SRI LANKA CRICKET NEWS

(JULY 2022)

By Victor Melder

The touring Australians beat Sri Lanka by 10 wickets to win the first Test played at the Galle International Stadium. Scores:

Sri Lanka, 1^st Innings – 212 (Dickwella 58, Mathews 39, Karunaratne 28, Nissanka 23, Lyon 5/90, Swepson 3/55)

Australia, 1^st Innings – 321 (Green 77, Khawaja 71, Carey 45, Cummins 26, R.Mendis 4/112, A.Fernando 2/37, Vandersay 2/68)

Sri Lanka, 2^nd Innings – 113 (Karunaratne 23, Head 4/10, Lyon 4/31, Swepson 2/34)

Australia, 2^nd Innings – 10/0 (Warner 10no)

Player of the Match: Cameroon Green (Australia)   

Test Debut: Jeffrey Vandersay (Sri Lanka)

Points: Australia 12, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka have been hit by three more COVID-19 cases on the eve of the second Test against Australia, with Dhananjaya de Silva, Asitha Fernando and Jeffrey Vandersay ruled out of the game in Galle. It is understood that the trio had all reported feeling unwell which led to the entire Sri Lanka squad being tested, with the positive results coming back on Wednesday. It brings the number of COVID-19 cases in the Sri Lanka camp to five, following Angelo Mathews – who was the first and had to be subbed out on the third day of the first Test – and then left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama, who will also miss the second Test. On Thursday afternoon, Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne said the squad would have to pass another round of rapid antigen tests before confirming who would be available for selection. Mathews, however, has completed his isolation period and is expected to play. Oshada Fernando, who was Mathews’ COVID sub, will now be in line to replace Dhananjaya, whose absence means Sri Lanka also lose a spin-bowling option. With Lasith Embuldeniya having already been dropped, it means there will be substantial changes to the Sri Lanka side, and likely Test debuts for Maheesh Theekshana and 19-year-old Dunith Wellalage. Kasun Rajitha is the likely replacement for Asitha, who was the lone quick in Sri Lanka’s side for the first Test. Offspinner Lakshitha Manasinghe and left-armer Prabath Jayasuriya had also previously been added to the squad, while it was confirmed on Thursday that left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan has also been called up. Australia are staying in the same hotel as the Sri Lanka team, but are keeping their distance, and at this point, have had no positive tests on the tour. Australian players are tested daily outside of matches, while rapid tests are only taken when players feel ill during a Test match. (Ceylon Today, 7.7.2022)

Sri Lanka beat the touring Australians by an Innings and 39 runs to win the second and final Test played at the Galle International Stadium. Scores:

Australia, 1^st Innings – 364 (Smith 145no, Labuschagne 104, Khawaja 37, Jayasuriya 6/118, Rajitha 2/70, Theekshana 1/48

Sri Lanka, 1^st Innings – 554 (Chandimal 206no, Karunaratne 86, Kusal Mendis 85, Kamindu Mendis 61, Mathews 52, Starc 4/89, Swepson 3/103, Lyon 2/194)   

Australia, 2^nd Innings – 151 (Labuschagne 32, Khawaja 29, Warner 24, Green 23, Jayasuriya 6/59, Theekshana 2/28, R.Mendis 2/47)

2-match series drawn 1-1.

Points: Sri Lanka 12, Australia 0.

Player of the Match: Prabath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka)

Player of the Series: Dinesh Chandimal (Sri Lanka)

Test Debut: Kamindu Mendis, Maheesh Theekshana, Prabath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) 

