Sri Lanka booked themselves a guaranteed berth in the final of theCoca Cola Cup with an overwhelming 106-run victory over New Zealand atthe Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo today.Their authoritative display also keeps India’s hopes of qualificationalive. If India win their final two games, they will qualify for thefinal. If they slip up against Sri Lanka tomorrow though, New Zealandwill qualify by virtue of having already beaten them twice.Sri Lanka owed their victory to their best batting performance of thetournament. The middle order finally kicked into life and the hometeam rattled up an imposing 221 in 36 overs on by far the best battingpitch of the tournament.The New Zealand run chase then started disastrously as man of thematch Chaminda Vaas plucked out three wickets and Dilhara Fernandobowed a fiery new ball spell. The Clear Black Caps slumped to 18 forfive within the first eight overs and never stood a chance thereafter,eventually finishing on 115 for nine.Stephen Fleming, back in the side after stomach trouble, had won thetoss after morning drizzle and elected to field first on a wicketwhich traditionally offers the faster bowlers some assistance in themorning, but statistically still favours the side batting first.Avishka Guawardene (38) – pulled into the side at the last moment,after 14 overs had been lopped off the innings – opened with SanathJayasuriya (20) and the pair set the tone for the innings by adding 32runs at nearly a run a ball.That pace was maintained thereafter despite the loss of Jayasuriya inthe sixth over. Romesh Kaluwitharana joined Gunawardene and the pairadded 57 runs for the second wicket before Kaluwitharana wasathletically run out by Jacob Oram at backward point.Gunawardene followed four overs later, but the momentum was continuedby Marvan Atapattu (34) and Mahela Jayawardene (58) in a 56-run stand.Jayawardene, batting on his club ground, immediately looked more atease than he had in the previous four games. He batted fluently andhit two majestic straight sixes in his 46-ball half-century.With support at the death by Russel Arnold (22*) the pair took thegame out of New Zealand’s reach by scoring 96 runs in the final 11overs.After a shortened luncheon interval, which gave them hardly enoughtime to put on their pads, let alone have a bite to eat, MatthewSinclair (1) and Nathan Astle (4) were on the back foot as ChamindaVaas bowled his best spell of the series.Curving the ball into the right-handers he trapped Sinclair leg beforein his second over and then induced an indifferent prod from Oram (0),who was then well caught at slip by Arnold for a second ball duck.Fleming (6) then tried to weather the testing new ball bursts of Vaasand Fernando. Whilst Vaas probed intelligently away, Fernando hurriedboth the batsmen, jagging the ball off the seam.Fleming’s resistance ended in the seventh over as he carved a catch tosecond slip. Craig McMillan followed in the next over, carelessly runout by a direct hit from Jayawardene, and Nathan Astle ensured thatNew Zealand had no chance when he was immediately snapped up in theslips.New Zealand batted out the rest of the innings, anxious that their netrun rate not be decimated by such a comprehensive defeat. With reliefthey passed their record lowest score of 64 against West Indies in1986, but they only limped to the hundred mark after some biffs bylast man Darryl Tuffey (20*).New Zealand will no doubt watch tomorrow’s crucial encounter withgreater interest and will be hoping that Sri Lanka make a better fightof it than they did last Sunday when the lost by six wickets to India.

England’s victory over Australia in the fourth Ashes Test has been a shot in the arm for New Zealand fans eagerly awaiting the arrival of the English team this summer.While most England tours of New Zealand create more interest than all but visits by Australian Test teams, the recent successes by England in Pakistan and Sri Lanka had suggested the once proud nation was in recovery mode.Then came the deflation of being 3-0 down to the Australians with nowhere to go.However, the return of Nasser Hussain to add steel and leadership to the side, the ability to chase a target for victory personified in Mark Butcher’s innings, the recall, at last, of left-arm spinner Phil Tufnell, and the decision by Graham Thorpe to be available for the tours of India and New Zealand, all add up to an even spicier tour.All the characters are falling into place to give the tour a profile that will make it one of the most interesting in recent New Zealand Test history.Added factors of interest will be provided by the possible absence of Mike Atherton, and should he retire at the end of the Ashes series, the hunt for a long-term opening replacement for him. Similarly, the prospects for Alec Stewart. He has said he wants to play at least until the next World Cup, but do the selectors share that feeling, or do they want to develop another wicket-keeper?England also have on their agenda their desire to beef up their one-day game to improve their chances of competing successfully at the World Cup in South Africa in 2003.That also adds flavour to the New Zealand summer as the home side is still casting around for the winning formula to lift it back into a credit position on the win/loss ledger in One-Day Internationals.New Zealand won’t lack preparation on either the Test or one-day front.Both the Test and one-day sides will have been through campaigns in Pakistan and Australia, with a breather against Bangladesh over Christmas. There is every chance that Chris Cairns and Daniel Vettori will be restored to full match fitness, with even the prospect that Dion Nash’s encouraging progress will have been sufficiently tested to make him available for the longer aspect of the game.New Zealand also has the incentive to back-up its 1999 effort where it won the Test series in England 2-1.Injuries have meant that New Zealand hasn’t fielded a fully fit side at home since the 2-0 series win over the West Indies in 1999/2000 but if the side can put the crisis of last summer behind it, then a much-needed highly-competitive summer may be just what the game in New Zealand needs.Several significant initiatives are underway in the advancement of the game in New Zealand, especially at levels below the international and first-class ranks, and if cricket could have a summer of positive play at the showpiece level of the game then it stands to reason that the benefits will be felt across the board.

