2017 20/20 Cricket Supplement

FIJllTIJNE � \Ylllll.11 TIJIJll

Ever�thingto pla for,and no ingtolose

The Aus v Sri Lanka T20 Series will be agreat platform for the future generation of limited-overs heroes to strut their stuff

...t;i. t,

BYRITAMMIT""

If ever an international cricker rour could be labelled"out of conrext", rhe three upcomingT20 Internationals between Australia andSri Lanka would ordinarilv be in your sights. Following visirs to Australia by South Africa and Pakisran, the T20 series comes after the conclusion of five weeks of almost nightlyBig Bashcricket, and during a time at which several of Australia's first-choiceplayersfind tl1emselves in Dubai preparing for the upcomingTest series in India. Luckily for the viewing public, despire me surroundingcircurnst.'111ces,botl1 sides have plenty co prove; and in an otl1erwise

inconsequential series contested in rbe spore's most electric format - a format tailor-made for the bold and the daring- mere is no better platform for the fumre generation of limited-overs heroes to announce themselves onme worldstage.

SciLanka arriveson Australian shores on the back of whatcan only be described as a punishing tour of South Africa. There, rbe tourists edged out thehostsin an incrediblycloseT20 series, but theirsuccess in that format was bookended bya 3-0 whitewashin rhe precedingTest series, and a 5-0 whitewash io me following One-Day fotemationals. It was onlythe second time in SciLanka's immensely proudOne-Day International hisrory tliat ir suffered this particular ignominy; worryingly though, both such occasionshave come in tl1e lase cwo years.

The prevailing issue is chat me SriLankao sideis caught in a state of flux;almough

teams such as India andAustralia have also lose some of their greatest servants iothe recent past, me retiremern of Sci Lankao legends Sllch as Dilshan, Sangakkara and Jayawardene arelikelyto be tl1emost damaging. lndiahasbeen blessedwit!, me likes of Kohli, Rahane and Pujara,and Australia too has flollfished withSmim, Warner and Khawaja. Sri Lanka,however, has struggled to discover - and develop -its future greats, through nofault of its own. Revealingly, sinceSangakkara'sretirement in 2015,Sri Lankahas only won 12 of its35 One-DayInternational matches.

An obvious example of the unsettled state of the Sri Lankao teamis the supremely talented Dinesh Chanclimal. Chandimal has long been identified as one of SriLanka's fumrescars, yet, frustratingly,he remains perennially prone to worryingly regular form slumps. Having been Sri Lanka's most consistent batsman in2016, Chandimal has

been dropped from the rom: of Australia aftera string of recent failures ar the international level, despire captainingSr:i Lanka in its most recentT20 in South Africa.

ThenthereisThisara Perera, an e.....:plosive all-rounder for whomtl1e T20 format seems me perfect fir. Yet, due tohisinconsistency acme highestlevel,be also failed to secure his p1-tce in the side desp te strong performances for the Melbourne Renegades in tl1e BigBash League.

Chief selector Sanatl1Jayasuriya is aware of the issues plaguing menational team, but is at aloss co identifyme cause of rbe team's slump. "[I] wouldn'rsay tl1ere's a dearm of talent, but we don'tproduce tl1ose champion cricketers as much as we clid in the past," he said, "l don't di.ink it's a problem with the domestic structure or the school structure, because it's the very system that produced all those champion cricketers io me past. So, we need to assess chis situationand find om

UpulTharanga

Scenesfrom theT20Internationalsduring theSri

wheretheproblemisandcorrectit."

Thehomeside'sstocksa.renotnea.rly asbleak.Despitetheabsenceofahostof regularssuchasSteveSmith,David\Xlarner, UsmanKhawaja,MitchellStarc,Josh HazlewoodandGlennMaxwell,Australia's sidefeaturesanenticingblendofyouthand experience,withseveralfascinatingsub-plots toexplore.Theyotmgguns,forinstance, featureplayerssuchasPatCummins,Ashton Turner,BillyStanlake,AdamZa.mpaand JhyeRichardson,whoareallunder25.There aresomeinthesquadthough,whowould debatewhetherthatisthe"right"sideof 25-MichaelKlinger,forinstance,willbe Australia'ssecond-oldestdebutantinany formatin30years,afterfinallyea.minga nationalcall-upattheageof36.AndTim Paine,whowascoutedasafutureAustralian Testcaptainbeforebeingcruellysidelinedfor severalyearsbyafingerinjury,alsomakesbis returntothegreenandgoldaftersixyearsin thedomesticwilderness.

Althoughthelong-termgoalfortheLions maybetounearththeirnextcricketinggreats, theimmediateseepmustbecobuildawinning culture,pa.rticularlyoverseas.Withtalismanic captainAngeloMathewsoutofactiondueto injury,itwillbeupcostand-inskipperUpu.l Tharanga,nodoubtboostedinhismissionby thereturnofthein.imitableLasithJ\falinga, tomotivatehisyotmgchargestomakea nameforthemselvesatthehighestlevel.And itshouldn'ttakehimmuch-it'sloogbeen knownthatstrongperformancesbytourist� inAustraliamaketheworldstandupandtake notice.Afterall,Australiaisthelandofthe ne,1er-say-die,thehomeofthekillerinstinct, andthebackyardofthefearless.

