverment and cricket officials in Sri Lankaat an International Cricket Council meet in Malaysia lessthan two weeks ago.Skerritt, who met with top officials in Sri Lanka’s Ministryof National Security before the announcement of the date forgeneral elections, said security was not a big issue for theteam.What they tell me in Sri Lanka is that this is very localpolitical party versus political party and it gets heated upclose to the election, he said.We don’t expect to experience any of it or very little ofit. If we find that the security arrangements are not to oursatisfaction, we are going to try to get it improved and ifwe can’t get it improved, we’ll have to take other steps.Skerritt tried to play down the issue by pointing topolitical violence that affected Jamaica while the team wasin camp in Kingston as well as the staging of a Test matchin Guyana earlier this year, a week ahead of elections.None of us felt the effects of it because none of us isinvolved in politics, he said.When asked if he was disturbed by Monday’s reports inColombo, the West Indies manager said: Any news about deathand violence is perturbing. I’m not trying to cast anyaspersions. Unfortunately, these have become far too commonin too many cities, but cricketers tend to get veryprotected from that reality. We don’t have any reason to getinvolved or close to it. But we will be vigilant and we willcontinue to make sure that everything possible is done togive us the best possible security.Squad: Carl Hooper (captain), Ridley Jacobs (vicecaptain), Chris Gayle, Daren Ganga, Brian Lara, RamnareshSarwan, Marlon Samuels, Wavell Hinds, Leon Garrick, NeilMcGarrell, Dinanath Ramnarine, Colin Stuart, Mervyn Dillon,Marlon Black, Reon King, Pedro Collins.Ricky Skerritt(manager), Roger Harper (coach), Ronald Rogers (sportstherapist).

Sri Lanka’s cricket selectors have recalled leg-spinner Upul Chandana intotheir 15-man squad for the second Janashakthi National Test at Kandy onWednesday.Chandana comes in place of left-arm fast bowler Ruchira Perera, who did notplay in Galle and is now considered surplus to requirements, as Sri Lankaare expected to choose another spin based attack.The 29-year-old Tamil Union wrist spinner, who played the last of his fiveTests 15 months ago against South Africa, appears an unlikely starter.Captain Sanath Jayasuriya pledged his support for left-arm spinner NiroshanBandaratillake, who had taken two crucial wickets on the final morning inGalle.”Niroshan (Bandaratillake) did not bowl particularly well in the firstinnings, but he was much better in the second,” he said. “He has been out ofthe side for a while and deserves a decent chance. I hope he plays inKandy.”The only likely Sri Lankan change in the final eleven, is the recall ofleft-arm pace Nuwan Zoysa, who is back to full fitness after six months onthe sidelines with an ankle injury.Full squad:Sanath Jayasuriya (capt)
Marvan Atapattu
Kumar Sangakkara
MahelaJayawardene
Russel Arnold
Hashan Tillakaratne
Thilan Samaraweera
Chaminda Vaas
Niroshan Bandaratillake
Muttiah Muralithathan
CharithaBuddika Fernando
Nuwan Zoysa
Suresh Perera
Michael Vandort
Upul Chandana

The Zimbabwe Under-19 squad to tour South Africa was chosen during the half-term school break. The team to compete in the International Cricket Council U19 World Cup in New Zealand in February next year will also be chosen from the squad.The squad includes three players recently involved in the full international side – Tatenda Taibu, understudy to Andy Flower, Hamilton Masakadza, who has already lit up the international stage by becoming the youngest player to score a Test century on debut, and Sean Ervine, who is currently with the national side in Bangladesh.The squad of eighteen also includes: Thomas Benade, Conan Brewer, Michael Brundle, Elton Chigumbura, Charles Coventry, Andrew Durham, Brendon Hammond, Richard Mackie, Stanley Marisa, Stuart Matsikenyire,Alfred Mbwembwe, Waddington Mwayenga, Jordane Nicolle, Simon Seager and Sharezad Omarshah.Four staff will travel with the squad: Wyndam Justin-Smith as team manager, Steve Rhodes as coach, Maziva Stephen Mangongo as assistant coach and Bradley Robinson as physiotherapist for the squad.The team will play two three-day matches; the first will be against Easterns from 30 November to 2 December in Benoni, and the second against Kwazulu-Natal in Bulawayo between 7 and 9 December. They then have an eight-day break before they play in the South African Coca-Cola Week in Vereeniging between 17 and 22 December.Before heading off to New Zealand they will have a four-day camp in Johannesburg in January to prepare for the event. The Under-19 World Cup is held once every four years – the last one was held in South Africa in 1998.

