Srl Lanka have confirmed their status as the world champions of one day cricket at the first available opportunity by inflicting a comprehensive 50-run defeat on old foes Australia in the final of the four-nation Singer Cup tourney last Saturday. It was history repeating itself in more than one ways. As they had done earlier this year. Lankans and the Aussies once again, gave a trial of their strength in marching to the finale of a competition marked by the unsavoury .intervention of weather. Not only that, classy performer Aravinda de Silva who has by now made it a habit of reserving his best for the big and challenging occasions, remained the mainstay of a mighty Lankan display evoking in the process a resemblance with his superlative show during the World Cup.

But the secret of the unabated excellence of the Sri Lankan cricket team is far from being a monotonous tale of Aravlnda's quality ibatsman-ship. It is a bagful of thrilling offerings. But the one unmistakable colour which tinges all their performances — be it Muralidharan s dash f rom the deep and a lunge to come up with a pearlier or a ripping throw right on to the top of the balks with a touch of feline ferocity by Upul Chandana of all people — is sheer delight. Care and pressure are the last things to tell on the Innate mirth of their souls and it seems this gay abandon, this seemingly inexhaustible source of delightful absorption has been Instrumental in transforming a teafti that made its debut in the big league of cricket only in 1982, into a champion unit-

More than the concrete and statistic aspect of success, it is the upholding of the intrinsic spirit of the game which Is entertainment from the harmony of physical and mental prowess on a ground of fairness that deserves praise, at this hour.