WithanAustraliansidefullofsparkling youthandtwinklingexperience,andaSri Lankanteamdesperatefotamoraleboost afteritsrecemtriptorockbottom,both sideshaveeverythingcoplayfor,andnothing tolose;againsrallodds,thiswillmakefor compellingviewing.

LankantourofAustralia, 2013

Australia squad

Aaron Finch (c), Ben Dunk, Patrick Cummins,James Faulkner,TravisHead, Moises Henriques, Michael Klinger,Tim Paine,Jhye Richardson, Billy Stanlake, AshtonTurner,AndrewTye,AdamZampa

Sri Lanka squad

UpulTharanga(c), Niroshan Dickwella, AselaGunarathna, DilshanMunaweera, Kusal Mendis, MilindaSiriwardena, Sachith Pathirana,Chamara Kapugedara,Seekuge Prassanna, Nuwan Kulaskera,lsuruUdana, Dasun Shanaka, Lakshan Sandakan, Lasith Malinga,VikumSanjaya

Sri Lanka's golden moments on the world stage

the wilyArjuna Ranarungabad under his command areamoozing wid1 confidence, selfbelief andof course, talent.

BYAJAY NAIDU

In sport,asin art, sexormusic, the thrill of the first conqL1estisas unique as it ismemorable. The unbridled joylasts forever.

WhenArjunaRa□anmga'sSriLankan teamclirnbed theEverest of Expectations againstMarkTaylor'sAustralianson that memorablenight atGaddafiStadiumin Lahore,in the 1996\Xlodd Cupfinals,it sent the beautifulislandnation into a frenzy. Indeed,muchlike the cherryon top of the cake,theSri Lankans seemed ro have reserved theirbest forlast astheyconquered theworld in style - witha sensationalseven-wicker victory over theirfanciedrivals.

With everysinglevictoryin that tomnarnent, Ranamnga's men (outsidersat oddsof 66-1) were makinga huge statement of intent.Eachof theirgiant-killingacts on theirway tothe tide was like asignpost to the fumre,that the entire unitwas totally passionate andcommittedtorealise the Ill1)' island'sdream.

As they put inan inspired performance game aftergame,itwas clear!)' evident that

The mercilessSanad1Jayasuryaand 'pocketdynan1ite' RomeshKaluwitharanaformed die moste,,plosive openersiubusiness.The giftedAtavindadeSilva tookastar turn in d1e semi-final and the final. Andthe experienced Arjuna Ranamngaplayed both the anchorand adventurerinequalmeasure.Then,therewere younggunslikeAsankaGurusinha,Hasan TillkaratneandRoshanMal1anama whoalso played theirparts to perfection.

On the bowling front,ChamindaVassand PramodyaWickramasiughe excelled in the pacedepartment. However,it was thespinners Muttiah Muralid1aran,Kw11arDharmasena, SanarhJayasuryaandAravinda deSilva who kept theopponent5on atight leash.

Having stunnedIncliain itsown backyard in ahigh-profile semi-final at Eden Gardens, theSri Lankanshada date with destiny in the megaEna! againstAustralia.

Ineachof the fivepreviousWorldCupfinals, itwas the teambattingfirstwhicl,badwon. Again,theconventionalwisdomtillthen was tobar firstinabig-matchpressuresituation.As itwere,justashe waswalkingoutfor toss,the greatLnranKhan had somegoldenadvicefor theSriLanka□c.'lprain."Barfirstif you winthe toss,"Imranqu.iedycoldRanatunga.

However, d1eSriLankans hadd1eirown blueprintfor success,evenif itmeant pitting

themselves against history.ArjunaRanamnga followed his own wisdomas he called correctlyand invitedAustraliato bat first.It wasadecisionwhich surely leftMarkTaylor pleasantlysurprised.

They say,it's never,vise tojudgea day untilit isevening.And on d1at historic clay at Gaddafi Sradimn,Rananmga and his team showed justwhy this is true.

\'v'hen it matteredmost,themercurial Aravinda deSilva produced amagi.cal performance,both with thebat and wid, d1e balJ, leaving SriLankan fansalJ over the world ecstatic.

Astheeveningwore on,Atavindaproduceda dreamhundred tomatchdiehistoric occasion. AUshimmeringstrokesandsupreme style,he battedasif couchedbythe divine,goingon to score a gorgeousunbeatencenrury.

And,in fitnessof diings, ArjunaRanatw1ga too wasin themiddleas dieSciLankans scripted agolden chapterin theircricketing folklore.

\'v'hen d1atmagic momentcame,as Ranatunga lifted theWorldCuptrophy,there wasa lump in the throatand rears in d1e eyes of everySriLankan.

Thescores:Australia241for7in50overs(Mark Tq)lfor74,Ric�•Po11ti11g45,Michtu:IBevan36*. ArmlindadeSilva3.fo,·42)losttoSriJ_,ank.t1 245for3in46.2ovct:r(Asank11Gumsinha65, Aravi11dadeSilva10711.0.,A,j11naR.a11aflmga47 n.o.)I?)71JJickets.