Opening batsman Andrew Strauss led a spirited Middlesex revival at the Rose Bowl with his third century of the season.Strauss followed his defiant half-century made in the first innings with an equally obdurate 100 not out to leave the match, vital to both sides, finely balanced at the end of the second day.Middlesex, 90 behind on first innings, ended at 232 for five which gives them a lead of 142 with two days remaining.After 17 wickets had fallen on the first day, Hampshire resumed at 99 for seven in reply to the Middlesex first innings of 101 and in Adrian Aymes and Shaun Udal they found two batsmen ready to build a decisive advantage.Aymes and Udal put on 102 for the eighth wicket, Udal first to his fluent half-century but Aymes just as important in a less ostentatious way.Udal made 62 with ten fours before he was superbly caught down the leg side sweeping Phil Tufnell by Stephen Fleming running round from first slip.Aymes was 57 not out when Hampshire were finally prised out for 191, leaving Middlesex the task of batting far better in their second innings than they had done in the first.Strauss was dropped in the slips by Kenway at 14 but from 58 for two and still in arrears, Fleming joined Strauss in a stand of 127 for the third wicket.Suddenly Hampshire lost their poise and purpose in the field with Strauss reaching his 1,000 for the season one over before Fleming.Then spinner Shaun Udal came into the attack and again the complexion of the match changed.In swift succession Udal removed Fleming, lbw on the back foot, Ed Joyce in his next over not offering a shot and then Paul Weekes caught at the wicket off his gloves.Strauss reached his century in the last over of the day and Middlesex will need him at his best on the third day if they are to leave their promotion rivals a difficult target in the fourth innings.

Newly appointed Sri Lankan Sports Minister, Mangala Samaraweera, whoreplaced Laksman Kiriella on Friday after a cabinet reshuffle, has vowed tocome down hard on endemic corruption within national sports bodies, the mosthigh profile of which is the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka(BCCSL).Speaking at his first public appearance, the closing ceremony of the 27thNational Sports Festival at the Welagedara Stadium, Kurunegala, on Saturday,the minister declared: “I will not allow the businessmen to misuse money.”He warned officials that he would not hesitate to “punish” any guiltyoffenders.During the course of his speech he pledged greater support for out-stationareas, commenting that: “One has to invest money on rural sports developmentto produce more Sanath Jayasuriya’s.”In March this year the previous minister decided to dissolve the cricketboard and launched an ongoing inquiry into claims of financialmismanagement. The accusations centered on tenders by and payments for theconstructors responsible for constructing a five million dollarinternational stadium in Dambulla. No substantive evidence, however, has yetbeen revealed and no charges have been made.Since the dissolution, the board’s affairs have been managed by an InterimCommittee, headed by Vijaya Malalsekera, who is close to the PresidentChandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. The Sports Minister also had met the officials of the Interim Committee on Saturday.

Paul Wiseman has come in from the cold.He has been named as Daniel Vettori’s replacement on the tour of Australia and will leave Christchurch tomorrow to join the team.Wiseman, who injured an ankle and returned home from New Zealand’s tour of South Africa was dropped by the national selectors after the first Test loss to Pakistan in Auckland.He had played against Zimbabwe in the Boxing Day Test as the No 1 spin option and sent down 54 overs in Zimbabwe’s first innings for a return of none for 131. He took one for 15 in the second innings.Then in the Pakistan Test he none for 35 and one for 107.He was replaced by Grant Bradburn for the remaining Tests of the series. While Bradburn fared little better, taking one for 124 in the second Test and not being required to bowl in New Zealand’s third Test victory.However, Wiseman also found himself left out of the end of season tour to Sharjah and the mid-year tour to Sri Lanka as Bradburn was preferred.But Wiseman’s experience was the key factor in his call-up and if able to get into form, and selection contention for the first Test, he is capable of making a significant contribution to New Zealand’s tour aspirations.New Zealand selection chairman Sir Richard Hadlee said today: “Paul Wiseman has played Test cricket and that experience counted heavily in his favour. Paul has also shown, in the past, that he is capable of taking wickets at this level.”His inclusion in the squad will, no doubt, create competition with Glen Sulzberger for a Test place,” Hadlee said.

