Wednesday 18th February, 2009 15
Letter
!In Cricket’s Matrix…
The village lass
who hit the
world stage Joes possess formidable
bowling attack
by Reemus Fernando A notable feature in the Joes outfit justly adjudged the Man of the Match, defend the Trophy .
this season is the heavy presence of left Best Bowler of the Match and the Best However, coach Harsha de Silva said
With just three outright victories handers. Nine out of 15 members in the Batsman of the Match for a feat that is that although their batters struggled in
under their belt after 12 outings St. squad are left handers. However, the likely to stand for some time in their long the first phase of the season, they have
Joseph’s College, Darley Road may create presence of southpaws didn’t material- standing series played for the Gilmore overcome their problems before the cru-
the impression that they are not a formi- ize in the team amassing large totals, Jayasuriya Trophy . cial phase and will be ready to take on
dable force this season. though the bowlers did excel. He has three centuries and three half the Petes with confidence.
But the young outfit lead by fifth year Skipper Shameera Weersinghe is the centuries to his credit with an average of In the bowling department, skipper
coloursman Shameera Weerasinghe are only batsman to score centuries this sea- over 50 and in the bowling department, Weerasinghe who has been dominant as
in good shape to meet any challenge with son while the others have had to be con- he has bowled the bulk of the overs for mentioned before has had good support
confidence, in the decisive final phase of tended with half tons. his team. from off spinner Rosco Thattil, who is in
the season. As would be expected in a year of All rounder Treshan Rajasuriya, who his second year in the team.
St. Joseph’s recorded outright victo- transition from a higher age group is the other player with five years of Left arm paceman Dinal Dhambarage
ries against Isipatana, Maris Stella and (Under-20) to a lower age group (Under- experience is the second highest wicket and Chathuranga Kumara make up a for-
S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia, this 19), they have only two fifth year colours- taker. The left arm paceman has picked midable pace duo. They have shared over
season. Except for Royal College, who men. And they have been the key players up close to 40 wickets and has con- 40 wickets this season while both have
The curtain has come down on
the illustrious athletic career of Sri
Lanka’s sprint queen Susanthika
Jayasinghe, who took Lankan athlet-
ics to an exceedingly high level.
Her rise to the top, is a story of
rags to riches.
She was born to poor parents,
who toiled hard to keep the house
fires burning, in their humble abode,
in a far flung village in the Kegalle
district. It was in this backdrop that
the young Susanthika spent her
formative years, running with joy in
the hills and valleys in the country-
side. Shameera Weerasinghe (Captain) Hareen Silva (V. Capt) Nishika de Silva Treshan Rajasuriya
Her desire to be a star surfaced at
this tender age.
Returning home at dusk, she
would collect whatever firewood she
could lay her hands on, to ease the
burden on her mother, to light the
hearth at home.
She had her early education at
Uduwaka Junior School and later at
the Athunawala Maha Vidyalaya,
where her inborn talents for athlet-
ics surfaced with a burning desire to
achieve greater heights and the
unspoilt lass left for the big city.
She soon made her presence felt
in the 100 and 200m on Sri Lankan
soil.
I need not elaborate on all her
achievements in the local and inter-
national arena; they are far too Dinal Dhambarage Jaan Jayasinghe Chathuranga Kumara Rosco Thattil
many to focus in this article. Instead
I will spotlight a few of her feats. inflicted on them a first innings defeat, this season, topping both the batting and also contributed with the bat when the
She took Asian athletics by storm all other teams suffered first innings bowling averages. tributed with the bat. team has been in trouble.
when she was rated as the fastest defeats at the hands of the Joes. Skipper Shameera Weerasinghe The Joes’ batting department has The St. Joseph’s First XI squad this
women in Asia. She broke into the The young outfit, with just two fifth heads both batting and bowling averages been given teeth by fourth year players season includes Shameera
limelight, in the international scene, year colourmen providing experience to with an aggregate of over 700 runs and a Nishika de Silva and Hareen Silva and Weerasinghe (Captain), Hareen Silva
when she won a silver medal at the their line up, seem to have adopted a haul of 70 wickets. He has been the deter- second year players Jaan Jaysinghe and (V. Capt), Treshan Rajasuriya, Nishika
prestigious I.A.F. World rather defensive strategy this season, in mining factor at decisive moments with Chathuranga Kumara. While de Silva de Silva, Dinal Dhambarage, Jaan
Championship in Athens in her pet stark contrast to their approach last year. the highlight coming in their match has scored nearly 450 runs, the other Jayasinghe, Chathuranga Kumara,
event the 200m dash. Strengthened with a formidable bowling against S. Thomas’ College, which they three have scored over 350 runs. Rosco Thattil, Shalindra Perera,
In the land of the rising sun, her attack and their batting depending on a won. Shameera’s century and match bag While bowling remains their strong Anushka Shakthi, Shiyan
brilliance surfaced, when she won still developing squad, their strategy has of 13 wickets, played a pivotal role in an point, the above players have to do better Senevirathne, Vidusha Jayasinghe,
golds in the 100 and 200m, at the helped them stay afloat during a tough impressive innings and 26 run victory in the batting department in the ‘Battle Dinal Fonseka, Ashan Vithanage and
Grand Prik in Osaka, Japan. season, without experienced players. over the Thomians. And Shameera was of the Saints’ encounter if they are to Hemantha Jaysundara.
