SRI LANKA CRICKET NEWS – OCTOBER 2022
Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe by 33 runs to win the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, warm-up match played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Scores:
Sri Lanka – 188/5 in 20 Overs (Mendis 54, W.H. de Silva 37no, Nissanka 21, Shumba 1/7, Madhevere 1/8, Razza 1/8)
Zimbabwe – 155/5 in 20 Overs (Madhevere 42, Shumba 32, Ervine 24, Karunaratne 2/26, Theekshana 2/39, D de Silva 1/5)
Namibia beat Sri Lanka by 55 runs to win the 1st Match, First Round, Group A, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, played at the GMHBA Stadium, South Geelong, Victoria. Scores:
Namibia – 163/7 in 20 Overs (Frylinck 44, Smit 31no, Baard 26, Liyanagamage 2/37, Theekshana 1/23, W.H de Silva 1/27)
Sri Lanka – 108 in 19 Overs (Shanaka 29, Rajapaksha 20, Wiese 2/16, Scholtz 2/18, Shikongo 2/22, Frylinck 2/26)
Player of the Match: Jan Frylinck (Namibia)
Points: Namibia 2, Sri Lanka 0
Sri Lanka’s left-arm quick Dilshan Madushanka was on Sunday ruled out of the T20 World Cup because of injury with Binura Fernando named as replacement, tournament organisers said. Madushanka missed the team’s opening match against Namibia in Geelong after tearing a thigh muscle in a practice session. “Fernando who has played nine T20 internationals, was named as a replacement after Madushanka was ruled out due to a torn quad muscle,” the I C C said in a statement. “Fernando will travel out from Sri Lanka and join the rest of the squad in Australia.” Fernando, a left-arm fast bowler who stands 6ft 7in tall (2.04m), has the ability to land the ball awkwardly and generate swing. Sri Lanka, who won the T20 Asia Cup last month, will play three first-round matches in their attempt to make the Super 12 stage. (Daily Mirror Online, 17.10.2022)
Sri Lanka beat United Arab Emirates (UAE) by 79 runs to win the 6th Match, First Round, Group A, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, played at the GMHBA Stadium, South Geelong, Victoria. Scores:
Sri Lanka – 152/8 in 20 Overs (Nissanka 74, D. de Silva 33, K. Mendis 18, Meiyappan 3/19 (Hat trick) Z. Khan 2/26, A. A Khan 1/16, Lakra 1/24)
UAE – 73 in 17.1 Overs (A. A. Khan 19, Siddique 18, Suri 14, W. H. de Silva 3/8, Chameera 3/15, Theekshana 2/15, Shanaka 1/7, Liyanagamage 1/14)
Player of the Match: Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka)
Points: Sri Lanka 2, UAE 0
Amidst injury concerns weighing the Sri Lankan team at the T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka said they will need to have a few more bowlers joining the squad, especially after fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera was ruled out due to calf injury. However, Shanaka said he does not have an exact number of how many players will be joining the team from Colombo. “There are two guys on standby. I don’t know exactly when they will arrive. We are okay through the next game, but when the tournament progresses I think we need to have a few more bowlers,” Shanaka said at the Pre-match media conference. Besides Dushmantha Chameera, there are also concerns over the fitness of Danushka Gunathilaka, who missed the UAE game, and Pramod Madushan who are both down with hamstring injuries. “It’s not finalised yet, so still we are deciding. I think definitely two or three fast bowlers will be here soon.”I think Danushka will be fine, (we’re) also waiting from the scan,” he said. Speaking on the crucial game tomorrow against Netherlands, the skipper said specially himself and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, need to perform in this tournament. (Daily Mirror Online, 19.10.2022
Fast bowler Kasun Rajith will replace Dushmantha Chameera who was ruled out at the T20 World Cup due to an injury, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said. Chameera was seen hobbling off the ground with a calf injury during the second match with UAE on Tuesday and was later ruled out from the entire tournament. Rajith will travel for Australia while fast bowler Asitha Fernando has been named as the stand by player. (Daily Mirror Online, 19.10.2022)
Sri Lanka beat the Netherlands by 16 runs to win the 9th Match, First Round, Group A, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, played at the GMHBA Stadium, South Geelong, Victoria. Scores:
Sri Lanka – 162/6 in 20 Overs (K. Mendis 79, Asalankla 31, Rajapaksa 19, van Meekeran 2/25, de Leede 2/31, van der Gugter 1/31, Klassen 1/34)
Netherlands – 149/6 in 20 Overs (O’Dowd 71, Edwards 21, W. H. de Silva 3/28, Theekshana 2/22, Kumara 1/28, Fernando 1/33)
Player of the Match: Kusul Mendis (Sri Lanka)
Points: Sri Lanka 2, Netherlands 0.
