SRI LANKA CRICKET NEWS – MARCH 2021

Compiled by Victor Melder

The West Indies beat the touring Sri Lankans by 4 wickets to win the first T20 International, played at Coolidge Cricket Grounds, Antigua. Scores:

Sri Lanka – 131/9 in 20 Overs (Nissanka 39, Dickwella 33, McCoy 2/25, Allen 1 / 4, Holder5 1/19, Sinclair 1/26)

West Indies –  134/6  in 13.1 Overs (Pollard 38, Holder 29no, Lewis 28, Simmons 26, de Silva 3/12, Dananjaya 3/62)

 Player of the Match: Kieron Pollard (West Indies)

T20 Debut: Ashen Bandara, Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka), Kevin Sinclair (West Indies) 

The touring Sri Lankans beat the West Indies by 43 runs to win the second T20 International, played at Coolidge Cricket Grounds, Antigua. Scores:

Sri Lanka – 160/6 in 20 Overs (Gunathilaka 56, Nissanka 37, Bandara 21, Bravo 2/25, McCoy 1/34, Holder 1/36)

West Indies – 117 in 18.4 Overs (Mc Coy 23, Simmons 21, Gayle 16, Sandakan 3/10, de Silva 3/17, Chameera 2/26)

Player of the Match: P.W.H de Silva (Sri Lanka)

The West Indies beat the touring Sri Lankans by 3 wickets to win the third and final T20 International, played at Coolidge Cricket Grounds, Antigua. Scores:

Sri Lanka – 131/4 in 20 Overs (Chandimal 54no, Bandara 44no, Allen 1/13, Sinclair 1/19, Holder 1/27, Mc Coy 1/29)

West Indies – 134/7 in 19 Overs (Simmons 26, Pooran 23, Lewis 21, Allen 21no, Sandakan 3/29, de Silva 2/13, Chameera 2/23)

Player of the Match: Fabian Allen (West Indies)

West Indies won the 3-match series 2-1

The West Indies beat the touring Sri Lankans by 8 wickets to win the first One-Day International played at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua. Scores:

Sri Lanka – 232 in 49 Overs (Gunathilaka 55, Karunaratne 52, Bandara 50, Mohammed 2/12, Holder 2/39, Pollard 1/15)

West Indies – 236/2 in 47 Overs ( Hope 110, Lewis 65, Bravo 37no, Chameera 2/50)

Player of the Match: Shai Hope (West Indies)

ODI Debut: Ashen Bandara, Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka)

Cricket contests between Sri Lanka and West Indies generally have been good natured but on Wednesday the teams were involved in an ill-tempered game as opening batsman Danushka Gunathilaka was given out ‘Obstructing the Field’ during the opening ODI at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua. He became the first Sri Lankan cricketer to be dismissed in that fashion. Obstructing the Field is such a rare dismissal in cricket and only Len Hutton has been dismissed in that fashion in Test match cricket while there are less than handful of such incidents in all international cricket put together – Tests, ODIs and T-20s. It is one of the ten methods a batsman could be dismissed in cricket. Law 37 of Laws of Cricket says that any batsman to be dismissed in that fashion, there has to be ‘willful obstruction’. Gunathilaka’s intentions did not look like deliberate. The left-handed batsman had posted a half-century while adding 105 runs for the first wicket with skipper Dimuth Karunaratne as Sri Lanka got off to a solid start. Then in the 21st over, Gunathilaka was given out Obstructing the Field when he trampled on the ball as Kieron Pollard was searching for a run out opportunity at the non-striker’s end. Debutant Pathum Nissanka had set off for a run but Gunathilaka, who had advanced down the pitch, sent him back. He did not see where the ball was and while recovering to the crease, accidentally knocked on the ball. Pollard, who is also West Indian skipper, appealed and umpire Joe Wilson referred it to the third umpire. His soft signal was out. The third umpire had enough evidence to overturn the decision but he opted to go with the original decision ruling the batsman out. It was all happening in double quick time and Gunathilaka was hard done by.(Daily Island, 12.3.2021)

The West Indies beat the touring Sri Lankans by 5 wickets to win the second One-Day International played at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua. Scores:

Sri Lanka – 273/8 in 50 Overs (Gunathilaka 96, Chandimal 71, de Silva 47, Mohammed 3/47, Joseph 2/42, Hosein 1/20)

