Durham cricket stars in Sri Lankan suicide attack

Feb 24 2009 by Paul Loraine, The Journal

A SQUAD of promising young cricketers from the North East had a lucky escape after they were caught up in terrifying rebel attacks during a tour of Sri Lanka.

One of the young player’s fathers last night told how he feared for his life when he heard machine gun fire break out and saw orange tracer bullets streaming over his car.

A plane from Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers loaded with explosives crashed into the country’s tax office in the capital city of Colombo, in what the terrorists claimed as a successful suicide mission.

And the strike was close enough to the hotel housing Durham County Cricket Club’s Academy squad to leave it shaking.

Another plane crashed near the airport in a separate raid. The country’s air force claimed to have shot both jets down, while the Tigers said they were suicide missions. The player’s father, who asked to remain anonymous, also told how he heard explosions that sounded like grenades being set off.

The club last night stressed nobody from the party had been injured in the attack and that all the squad were able to board their plane out of the country as planned. Two people were killed and around 45 were injured in the two incidents.

A squad of 15 academy players, ranging in age from 15 to 20, three coaches and a doctor were assembled in the lobby of the Taj Samudra hotel when the attack happened.