SRI LANKA CRICKET NEWS
(OCTOBER 2023)
Compiled by Victor Melder
Bangladesh best Sri Lanka by 7 wickets in the ICC World Cup Warm-Up Match, played at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati. Scores:
Sri Lanka – 263 in 49.1 Overs (Nissanka 68, de Silva 55, Perera 34, Hasan 3/36)
Bangladesh – 264/3 in 42 Overs (Hasan 84, Miraz 67no, Das 61, Rahim 35no, Kumara 1/30
Sri Lanka Skipper Dasun Shanaka will not take part in today’s warm-up game against Afghanistan, as the all-rounder is recovering from a ‘strain’ he experienced on his left elbow following the earlier game against Bangladesh. Shanaka is under medical treatment and is in the process of recovery. Meanwhile, Kusal Janith Perera, who experienced pain on his ‘right shoulder’, during Sri Lanka’s warm-up game against Bangladesh, is currently under medical treatment and is in the process of recovery. In addition, Maheesh Theekshana, who did not travel with the team to India on September 26, will join the squad on October 4, 2023. (Daily Mirror, 3.10.2023)
South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 102 runs to win the 4th Match, ICC Cricket World Cup, Sri Lanka vs South Africa, played at Arnu Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. Scores:
South Africa – 428/5 in 50 Overs (van der Driessen 108, Markram 106, de Kock 100, Miller 39, Klaasen 32, Madushanka 2/86, Wellalage 1/81).
Sri Lanka – 326 in 44.5 Overs (Asalanka 79, Mendis 76, Shanaka 68, Rajitha 33, Coetzee 3/68, Rabada 2/50, Mahara 2/62, Jansen 2/92)
Player of the Match: Aiden Markram (South Africa)
Points: South Africa 2, Sri Lanka 0.
Sri Lanka have been fined 10 per cent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate against South Africa in the Match 4 of ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. Javagal Srinath of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after Dasun Shanaka’s side was ruled to be 2 over(s) 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 5 per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time. Dasun Shanaka pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing. On-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Shahid Saikat, third umpire Michael Gough and fourth umpire Alex Wharf levelled the charge. (Daily Mirror, 8.10.2023)
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 6 wickets to win the 8th Match, ICC Cricket World Cup, played at Rajiv Gandhi Inter5national Stadium, Uppad, Hyderabad. Scores:
Sri Lanka – 344/9 in 50 Overs (Mendis 122, Samarawickrama 108, de Silva 25, Ali 4/71, Rauf 2/64, Khan 1/55)
Pakistan – 345/4 in 48 Overs ( Rizwan 131no, Shafique 113, Shakeel 31, Madushanka 2/60, Theekshana 1/59)
Player of the Match: Mohammed Rizwan (Pakistan)
Points: Pakistan 2, Sri Lanka 0.
All-rounder Chamika Karunaratne will replace captain Dasun Shanaka for the rest of Sri Lanka’s Cricket World Cup campaign, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said. SLC said that the tournament’s Event Technical Committee had approved the replacement, after Shanaka suffered a right thigh muscle injury during Sri Lanka’s second World Cup match against Pakistan on Sunday. With the injury requiring three weeks to recover from, SLC had sought a replacement for the captain, and nominated Karunaratne, who was with the squad as a travelling replacement. (Daily Mirror, 15.10.2023)
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Australia beat Sri Lanka by 5 wickets to win the 14th Match, ICC Cricket World Cup,, played at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow. Scores:
Sri Lanka – 209 in 43.3 Overs (Perera 78, Nissanka 61, Asalanka 25, Zampa 4/47, Cummins 2/3, Starc 2/43)
Australia – 25/5 in 32.2 Overs (Inglis 58, March 52, Labuschagne 40, Maxwell 31no, Madushanka 3/38, Wellalage 1/53)
Player of the Match: Adam Zampa (Australia)
Points: Australia 2, Sri Lanka 0.
Veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews and seamer Dushmantha Chameera have been called up by the national selectors to join the World Cup squad in India as traveling reserves. The plan earlier was to bring in Pramod Madushan but with Chameera “fully recovered”, the selectors have decided to induct the experienced seamer into the side to strengthen the weak bowling attack. With Matheesha Pathirana out for at least ten days due to an inflammation in his bowling arm, Chameera’s inclusion as the additional player will give the team management an opportunity to bring him into the 15-man squad, should Matheesha or any other player be ruled out due to injury. Mathews’s inclusion is surprising as the 36-year-old was not in selectors’ plan but with a misfiring middle-order, calls for him to be added were growing at home. He had been frozen out of white-ball cricket since 2021 when the selectors introduced a youth-based policy. After Sri Lanka lost to Australia by 5 wickets, however, crashing from 157 for 1 to 209 all out, the experienced all-rounder is again under consideration. For him to join the 15-man squad, a player has to be ruled out with injury. Meanwhile, Chameera last played for Sri Lanka in June against Afghanistan and in the warm-ups of the World Cup qualifier. (Daily Mirror, 19.10.2023)
Sri Lanka beat the Netherlands by 5 wickets to win the 19th Match, ICC Cricket World Cup, played at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow. Scores:
Netherlands – 262 in 49.4 Overs (Engelbrecht 70, van Beek 59, Ackermann 29, Madushanka 4/49, Rajitha 4/50)
Sri Lanka – 263/5 in 48.2 Overs (Samarawickrama 91no, Nissanka 54, Asalanka 44, de Silva 30, Dutt 3/44, van Meckeran 1/39, Ackermann 1/39)
Player of the Match: Sadeera Samarawickrama (Sri Lanka)
Points: Sri Lanka 2, Netherlands 0.
Sri Lanka spinner Maheesh Theekshana has suffered a hamstring injury during Sri Lanka’s nervy 5-wicket win over Netherlands last evening, spin bowling coach Piyal Wijetunga confirmed yesterday. Theekshana completed his 10 overs conceding 44 runs, taking the wicket of Netherland’s skipper Scott Edwards. But he was in pain, touching his right hamstring, the one that has given him trouble during the last few weeks. “He will be sent for an MRI scan to ascertain the extent of his injury,” confirmed Wijetunga, speaking to the press at the conclusion of Sri Lanka’s run-chase. Theekshana first injured his hamstring while fielding in the match against Pakistan during the Asia Cup and was subsequently ruled out of the Asia Cup final. This raised concerns about his availability for the World Cup. Although he made it to India, he missed the first game and looked a pale shadow of the player he was since returning to the side. (Sunday Times, 22.10.2023)
Sri Lanka beat England by 8 wickets to win the 25th Match, ICC Cricket World Cup, played at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengalaru. Scores:
England – 156 in 33.2 Overs (Stokes 43, Bairstow 30, Malan 28, Kumara 3/35, Mathews 2/14, Rajitha 2/36)
Sri Lanka – 160/2 in 25.4 Overs (Nissanka 77no, Samarawickrama 65no, Wiley 2/30)
Player of the Match: Lahiru Kumara (Sri Lanka)
Points: Sri Lanka 2, England 0.
Afghanistan beat Sri Lanka by 7 wickets to win the 30th Match, ICC Cricket World Cup, played at Maharashtra. Cricket Association Stadium, Pune. Scores:
Sri Lanka – 241 in 49.3 Overs (Nissanka 46, Mendis 39, Samarawickrama 36, Theekshana 29, Farooq 4/34, Ur Rahman 2/38)
Afghanistan – 242/3 in 45.2 Overs ( Omarzai 73no, Shah 62, Shahidi 58no, Zadran 39, Madushanka 2/48, Rajitha 1/48)
Player of the Match: Fazalhaq Farooq (Afghanistan)
Points: Afghanistan 2, Sri Lanka 0.