After the 1996World Cup triumph,Sri Lanlrnhad to endure a long, frustrating wait before they could ,vinanother world tide. Andyet,it was not that they were nor doing well on the world stage.Ir was just that d1ey were the proverbial bridesmaidrepeatedly.

The Srj Lan.kans lost four WorldCup finals in 2007 (50Overs \Xlorld Cup), 2009 (T20World Cup),2011 (50OversWorld Cup)and 2012 (T20World Cup).

Eve□tually, they broke rbe 18-year long World Cup jinx by winning the T20World Cup tide in Dhaka in 2014. The title was aL�o a bewtiful farewell gift for their legends KW11ar Sangakkara andMaheiaJayawardene who were playing their final T20games.

Kumar Sangakkaraalso did wellto pm the icing on the cake by striking a matchwinning half-century to fasbioo Sri Lanka's six-wicket triumph over 1hhendrn Singh Dhoni's Team lncUa.

The veteran left-hander scored a 35-ball 52 not out to guide the Sri Lankan chase of a modest 131-run target in 17.5 overs at a packed Shere Banglastadium.

"It'sbeen a long time coming, (we've) waited five fi11als,"said Sangakkarain his crowning glory moment. "I am pretty happy that I was able to do something for the team.It means a Jot to all of us.V/..le are very humbled by d1is."

,, The Sri Lankans were the proverbial bridesmaid repeatedly. They lostfour World Cup finals in 2007 (50 Overs World Cup), 2009 (T20World Cup), 2011 (50 Overs World Cup) and 2012 (T20 World Cup) ''

tf§Oz;t SHIPPING SCHEDULE

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The fierytraditional Tamil cuisine from the northern part of Sri Lanka, Jaffna cooking has a distinct and delicious flavour

of spiceblendsate conunoo-theroasted andtheLmroastedvariety.\�hile meformeris reserved for r:ichcurries and non-vegetarian dishes, cl1e latteris milder and tendsto be used forseafood and vegetarian dishes.

BY DHANYA SAMUEL

Adapted from a Peter Kuruvita recipe,this curry is a rather simple one. And wicl1 cl1is,J added yet aoocl1er spice blend co my coLiection - SriLankan roastedcurry powder.

In traditionalSriLankan cooking, rwo forms

TI1e keyto agoodroastedcurry powder is gettingyour hands on goodqualitywhole spices and then roasting them yourself. The roasting is taken r:ightco the edge wimout burning, so watchoverit diligently.

Jread many recipes and articles on how co make born versionsandended up usingchi.� roasted currypowderrecipe fromYomube chef Menaka atTheCulinary Corner; ic seemed themosrbasic andamhentic

version.As wicl1 many traditionalspice blends, likegaram masala,SriLankan roasted curry powderalso,1ariesslightly between households.

ThisJaffna GoatCurry usesbotl1 the roastedand unroastedcurry powders,whichis liberally usedto marinate cl1e meat, along with a few other aromaticsand min coconutmilk. Onlyusingme chin,and not me thick, coconut milk meansyou geea rich,darkcurry.

This isan adaptation of me traditionalcrn:ry (whichusesblood and offal). ltworksjust as well withoutusing cl1e offal,instead you can substitute with tomato paste,keepingcl1e recipe simple andeasy to make byaU.

JaffnaGoatCurry

Ingredients

1 kg goatpieces(approx.2cm pieces, withbones)

1 tbspJaffnaunroastedcurry powder (recipegivenbelow)

1 tsp roastedcuminpowder

5green cardamoms; crushed

½ tsp fenugreek seeds

1 cinnamon stick

¾ tspturmericpowder

1 ½tbspredchillipowder (adjust toheat preferences)

2 tbspSriLankanroastedcurry powder (recipegivenbelow)

2 tbsp tomato paste

200mlthin (or 2ndextract)

coconutmilk

Salt,to season

4-5shallots;finelysliced

3 garliccloves;grated

1inchginger;grated

3-4tbsp vegetableoil

A few sprigs of curry leaves

Method

Inalargepot,addthegoat piecesalong withtheunroasted currypowder,cuminpowder, cardamoms,fenugreek seeds, cinnamon,turmericpowder, redchillipowder,roastedcurry powder,tomatopaste,saltand thincoconutmilk. Mixandkeep aside foratleast30minutes. Heatoilinanother vessel (earthenwareifyouhave)and addthecurryleaves, shallots,

garlicandginger; sautetillthe onionsare soft andtranslucent. Addthemarinatedgoatpieces, seasonwith saltandmix well to combine. If there is extra marinadeinthefirstpot,adda littlewatertoitandrinseitout intothecurry sononeofthat lovely favourislost. Addmorewatertothecurry if necessary andcook coveredon lowheattill thegoat pieces are tenderandfalling offthebone. Stiroccasionallyandaddwater if moregJavyisrequired.

Garnish with curry leaves and servewarm. It isbestto make this curry aheadandletit sit for awhile toallow the favourstodevelop.

