During one of many rain delays to afflict this Test match, the martial beat of Zombie by the Cranberries was piped through the public address system at the Pallekele International Stadium.Something was unmistakably fitting about this choice of song, for a couple of reasons. First, there is something zombielike about the capacity of Test cricket to keep cheating a death pronounced by many; secondly, the way the game has been treated by its custodians is as mired in the 1990s as the Cranberries themselves.Arriving in Kandy last week, it was patently clear that few if any locals had any idea a Test match was about to be played in their midst. While Sri Lankas love for cricket is self-evident - just count the number of formal or impromptu matches you can spot on a walk or drive of any length - the lack of awareness about a looming match between the hosts and Australia was alarming. The Earls Regency Hotel, host to both the teams and the match officials, was decked out with a welcome banner and a mocked-up scoreboard in the foyer, but outside this cosseted space nary a sign existed. Little appeared to have been done by way of promotion, whether in terms of physical advertising or television spots. Cricketers are everywhere on billboards in Sri Lanka, but they tend to be for the recently retired duo of Kumar Sangakkara or Mahela Jayawardene. Five years ago on Australias previous Test match visit, it was the imposing figure of the late Tony Greig beaming from all directions. Even the broadcasters seemed to have their eyes elsewhere: bizarrely, there have been more advertisements for the Zimbabwe versus New Zealand series being aired on cable TV than this one.So it has been hard enough to know the Test match is actually taking place. That is before anyone considers the issue of how to find the time, money or transport to get there. Pallekele is about half an hours drive out of central Kandy, a single arterial road taking would-be attendees past a couple of military bases before arriving at a ground built largely for the 2011 World Cup. While tickets for the match itself are not overpriced, transport costs and time are major obstacles.Speaking of time, the timing of the match had more to do with fitting it into the international schedules of Australia and Sri Lanka than any consideration for spectators. A Tuesday start to a Test match might be acceptable in Australia if that day happens to be Boxing Day or January 3, but it would never occur otherwise. It is a fact of the current international climate that nations like Sri Lanka, West Indies, Bangladesh and Pakistan must scrap for tours from more prosperous nations, and squeeze the matches in wherever possible. The Tuesday start here means extra matches elsewhere, and a better television deal. It also means forfeiting the chances of a decent crowd.This is not to say that Sri Lanka Cricket is completely unaware or unwilling to deal with the issue of Test match attendances. Earlier this week a senior SLC figure stated that he did not see Pallekele as a Test ground, and there are plans to try to rejuvenate the old Asgiriya Stadium closer to the centre of town. Asked about what sort of attendance was expected for this match, he replied: A few thousand. That included the schoolchildren invited to day one and permitted to play matches on the outfield during lunch, a worthy exercise. But the onus is on SLC to give fans a chance to turn up, and then provide for as much cricket as possible when they do.That brings us to arguably the most maddening element of the past four days: Pallekeles unused lights. Twice in the game, but most prominently on the fourth afternoon, play was called off for reasons of bad light, the sort of anachronism to cause non-cricket fans to wonder at the point of even playing the game. The circumstances leading to the loss of more than two hours on day four included the delicate position of the game, in which both sides seemed happy enough to retreat and regroup. It was also driven by the stipulation that the umpires must keep a consistent reading as their baseline for adequate light, via their meters. On day three the issue had been the introduction of pace, but on day four there seemed no question of Angelo Mathews using anything other than spin against the muddled feet of Steven Smiths side.But the most defining factor by far in the lack of cricket for spectators and television viewers was the inability of the umpires to call for Pallekeles floodlights to be switched on and so augment the sun shrouded by tropical clouds. The relevant clause of the ICCs Test match playing conditions allows for the umpires to authorise the ground authorities to use the available artificial lighting so that the match can continue in acceptable conditions. Contrary to a popular perception, there is no provision barring the use of lights if not every Test series venue is equipped with them.The more devilish detail arises from a Note beneath that clause. It states: Home Boards may, prior to the commencement of the series, seek the approval of ICC to amend this playing condition to provide that artificial lights will not be used at specific venues. Therefore, it was SLC who chose not to allow the use of lights at Pallekele, for reasons best known to the board and its president Thilanga Sumathipala. As a Cricket Australia spokesperson put it: We were happy to use them but both teams have to be in agreement. As outspoken advocates of day-night Tests, CA could hardly say otherwise.Entering this series, few gave Sri Lanka much of a chance, perhaps explaining the lack of promotion, the Tuesday start, and the scheduling of a match in a venue no-one seems to want to turn up to. How sad then for Sri Lankas cricketers, spectators and television viewers, that lights could not be used when a rare victory over Australia had become a real possibility. If this was a disappointment it could not be called a surprise: Test cricket and its supporters have been saddled with these obstacles more times than anyone would care to count. It is, as the Cranberries sang in Zombie, the same old theme.Puma Scarpe Uomo . Thats about all he can do right now, so hes trying not to think about when he might be able to play again for the Los Angeles Lakers. Scarpe Puma Uomo Scontate . McPhee said that Ovechkins father Mikhail is in stable condition after having the surgery this week and is no longer in intensive care. "Weve told him to stay as long as necessary with your dad," he said. Ovechkin and his Russian national team were eliminated from the mens hockey tournament in Sochi on Wednesday with a 3-1 quarter-final loss to Finland. http://www.pumaoutletitalia.it/ . -- Matt Rupert scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the London Knights extended their win streak to nine games by defeating the Owen Sound Attack 4-3 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Scarpe Puma Scontate . Hargreaves began his career in 2008 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and has played with the Edmonton Eskimos and last season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Puma Scarpe Nuove Uomo . The showiest items on Calgarys lot were forwards Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak. Both will be unrestricted free agents this summer.IRVINE, Calif. -- And yet another lesson to be learned when your nearly every move and sentence is being recorded for public consumption.Mom is watching.Los Angeles Rams coach Jeff Fisher learned that after the first episode of the HBO Hard Knocks documentary series aired Tuesday night, capturing him using some R-rated language. The next day, a phone call came.I got one of these yesterday, Jeffrey! Fisher said Thursday. This is from Mom. So I said, Sorry, Mom. Thats our world. Ill try to do better.When I hear Jeffrey! Its uh-oh. Something went wrong.The segment in question captured Fisher addressing the Rams in a morning meeting before the second day of practice. In the opening practice, star receiver Tavon Austin had been carted off when he cramped up after eating only two bananas at lunch. Then he cut receiver Deon Long for having a female guest in his room.Little things are important, you follow me? Fisher said. I am not f---ing going 7-9 or 8-8 or 9-7, OK? Or 10-6 for that matter. This team is too talented. I am not going to settle for that, OK? I know what I am doing.dddddddddddd We had some 7-9 bulls--- this morning. Now, Deons gone. That is 7-9 bulls---. We dont need it.The Rams went 7-9 last season. Some wondered just how far he would continue his countdown, how high his expectations for this team.Part of the whole process is inviting them in to the meeting rooms, Fisher said Thursday. But there are spontaneous things that come up, that, as coaches, you have to go and address. So I addressed something that took place in the morning and wanted to get my point across. People can read into whatever they want. But that was me talking to the team as if the cameras werent there. I was OK with what I said.I stopped at that point. I could have gone on. You dont know that I didnt go on because theres an edit guy there. So theres a lot of stuff that takes place that is edited.Just not exactly for Mom. ' ' '