Lankans dodge 'whitewash'

The Sri Lankan cricketers beat the Indians in the final one-dayer by 68 runs to save face and prevent a complete rout. Had they capitulated in this game too, it would have been a calamity for the game.

However the fact remains that the cracks are beginning to show in the limited-over get up, and it is time that the selectors take note and make the necessary changes so that we could get back our winning ways in the 'cowboy' game.

From the first game it was apparent that the Sri Lankans were looking jaded, probably playing too much cricket. But playing too much cricket like I said earlier is no excuse not to perform.

In this series what was most apparent was the drop in the fielding. In this style of game, fielding is what this game is all about and the Lankans were a sad sack in this aspect.

The sudden dip in the fielding has been attributed to the players lacking a fielding coach. One remembers the time when former Australian Trevor Chappell was the fielding coach. Under him we were tagged the best fielding side in the world. It is time that the authorities paid attention to this aspect.

Another startling fact that was revealed to me by a former knowledgeable cricket writer and the guy who fashioned and gave Tillekeratne Dilshan to the game Ranjan Paranavitharane was that some of our pacemen, fudge injuries and do not play in domestic cricket.

Playing domestic cricket is essential, if one is to get his act right in international cricket. The selectors have a right to inquire into this and see that the pacemen front up in domestic cricket. Otherwise some stern action should be taken.

A complete overhaul of the one-day squad is the demand that cricket fans were asking.

Good show OBSC

The Old Bens Sports Club successfully concluded their soccer tournaments for clubs and schools to mark their Golden Jubilee with Hameedia Al Hussiene winning the schools tourney and Ratnam Sports Club the club tournament.

It was a tournament well organised and conducted and Rev. Bro. Granville Perera, Director of St. Benedict's College, Delly Fernando, President OBSC and his committee can take a bow.

Top class soccer was witnessed throughout the tournaments and the finals were no different with Hameedia Al Hussiene defeating Isipatana College in a penalty shootout and Ratnam, after being one down in the first half bouncing back to beat New Youngs SC 2-1.

Incidentally the two guys in charge of Ratnam and New Youngs are former Benedictine soccerites - Hurly Silveria and Rohitha Fernando. Silveria is now the President of the Football Federation and Fernando could be very useful to the Federation.

The Bens who are known to give honour where honour is due and like in their college anthem 'doing the duty that is to do, bearing the cross with the crown in view' had Basil Jayawardena, a former school soccer captain as chief guest and Hurley Silveria as Guest of Honour.

Also gracing the occasion was Bro Edward during our era in college. Now Rev. Fr. Edward was famous for the 'Our Own' musical shows he organised and conducted in the early sixties which produced some top class singers in Dalreen Kelaart now 'Suby' from the adjoining girls school Good Shepherd Convent, Denzil and Bosco. Lawrence 'dynamite' Thering, Terry 'Tony Brent' Zoysa and the 'L' Brothers to name a few.

The occasion also saw a number of former Benedictine soccer captains and it was wonderful meeting two of my old pals after nearly 50 years Lionel Dabare who captained the team in 1959 and Shelton Ganegoda who played full back for the college in the mid fifties.

It was also nice meeting a former Josephian soccer wonder Yogendra Crusz and that great organiser of Josephian football Kamil Hassan, who after watching the excellent manner in which the Bens conducted the tournament, promised to do similarly for Josephian football that has taken a nose dive in recent times.

Pity when one remembers that the Josephians were FA CUP winner at one time.

It was also goose flesh reading through he name board which had the Bens cricket and soccer captains. Soccer from 1918 thanks to the hard work and research put in by captain of 1963 Errol Antony.

Prominent among the soccer captains were Freddy Pieris who captained the team the most number of times. in 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921. Captain and only Brazilian and Germany trained coach of that era Albert Fernando had led the college in three successive years - 1947, '48 and '49.

The years 1941 and '42 have been left blank because of the war which prompts a joke that goes like this. This was related to me by Upula Fernando, a die hard supporter of the college sport, who had his early learning at SBC before switching to Ananda where he later qualified as an Atorney-at-Law.

Said Fernando: 'A certain school in their list of captains in the name board had a lot of vacant, vacant, vacant titles dotted for a number of years.

An old boy of the school who had no knowledge of what sport was all about had looked at the board and said: 'Vacant is a mara bugger no. See the number of times that, that vacant fellow has captained. Those around him were bursting their lungs out in laughter', said Fernando.

Later in the evening the Bens held a musical evening where they also honoured their past soccer captains with Damoderam Chandrasiri, a double international, earning defeaning cheers.