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 ...

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No swansong for Matthews as Sri Lanka opt for youth at World Cup – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE. (eLanka Sports editor) Sri Lanka Cricket have done away with emotional sentiment and ruled out a swansong for former Skipper Angelo Matthews and perhaps Dinesh Chandimal, opting for youth, at the upcoming World Cup in India.  It was rumoured earlier that Matthews was a consideration for his experience and 40 plus percent batting average. He doubles up as a handy all-rounder with the ball.  Matthews is expected to bring the curtain down on a memorable career which has given Sri Lanka’s fans and Cricket fans around the world many reasons to cheer when he was on top of his game.  Sri Lanka have also ruled out strike weapons Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasarsnga De Silva who have not shown improvement to their injuries.  It opens the door for youngsters Dinuth Wellelage and ...

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Sri Lanka selectors make calculated risk on an improving squad much in line for their unorthodox game plan – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE (Elanka Sports Editor)   Sanity has finally prevailed as Sri Lanka’s cricket selectors boldly shunned and thumbed their noses at the call for Skipper Dasun Shanaka’s sacking and stuck with a recently proven outfit for the World Cup in India. Yes, ramifications could be diabolical if the plan backfires, but it does make sense to stick with an outfit that has jelled in a way. Fourteen wins from 16 games is no mean feat although expert commentators claim that most of those wins were against ‘minnows ‘. That term has little relevance and no place in cricketing parlance anymore. This World Cup will reveal that. Informed sources say that Shanaka was given the choice of resigning and accepted it. But in true Sri Lankan fashion, a ...

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Sriraj and India scuttle hapless Sri Lanka to grab Asia Cup – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE (Elanka Sports Editor) Sri Lanka went from heroes to zero in just over 15 overs as India gave them a thrashing in the Asia Cup final they can Never forget.  Just days after relegating world number one ranked Pakistan to the sidelines in a heart stopper, Sri Lanka just rolled over and let themselves be humiliated in front of a packed home crowd, and an entire population, losing without a whimper.  Excuses about winning the toss in overcast conditions and electing to bat does little to convince me that there is more to it than meets the eye. It would be vindicated if they were without a coaching staff who do not give advice on these matters before the toss. Yes, India were favourites to win it with a highly skilled and far ...

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 Angry awoken Lion’s savage Afgan intrusion.  Sri Lanka annihilate Afghanistan in one day duel. – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE  Afganistan stepped on the tail of a sleeping Lion and paid the price of a savage mauling at its awakening in the one day series in Hambantota.  Game one saw the visiting Afgans jump the locals in a surprising turnaround. Don’t get me wrong, they are a force in world cricket at the moment. Sri Lanka isn’t.  Stung by the humiliation, Sri Lanka returned fire to annihilate the invaders in games two and three to clinch the three game one day series in emphatic fashion.  It would be fair to say the home team was depleted with the absence of key bowlers Dushmantha Chameera   Maheesh Theeksheena and Wanindu Hasarsnga De Silva in game one.  But the demoralising defeat in that encounter demanded action stations, and the selectors reacted swiftly to ...

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Ruthless Sri Lanka snuff out Irish challenge – By TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE (eLanka Sports editor) Ireland flexed their muscles after a first Test drubbing, then realized Sri Lanka had a much bigger flex as the second Test turned dramatically in the locals favour on a surprisingly batter friendly Galle surface. From a  position of what seemed like a no result, the tide changed sensationally as the Sri Lankans showed vigorous intent to push for a famous victory and instill new belief that they have turned the corner in terms of orchestrating a fightback and strategy to win games that seemed on a chartered course.  After folding tamely in the first Test, Ireland’s batters found form to post a massive 492, their highest total since receiving Test status.   They threw down the gauntlet, and Sri Lanka accepted,  making the babe’s of world cricket realize it is a bigger picture ...

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SRI LANKA DREAM OF A WORLD TEST FINAL – BEATING KIWIS DAUNTING CHALLENGE BUT ACHIEVABLE – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE  An experienced Sri Lanka squad begin their quest to gain some respect in world cricket by toppling New Zealand at home in a two Test series, which in this case, may not be far fetched.  Sri Lanka sits perilously at number three in the World Test Championship, and a clean sweep against the Kiwis and an Australian win in India could propel them into a dream final against Australia in England.  Dimuth Karunaratne leads a well balanced outfit strengthened by the inclusion of some veterans who will bring much needed stability to a team otherwise on a roller coaster in the shorter formats. Apart from the skipper,  Angelo Matthews,  Dinesh Chandimal and Oshada Fernando give the Lankans vital experience and stability particularly in the batting against the locals who ...

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Afganistan conquer the hills of Pallekelle – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE (eLanka Sports editor) Afganistan exposed Sri Lanka’s pathetic standing in world cricket with a ruthless annihilation of the home team at Pallekelle.  The visitors showed no qualms about the opposition or the unfamiliarity of Sri Lankan conditions batting with authority and treating the Sri Lanka attack with disdain to post a imposing 294 for 8 in their allotment.  They then clinically dissected and demolished the now established Sri Lanka batting inconsistency, mainly in the middle order,  which has been a contentious issue for quite a while, to coast to a easy 60-run win.  They bowled the hapless Lankans out in just 34 overs. Only Pathum Nissanka, 85 off 83 balls, and Wanindu Hasarsnga De Silva, 66 off 46 balls showed enough class and aggression to take the challenge to the visitors and save them of more embarrassment and blushes. On ...

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Pumped up Sri Lanka chase consistency against Pakistan – by Trevine Rodrigo – Melbourne (eLanka Sport editor) Dimuth Karunaratne leads a pumped up Sri Lanka against Pakistan, confident that they can continue the upward trend after a series levelling effort against Australia.  There’s a new energy emanating among the Sri Lankans, overriding the political and economic crisis enveloping the country and it augurs well to create a necessary distraction among the suffering masses. Cricket among the population always takes away the troubles of the world, albeit during its limited duration, and Sri Lanka’s cricketing heroes have provided that.  The Australian tour in many ways provided a welcome avenue to quell the doom and gloom the country is going through apart from injecting much needed revenue towards an almost bare financial situation.  Australia and their fantastic band of ambassadors will be long remembered for their bravery in  embarking on a tour ...

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Dinesh Chandimal and debutante Prabath Jayasuriya stun Australia – By Trevine Rodrigo in Melbourne (eLanka Sports editor) If there is a turning point to a country ravaged by tragedy, Sri Lanka has emerged from it on all fronts with an inexplicable innings win over Australia against the tide of expectation. Absolutely annihilated in the first Test and embarrassed to a point where redemption appeared beyond the reach of reality, the Lankans proved that ‘ impossible’ was not a word that belonged to their belief or psyche. Two players made this dream a reality, much against all expectations, and the efforts of Dinesh Chandimal and debutante Prabath Jayasuriya will go down in the annals of history as two of the country’s most cherished heroes.  After the first Test debacle in Galle where Sri Lanka hastily discovered that preparing spinning tracks would give them a supreme advantage against all opposition only to ...

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