The winners of the six-nation meet will take away a fat purse of around 87,000 dollars. Each team earned 3,000 dollars for winning a first-phase game and 7,000 dollars for each win in the second-phase.

However, the grand final itself offers 1,00,000 dollars with the winning team grabbing 60 per cent of it.

The man-of-the-final will be richer by 1,000 dollars while the man-of-the-series will be rewarded 7,000 dollars besides a Maruti Esteem car.

Former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya and Shoaib Malik of Pakistan, who have scored two centuries each, are the two favourites to win the man-of-the-series award.

Local paceman Nuwan Zoysa has his own stake also. The tall left-armer was adjudged man-of-the-match in two games.

Sponsors Indian Oil provides 1,80,000 dollars as prize money and the trophy.

CHANGE AT ACC

Jagmohan Dalmiya, the president of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), takes over as the president of Asian Cricket Council (ACC) from Bangladesh Cricket Board chief Ali Asghar today.

The executive committee of the ACC meets today at the Sri Lanka Cricket's head office at the Sinhalese Sports Club where the hand-over will take place.

The meeting will also approve distribution of the 19 million dollars the ACC earned from the tournament from TV rights. Each of the four Test nations is going to receive one million dollars.

BLUE MOON

Each full moon is a public holiday in Sri Lanka. But yesterday being Saturday, they did not have an additional day-off. In fact, every citizen in capital Colombo was enthusiastic about watching the much talked about but seldom seen 'Blue Moon', which appeared in the night sky with all its beauty.

To thousands of people, who were enjoying the sight from the coastline of the Indian Ocean, it looked normal with naked eyes. But it was something different indeed. A Blue Moon is a second full moon in a calendar month. A Blue Moon was last sighted on November 30, 2001.

GANGULY'S BALL

India captain Sourav Ganguly did not bowl in the super league phase of the Asia Cup. But he was warming up for the final. And in the nets yesterday at the Premadasa Stadium, he was seeking pace spearhead Zaheer Khan's tips before bowling.

Sachin Tendulkar was in a jolly mood and made everybody laugh when he imitated Ganguly's action.