Unroasted curry powder

2 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

½tbsp fennelseeds

Ina gJinder, addall the whole spices andgrind toafine powder.Storeinanairtight containeranduse asrequired.

Sri Lankanroasted currypowder

3 sprigs curry leaves

1 tbsp cumin seeds

½tbsp fennelseeds

2 tbsp coriander seeds

10 driedchillies

½ tbspblack peppercorns

5cloves

5greencardamom

1 stick Ceyloncinnamon(not cassia)

2 drybayleaves

Method

Roasting the spices has to bedonein stages as some of the spices needtoberoasted longerthantheothers.Some versions of thisblendalso use fenugreek, mustardand pandanleaves.

Addthecoriander seeds to a panandallow to roast onlow heat for about a minuteand thenadd thepeppercorns, cloves,cardamom,bay leavesandcinnamon.Roast foranother 15secondsand thenaddthecurryleaves. Mixregularly andkeepthe heatlowtoavoid burning the spices. Continueto roast foranother 30 seconds and thenaddthechillies.Allow to roast for aminuteandfinally addthefennel andcumin seeds. Roast for another 1530 seconds and remove from heat.Allow to cool completely andthen grindtoa fine powder.Storeinanairtight container.

Making cricket accessible to people from all walks of life

formalising avenues tbrongh which cricket could transcend disability- tl1ede.layperhaps a fitting exampleof the manyways iJ1 which cricketallegor:ises socie[yi[self.

off tl1e field,andits inclusive,comfortable culcure is frequentlyattracting new players.

BYRITAMMITRA

Thegmmmoves111oreeftevtha11noti11a leiJ1tre!JIV'!),' andsotheJ1JatcherCtltlbe 11Jint!f11!,asthe111e11in111hitecomeonto thefield,1!thefreshofthemoming, thatthemnisbeginningitscomfortable jo11mv•11ptheslry;that, whilethegamepauses111the hour.forrest,111dlunch, theea,thisskepinginthe heatof110011;that,asthemdofthedt!)'cofllesand theshadowsfi,lfoverthegras,,the)'el/0111lightfOl(thes thec,icketers'JlanmL Thesethings111atlcrtothega11Je; itisthesethings, and110!the11i11nit1gand/(}singand thereconisthat1vere111e,11berinoldttgeafterom·limbs havebecomestiffa11d1ve,·,111plqy110more.

So wrote the great English writer leville Cardus some80yearsago,yecyou would be forgiven forthinkinghehad written those words today.For despiteits manyevolutions, at thecoreof the game,its beautyremains its inherentab.ilityto trtmsrmd. [n addition to rising above merestatistics,as notedby Cardus,it has transcended race,policies,age, gender and time.Given its long andstoried history,ir was notuntil relativelyrecently that administrators of tbegame began

Australia's firs[all abilities cricket association,theMelbourneAllAbilities

Cricket Association(MAACA),has given scores of crickecers the opportunityw 0\7ercomethebarriers tha[have ar times no doubt threatened m define them. Esrnblished u1 2015, Jvf.AACA now has sixparticipating clubs, and is oneof thejewelsin thecrow□ of CricketAustralia's NationalDisability Cricket StrategyandCricketVictoria's AllAbilities Action Plan, under which all abilities ci-icketis beingexpanded throughout the state and country.

Yarraville Club Cricket Club (YCCC)is the only all-abilities cricke[clubin:Melbourne's wes[emsuburbs, a veritablemelting pot of cultures andbackgrounds. Hussain Hanif, theYCCCcoach,notes thehigh proportion of overweight anddiabetic residems insome of thesesuburbs, as well as families of low socioeconomic and migrant backgrow1ds.

"I use [he cricke[ program to provide education on and off thesports field: to show how youcan getmemost outof life and not let the disabilitystopyoufrom chasing your dreams,"says Hussain.In its firstseason,Hussain's dedicationhasseen YCCCbecomeincrediblysuccessfuJonand

One of d1ose players is 22-year-old Christopher Quinn-Scheib. After having the last year off from playingcricket, this season Chris joinedhis friends atYCCC -and he hasenjoyedevery minme.

"Playingcrickethashelped my confidence,"says Chris."We'reabig family acYartaYille,everyonegees alongso well. It makes it a loteasier co communicate and function as a team."

Likemosr cricketers inMelbourne-and Australia-Chris'spassionforchegamewas ignited through backyardcricket.However,as his mother Patricia recalls,crickethad a more profoundinAuenceon Chris d-1a.n anticipated.

"Chris was bullied at school, andbehad lowself-esteemfora while until hestarted wantingtOplaycricketand football Oncehe startedgettinginto playingcricket,there was no turning back. Heabsolutelyloved it, he brought a lot moreof himself out.He was always somewhatsby,butit's brought bim omof his shell,"says Patricia."Jr's made us a lot happier now with him, becausehe's not holding everythingback and getting frustrated.Hekeeps goingfromstrengd1 to strengd1."

