Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

Player scouting former rugby coach/referee sees stars

- BY U.J. JEZEEM — KANDY SPORTS CORRESPOND­ENT

A former rugby coach and referee who was suspected of siphoning schools rugby talent from the Kandy schools to other elite schools in the country met his ‘waterloo’ over the weekend when he was caught red handed while trying to negotiate a deal and was given a thrashing of his life.

It has transpired that a leading school from the hill capital who are facing suspension next season and in all probabilit­y will not be scrumming down for one year was his target. He was up to his old game and the old boys of the school were also waiting for this opportunit­y. This former rugby official had approached the parents of a highly talented ruggerite promising the sun, moon and the stars if their son only could play for a particular Colombo school. Someone tipped off the old boys of the ruggerite’s school who pounced on him and beat him well and truly.

He was seen with bruises and gashes with a swollen face to add to his misery and was made to see stars instead of the stars he promised

He was seen with bruises and gashes with a swollen face to add to his misery and was made to see stars instead of the stars he promised.

A few years ago he did the same to this very small school taking away seven of their players in a season which destabiliz­ed their rugby and they slithered to the lower division following poor performanc­es. The old boys of this school also suspect this official of being the key person for the suspension of their school by passing on informatio­n to another school.

Thus they had a big score to settle and this they settled in style having caught him red handed. This particular coach is better known for his poaching than coaching.

Lahiru takes Kanda Udarata to semis

Little known Nugawela Central College’s Lahiru Dharshana blasted an aggressive 75 not out with 7 fours and 5 huge sixes off 36 balls to put Kanda Udarata on top and guided them to an unexpected three wicket win over Gampola in their Central Region under 15 knock out limited over cricket tournament for the Yasaratne Tennakoon Memorial Challenge trophy organised by the Central Province Cricket Associatio­n and played at the Campus grounds, Peradeniya yesterday.

In reply to Gampola’s 149, the Kanda Udarata team was in dire straits with victory looking out of their reach before Lahiru Darshana strode to the wicket and put on 90 runs for the sixth wicket with Sarada Ranasinghe of Chandanand­a Buddhist College who made 32. Some of Lahiru Dharshana’s sixes cleared the grounds and his effervesce­nt knock brought him the Man of the Match award.

Gampola 149 all out in 40 overs (Yasaran Pitawela 15, Achintha Rupanayaka 24, Lakjeewa Wijewarden­a 21, Bimsara Samaratung­a 12, Praveen Gunasekera 14, Thuthila Herath 19, Dushmantha Dilshan 3 for 11, Tharindu Liyanage 4 for 31)

Kanda Udarata 150 for 7 in 37 overs (Sarada Ranasinghe 32, Lahiru Dharshana 75 not out, Achintha Rupanayake 2 for 25, Pradeep Saranga 2 for 25, Yasaran Pitawela 2 for 30)

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