Trevine Rodrigo

Chamari Athapaththu says more Asian representation is crucial to cricket’s development. – By TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE.  (ELanka Sports Editor) Unlike most cricketers,  Sri Lanka’s Superstar Chamari Athapaththu views money and personal gain secondary to enjoyment and honing personal skills with and against the best players in the world.  Athapaththu who was interviewed on  Zoom by Multicultural Australian media yesterday, said that her personal perspective was to be given exposure to the rest of the world about the talent that is available outside of Australia.  She underlined the need for more players from Asia particularly Sri Lanka, India,  Pakistan,  Bangladesh and other promising countries to be given the opportunity to showcase their talent so as to promote and provide a level playing field on the global scale.   It will be good for the game, she said. She says that Franchise cricket encourages bonding between players, an exchange of different styles ...

Read More →

All Blacks and Springboks set the stage for a humdinger – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE.  (eLanka Sports editor) It couldn’t have been scripted better as the All Blacks and Springboks who have been powerhouses in world Rugby clash in what is expected to be one of the most memorable World Cup finals ever. While the Springboks came to France one of the favourites, the All Blacks were not rated for once, and to make an impact in this edition, they had to produce something special. They did Just that. But here they are, two of the fiercest rivals on the park in Rugby, going head to head in a proud quest of winning the Willam Webb Ellis Trophy, rugby’s greatest prize on the world stage and the reward puts the winner, one game ahead of each other, and any other nation to win it. With the stakes so high, ...

Read More →

Tharushi Karunarathne , the jewel in Sri Lanka’s Crown. – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE.(Elanka Sports Editor) Sri Lanka’s Tharushi Karunarathne dispelled all the myth around size and muscle mass as she burned a trail to beat off a formidable field to win Gold at the recently concluded Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. The lithe and diminutive Sri Lankan flyer paced her 800 meter run to perfection saving the final burst from around 100 metres to sprint past China’s Wang Chunyu as a stunned stadium watched her blitz the field. The slightly built 18 year old became the jewel in the country’s crown winning Sri Lanka’s solitary Gold medal and then added to her glory anchoring the women’s relay team that won Bronze. India’s Harmilan Bains snuck past a tiring Wang Chunyu to take Silver. Sri Lanka have not won Gold at the Asian Games for 21 years. The last ...

Read More →

Sri Lanka register first win but it certainly wasn’t pretty. – By TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE (Elanka Sports Editor)  Sri Lanka wobbled their way to their first World Cup win over the giant killing Netherlands but they made it after after some uncomfortable moments.  Unbeaten so far by the world’s new upstarts in their previous five encounters, Sri Lanka scrambled to a five wicket victory with ten balls to spare and kept that record intact. Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards may have rued his decision to bat first after winning the toss on a grassy Lucknow wicket. Sri Lanka’s seamers Dilshan Madushanka and Kasun Rajitha exploited early movement off the wicket to skittle Netherlands top order and at 91 for 6 it looked like a the game was heading for a lopsided end. Not so,  as Netherlands tail dug in and fought back defiantly, and Sri Lanka’s bowlers lost their grip ...

Read More →

All Blacks storm into final and look set to win fourth William Webb Ellis World Cup – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE. (eLanka Sports editor) The All Blacks stormed into the World Cup final with a clinical demolition job on the Argentinean Los Pumas and while the final margin looked staggering, it wasn’t that simple. The strategy was to absorb the physicality of the ferocious Argentinean forwards which they did for most of the first half. They then turned on the afterburners to completely overrun their opponents to record a 44-6 victory. The battle up front was unrelenting for most parts of it but the All Blacks lasting pressure made the difference as the gradually wore down the south American champions and stifled their resolve. While Argentina return home with their second fall before the final hurdle, Michael Cheika’s men can gain some satisfaction if they clinch third place against the ...

Read More →

Angelo Matthews and Dushmantha Chameera rushed in as injury replacements as Sri Lanka reassess lack of experience – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE (eLanka Sports editor) Sri Lanka Cricket have awoken to the possibility of its worst World Cup campaign and have desperately rushed in Angelo Matthews and Dushmantha Chameera as replacements if there is injury,  more to save face as the cellar looms large in this edition.  Lack of experience and hamstrung in the bowling department, Sri Lanka have copped a shallacking by opposition batters while their bowlers have been treated with disdain by the three teams they have played against so far. Matthews has a clever cricketing brain and Chameera is the number one choice in their bowling,  the latter suffering from injury that ruled him out of this World Cup.  While Sri Lanka sits at the bottom of the league stage, below Afghanistan and the Netherlands, their ...

Read More →

Sri Lanka flatter then flop as Australia stifle a likely challenge – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE (eLanka Sports editor) Sri Lanka threatened to end Australia’s campaign with an opening stand of 125. Then in familiar fashion collapsed dramatically to get run over, ending any hope of making it through to the second round.  From a position of strength set up by Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera, the Lankans fell in a heap to be bowled out for a well under par 209. Adam Zampa showed Sri Lanka’s inability to handle spin grabbing four wickets. He was well supported by Mitchell Stark and Pat Cummins who completed the Sri Lanka rout as wickets tumbled at a regular stream.  Australia chased  down the required target after an early scare losing 2 for 24 as Dilshan Madushanka and Dunith Wellelage showed some fight with the ball. Mitchell Marsh, 52 off 57, Josh ...

Read More →

All Blacks and Springboks likely finalists but Pumas and England will be no pushovers.  – By TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE.  (eLanka Sports editor) It was one of the best defensive exhibitions in Rugby as The All Blacks and Ireland engaged in a memorable quarter final that delivered what the best teams in the world can produce.  The heart stopping World Cup quarter final lived upto all expectations as two  of the world’s best, locked horns and gave Rugby fans what should have been a World Cup final.    In a game where no quarter was given and none got, rugby fans were treated to a unrelenting battle that went down to the wire before the never to be written off All Blacks held on in a nerve wracking encounter by four points knocking out the world ranked number one team. Unlike in the past, where New Zealand always entered the World ...

Read More →

Shanaka and Pathirana double blow will test Sri Lanka resolve. – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE.  (eLanka Sports editor) Injuries to Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka and young paceman Matheesha Pathirana has worsened injury stricken Sri Lanka’s chances of making it past the first round.  And while the Wolves baying for Shanaka’s blood will feel vindicated about derailing their country’s progress and still expecting success, it does nothing in my opinion to enhance their chances of progressing any further. It definitely underlines a divisive nation expecting success to meet their personal gain. This goes against the grain of the best teams that have represented that country.  Sri Lanka have shown fight in defeat in the last two games despite battling the odds to field their best line-up. Injuries have dessimated  a once formidable team who have gone through an extended rebuilding process.  But agendas among the outer with vested interests,  ...

Read More →

Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrema fireworks count for nothing as the tail let’s Pakistan cruise past. – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE.  (eLanka Sports editor) Sri Lanka’s batting continues to flourish on the back of brilliant Kusal Mendis but they were unable to shake off a tenacious Pakistan who overhauled a competitive target to post a six wicket win.  Sri Lanka should have capitalised on a great start set up by Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrema but the lower order buckled once more reaching 344 for 9 wickets in their 50 overs. Pathum Nissanka was back in form while Kusal Perera failed again before Mendis and Samarawickrema took charge racing to centuries suggesting a winnable 400 run target. But the familiar sight of a limp tail resurfaced to see them fall well short of all expectations.  Pakistan were a dominant force allround, underlining why they were ranked number on in ...

Read More →