The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 has approved four player replacements. In the Sri Lanka squad Kasun Rajitha has replaced Dushmantha Chameera who was ruled out due to a torn left calf muscle. Rajitha is currently in Sri Lanka and will be travelling to Australia as soon as possible. In addition, Danushka Gunathilaka who has a left hamstring tear will be replaced by travelling reserve Ashen Bandara. In the United Arab Emirates squad, the travelling reserve Fahad Nawaz has replaced Zawar Farid who has fractured his left foot. Finally, England’s Tymal Mills who is already in Australia comes in for Reece Topley who has an injured left ankle. The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad.The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 consists of Wasim Khan, ICC General Manager – Cricket (Chair); Chris Tetley, ICC Head of Events; Peter Roach, Cricket Australia, Shane Doyle, Men’s T20 World Cup Local Organising Committee; Shaun Pollock (Independent) and Ian Bishop (Independent) – Daily News, 21.10.2022
Sri Lanka beat Ireland by 9 wickets to win the 15th Match, First Round, Group A, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, played at the Bellerive Oval, Hobart. Scores:
Ireland – 128/8 in 20 Overs (Tector 45, Stirling 34, Theekshana 2/19, W. H de Silva 2/19)
Sri Lanka – 133/1 in 15 Overs (K. Mendis 68no, D. de Silva 31, Asalanka 31no, Delaney 1/28)
Player of the Match: Kusul Mendis (Sri Lanka)
Points: Sri Lanka 2, Ireland 0.
Australia beat Sri Lanka by 7 wickets to win the 19th Match, Group 1, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, played at the Perth Stadium. Scores:
Sri Lanka – 157/6 in 20 Overs (Nissanka 40, Asalanka 38no, D. de Silva 26, Maxwell 1/5, Agar 1/25, Hazelwood 1/26)
Australia – 158/3 in 16.3 Overs (Stonis 59no, Finch 31no, Maxwell 23,D.de Silva 1/18, Karunaratne 1/21, Theekshana 1/23)
Player of the Match: Marcus Stonis (Australia)
Points: Australia 2, Sri Lanka 0.
Sri Lanka holds a number of world records in international cricket whether it is Tests, ODIs or T20Is. Currently the focus is on the T20 World Cup where Marcus Stoinis scored the fastest fifty in a T20 World Cup by an Australian taking just 17 balls in the match against Sri Lanka at Perth. In the same match Sri Lanka’s prime spinner Wanindu Hasaranga suffered the embarrassment of conceding more than 50 runs (53) in the match bowling only three of the allotted four overs. But Hasaranga can take heart from the fact that his figures are by far not the worst conceded by a bowler in a T20 World Cup match. That unusual record belongs to another Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya who conceded 64 runs off four overs against Pakistan at Johannesburg in 2007, bowling left-arm spin. In fact, Hasaranga’s figures ranks 19th in the all-time T20 World Cup list much lower than even another Sri Lankan bowler Lasith Malinga who conceded 54 runs off four overs against West Indies in the T20 World Cup final at the R. Premadasa Stadium in 2012, which Sri Lanka lost by 36 runs. Two other bowlers from Sri Lanka have conceded more than 50 runs in a T20 World Cup match namely Ajantha Mendis – 52 runs off four overs against England at Chattogram in 2014, and Gayan Wijekoon – 50 runs off four overs against New Zealand at Johannesburg in 2007. The most number of runs conceded by a bowler in three overs in a T20 World Cup game is 56 by Afghanistan’s Izatullah Dawlatzai against England at the R. Premadasa Stadium in 2012. In T20 Internationals also it’s a Sri Lankan who has been the most expensive bowler in an innings. That uncommon record is held by fast bowler Kasun Rajitha who has been named as a replacement for one of the injured fast bowlers in the ongoing T20 World Cup in Australia.In the match against Australia at Adelaide in 2019, Rajitha was hit for 75 runs off four overs, which remains the world record number of runs yielded in a T20I. He conceded six sixes and seven fours in the match that saw David Warner score 100* off 56 balls, Aaron Finch 64 off 36, and Glenn Maxwell 62 off 28. (Daily Financial Times, 28.10.2022)
New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by 65 runs to win the 27th Match, Group 1, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, played at the Sydney Cricket Grounds (SCG) Stadium. Scores:
New Zealand – 167/7 in 20 Overs (Phillips 104 Mitchell 22, Rajitha 2/23, D. de Silva 1/14, W.H. de Silva 1/22, Theekshana 1/35)
Sri Lanka – 102 in 19.2 Overs (Shanaka 35, Rajapaksa 34, Boutt 4/13, Sodhi 2/21, Santana 2/21, Southee 1/12)
Player of the Match: Glenn Phillips (New Zealand)
Points: New Zealand 2, Sri Lanka 0.