Alexander Skinner, whoplays mainstream cricketas well as all abilities crid<.et, can scarcelybelieve theheighcs hehas reached

,, HussainHanif, Yan-aville CricketClubcoach

today.Oncenever picked forschoolsporting reams,Alexis nowplaying in thefirst divisionof the Eastern CricketAssociation, playing alongsideaformerinternational cricketer and keeping wickers tobo,,1lers bowling in e.,cess of 135km/h.

"Being autisticis hard,especiallyat school, having veryfew friends andbeing bullied a !or when I wanted rostartplaying cricket it was abigshock tomy family, as I was thoughttoo unsocial co play,"Alex says.

"Being autistic is inmostcases a problem d1ataffectsyourabilitytobesocialand read people's body languageand be pareof ateam. www.indianlink.com.au

,, Iuse the cricket programto provide education on and off the sportsfield: to showhowyou can get the most out of life and not let a disability stop you from chasing your dreams

Playingwiththeguysin mysidehasreally helpedme withmyownproblemsandallo\vs metobemoresocialwith morepeople.Ithas changedmylife forthebetter."Ale.x creditshis hard work and persistencewithallowinghim to playat thehighest possiblelevel,something thatstill"boggles �1is] mind".

Justin\\;1est,afootball andcricketfanwho was born withhydrocephalus,as wellasa learningdisabilityandaspinaldisorder,is not allowed to playfootball duetotherisk of seriouslydamaging hisspine.However,Justin hasalwaysenjoyed the"laid-back,non-contact" atmosphereof cricket.,which gives his life

important balancewhilehestudies a course in events managementatEvoccaCollege.

''You just zone our on the field and focus on the game,"saysJustin. "Cricket is a good anger management tool.Ir's notas frustrating. If you get abad decision,you rakeiton thechin. There's no pointarguing with the umpire,his decisionisfinal. There's been a big change [in me]. I'm a lot happier,I look forward to matches every second week and trainingweekly-it's definitelya confidence booster."Although his spinaldisordercan sometimes makeit"agony"togetthrough a wholeclayof cricket,Justin,aformer

representative player with dieVictoriaVikings, is determined to keep pla)�ng cricket as long ashis body will lethim.

Thechallenges facedbyYCCC players are ongoing.

'1 went througha roughstage with die passingofmyuncle," recal.ls Chris."I didn't want to playanymore.Huss told me to push through ir. When my unclepassedaway,a week later, wehad a cricketgame.I decidedto play,and Imidmyself,if l get a wicker, I'll do a celebration anddedicateit co myuncle."

Chrisdidtakethewicket,and treasures itasa definingmomentfor himon thecricketfield.

Despite d1e exciting prospect of home grand finals at theend of themond1, as Cardus wrote, winningand losing will evenn1allyfadebeyond memory; but to players like Chris, Alex andJustin, the positive impact of cricket on dieir qualityof life will remain profound.

"Peoplesaypeoplewith disabilities can'tplay sport,"Chris says."Allabilities crickethelps us provepeoplewrong- people\\�thdisabilities can do asmuch as a normal person can do."

1/Ji.sarticlewonRitamMitratheOicket

VictoriaMediaAwardforMost0111:standing FeatureSt01y2016

,, Playingwith the guys inmyside has really helped me withmyown problems and allows me to be more socialwith more people. Ithas changedmylife for the better ,, AlexanderSkinner

BYPETRAO'NEILL

Atdusk on mylirsLdayin Colombo, when [heairsmel[ beguilingly of cinnamon and thesalcy sea, lheadedforGaUe FaceGreen.This is astrip of well-trodden lawn with vendors dispensing ice cream,nurs,botsnacks and freshlygrilled seafoodandwhere locals mingle,playcricket and flyk.i[es. ThenI returned tothe majestic GaUeFace Hotel,openedin 1864,as thesun slipped awayover the Indian Ocean.

This was how myjourneytoSri Lanka, an island th.esizeof Tasmania,began.Colombo provided the perfect.introduction-a ci[ywith lakes,gardens,shadytree linedstreets,grand colonialbuildings andbustlingmarketsat the Fort and PettahBazaar.

Joining asmaUtourgroup of traveUers from Denmark, German)rand the UK, we set off in aminivan,headingin aclockwise directionbeginning with the ruins of Anuradhapura, asacredcityof palaces, temples,rnonasteries and bellshaped stupas some 60 metres high.Established in the 3" Century BC,Anuradhapura flourished as a political and religious capital u.ntil 993AD when it was invaded and later abandoned. Thesecond capital was the walled city

ofPolonnaruwa,built in the 11" and 12'" centuries AD,before it too was ransacked by invaders and forgottenfor 700years. Nearby, the cave temples of Dambulla, dating back ro the 1"century BC, have murals and stan1es of Buddhaincludinga15 metre long reclining Buddha.

Butit was SigiriyathatI foLmd most astonishing,an extraordinaryfeat of engineering bu.ii[in 471 AD bytl1e rutl1less King Kassapa.A broadavenue flanked by moats, ramparts and cooling watergardens, leads towards the massivegranite peak that dominates the cemral plains jutting upwards of 180 metres. Halfway up [hesteep ascent, frescoes of nymphs are pain[ed on the walls of a cave accessed by climbingup aspiral st.'lircase chat clings precariouslyfrom the side of thesteep precipice. Further up are two enormouslion paws that guard the entrance of the once impenetrable royal palace. From thesummi[the view of the central plains is spectacular.