West Indies – 274/5 in 49.4 Overs (Lewis 103, Hope 84, Pooran 35no, Perera 2/45, Pradeep 2/66, Sandakan 1/36)

Player of the Match: Evin Lewis (West Indies)

The West Indies beat the touring Sri Lankans by 5 wickets to win the third One-Day International played at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua. Scores:

Sri Lanka – 274/6 in 50 Overs (de Silva 80no, Bandara 55no, Gunathilaka 36, Karunaratne 31, Hosein 3/33, Mohammed 1/49)

West Indies – Bravo 102, Hope 64, Pollard 52no, Lakmal 2/56, Perera 1/27, Gunathilaka 1/28, de Silva 1/49)

West Indies won the 3 match series 3-0.

Points: West Indies 10, Sri Lanka 2.

ODI Debut: Anderson Philp (West Indies)

Player of the Match: Darren Bravo (West Indies)

Player of the Series: Shai Hope (West Indies)

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced  that Angelo Mathews, who is currently touring the West Indies with the National Cricket Team, will return home. The purpose of his return is to attend to a family matter. Mathews will depart West Indies today. (Ceylon Today, 13.3.2021)

Sri Lanka have been fined 40 per cent of their match fees for maintaining a slow over-rate against the West Indies in the third ODI in Antigua on Sunday. Richie Richardson of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after Dimuth Karunaratne’s side was ruled to be two overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration. In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20 per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time. In addition, as per Article 12.9.1 of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League Playing Conditions, a side is penalised one point for each over short. Consequently, Sri Lanka will lose two points from their points tally during the Super League. Karunaratne pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka all-rounder Danushka Gunathilaka has been reprimanded for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the same match. Gunathilaka was found to have breached Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match.” In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to the disciplinary record of Gunathilaka, for whom it was the first offence in a period of 24 months. The incident occurred in the 35th over of West Indies’ innings, when Gunathilaka used inappropriate language towards Nicholas Pooran upon his dismissal. Gunathilaka admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by the match referee and as such, there was no need for a formal hearing. (ICC) (Daily Island, 17.3.2021)

The West Indies President’s XI drew their match with Sri Lanka played at the Coolidge Cricket Grounds, Antigua. Scores:

Sri Lanka – 1st Innings – 172 (Fernando 47, Chandimal 40, Nissanka 23,  Chase 4/7, Permaul 4/9,Roach 2/10, Harding 1/30)

President’s XI – 1st Innings –  294 (Hope 68, Mayers 57, Chase 52, D de Silva 3/26, Embuldeniya 3/69, Lakmal 2/14)

Sri Lanka – 2n d Innings – 56/0 (Karunaratne 27no, Thirimanne 23no)

14 players per side (11 batting, 11 fielding)

The first Test between the touring Sri Lankan and the West Indies, played at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua, ended in a draw. Scores:

Sri Lanka, 1 st Innings –  169  (Thirimanne 70, Dickwella 32, Holder 5/27, Roach 3/47, Cornwall 1/25)

West Indies, 1st Innings – 271 (Cornwall 61, Da Silva 46, Campbell 42, Bonner 31, Lakmal 5/47, Fernando 2/52, Chameera 2/71, Embuldeniya 1/64)

Sri Lanka, 2nd Innings – 476 (Nissanka 103, Dickwella 96, Fernando 91, D de Silva 50, Roach 3/74, Cornwall 3/137, Mayers 2/24, Joseph 1/83)

West Indies, 2nd Innings – 236/4 (Bonner 113no, Mayers 52, Brathwaite 23, Embuldeniya 2/62, Fernando 2/73)

Player of the Match: Nkrumah Bonner (West Indies)

Test Debut: Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka)

Points; Sri Lanka 20, West Indies 20.

Former Sri Lankan paceman Chaminda Vaas has agreed to continue functioning as Fast Bowling Consultant for Sri Lanka Cricket following a meeting held between Vaas and the SLC Management Team. The SLC said the matters which led to his resignation were amicably resolved. “Chaminda Vaas withdrew his letter of resignation which he had submitted and agreed to continue as the Fast Bowling Consultant for Sri Lanka Cricket, the position which he held prior to his resignation,” the SLC said. (Daily Mirror Online, 26.3.2021)