MEDIA
RELEASE
SRI LANKA AIM TO HIT JACKPOT AT 2003 CATHAY
PACIFIC/STANDARD CHARTERED HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL CRICKET SIXES
HONG KONG, October
17: Sri Lanka will be aiming to strike it rich at the 2003
Cathay
Pacific/Standard
Chartered
Hong Kong
International Cricket Sixes.
Dulip Liyanage
© Cricinfo
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There will certainly
be no shortage of incentive for the Dulip Liyanage-led Sri
Lankan squad when they line-up
in the ninth
edition of the world's premier Sixes event at Kowloon
Cricket Club on November 1-2.
The Sri Lankans know that if they are successful
in reaching the Cup knockout phase they will be able to contemplate
a
rich pay-day in the event that carries a first prize of US$80,000
and a total prize fund of US$260,000.
Sri Lankan Lal Jayasinghe,
the Hong Kong Cricket Association's
National Coach Co-ordinator, said: "Hong Kong's prize
money is more than double the Sharjah tournament, and the cricketers' workload
is a lot less.
"It takes up only two days as against nearly
10 days spent in Sharjah, not to mention that one is of a six-over
duration and
the other 50. There's less sweat and more cash in Hong
Kong!"
This year will mark
Sri Lanka's sixth successive appearance
in the Sixes and their eighth overall. Their only silverware
to date came in 1997 when they defeated West Indies in the
Plate final when the tournament was staged at the Hong Kong
Stadium.
Their best showing
was in 1993 when the Arjuna Ranatunga-led team, including Liyanage,
were beaten off the last
ball in
the Cup final by Graham Gooch's England.
In addition to fast
bowler Liyanage, who will act as captain and manager, the Sri
Lanka team of 2003 includes
three other
players with international experience – Indika de Saram,
Chamila Gamage and Ravi Pushpakumara.
Like Liyanage, batsman/wicket-keeper de Saram
has made two previous appearances in Hong Kong, while Gamage
and Pushpakumara
are bowlers
who have captured wickets at the highest level of the game.
Based on their performances in Hong Kong in
the last two years, the Sri Lankans have been seeded fifth, behind
favourites
Pakistan,
England, South Africa and India, but ahead of Hong Kong,
Kenya and New Zealand.
Drawn in Pool 2, Sri Lanka will open their
2003 campaign against tournament debutants Kenya before taking
on South
Africa. They
will complete the pool stage with an early morning contest
against England on day two (November 2).
The top two teams from Pool 2 will qualify
for the Cup knockout stage where they will face the leading two
from Pool 1, which
is made up of Pakistan, India, New Zealand and Hong Kong.
The bottom two teams in each of the pools will compete for
the
Plate.
Tickets for the 2003
Cathay Pacific/Standard Chartered Hong Kong International Cricket
Sixes are selling fast. 'Early bird' two-day
ticket prices have been set at HK$300 for adults and HK$150
for children under the age of 15. From October 18, the prices
will
increase to HK$380 for adults and HK$200 for children.
Games are played in five-over innings, with
each team member, other than the wicket-keeper, bowling one over.
Sri Lanka squad: Indika
de Saram, Chamila Gamage, Saman Jayantha, Chinthaka Jayasinghe,
Dulip Liyanage
(captain & manager),
Ruchira Palliyguru, Ravi Pushpakumara, Gayan Wijekoon.
The 2003 Cathay Pacific/Standard
Chartered
Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes will take place at
Kowloon Cricket Club, 10 Cox's Road, Kowloon on November
1-2. Early bird two-day passes cost HK$300 for adults and
HK$150 for children
aged 15 years and younger, and are on sale through Cityline
(www.cityline.com.hk)
as well as at the following outlets:
- Hong Kong Cricket Club
(137 Wong Nai Chung Gap Road, Happy Valley, 2574 6266);
- Kowloon Cricket Club (10
Cox's Road, Jordan,
2367 4141);
- Dot Cod Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar
(Prince's Building, Central 2810 6988);
- Hong Kong Cricket Association (Room 1019 Sports House, 1
Stadium Path, So Kon Po,
2504 8102).
Provided by CCIL/Hong Kong Cricket Association. For further
information, please contact Danny Lai at (852) 2504-8102.
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