From here we travelled toKandy, tl1elast capital of the Sri Lankankings,a citywith a serene Jakesurroundedbymountains, hotels S[eeped in historyincluding the Hotel Suisse, Queen's and OldeEmpire,and a market with fruit and vegetables,spices andtea.

Withinthe RoyalComplexistheTemple of theTootl1,an orna[eshrine housingwhatis believed tobe Buddha's tooth. F'or aglimpse of thegolden casketcontaining the relic, I wasshuffledthrougha gentlyelbowing line and.into an adjoining hallfora performance of traditional Kandyan drumming.

Cultureisalso onshow at one of many traditional danceshows with hypnotic drumming, acrobatics andback flips culminatinginwince-inducing firewalking. Witli guardsand conductors wearingcrisp starched uniforms, wedeparted for Nuwarn Eliya as die train skirted around narrow terracesofferingsuperb viewsasit clawed its way towards die highlands carpetedin tea plantations.

Foundedasa hillretreatfor the British, many colonialerabuildingsremain with the GrandHotelandStAndrew'soffering high teawitli anassortment of sandwiches,tasty treats and the finest tea.At theHill Club, founded in 1876, die walls of billiard rooms, dining rooms and long emptycorridors are lined widi mounted bm1ting trophies and memorabilia haekingback to earlier times. Envelopedbymist tliatdescends in the evening, temperatures plummet and open log fires providea warmrepose.

From tl1e mountains we descended to lowland rice paddies, villages and market rowns to Udawalawe National Park. Here we hopped aboard asafarijeep to view wild

boarsand herds of elephants grazing on the open plains, andcrocodiles baskingby tbe water's edgebeforecontinuingourdrive rowa.rds the coast.

An ancient tradingportforcinnamon, sapphires,peacock feathers,andivory,Ga.Ile wassettledbydie Portuguesein 1505, and laterhy the Dutch and British.ViUas and warehouses have beenfaidifullyresrored andamong the labyrinth of aUeys and narrowstreetsI foundboutiquehotels, spice warehouses,cafes,andshops selling woodcarvings,gems and DLttch antiques.

It waswhile walkingalong tl1ebeach at Hikkaduwa, our final destination,thatI reAectedon what I had enjored most about SriLanka.

At Nuwaca Eliya,womenfrom a cooperative were cooking hoppers and other snacks in an open shed.1\Vasinvited to sharea table with a school teacher and her family whoexplained to meall thedelicious treats Ihadjust purchased.I met manylocal peoplelikeherwho,througha simpleact of kindness, made mefeel welcomein their country and it's that Iremember most of all.

fromtopleft:Slglriya; templesof hernSri Lankan , sltl theTem leof theTooth;To walledcityof SingaporeAirlines, AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines and Qantas/ Sri LankanAirlinesfly from Australia to Colombo.

• ,.I I

Whiletrainsoffer postcard views,theycoveronly partof Sri Lanka. Forthe rest. you'll needto catch buses orhirea car with driver. Aitken SpenceTravel can arrange a customsed itinerary. Kangaroo Cabs in Colombo are highly recommended.

/1.J.'!�PMu1.1;:;r.::;1'\111r.::.1�1.1 COLOMBO: Thesplendid Galle Face Hotel, Taj, Cinnamon Grand and Shangri-La all overlook the Galle Face Green. KANDY: CentrallylocatedQueensHotel, lakesideHotelSuisse, orthebudgetOlde EmpireHotel. DAMBULLA/SIGIRlYA: Thilanka Resort andSpa orthe Heritance Kandalama, designed bySri Lanka's mostrenowned architectGeoffrey Bawa. Nuwara Eliya:JetwingStAndrew's. GALLE: With exquisiteinteriors, the Galle Fort Hotel was awarded a UNESCO award for heritage conservation.

Sri Lankancuisine is oneofthe mostcomplex cuisines in Asia, drawing on influencesfrom India and a long legacy oftradewith Asia, Holland and Portugal. Startthe day with a breakfastoftropical fruitandthickbuffalo curd and kithul treacle.

Homewares, traditional woodcarvings andfabrics such asSakura Batik in Hikkaduwa and Praba Handicrafts.There are numeroustea centres in Colombo sellingsome ofthe world'sfinesttea. Sri LankaoffersAyurveda treatments and massage. I triedseveral and found Lotus Lanka at353/1A Galle Road, Hikkaduwa exceptional.

1a11,,l'=,4li;;;; 1"'-"'""' ,. Lodge an electronictravel application online priorto departure and printa copy.Costfora single entrytouristvisa is USD$35. eta.gov.lk Entry feesto historic sites and national parks are generallyUS$25-30. Seekoutcharitiessuchas NewUse Organisation in Hikkaduwathatsellsrecycled clothing and booksto raisefundsfor worthy causes.

