da esoccer bet： The Sri Lankan training pool returned to Colombo last night after athree-day training camp at Dambulla
da doce： Rex Clementine Fernando06-Jul-2001The Sri Lankan training pool returned to Colombo last night after athree-day training camp at Dambulla. According to the team management thecamp was a success, providing the players, who have less than two weeks togo until a tri-nation tournament against India and New Zealand, with avaluable chance to familiarise themselves with conditions at the RangiriDambulla International Cricket Stadium, a venue which has hosted only oneOne-Day International so far.The cricketers arrived in Dambulla on Tuesday and after a short practicessession in the afternoon, they were back in the stadium for a full day’swork out on Wednesday. They finished up the camp by playing a 50-over matchon Thursday.National coach, Dav Whatmore, Owen Mottau, who works with the batsmen, andRumesh Ratnayake, the fast bowling coach, all were happy with the three-daycamp. There were, however, some absentees: star batsman, Aravinda de Silva,failed to arrive back in time for the training camp after a charity match inEngland and some members of the squad played against Pakistan A in thethree-match one-day series.Apart from the One-Day International against England in March, the venue hasstaged two limited over games against the visiting Canadian national sideand a four-day game against Pakistan A. Unfortunately, however, the stadiumhas developed little during the last three-months and there is still muchwork to be done after recent controversies.Thursdays 50 over practice game, where there was not a single spectator, aspolice blocked off the ground stadium, was between a Marvan Atappattu XIversus a Sanath Jayasuriya XI. Atapattu had the main batsmen and Jayasuriyawas given the frontline bowlers.Atapattu won the toss and elected to bat first. A decision that wasvindicated by the deterioration in the pitch during the second innings -Atapattu’s team won by 118 runs. Even if you assume that the pitch for theODI’s will be far superior, then lesson number one has to be that battingwill be easiest in the first innings.Rangana Herath and Malintha Warnapura exploited those second inningsconditions well, taking six wickets for 60 runs in 18 overs. One wonderswhat Murali would have done – Dambulla is certainly not playing like thefast track we were promised.Atappattu’s side amassed 278 runs for three wickets in their allotted 50overs, against a bowling attack that comprised Chaminda Vaas, DilharaFernando, Nuwan Zoysa, and Kumar Dharmasena. Atapattu top scored with 73 off85 deliveries with seven fours and a six. Apart from the captain, RusselArnold made 53 in 61 balls before retiring and Mahela Jayawardene made 35 in32 balls. Hashan Tillakaratne, who is unlikely to play in the one-dayseries, made a useful 27 not out.In reply, Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana opened the batting. Jayasuriyawas simply superb, not only the bad deliveries were hit to the fence, biteven the good length deliveries found the same destiny. He made 61 in 68deliveries with eight boundaries and a six and threatened to single handedlytake his side to victory, but finally mistimed a lofted drive to long-offoff the bowling of Rangana Herath.His side’s hopes faded thereafter. None of the other batsmen crossed the 20runs mark as they struggled against the spinners on a deteriorating pitch.Rangana Hearth was impressive picking up four wickets for 39 in his 10overs. Malintha Warnapura provided good support bowling from the Score BoardEnd, picking up two wickets for 21 runs.In the end, it was a convincing 118 run victory for Atapattu’s side asJayasuriya’s team was bowled out for 160 in the 39th over of the match.
