Three cricketers enter wedlock Source:Dailymirror Three Sri Lankan cricketers who are part of the Sri Lanka team that is playing against Afghanistan in Pallekele, Kandy, got married today in three separate ceremonies held in Colombo. Accordingly Kasun Rajitha, Charith Asalanka and Pathum Nissanka entered marriage lives today. The players are scheduled to return to the squad by this evening to prepare for the next match against Afghanistan, after the post-nuptial ceremonies. ...

Read More →

Chris Silverwood will be key for Sri Lankan upset –  BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE (eLanka Sports Editor) Sri Lanka will bank on coach Chris Silverwood’s innermost knowledge of England’s batting weaknesses in a bid to upset the favourites at the SCG.  Silverwood was the former England coach until the disastrous Ashes tour last summer in Australia, where he was relieved of his duties after returning home with very little happy stories to write about. At the helm of a younger, relatively inexperienced Sri Lanka side who are currently gaining a reputation as a dangerous proposition to anyone on their day, his direction could be crucial to a Lankan upset. From a personal perspective,  he has a point to prove to his former employers that the hiccup against Australia was not the end all of his ability to handle the reins. Sri Lanka has a mathematical chance of qualifying for ...

Read More →

Watch: Mendis fires Sri Lanka past Netherlands into T20 World Cup Super 12 Source:Dailymirror Opener Kusal Mendis slammed a 44-ball 79 as Asian champions Sri Lanka beat the Netherlands by 16 runs to sweep into the Super 12 stage of the Twenty20 World Cup on Thursday. The world’s eighth-ranked team plundered 162-6, blasting 102 of them off the final 10 overs to set up a big target which the Dutch were unable to reach, finishing on 146-9. In which Super 12 group they play will be determined after the later game in Geelong between Namibia and United Arab Emirates. A win for the African side will knock out the Dutch and send them through, as they already have a superior net run rate. If the UAE upset Namibia, the Dutch will progress. ...

Read More →

SRI LANKA WIPE THE SMILE OFF THE IRISH – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE Sri Lanka’s bowlers stifled a dangerous Ireland batting line-up and then the familiar picture of an in-form Kusal Mendis stepped in, bludgeoning a hapless Irish attack, smashing an unbeaten 68 off 43 deliveries to give them a glimmer of hope of surprising many in this edition of the T20 World Cup.  A backup pace attack did an incredible job to restrict and bamboozle the Irishmen before the big guns, Wanindu Hasarsnga De Silva and Maheesh Theeksheena strangled the run flow while picking up wickets at random to give the batsmen the relief of an achievable target.  There was no panic, as the Sri Lankans plotted a cool calm and calculated chase. With little terrors in the Irish attack to deal with, there was no disorientation like in the game against Namabia. Missing explosive Pathum Nissanka, Sri Lanka ...

Read More →

Sri Lanka clip the wings of flying Dutchmen to enter Super 12’s. – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE (eLanka Sports Editor) It was a game not for the faint hearted as Sri Lanka made heavy work of an assignment meant to be a formality before advancing to the Super 12’s against a spirited Netherlands.  The highly rated Lankans did nothing to let the rest of the world sit up and take notice and be excited of what to expect from  them as their batters struggled to come to grips with the two paced wicket at Kardinia Park before scrambling to safety and finally able to post a defendable score. The Papare band blared, the fans were over exuberant as the norm, but the early mood in the air was one of trepidation and anxiety about the unknown as they scratched and struggled to 36 for 2 off the first 6.4 overs. ...

Read More →

Sri Lanka crush UAE at T20 World Cup despite Meiyappan hat-trick Source:Dailymirror Karthik Meiyappan lit up the Twenty20 World Cup with a hat-trick Tuesday but it was in vain as Sri Lanka dismissed the United Arab Emirates for just 73 to get their campaign back on track. The Asian champions were stunned by Namibia in the tournament’s opening game on Sunday, a crushing 55-run defeat that left no room for error against the UAE. They responded with a convincing 79-run victory, but not before some drama. Sri Lanka were cruising at 117-2 at Geelong when spin bowler Meiyappan derailed their plans in the 15th over, removing Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Charith Asalanka and skipper Dasun Shanaka in successive balls. ...

Read More →

Pride of the Lion’s in main frame for some fireworks at T20 World Cup – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE (eLanka Sports editor) Sri Lanka warmed up to a beautiful Melbourne spring day at the MCG and soon sounded out their intentions for the upcoming World Cup T20 tournament in Australia with a convincing 33-run win over Zimbabwe.  Fresh from a successful Asia Cup triumph, the Lankans showed no signs of letting up in different conditions by quickly adapting to the bouncier and quicker wickets here, as they rev up preparations to get through the qualifiers before the big event commencing on October 16. Early indications suggest that the flighty Lankans will trouble some of the top teams and although it seems far fetched at this stage, they certainly can emulate their previously seemingly improbable Asia Cup success.  Although warm up games don’t usually carry the same significance,  it gives some indication ...

Read More →

Five ex-Schoolboy Cricketers of the Year in action at T20 World Cup – BY DINESH WEERAWANSA Source : sundayobserver Five former Observer SLT Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketers of the Year will be seen in action during the forthcoming T20 World Cup tournament which starts in Australia next week. Out of the five Sri Lankans in action, three will be playing for the national T20 team while the other two will be on duty as ICC officials. Bhanuka Rajapakse (2010 and 2011 winner), Kusal Mendis (2013 winner) and Charith Asalanka (2016 and 2016 winner) will be the Sri Lanka T20 players in action while the other two award-winning ICC officials will be the chief Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle (1979 winner) and ICC Elite Panel umpire Kumara Dharmasena (1989 winner). Besides Madugalle, the other ICC Match Referees in the panel are former Zimbabwe player Andrew Pycroft, ex-England star Christopher Broad and ex-Australian top order ...

Read More →

For Australia: Sri Lanka’s Cricket Squad for T20 World Cup-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis The Island, 17 September 2022, where the title reads “Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara in Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup squad, subject to fitness” Sri Lanka have shown faith with the group of players that won the Asia Cup, with the inclusions of fast bowlers Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara – who missed that tournament due to injury – the only change, as they named their 15-man squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia. From the squad that toured the UAE, batters Dinesh Chandimal, Ashen Bandara and Nuwanidu Fernando, and left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama have been listed as standby players alongside left-arm quick Binura Fernando. This means Matheesha Pathirana, Asitha Fernando and Nuwan Thushara miss out. The inclusions of Chameera and Kumara, however, are subject to them being passed fit. Kumara is recovering from a ...

Read More →

Sri Lanka charge towards Asia Cup triumph – by Trevine Rodrigo There’s something about the choice of former England coach Chris Silverwood that has the trimmings of a good luck charm to Sri Lanka cricket. Although not directly responsible for on field success, his appointment to a turbulent team spiralling downward and out of control has been baulked. They have in fact found a way to clamber upward from a situation of near despair giving fresh hope to their suffering fans at home and around the globe. With the T20 World Cup in Australia just around the corner in October, their resurgence could not have been timed better, having to get past embarrassing qualifying rounds before playing on the big stage. If anything, Silverwood has instilled a mindset of self belief and new found confidence in a Sri Lanka squad that appeared to have lost their vision. ...

Read More →