Her crowning moment came in
the 200m at the 2000 Sydney
Olympics where she lined up against
Nandimithra SC trounce Zavia SC 6-0
the best in the world. She got off to a
flying start and with a blistering run Sulanga wins ‘Independence Cup’ by M. Irham Hyder in Wanathamulla in Colombo,
which won her the bronze medal. Dharga Town recently.
The irony was that only .01 of a sec- Nandimithra SC led 2-0
ond deprived her of the silver. Nandimithra Sports Club at the breather.
It was in the 110m hurdles that (Civil Security Service), Gayan Kelum scored two
Duncan White won a silver at the trounced Zavia Sports Club goals while Prasad
Dharga Town by six goals to Lakshitha, Udaya
London Olympics. Since then there
nil in their Premier League Madhusangha, Anushka
had been a long drought, till
2008 Division-II Group Jayasankara and J. N.
Susanthika appeared on the seen, to Suranga scored one each for
win the bronze medal, to bring hon- Championship tourney soc-
cer match played at M. H. Nandimithra SC.
our to her motherland, in the world’s J. M. Dhammika refer-
Mohamed Ground,
greatest sporting event, the eed.
Olympics.
Fortune did smile on her, when
on October 5, 2007, Marian Jones Trinity 298 despite Wickramasinghe’s
admitted to taking performance
enhancing drugs prior to the 2007 9-97 for Dharmapala
Summer Olympics in Sydney and by Rukshan Razak Sajid, together with a solid 36
she was striped of her medals, by Dilan Gangoda helped
which elevated Susantika to silver Outstanding spin bowling Trinity to their final total.
medal status. by A. Wickramasinghe of The Dharmapalians in
Her rise to fame was not a bed of Dharmapala College, reply, were 83 for the loss of
roses. Sulanga, owned by Anuka Soza, ridden by jockey A. Siva Kumar and trained by P. Peethambaram, won the ‘Independence Cup’ Pannipitiya, restricted Trinity four wickets, with Gihan
There were detractors who made horse race held recently at the Nuwara Eliya Race Course. Dhammika Attygalle, President SLTC presented the trophy to the College, Kandy, to 298 all out, Hondamunige top scoring
winning owner. Also in the picture are; Gamini Jayaratne (Treasurer), Rajan Sellamuttu (Chairman, Board of Stewards), Rajah in their inter-school cricket with an unbeaten 30.
life miserable for her, yet it had no
encounter which commenced Scores: Trinity College
impact on her; she was one made of Sinnathuray (Secretary) and Sirimevan Senanayake (Handicapper). (Pic. by Jayakody Ratnayake, N’Eliya Correspondent)
at the Asgiriya International 298 all out in 63 overs
sterner stuff. Stadium, in Kandy on (Kithmal Wimalaweera 41,
When she met President Monday. Niroshan Dikwella 56, Rushan
Mahinda Rajapaksa and briefed him
on her retirement from athletics, he
paid a glowing tribute to her by pre-
What ails Wesley cricket? Wickrmasinghe captured 9
for 97 runs in his record
breaking effort but the Trinity
Jaleel 40, Dilan Gangoda 36,
Mohamed Sajid 40, A.
Wickramasinghe 9 for 97)
senting a sum of Rs. 5 million and a
plaque for bringing honour to her
An innings defeat at the hands
of Mahinda College and St.
Letter opt to pit their second strings
against Wesley .
College batsmen played with
aggression due to poor sup-
Dharmapala College 83
for 4 in 31 overs. (Nipun
country Susie, you will remain long
. Benedict’s College followed by a Has the ‘Mafia’ that is plagu- However, sometime back, port for Wickramasinghe. Pathirana 17, Tharindu
Young Niroshan Dikwella Liyange 12, Gihan
in our hearts, and we wish you suc- nine wicket defeat by a S. Thomas’ ing Sri Lanka cricket spread to Wesley was the showpiece of
top scored for Trinity with a
cess in your future endeavours. college, Mount Lavinia has this prestigious school? cricket. How times have changed! Hondamunige 30 n.o; Rasitha
hard hit 56, while two aggres-
Rex Wijewardene, brought down Wesley College to If these humiliating defeats M. Bawa, Gamage 10 n.o; Suresh
sive knocks of 40 by skipper
Dehiwela. her knees. continue, perhaps, schools may Colombo 12. Wickrama 2 for 11).
Rushan Jaleel and Mohamed