Sri Lanka’s selectors retained all-rounder Dunith Wellalage in the squad for the two match Test series against Pakistan that gets underway on Saturday in Galle. An-18 member squad was named for the two Tests and left-arm spinners Lasith Emduldeniya and Praveen Jayawickrama were axed after poor form. While Embuldeniya was dropped for the second Test against Australia after a poor show in the opening encounter in Galle, Jayawickrama missed the second Test after testing positive for COVID but he had a poor series in Bangladesh. After Prabath Jayasuriya picked up a record 12 for 177 on debut, the two left-arm spinners were left out and 19-year-old Wellalage was retained in the squad along with Maheesh Theekshana, who debuted last week despite not having played a First Class game for four years. Middle order batsman Dhananjaya de Silva returns to the side after missing the second Test due to COVID. Which batsman will make way for him in the playing eleven remains to be seen. The selectors have a tough choice as Kamindu Mendis played well on debut and compiled a crucial half-century. Mendis had replaced Dhananjaya in the second Test. The selectors have the option of playing both Mendis and Dhananjaya while leaving out wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella, whose keeping was sloppy missing three stumping chances in the second Test against Australia. He also threw away his wicket when Sri Lanka were fighting hard to get a decent lead to square the series earlier this week. With Chandimal being named as a wicketkeeper for the series, all indications are that the former captain who posted a career best 206 not out in the second Test will be handed the wicket keeping gloves. The teams will move to Colombo for the second Test as RPS will host its first Test match in five years. Sri Lanka are number seven in official ICC rankings, just behind sixth placed Pakistan. If Sri Lanka win the series 2-0, they will move up to number six. Even a 1-0 series win is sufficient for Dimuth Karunaratne’s side to move up in rankings. Former captain Angelo Mathews will feature in his 100 th Test match in the second Test at RPS. (Rex Clementine)

Squad:Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), Pathum Nissanka, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Mathews, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kamindu Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Ramesh Mendis, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Prabath Jayasuriya, Dunith Wellalage, Jeffrey Vandersay. (Rex Clementine, Daily Island, 15.7.2022)

The match between the touring Pakistani’s and the Sri Lanka Cricket XI, played at the Colombo Colts Grounds ended in a draw. Scores:

Pakistan, 1^st Innings – 323 (Azam 88, Salman 55, Ali 43, Rizwan 31, Manasinghe 4/85, Madushanka 2/59, Embuldenbiya 2/83, Madushan 1/23)

SL Cricket XI, 1^st Innings – 375/8dec (Samarawickrama 91, N.Fernando 78, Madushka 57,  Nawaz 2/24, Ashraf 1/10)

Pakistan, 2^nd Innings –  178/2 (Shafique 63, Ali 40,. ul-Haq 30)  

The touring Pakistani’s bet Sri Lanka by 4 wickets to win the first Test played at the Galle International Stadium. Scorees:

Sri Lanka, 1^st Innings – 222 (Chandimal 76, Theekshana 38, O.Fernando 35, Afrdi 4/58, Ali 2/23 Shah 2/66, Nawaz 1/18)

Pakistan, 1^st Innings – 218 (Azam 119, Rizwan 19, Shah 18, Jayasuriya 5/82, Mendis 2/18, Theekshana 2/68, Rajitha 1/42)

Sri Lanka, 2^nd Innings – 337 (Chandimal 94no, K.Mendis 76, O.Fernando 64, R. Mendis 22,   Nawaz 5/88, Shah 3/122)

Pakistan, 2^nd Innings – 344/6 (Shafique 160no, Azam 55,  Rizwan 40, ul-Haq 35, Jayasuriya 4/135, de Silva 1/33)

Player of the Match: Abdullah Shafique (Pakistan)  

Test Debut: Agha Salman (Pakistan)

Points: Pakistan 12, Sri Lanka 0.

Sri Lanka beat the touring Pakistani’s  by 246 runs to win the second and final Test played at the Galle International Stadium. Scores:

Sri Lanka, 1^st Innings – 378 (Chandimal 80, Dickwella 51, O. Fernando 50, Mathews 42, Karunaratne 40, N. Shah 3/58, Y. Shah 3/83, Nawaz 2/80)

Pakistan, 1^st Innings – 231 (Salman 62, ul-Haq 32, Y. Shah 26,  R. Mendis 5/47, Jayasuriya 3/80, D de Silva 1/15)

Sri Lanka, 2^nd Innings –  360/8dec (De de Silva 109, Karunaratne 61, R, Mendis 45no, Mathews 35,  N. Shah 2/44, Nawaz 2/75, Salman 1/41)

Pakistan, 2^nd Innings – 261 (Azam 81, ul-Haq 49, Rizwan 37, Jayasuriya 5/117, R. Mendis 4/101)

Player of the Match: Dhananjaya de Silva (Sri Lanka)

Test Debut: Dunith Wellalage (Sri Lanka)

Player of the Series: Prabath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka)

Points: Sri Lanka 12, Pakistan 0.