CRICKET:All-rounder Farveez Maharoof grabbed four wickets to propel Sri Lanka to an emphatic 119-run victory over England in their first one-day international in Dambulla yesterday.
Maharoof ripped through the top order after a positive start by England's batsmen, claiming the key wickets of Phil Mustard (27), Ian Bell (nought), Kevin Pietersen (one) and Alastair Cook (46), finishing with 4 for 31 from 10 overs.
Sri Lanka's victory platform was set-up earlier in the afternoon as skipper Mahela Jayawardene top scored with 66 to guide his team to a competitive 269-7 on a sluggish pitch.
Jayawardene was well-supported by this fellow top order batsmen with Sanath Jayasuriua (41), Upul Tharanga (40), Kumar Sangakkara (38) and Chamara Silva (33) all chipping in.
Maharoof, who played ahead of a specialist spinner, also starred briefly with the bat, clubbing three boundaries in his 22 from 12 balls near the end.
England captain Paul Collingwood was the tourists' most effective bowler, claiming two for 44 from his 10 overs.
Graeme Swann, a surprise choice ahead of frontline left-arm spinner Monty Panesar, returned one for 47 from his 10 overs.
England started their reply confidently with debutante Mustard racing to 27 from 17 balls with three fours and a six, adding 43 with Cook for the first wicket. But Maharoof's entry into the attack swung the game decisively Sri Lanka's way as Mustard chipped to mid off.
This was the first of five day-night ODI matches to be played in Dambulla and Colombo over the next two weeks.
MOTOR SPORT:Germany's Ralf Schumacher announced yesterday that he will leave the Toyota Formula One team at the end of the season, saying it was time to move on but without revealing where. "Having been a Toyota driver in the past three years, I opted for looking for a new challenge," Schumacher said.
The 32-year-old, younger brother of Ferrari's retired seven times world champion Michael, did not say whether he intended to stay in Formula One. "I'm going to have several conversations in the coming weeks. I will announce my decision when the season is over," he said."But I am waiting for years for a competitive car."
Schumacher's chances of getting that next season look slim, unless the new Prodrive team being set up by former Benetton and BAR team boss David Richards want him.n TENNIS: Serena Williams starts a swing through Europe in the Stuttgart Grand Prix this week but whether she will still be around for the season-ending championship in Madrid next month is still uncertain.
It is rare to see Williams play in Europe this late in the season but she says the trip is not about racking up points to qualify for a place in the eight-player draw in the Spanish capital.
"If I play my game I'm sure I'll make it but that's not why I'm here," world number seven Williams said yesterday. "I'm just here to play. I haven't been in Europe in the fall for a long time and it feels really good." Williams, who plans to go on and compete in Moscow and Zurich, has not played since losing to Justine Henin in the quarter-finals of the US Open.
Eight of the world's top 10 are in the field, including world number one Henin.