New Zealand’s bowlers will have a valuable two-hour stint following captain Stephen Fleming’s declaration at tea on the final day of their tour match against the Queensland Academy of Sport at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane.Fleming called a halt to New Zealand’s innings straight after wicketkeeper Adam Parore brought up his century with a boundary.The Black Caps finished at six for 296, Parore unbeaten on 100.Earlier, Parore and Fleming put together a 158-run partnership to rescue the side after it teetered at 5-110.The unlikely winning target for the QAS is 327.

Somerset County Cricket Club have just announced that Championship opener at The County Ground against Yorkshire starting on May 8th has been nominated as the Golden Jubilee Match.Chief Executive Peter Anderson told me, “Somerset are putting a proposal to the Taunton Deane Borough Council Queen’s Golden Jubilee Committee that the match against the 2001 Champions Yorkshire should be the Jubilee Match.”The Chief continued, “To celebrate the Jubilee we are going to ask for nominations from clubs for people who have given their life to cricket on a continuos basis. We hope to have a silver medal designed by a local college to present during the course of the match.”The Jubilee match also coincides with the Somerset County Cricket Club Annual Church Service which will be held at St James’s Church on Sunday May 19th, before the Norwich Union League match against Yorkshire Phoenix.”We are hoping to get a famous ex cricketer to preach at the service in 2002,” Mr Anderdson said.

Veteran left-hander Hashan Tillakaratne scored his second century of theseries and Russel Arnold partially broke off the shackles of poor form asSri Lanka batted throughout the third day of this third and finalJanashakthi National Test match.The day had been touted beforehand as a pivotal one and with Sri Lankaovertaking the West Indies first innings total with five wickets to spare,the odds are now stacked against the tourists avoiding the humiliation of aseries whitewash.By the close of play Sri Lanka had turned a 197 run deficit into an 87 runlead after 141-run fifth wicket partnership between Tillakaratne and Arnoldand then an unbroken 133 sixth wicket partnership between Tillakaratne andThilan Samaraweera.Tillakaratne innings was the highlight of the day and the best of his fourhundreds since returning to the side four months ago after a two-yearabsence. Whether he should have been discarded after the 1999 World Cup isdebatable, but one senses his frustration at being sidelined has made himeven hungrier for success in the twilight of his career.During this series he scored 105 not out in Galle, 87 and 7* in Kandy andnow an unbeaten 143 here, which surpasses his previous career best (136*)scored against India in August. Remarkably, he has only been out once in theseries having batted for just short of seventeen hours.The 34-year-old, who was troubled with a hamstring injury for much of the day, is known best for his dour accumulation and back-to-the-wall defiance, but on this occasion he showed another side, batting stylishly and vigorously to reach his fifty off 77-balls and hundred off 149 balls. His timing was impeccable; especially his straight drives which fizzed across the lush green outfield to the boundary.Tillakaratne came to the crease after the fall of Mahela Jayawardene for 32,who was trapped lbw by Mervyn Dillon, after the first half hour thismorning. It appeared a crucial break through as Jaywardene is also in regalform, whilst Arnold, the remaining batsmen, hadn’t scored a fifty for 10consecutive innings.But Arnold finally repaid some of the faith shown in him by the selectorsand team management as he went onto score 65 in a controlled inningsspanning nearly four hours. The 28-year-old left-hander hadn’t lost his formcompletely, just his capacity to stay at the wicket. He was hitting the ballcleanly, but had suffered from an over-eagerness to dominate and anover-reliance on those nurdles and flicks that he employs so well in theone-day game. This time he played straighter and with greater patience.Still, he will be cursing his failure to capitalise fully and score acentury after being caught behind off a cross batted shot.Sri Lanka were 345 for five at that stage, mid-way through the afternoon,still with a deficit of 45 runs. But the obdurate Thilan Samaraweera stayedwith Tillakaratne till the close to post the pair’s third century stand infive Test matches. Samaraweera was 68 not out at the close having playedwithin his limitations and with great application.Four months ago Dav Whatmore was bemoaning a wobbly late middle-order, butthe adhesive pair have helped solve that the problem for meantime, at leaston sub-continental wickets, anyway, where Samaraweera can play a role withhis off-spin.”Hashan (Tillakaratne) has been batting very well for us since he cameback,” he said. “He took a couple of games to get back into the grove butsince then he showed us what we have been missing.”Thilan (Samaraweera) is a very committed cricketer. He may not have theskill of the Jayasuriya’s and Jayawardene’s but he is very determined andthat determination can be as effective in its own way.”Tomorrow Sri Lanka will try to chisel out as large a lead as possible. Thereis no great urgency with over six sessions remaining, though there may beconcerns that the pitch seems to be wearing too slowly.West Indies are not out of the game if they can conjure up a early morningcollapse, but this seems unlikely with a bowling attack – with the singleexception of Dillon who bowled with great heart – that is looking moreinnocuous with each passing session. They were further handicapped by a sideinjury to leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine, who has only been able to bowl 17overs in the innings.

