Date-stamped : 24 Dec95 - 18:29 Sunday 24, December 1995 SLCF in Victoria donates A dollars 5000 MELBOURNE, Saturday The Sri Lanka Cricket Foundation of Victoria, who is doing a tremendous job in helping to promote and develop cricket in Sri Lanka with men and material held Cricketers Nite in honour of the Sri Lanka cricket team here at the Springvale Town Hall, on Dec. 22 (Friday) it turned out to be a day to remember for the Lankans domiciled in Victoria, when they came in their numbers to felici- tate the Lankan test team. The Cricket Board President Ana Punchihewa, Vice President Thi- langa Sumathipala and Secretary Anura Tennakoon came from Sri Lanka to grace the occasion. The officials of the BCCSL attended this get-together which also culminated to raise funds for the promotion and uplift of the game in the country by the Year 2000 It turned out to be a pleasant surprise to Punchihewa and to the other officials, when the Victoria Cricket Foundation donated Aus. dollars 5,000 from the money accrued from this dinner-dance in the midst of the function. The donation was made by Eddi Gray, the former President of the ABA, in association with Sri Lanka`s rep. to the ACB Dr. Quintus de Zylva. Punchihewa, said it was a magnanimous gesture on the part of the foundation, who is doing much to encourage and promote the game among the talented youngsters, to come to Australia to improve their skills, get that much needed exposure. The Victorian Foun- dation has been regularly helping young cricketers to come to Australia to improve their skills. They have been doing this for the last decade. Among the big gathering were former Sri Lanka cricketers Dr. Buddy Reid and Dhanasiri Weerasinghe, who played first class cricket. The BCCSL Vice-President Thilanga Sumathipala said that it was the first time that a big contribution of this nature was handed over to them by an association while the function was on with the profit made from a social. Are the young brigade in the Sri Lanka tour party now in tour in Australia on a holiday. Imagine there are 18 players in the team, but it seems some of them hardly had any worthwhile workout on the field to get the much needed competition to improve their skills. The tour itinerary has much to be desired with. Imagine after the first World series match held in Adelaide on Dec. 15, there was no cricket until Dec. 21 (for five days) while they were in Sydney for the second match against Australia d/n. At least it could have been good even if a one- day match against the N.S.W. Country XI played instead of the young players in the team made to idle. Players like Manjula Munasinghe who had only one game todate, Eric Upashantha, No. 1 stumper Chamara Dunusinghe who kept wicket well in the Tasmania game. But Kaluwitharne was preferred for his breezy batting, but failed to impress behind the sticks, which proved costly for the team in the Perth test. Even the Australian media here was surprised why Sri Lanka agreed to an itinerary of this nature where Sri Lanka had to play their warm-up games in the provinces. Further in the 18-member team one player is being sponsored by the BCCSL. What sort of benefit the player gets out of this itinerary, when there is no cricket? Source :: Lake House/Lanka Internet Services Contributed by vg (vpg0001@jove.acs.unt.edu)