Sri Lanka Family Day at the KIA Oval today

Surrey Cricket Club, which in the good old days won the county championships regularly under Captain Stuart Surridge, joined hands with Sri Lanka Cricket and Sri Lanka Cricket UK and will conduct a special free Sri Lanka Family Day today. Surrey will welcome the entire Sri Lanka tour squad, including legends of the game such as Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayewardene, Tillekeratne Dilshan and Lasith Malinga. It will also give an opportunity for budding cricketers in the age group of 10-14 to be coached on the Kia Oval outfield by members of the Sri Lanka team.

Other activities planned for today include the chance to meet and get autographs from all the big names, face painters, a bouncy castle special, special visits from Surrey mascot Caesar the Lion and the opportunity to get a free look behind the scenes at the Kia Oval with some special family ground tours. Speaking about the event, Surrey CCC Commercial Director Charlie Hodgson said: with the games between Sri Lanka and England, we were looking to reach out further to the Sri Lankan community. We are really excited about this day at the Kia Oval.

Once in a life time opportunity

‘Giving young people the once in a lifetime opportunity to meet heroes such as Jayewardene, Sangakkara and Malinga is really exciting and I hope we have great turn out today’. Hodgson also thanked Sri Lanka Cricket UK for giving Surrey CCC the opportunity of bringing this day to life and for their support in its organization.

Sri Lanka Cricket UK Committee Chairman ASITHA JAYAWEERA, former Royal College Captain and allrounder who was a big draw in Sri Lanka cricket in those days speaking about the event said: ‘This is a ground breaking event for Sri Lanka cricket supporters in the UK, in particular, for the youngsters to have this wonderful experience to actually meet their heroes in person, and we are grateful to the Surrey County Cricket Club for affording this opportunity.

Incidentally the Sri Lanka Cricket UK Committee was set up by Sri Lanka Cricket with four noble objectives.

(A) Assist SLC with development of schools cricket in Sri Lanka by holding fund raising events.

(B) Look after the interests of all visiting Sri Lanka Cricket teams to the UK including junior teams.

(C) Run SLC Cricket Scholarships Scheme to enable young talented cricketers to play a season of cricket in England.

(D) To mobilise Sri Lanka cricket enthusiasts in the UK, including families and youngsters, to support the team at various matches venues.

Over the last few years, the committee’s fundraising events enabled us to support the following.

Donation of 2,500 cricket balls to schools cricket. Donation of cricket training gear to the National Coaching Department. Donation of 11,000 pounds to the side wickets programme in the North and East of the country. Running of the SLC UK Scholarship Scheme.

Recipients of the SLC UK Scholarships

The following are recipients of the SLC UK Scholarship Scheme, which was initiated in 2004. Dhammika Prasad, Sahan Wijeratne, Sandun Dias, Upul Tharanga, Farveez Mahroof, Kosala Kulasekera, Angelo Mathews, Chanthuranga Kumara and Lahiru Sanjaya. Kusal Mendis (2014 holder currently in the UK). This year in addition to the fundraising function that was arranged on May 31 and facilitating the highest number of Sri Lanka supporters to attend the two London Cricketing venues. The UK Cricket Committee comprises - Asitha Jayaweera, Chairman, Navin Samarakoon, Keerthie Ranasinghe, Dr. Ananda Thevathasen, Nalin Perera, Alan Wahab, Dr. Bala Balachandra and Deepal Ahangama.

Meanwhile the biggest Sri Lankan cricket carnival ‘Festival of

cricket 2014’ will be held on Sunday July 20 at the Merchant Taylor’s School Grounds, Sandy Lodge Lane, Northwood with High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in the UK Dr. Chris Nonis as chief guest. The main sponsor of event is Bank of Ceylon.

Old boy cricketers from Kingswood, Joseph Vaz, Ananda, De Mazenod, Dharmaraja, D.S. Senanayake, Holy Cross, Isipathana, Mahinda,

Mahanama, Maris Stella, St. Sebastian’s, S. Thomas’, Thurstan, Trinity, Wesley, Zahira, St. Joseph’s, St. Benedict’s, St. Anthony’s, St. Aloysius, Royal, Richmond, Rahula, Nalanda, Dharmasoka and St. Michael’s will be contesting for honours. According to Colin Fernando, Cassim Jaleel and David Muller who have been in the UK for over 50 years and have been regulars at the festival say that this festival has always been a tremendous success and that it should be no different this time round.

Incidentally David is the brother of the famous author and writer and who worked with me in “The Times of Ceylon’ and ‘Daily Mirror’ in the 1960s and ‘70s Carl Muller.

Pietersen the fallen angel

South African born and former England Captain Kevin Pietersen who fell from grace after the thrashing England received from Australia in the last Ashes series ‘down under’ is still big news here.

Pietersen did not have the best of tours in Australia, not scoring the big runs that were expected from him, in the 5-0 thrashing and stories did the rounds that he was not 100 per percent focused and his place in the team came in for questioning and it is said that his own England team-mates had deserted him before he was sacked.

Team Managing Director Paul Downton has revealed the lack of support for Pietersen the 33-year-old who is now pocketing more than 800,000 pounds as captain of Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League.. Downton says one of the issues after the tour of Australia was what were they going to about Pietersen. According to Downton it was quite frustrating to watch him as a fan and then watch every ball of the Sydney Test and to see never anyone as disinterested or distracted as Pietersen and it was looking strange.

Couldn’t find one supporter

The Director says he talked to every person in the management team and quite a few senior players and couldn’t find one supporter who wanted the batsman in the side. The accusations were that he had too many agendas and was not 100 percent focused on England. But soon after Downton’s remarks Pietersen the aggressive former England batsman did not take kindly to the Downton’s remarks and accused the England big man of breaking a confidentially agreement and called his claims ‘untrue’.

Downton is alleged to have said that none of the batsman’s England team mates supported him. But Pietersen quickly blasted the suggestion that he was uninterested during the Ashes series is untrue, saying he had a good relationship with most payers. Anyway as a England cricketer Pietersen who scored tons of runs his career is over.

Match fixing big news

Match fixing is still big news here and the latest is that England’s 2012 series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates was targeted by match-fixers. It is said that ‘boom, boom’ Sahid Afridi and Umar Akmal were separately contacted in order to rig the four-match series. Pakistan went on to win that Test series against England 3-0 with spin twins Sahid Ajmal and Abdur Rehman having the England batsmen in a flat spin. England were led by South African born Andrew Strauss who is now a TV commentator in the current Sri Lanka- England series. Both players did not want to get involved and reported the matter immediately to the Pakistan team’s Security Officer and the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption unit. These revelations come after the news that former Sussex players Lou Vincent and Naved Arif have been charged for willfully helping Sussex lose to Kent in 2011.

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