Rawalpindi were dealt a big blow by match referee Abdul SamiKhan Thursday when he slapped a one-match ban on pacemanMohammad Zahid and fined him Rs 5,000 for imtimidatorybowling.Zahid was involved in a tiff with Rest of Punjab batsmanMohammad Fazil Wednesday in the Quaid Trophy match at theKRL Stadium and indulged in what the umpires said was an”intentional attempt by the bowler to hurt the batsman.”The referee summoned Zahid and after a hearing decided topenalise him, although Rawalpindi officials made desperateattempts to have the decision reverted.The match itself seemed headed for a draw as the Rest,resuming at the overnight 250 for five accumulated 423 intheir first innings – a lead of 174.By the close of third day’s play, that came 18 overs early,Rawalpindi in their second innings were 122 for one, still52 behind and a full day still to go.The Rest total revolved around a fine unconquered 127 bySufian Munir, who was 50 overnight. His 204-ball innings waslaced with 19 fours and he was involved in three importantpartnerships. The first stand with his overnight partnerFazil yielded 89 for the sixth wicket and later along withAbdur Rauf, he put on 53 for the eighth wicket. But it washis last wicket partnership of 88 with Mushtaq Ahmed thatreally boosted the Rest total. Mushtaq was in a punishingmood and struck six sixes and five boundaries in a knock of68 runs.Babar Naeem took the bowling honours with three for 71followed by Azhar Bhatti and Yasir Arafat who claimed twowickets each.Rawalpindi were given a good start to their second inningsby their openers Naveed Ashraf and Babar, with both strikinghalf centuries.When play ended prematurely due to bad light, Babar wasstill at the crease on 56 and with him was Mohammad Wasim on10.Azhar Abbas took the only Rawalpindi wicket to fall.

It’s been a heck of a one-day season for Central Districts and Otago and not even good conditions in Invercargill today could provide the spark for an end of competition extravaganza for them.Central Districts left Queen’s Park, one of the more attractive grounds around New Zealand, with a 99-run victory and some satisfaction at last in what has been a disappointing defence of their national one-day title.The Stags won the toss and batted on a good wicket, reaching a total of 242/6 in their 50 overs. Hawera-born Peter Ingram scored his first century off 130 balls and was ably supported by Richard King 40 with whom he shared a 106-run partnership, and Ben Smith 28.Ingram was last man out of the six CD batsmen dismissed, in the 47th over.A key factor for CD was the fact all their batsmen got into double figures to reach their 242 total. The Otago bowling was adequate with Kerry Walmsley one for 37 and debutant Anthony Wilkinson none for 38 from his 10 overs, the best of the bowlers.The Otago off-spinners Nathan Morland (none for 39 off eight) and Nathan McCullum (none for 44 off seven) were a little expensive in comparison.On such a good batting wicket 242 seemed getable but alas the Otago batting which has been erratic all season had one of its bad days.So often it has depended on Andrew Hore giving the side a good start but he was out for a duck in the first over having faced only four balls. Craig Cumming scored only two, Lee Germon a duck and Martyn Croy one.Only Simon Beare, in his first Otago game, scored a fine 61. More will be heard of him. Morland with 28 assisted at No 8 but that was about it for Otago. Dismissed for 143, they lost by almost a hundred.Bowling for the Stags, Ewen Thompson with four for 41 from eight overs was a signal performer but Michael Mason with four for 16 had an outstanding spell. Brent Hefford one for 21 and Andrew Schwass one for 17 were both very economical and bowled a lot tighter than their Volts counterparts, though the early loss of Volts wickets neccessitated caution from a batting aspect.The Central Stags batted and bowled far better than their opposition and thoroughly deserved their victory over the Otago Volts.