Sri Lankan Cricket Team’s Test Matches vs Netherlands and vs Denmark in 1975-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis Sri Lanka did not secure ICC cricket status till mid-1981. An important step in the progress towards this entitlement was the tour of England in mid-1975 with KMT Perera as Manager and Anura Tennekoon as skipper. The details of this tourcan be found in Michael Roberts & Alfred James: Crosscurrents. Sri Lanka and Australia at Cricket, Sydney, Walla Walla Press & Mobitel, 1998, pp. 88-94. Seated l-to-r David Heyn, Anura Tennekoon, KMT Perera. Mihael Tissera, Ranjit Fernando Standing l-to-r Duleep Mendis, Lalith Kaluperuma,  Sunil Wettimuny,  Tony Opatha, HSM Pieris,  DS de Silva, Dennis Chanmugam, Anura Ranasinghe, Bandula Warnapura What is little known, however, is the fact that the same squad played two Test Matches  …. Yes, Test Matches …. against the Netherlands and against Denmark as a tack-on after the exacting ODI games in England. This aspect of the tour ...

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When the Ceylon Schoolboys Beat the Indian Schoolboys on Their Home Turfs in 1969-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis Ranjan Anandappa, in Sunday Observer, 23 September 2007, with this title “1969 Schools Cricket Team – Best produced by Sri Lanka”  CRICKET: Emphasis has been laid so much on qualified coaches and physios these days, but few knew that one of the most successful under 19 cricket teams ever to leave the shores of Sri Lanka which was undoubtedly the 1969 Sri Lanka Schools cricket team, then Ceylon, which toured India. The team was captained by former Ananda College cricketer Mithra Wettimuny [and] did not possess either a coach or a physio. It was manager A. D. Karunananda (Ananda) and assistant manager Angelo Rayer (St. Joseph’s) both strict disciplinarians who guided the boys through the one-and-a half month tour which ended in a highly successful note for [what was then known as ] “Ceylon”. The team played five ...

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INTERNATIONAL CRICKET VENUES IN SRILANKA – By Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam On Wednesday February 17 1982, when Bob Willis bowled to Bandula Warnapura, Sri Lanka became the eighth test playing country in cricket. That moment was none symbolic than the country arriving as a force in cricket. The honour of hosting that match fell on Colombo Oval, later renamed as P. Saravanamuttu stadium, the home ground of Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club. In seven months since ICC decision to grant test status to Srilanka in July 1981, preparations had been made for this match, and more than £100,000 had been spent on modernising that venue, to increase the capacity to more than 20,000. Subsequently tests and international games have been staged in other venues such as Sinhalese Sports Club, Asgiriya ground Kandy, Galle esplanade, Premadasa stadium, Colombo Cricket Club, Dambulla stadium, Pallekele stadium and Rajapakse stadium.   ...

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What’s Happening to Cricket?- By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando   Everyone in Sri Lanka, from children to grown-ups, know about cricket. Though volleyball is known as Sri Lanka’s national game, cricket took its place due to its popularity. There was a time when even Kussi Ammas were engrossed in the game whenever cricket matches appeared on TV screens.  When players such as Duleep Mendis, Kumar Sangakkara, Roshan Mahanama, Bandula Warnapura, Sanath Jayasuriya, Brenden Kuruppu or Arjuna Ranatunge batted, crowds were enthusiastic. The game’s enthusiasm peaked when Arjuna Ranatunge won the world cup in 1996. Cricket is a pitch and tosses game, where one team wins today and the rivals win tomorrow.  The rule book says that players must act on numerous regulations and disciplinary codes vested upon the umpires, captains, and the Governing bodies. The game needs to be played according to the game’s rules and within the spirit of ...

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Death of a legend and Mahanama’s rise to stardom-by BY DINESH WEERAWANSA Roshan Mahanama when he first won the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer title in 1983-Roshan Mahanama at his recent book launch Source:Sundayobserver When I was writing my weekly column on the Observer-SLT School Cricketers, there came the shocking news – the death of a sports news legend. It was saddening to learn of the death of former Deputy Editor and long-standing Sports Editor of the Sunday Observer A. C. De Silva, a well-known Thomian and former water polo referee. He was the Sports Editor of the Sunday Observer even at the time I began my journalistic career exactly 35 years on April 16, 1987. He passed away on Thursday at the age of 80. He played a leading role in the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer since its inception in1979. His remains lie at AF Raymond Funeral parlour from this evening and ...

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Sri Lankan Gullivers facing Cricketing Goliaths in 1975 Source:Thuppahis Nicholas Brookes, in The Cricket Monthly, …. where the title is “Brave As Loons, Poor as Mice,” …. with highlighting emphasis inserted by The Editor, Thuppahi In 1975 the Sri Lankan cricket team had never toured outside Asia. But those who’d been paying attention would have known that their inclusion as one of the eight teams competing in the World Cup that year was well earned. In the past 18 months they’d dismissed West Indies for 119, fallen 17 runs short of victory in Pakistan and had the better of a drawn game against India. ...

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Murderous bowling of Jeff Thompson against Sri Lanka in the First World Cup series match between Australia and Sri Lanka at the Oval in June 1975   ” 6.48 minutes into the video you see me getting hit. I took 6 blows from him on my body. Still he didn’t get me out. Retired hurt at 53. Next to me is Duleep getting hit on the head” – “Sunil Wettimuny” …………… How Sri Lanka showed grit and displayed a ‘never say die’ attitude against the murderous bowling of Jeff Thompson and Dennis Lillie in  the First ICC World Cup series match between Australia and Sri Lanka played at the Oval in June 1975. The defiant and gallant batting of Sunil Wettimuny who scored a heroic 53 (retired hurt), Duleep Mendis, Ranjit Fernando, Bandula Warnapura, Anura Tennekoon, and Michael Tissera earned for them and Sri Lanka a place at the High ...

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SRI LANKA’S FIRST TEST CAPTAIN BANDULA WARNAPURA NO MORE! By: Upali Obeyesekere   Bandula Warnapura, who captained Sri Lanka in their first ever Test match against England in 1982, has died at the age of 68, the country’s cricket board (SLC) said in a statement. Warnapura leaves behind his beloved wife, daughter, two sons and grandchildren. He breathed his last while receiving treatment for a brief illness in a private hospital. Earlier this month, he was diagnosed with a high blood sugar level and was hospitalized. Sri Lanka Cricket informed about the development “Sri Lanka Cricket is deeply saddened to learn of the passing away of Bandula Warnapura, Sri Lanka’s first Test captain. We wish to express our condolences to the family at this challenging time on behalf of Sri Lanka’s cricketing fraternity,” an SLC release stated. Bandula Warnapura, who played in two World Cups and led Sri Lanka in ...

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Warnapura has right leg amputated Bandula Warnapura Source:Sundayobserver Sri Lanka’s first Test cricket captain Bandula Warnapura has had his right leg amputated in a diabetes related ailment and is currently in hospital recovering, a family member said yesterday. He said the 68-year old Warnapura was initially in the intensive care unit of the Nawaloka hospital in Colombo after he was diagnosed with high sugar levels hindering blood circulation that warranted an amputation of his right leg. ...

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