It is a great pleasure to announce that Bakers Biscuits are in the 19th year of sponsoring the Mini Cricket and Coaches Academy cricket development programmes.The Bakers Biscuits sponsorship started out at the small amount of R50 000 in 1982 and it now stands at R13 million. The success of the programmes is the motivating factor behind the sponsorship – knowing that it makes a positive difference to thousands of people on a daily basis is what keeps Bakers Biscuits involved in cricket development.The success of the programmes has manifested in many ways and a few examples include:

• 50% of all provincial cricket teams are currently made up of Bakers Mini Cricket Graduates,
• over 30 000 coaches have graduated from the Bakers Coaches Academy,
• and about 90 000 children take part in Bakers Mini Cricket every year.

National Brands is proud of the long history of the Bakers Biscuits sponsorship and of the waves of change that it has made in communities throughout South Africa.These changes have certainly formed a positive bond between Bakers Biscuits and consumers; however, the main objective of this sponsorship has always been and still remains; to teach the children of South Africa the joy of playing together so that they can work together.Together the United Cricket Board of South Africa and Bakers Biscuits, through the mini cricket and coaches academy programmes, continue to teach thousands of children and adults from all communities the joy of playing and teaching sport, the real value of teamwork and to learn self-confidence.Now that is what I call giving the South African nation a real sporting chance!

Northern Districts will host next week’s State Shield semi-final at WestpacTrust Park in Hamilton after taking a 57-run win over Canterbury at Timaru’s Aorangi Oval today.To stage the game at Christchurch’s Jade Stadium, Canterbury needed not only to win the game but also take a bonus point. However, they never got close and were well beaten in the end.It was a tale of two batsmen for ND. Michael Parlane belligerent but effective in giving the innings some genuine thrust with his 64 coming off 75 balls and including seven fours.Parlane used his feet well to find the length to allow him to loft the ball over the infielders, especially during the first 15 overs. His deft cutting also kept the momentum of the innings building when the balls were not there to be belted.By comparison, James Marshall played a more cultured innings for his 99 not out and the fact he hit only five fours says much about the nature of the innings.It was perfect for his side and he was unlucky that a scoreboard glitch in the latter stages of the innings had him thinking he had scored his second one-day century when he hit the last ball of the innings for four to fine leg.In reality, he needed to hit it for six. The scoreboard and the official scorers were not linked at the ground and the scoreboard attendants were relying on their own scorers.Marshall said it was Joseph Yovich who informed him during the lunch break that the scoreboard had got things wrong.”I wasn’t that fazed. I was just happy to get through 50 overs at the crease and get a good score.”It was difficult to start with, the wicket was a bit low and slow and it was hard to tell with the back of a length balls how high they would bounce.”It wasn’t a bad track and I think Gary Stead showed that when they batted.”We went out to get a good total on the board. Our batting has disappointed during the start and middle of the campaign but it has come together now and has given us a bit of confidence,” he said.Marshall said the ND players did not mind not having automatic entry into the final as they preferred to play in the semi-final and hopefully win that to get into the final.Marshall also enjoyed batting with Parlane who was playing only his second State Shield game for the season today.”It is good to have Michael back. He played a fantastic innings today to set up a big total,” he said.When Parlane and Marshall were batting together there was a happy blend in their approach and the score mounted at a greater rate than at any other stage of the innings.However, when Parlane departed, courtesy of a lightning-quick stumping completed by Gareth Hopkins after they had added 109 runs for the second wicket. Later on, Marshall received some good support, especially from brother Hamish, who scored 21 and Grant Bradburn who was 21 not out.Matthew Hart was shaping as a prospective contributor but in attempting to sweep Paul Wiseman he saw the ball fly high in an arc over Hopkins. It didn’t seem the chance could be taken but somehow Hopkins got out of his crouch behind the stumps, scrambled after the ball and caught the ball well behind the point where he started.Canterbury struggled to get the sort of start that would have made it competitive enough to put the pressure on the ND attack.Only Stead’s innings of 59 off 84 balls really offered Canterbury any hope, but when he was out in the 38th over at 155/6, the hopes rested with Darron Reekers coming off with a big-hitting innings.He hit one huge six out of Aorangi Oval from Bradburn’s bowling, but just when the improbable might just have been possible, Reekers was run out by Hart for 26 scored off 21 balls.Off the next ball, Stephen Cunis was run out by Graham Aldridge and the end was nigh with ND 175/9.Aldridge completed the coup de grace when bowling Chris Martin with the score on 181.

Dave Tiller, Portsmouth’s leading wicket-taker for eight of the past nine seasons, is returning to his old roots to play Hampshire League cricket with Southsea this coming season.An economical right-arm fast-medium pace bowler Tiller, 28, captained Portsmouth only three seasons ago but missed the second half of last summer after breaking his collar bone in a fielding accident.His part company with Portsmouth after a verbal outburst at club policy in the local newspaper. He played little subsequent part in Portsmouth’s Premier Division 2 title success.Tiller’s return to Southsea, where he began his club career as a lanky, raw teenager, is looked upon a significant boost for the St James’s club, who are anxious to feature among the County Division 1 promotion contenders during the coming season.

