Ravindra Pushpakumara in search of talent in Mullaitivu

News Item in The Sunday Island, 4 March 2012

A talent search was conducted in Mullaitivu district with the aid of Sri Lanka Army by World Cup winning fast bowler Ravindra Pushpakumara. The picture on left shows Pushpakumara, who is a Provincial Coach attached to Sri Lanka Cricket responsible for the development work in North and East Provinces showing how to bowl the in-swinger. In the other picture, Security Commander of Mullaitivu district Major General L. B. R. Mark is seen alongside Brigade Commander Brigadier Ranjith Samarasinghe and General Staff Officer 59 Division Lieutenant Colonel Sanjaya Wanasinghe.

Sri Lankan Aussies and Greek Aussies celebrate Australia Day thru Cricket

Trevor Rodrigo reporting from Melbourne in Sunday Times

Athula Samarasekera led a spirited Sri Lanka team to a convincing 50-run win over a well balanced Greek side in an exciting T20 cricket encounter organised by Serendib News to mark Australia Day at Sheply Oval, Dandenong. The Sri Lankan side batting first lost quick wickets and at one stage were precariously placed at 54 for 4 with its stars, skipper Samarasekera and former Sri Lanka opening bat Michael Vandort dismissed cheaply. But a superb hustle by the middle order and some lucrative rear guard action saw them recover to make a par score of 141 in their allotted over’s. Greece, with some talented club cricketers in their ranks including Dandenong District cricketer D. Nanapolous, a top all-rounder, were behind the eight ball when they let their opponents off the hook after some tight bowling early, and then faced an imposing target set by the Lankans.

Aussie Country Boys strike Pay Dirt at Galle

Peter Lalor, in The Weekend Australian, 3-4 September 2011

Pic from AFP

 NATHAN Lyon had a dream. Country boys don’t dream too big, but he had ambitions. The agricultural worker’s son from rural NSW wanted one day to make it right to the top of the pile and be the head curator at the Adelaide Oval.  As a teenager he packed up his bags and moved from Young, a cherry-growing district with a population of a little over 7000, and moved to the big smoke. Once in Canberra he gained an apprenticeship as a groundsman, working for four years watching the grass grow at Manuka.

Things really started to happen for him when he landed a job with the ground staff at his field of dreams: the Adelaide Oval. To this point Banjo Patterson had done a rough draft of the hungry-looking part-time cricketer’s script, from here on in the bloke that penned Shane Warne’s improbable script took over and hammed up the story line.