,, For a glimpse ofthe golden casket containing the relic, I was shuffled through a gently elbowing line and into an adjoining hall for a performance of traditional Kandyan drumming ,,

Indian Linkis anAustralian-basedmedia group that targets the Indian commmtity in Australia,as wellas those in the wider mainstream whohave an interest inIndia and the subcontinent. Its print,raclioandcligitalplatformsbring to life details about the ln®n experience in mainstream Australia.

As watchers of the trends inAustralia's Indian and subcontinental communities,its work across various media channels have seen it become the leading lnclianrneclia groupin the country,with 20multicultural mediaawardstoitsname.

Origins

lndian Link was launched in 1994asa monthlynewspaper, when the Indian communityin Australia was new and growing.The company's grow-th bas largely mirrored tbe growthof the communityin Australia,cominginto its ownin the mid2000s.With qualified professionals, as well as studentsarrivingin Australia fromthelndian sub-continent,Indian Linkhasservedthe community well, speakingtheir language,on aplatformthatisIndian yetAustralian in its outlook.

Today, five separate editions are produced foreach of die rnajor Australian centres includingSydney(fortnightly),MelbOL1rne,

Brisbane,Adelaide,and Perth (allmonthlies). Cona:ibutorsare based in various centres acrossAustraliaandtotalreadership todayis estimatedat just under200,000 a month.

Radio

IndianLink rook tome airwavesin 2002 with a unique subscriber-based model that reached listenersinSydneyand Melbourne 24/7. Today, IndianLinkRadioisavailable via live streamingonline and its radio app has seen its audience growexponentially, with downloads originatingfromacross the globe.

Online

ln recemyears, ludian Link'sinterner presencehasgrown byleapsandbounds.

The websiteindianlinkcom.au hasmore d1an 300,000impressions and more than 250,000 unique ,Tisirors a year.

An e-newsletterdelivers updates every week straightinto theinboxes of some 30,000subscribers.

On social media, the IndfanLinkFacebook pages (forradio and newspaper) reach more than 20,000 people each week. Indian Link also maint.'lins a Twitter account which reaches out comore than 60,000 users each month.

Recently,Indian Linklaunched aYouTube channel

Inthemedia

IndianLinkhasalsomadeitsma.ckiothe mainstreammedia, becomingformanyoutlets (particularlyABCTV andRadio)tl1e first pointof contactwhenanfo®-relatedissueis in che news.

IndianLinkCEOPawanLutluahasbeen a frequeorguestonABCRadio 702,ABC News 24, ABCTV's ute/ine,Channel7'sSunrise andonother television programs.Heisalso often asked toappearon television andradio networksinfoclia,who seekhim out for his in depthknowledge of bothlocalcomrnurtity affairsandrbeIndia-Australiarelationship.

He servedas guestcommenrntor on E'ox Television'scoverageof theopening ceremonyof the 2010Commonwealtl1 Games in New Delhi with Tracey Holmes andSteve Leibmann.

Pawan isalsoinvited toappearonmany media panels,speakingmostrecentlyat tl1e BradruanFoundation and at tl1ePowerhouse Musemn.

On anotherleve�manyplatforms have partnered with Indian Linkto get their messageout totheIndian communiry. These include,mostrecently,SydneyFestival, AustralianFootballLeague (AFL), Organ and TissueDonationAuthority,EtlrnicBusiness Awards,thePinkSari Project and the Breast CancerFoundation.

Throughits newspapers, radio service and its on.line anddigital platforms, lndianLink MediaGroup now reachesonein twoIndians settled inAustralia.

The workof Indian Link,wide-ranging in ics breadtl1 and quality,has served rohelp audiences link the Indian and tl1eAustralian experience, promotingan awarenessof the diversityofAustralian life.

Indian LinkCricket Su��lement 2017

Published by:

Indian Link Media Group: Pawan Luthra, Rajni Anand Luthra, Kira Spucys-Tahar

Advertising: VivekTrivedi, Charuta Joshi

Design:Glenn Hunt

Contributors:

Ritam Mitra,Ajay Naidu, Dhanya Samuel, Petra O'Neill

Wesecretlyhopefor morerivalries

Indian cricket fans love the conceptofplaying Pakistan more, and the Ashes series between Australia and England always bringsthe goods. How about a sporting skirmish between Sri Lanka and West Indies?

Thegentleman'sgame isnotsogentle

Cricket may be called the 'gentleman's game', butthe glory daysofcricketincluded some mild and witty sledging, not to mention how we're caught cursing and swearing ifourteam is losing.

Wewillwaitforhours (evendays)andspendbig tobuyticketstoa match

Only a true fan understands the awesomeness of being able to watch your favourte players in theflesh. We'd brave all the storms, heatwaves and maybe even an earthquake to do that.

Wewilltime bathroombreakswith thestrategictime-out duringa match

We can't affordto miss a single second of the action!

Despitewhatthecriticssay, BigBashLeagueandT20cricket arealwaysworthwatching. The shenanigans and energy make it different from a Testseries, but who doesn't love an opportunity to watch more cricket?!

Weknowevenifour teamhasaformslump,they shouldwin theWorldCup

When the Indian team won the World Cup in 1983 no one really expected Kapil Dev'ss ragtagteam to do what they did. Since they achieved the unthinkable, fans have developed an expectation that any team can come backfrom the brink and win.

