South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 206 runs in 1st Test

Kyle Abbott struck twice in the first seven overs to set up a 206-run win for South Africa on the fifth day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at St George's Park on Friday.

It took South Africa just 70 minutes and 13.3 overs to claim the remaining five Sri Lankan wickets and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Sri Lanka were bowled out for 281. They added 41 runs on Friday.

Abbott broke through with the 16th ball of the final morning when Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews went across his stumps, trying to work the ball to leg, and was leg before wicket.

Mathews was out for 59, made off 120 balls with seven fours. He had added only one run to his score on Friday.

It left Dhananjaya de Silva as the last recognised batsman but he only last for another four overs before he too was leg before to Abbott. He made 22.

Rangana Herath, who was struck on the index finger of his left, bowling hand by the first ball he received from Abbott, made three before he was caught and bowled by Vernon Philander, who dived to his left to hold the ball which looped up from a leading edge.

Suranga Lakmal made a quick 19 not out but Dushmantha Chameera was caught behind off Kagiso Rabada and last man Nuwan Pradeep was bowled by left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj.

Rabada finished with three for 77 and Maharaj took three for 86, while Abbott's spell of two for seven in five overs on Friday enabled him to finish with two for 38.

Scores: South Africa 286 and 406-6 declared. Sri Lanka 205 and 281. (AFP)

Indian oil company detains CPC workers

Three officials including an engineer of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) sent to inspect 16 oil tanks in the Trincomalee oil tank farm were detained by IOC (India Oil Company) personnel yesterday, according to CPC sources.

A CPC official that the inspection had been ordered in the wake of the Cabinet deciding to take back 16 oil tanks.

Trade union sources told The Island that the CPC had intervened to secure its employees’ release along with their vehicles. They had been held for several hours, sources said, adding that the CPC wanted 16 out 99 tanks for its use. The CPC intended to take them over in stages and was in the process of finalising project when IOC personnel intervened, sources said.

IOC told CPC that inspection couldn’t be carried out without approval from the government of India.

Meanwhile, the Head of Indian Oil Company in Sri Lanka, Shyam Bohora, contacted for comment, said the CPC had given the names of four officials, but five had turned up. "We did not detain anyone. When our officials in Trincomalee found that there was an extra person, they told the CPC officials to ensure that all names be provided in future. Then, the CPC officials went and lodged a complaint with police. All them have since returned to Colombo."

Three bundles of joy aggravate their financial woes

A 32-year-old mother delivered triplets at the Kandy General Hospital recently. With the new members of their family, Saman Mahinda Kumara (37) and Nilmini Gunatilake of Tittapajjala, Werellagama, have become lucky parents of four daughters.

This family, however, finds its difficult to balance its budget as Kumara is the only bread winner. He is an employee of the Department of Animal Production, Kundasale.

Kumara says he is unable to make ends meet with his salary. His eldest daughter is a pre-school student.

Kumara appeals for public assistance. The number of his bank account with the Peradeniya branch of the Bank of Ceylon is 77644537.

MR says he aims to topple government next year

Former President and Kurunegala District SLFP MP Mahinda Rajapaksa said his sole focus in 2017 will be that of toppling the current regime and return to power for a third time.

The former President made this comment following a media briefing of foreign correspondents at his official residence yesterday.

He stated that his ouster from power in 2015 was mainly caused by some lapses in communication between him and the electorates during the second stage of his administration.

Rajapaksa added however that part of the reason for that electoral loss was that there was a subtle change in society wanting a change.

He said that it was against such a background that Maithripala Sirisena had triumphed in the 2015 Presidential Poll, but asserted that the current regime had become extremely unpopular with the people after just 36 months in office.

The former President added that the people were suffering enormously under this government while its members enjoy a surfeit of luxury.

He said he was not averse to the country attracting foreign investments but was opposed to the methods used in attracting such investments.

He also pointed out that under his watch only 750 acres of land had been pledged to the Chinese while this government had consented to provide 15000 acres of land to China, which otherwise could be cultivated by the people of Hambantota.

Father, uncle arrested For Abusing a school girl

Two suspects were arrested by the Mundalama Police for the alleged sexual abuse of a 11-year-old schoolgirl at Keerthisinghagama. One of them is the girl’s father under whose protection the girl had been living since the mother is employed abroad.

The other is an uncle of the girl. The arrest was made when the father accompanied the girl to the Police station to lodge a complaint saying a youth in the neighbourhood had molested his daughter.

At the medical examination held at the Puttalam Hospital the girl had confided that her father was also among those who seduced her. Police conducting investigations are looking for another suspect involved.

UNP condemns Vijayakala’s statement

The UNP MPs yesterday distanced themselves from a statement by State Minister Vijayakala Maheshwaran in which she suggested that “had Prabhakaran been alive he could have been the Prime Minister”.

UNP backbenchers Nalin Bandara, Kavinda Jayawardena and Hector Appuhamy addressing a press conference at Sirikotha yesterday said they condemn this statement, adding that such statements were unwarranted.

“We all know what Prabhakaran did to this country.

Sometimes we have seen that she had been making similar statements pandering to the Tamil Nationalism as some regional Tamil politicians do. May be she is eyeing for the votes in her electorate,” they said.

State Minister Maheshwaran had come up with the above statement during a ceremony at the Kilinochchi District Secretariat recently.

New Vehicle Leasing Policy From Next year

Finance Ministry sources said yesterday that a new policy will have to be followed by all financial institutions commencing 1 January 2017 when purchasing vehicles on a lease basis.

As a result of this new policy, before a vehicle is bought, 70 per cent of the value of the vehicle could be sought by way of financing in the leasing process with effect from 1 January next year.

The limit for leasing based on the type of vehicle has also been changed as part of the new leasing policy.For motor vehicles, leasing facilities will be provided to cover only 50 per cent of the value of the vehicle while for three-wheelers it has been reduced to 25 per cent.

However, 70 percent of the value would be available on the leasing facility for a secondhand three-wheeler and for motorcycles.

For buses the leasing facility will cover 90 per cent of the value of the vehicle. These changes were provided for in proposals in Budget 2017.

Prabhakaran could have been PM if he were alive

If LTTE leader Prabhakaran had been living today he could have become the Prime Minister of the country, said the State Minister of Child Affairs, Vijayakala Maheswaran.

She said so during a ceremony at the Kilinochchi District Secretariat to grant compensation to the Kilinochchi General Market stall holders whose stalls were gutted in September.

“The Vadamarachchi area was renowned for Education. LTTE leader Prabhakaran, was from Valvettithurai. Compared to all of our presidents none could hold a candle to Prabhakaran’s leadership,” she said.

“If he had been living today, he could have been the Prime Minister or a Parliamentarian. It is our bad luck. Some politicians here say that the destruction started by Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe was ended by Mahinda Rajapaksa.

If our talk involves racialism in this manner we may be deprived of what we are entitled to. Instead of talking we must understand what we can get and what we cannot get out of this government of Good Governance and act accordingly,” she said.

“Whether it is in the North or the South if we talk racism, it is our generation that will be affected. In this government of Good Governance only good things are happening,” she said. (S. N. Nibojan)