A determined all-round performance by Mohammad Hussain led a superb fight back by holders Lahore Blues on the second day of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy Grade-I match against Rest of NWFP at LCCA Ground Friday.The all-rounder Hussain first excelled with the ball, taking six for 60 to restrict the visitors to 242 in the first inningsin reply to Lahore Blues’ 105.Hussain then thrived with the bat by scoring an unbeaten 93 as the Blues reached 312 for seven in their second innings. Hussain’s gutsy knock gives the champions a lead of 175 runs.Hussain stroked 10 fours and three sixes in his 98-ball innings. Humayun Farhat contributed 51 off 38 balls while helping Hussain put on 91 in 51 minutes.Skipper Saleem Elahi (70) and Zia-ur-Rehman (51) had earlier lifted the Blues out of trouble after the first four wickets had gone for 74 runs.Elahi belted 12 fours and one six and faced 98 balls while Zia laced his 80-ball knock of 51 with 10 fours and one six.

Robinvale’s Daryl McClure and Gai Campbell from Aspendale have been named Cricket Victoria’s 2002/03 Volunteers of the Year. ICC Chief Executive Officer and special guest Malcolm Speed announced the winners in a breakfast function at the MCG during the Boxing Day Test Match.Community Cricket Manager John Harris said the winners had made exceptional contributions to cricket. “We had a nomination from each of Victoria’s 16 regions and realistically, all would have been worthy winners. However the judging panel felt that both Daryl and Gai have been absolutely outstanding volunteers, making a vital and unique contribution to cricket in their respective regions”.Harris said that Malcolm Speed’s attendance at the function had demonstrated the esteem with which the Volunteer of the Year Awards were held. “Malcolm spoke with great knowledge and passion about the role volunteers play in cricket. He foreshadowed a future where volunteers will continue to be recognised, with their skills and expertise a commodity that should be used in developing the game in junior cricket nations throughout the East Asia – Pacific region”.BACKGROUND INFORMATIONEach one of Cricket Victoria’s 16 Regions are invited to nominate their Volunteer of the Year, with those selected automatically eligible for the two major awards – Country and Metropolitan Volunteer of the Year.The respective regional winners are assessed primarily on their contribution to a particular cricket project or program in the current and/or previous season.Country Volunteer of the Year – DARYL McCLURE (Robinvale-Euston CC)Daryl is the current and inaugural club secretary of the Robinvale-Euston Cricket Club. The club was formed in 2000/01 as the result of difficulties being experienced at the time by the Robinvale & District Cricket Association (R&DCA). Gaining the support of the remaining R&DCA clubs, Daryl became the driving force behind a combined side from Robinvale achieving entry into the Sunraysia Cricket Association.He has also been primarily responsible for raising funding in excess of $35,000 for new clubrooms, a turf wicket, roller and general upgrade of the ground and facilities at Riverside Park. Daryl was directly responsible for coordinating sponsorship and recruiting both playing and administrative personnel to the new club.Not content with these tasks and achievements, Daryl has also established the club’s website, been instrumental in recruiting an overseas player for the previous two seasons and above all, retains his spot in the Robinvale-Euston 1st XI as a wicketkeeper/batsman. He is also committed to junior development in the Region through his duties as Manager/Assistant Coach of the U/15 Schoolboys and the Mallee-Murray Cricket Region U/15 team.Metropolitan Volunteer of the Year – GAI CAMPBELL (Aspendale CC)Gai has single handedly undertaken to resurrect junior cricket at the Aspendale Cricket Club after a five-year absence. As Junior Coordinator, Gai conducted pre-season letter drops and campaigned to local schools as part of her plan to recruit juniors back to the club. She has also enticed many parents to participate on match days and at training, developing family involvement within the club.Gai has successfully lobbied local council in attaining improvements in net and practice facilities for the junior competition, as well as obtaining grants for the purchase of protective equipment for players.Gai has also added her considerable talents to the senior section at Aspendale as club secretary and team manager for the 3rd XI. In all, her weekend cricket duties begin at 7.00am Saturday morning through to 8.30pm Saturday nights, with her 3rd XI commitments on Sunday afternoons.With all of her four boys playing cricket at Aspendale, as well as her husband playing in the club’s 1st XI, Gai has embraced both cricket and the Aspendale Cricket Club in a unique way.THE CRICKET VICTORIA “VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR” AWARDS ARE PART OF THE KOOKABURRA VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION PROGRAM