Wecanmemorisea match schedule,butforgetbirthdays and anniversaries

"When is Australia playing Sri Lanka?" "17th February!"

"When isyour wife's birthday?" "Umm notthe 17th?"

DRSshouldbe universallyaccepted. It's just a matter of time. The DRS will eliminate a lot of blatant umpiringerrors.

Weknowrandom, obscurefactsandterms nooneelsecaresabout Itgoes beyond the gamethe weightofthe ball, the length ofthe grass on the field, field positioning, bowlingtechniques, stroke play, pitch conditioning andthat's beforeyou get on to the batting and bowling stats.

Whensomeonesays it'sjusta game... They had betterwatch out! You'rejustsayingthat becauseyou'retoo stupid to understand the beauty ofthe sport. Cricket is not a game it's a religion. www.indianlink.com.au

you think you can bat?

Afriendofmineisaretiredcricket umpire.Hedoesn'tliftafingernow.

Ikeptwonderingwhythecricketballwas gettingbiggerandbigger...Thenithitme.

WhatIsabug'sfavouritesport? Cricket!

Whydon'tgrasshoppersgotobaseball games? Becausetheyprefercricket

Whichbirdsaretheworstatplaying cricket? Ducks!

WhycannoonedrinkwineInAustraliaat themoment?

Theyhaven'tgotanyopeners

AfriendaskedGeorge,"Tellme,isyour daughter'sfianceeagoodcatch?""Good catch?"answeredGeorge."He'sthebest fielderwe'vegotIntheside!"

What'sthedifferencebetweenCinderella andastrugglingcricketer?

Cinderellaknewwhentoleavetheball

WhydocricketgroundshavefloodJights? Becausebatsatnocturnal.

Whyarecricketgroundssocool? Becausetheyarefulloffans.

TheDevilschallengedtheAngelstoa gameofcricket.

"Butwe'vegotallthecricketers,"said theAngels.

"Yes Butwe'vegotalltheumpiresf" exclaImedTheDevils.

AnAmericanwhoknewnothingofthe gamehadbeentakentoafewcricket matchesbyafriendandwasnowstudying theend-of-seasonaverages.

Everynowandthenhecameacrossan asteriskandthewords:'Signifiesnotout.' Finally,heturnedtohisfriendandsaid, "Whydon'tyougetthisguySignifiesto playforyourside?He'sneverout!"

Acricketfanhaddraggedhiswifeand daughteralongtothegroundtowatcha match.

Theywereplainlyboredandkeptshifting uncomfortablyintheirseats.

Thedaughterbrightenedandturnedtothe mother."Theyjustshouted'Over"',shesaid. "Iknow,"repliedhermother,wearily."But don'ttakeanynotice.Itgoesonandon andon."

Duringamatch,thefieldsmanpositioned justbehindtheumpirekepttryingto distractthebatsmanastheballwas bowledtohim.

SeveralappealsforLBWwereturned down,andfinallytheumpireturnedto thefieldsmanandsaidsternly,"I've beenwatchingyouforthelasttwenty minutes."

"Ithoughtso,"camethereply."Icould tellyouweren'twatchingthegame!"

Aslipfleldsmanhadaparticularly depressingdayduringwhichhedropped nolessthantencatchesalloffthesame bowler.

Afterthegamehewastalkingtothe bowlerwhenhebrokeoffandlookedat hiswatch.

"Imustgo,"hesaid,"Ihaveatrainto catch."

Thebowlerlookedathimbitterly,"Let's hopeyouhavebetterluckwiththat,then."

AdisgruntledbatsmanstormedIntothe pavilionandflungdownhisbat.

"Terrible,"heshouted."I'veneverplayed sobadlybefore.''

Thecaptainlookedup."Oh,soyou've playedbefore,haveyou?"

Questions

1 What isthe nickname ofthe Sri Lankan national cricket team?

2 Whatyear did Sri Lanka playtheirfirst international cricket match?

3 When wasSri Lanka grantedTestcricket status?

4 How manytimes has Sri Lanka won the Cricket World Cup?

5 WhichSri Lankan wonthe Playerofthe Seriesawardatthe 1996 ICC World Cup?

6 How manytimesdid Darrel Haircall no ball forthrowing when Muttiah Muralitharan was bowlingduringthe 1995 MCGtest match?

Answers

7 When Sri Lanka'sArjuna Ranatunga requested a runner while battingin an ODI againstAustralia, which wicket keeper told him that hecan'thavea runnerforbeing"fatand unfit"?

8 In 1930, a young Don Bradman played a FirstClass match outside Australia forthefirsttime.Bradman was playing forthetouringAustralians againsta local invitational XI at theColomboCricketClubGround in Ceylon(nowSri Lanka). In hisfirst inningsabroad, Bradman scored 40 runs before being dismissed bywhich rareform ofdismissal?

9 WhowastheAustralian coachoftheSri Lankan cricket team from 2005 to 2007?

10 Who holdsthe recordforthefastestcentury byan Australian in One Day Internationals?