Batters hit top gear as Sri Lanka smash Afganistan to a series win – Same team but different mindset appears to be selectors master-stroke – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE (eLanka Sports editor) Sri Lanka shed their ‘inconsistency’ tag thrashing Afganistan by 155 runs while lightning up the hills of Pallekelle to the dawning of a welcome form turnaround, and silencing their critics in the process. Teetering on the edge of being written off in all formats, Sri Lanka appear to have discovered the correct horses for courses strategy from the available talent, and Coach Chris Silverwood can breathe easy as the new selection committee goes about putting together the pieces and the right squads for the different formats. There’s no disputing the talent in Sri Lanka cricket, but issues off field has derailed the games administration creating an unwanted distraction to their performances on the field. The new look ...
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Sri Lanka stutter in warm up games but may still provide some fireworks. – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE. (eLanka Sports editor) Sri Lanka made an inauspicious start to the World Cup losing both warm-up games to Bangladesh and Afghanistan and the writing on the wall about their chances of success seems dismal to say the least. Just recently they overcame both these teams in the Asia Cup before making the final against India. But the preparation since has see both Asian neighbours step up their campaigns while Sri Lanka’s course appears at this stage to be heading backwards. Both losses were convincing, by seven wickets to Bangladesh and six wickets to Afghanistan, and throws up concerns about the composition of the team that has failed to deliver with and without Skipper Dasun Shanaka who seems to be the focus of attention rather than the team’s overall performance. Apart from ...
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 flurry ...
Asia Cup defeat is just a wake up call, says Silverwood – By Dhammika Ratnaweera Source : dailynews Losing Asia Cup final is just a wake-up call before the world cup where we have to compete against teams like India, Australia, and New Zealand – against whom- we have to be on top of our game said Sri Lanka cricket head coach Chris Silverwood. we played some very good cricket to get to the Asia cup cricket final. We had to fight very hard. For me it was an achievement.”said Sri Lanka cricket head coach Chris Silverwood after the final which India won by ten wickets to clinch their eighth title . Clearly it was a bad day. Clearly we came up against a very high class bowling unit. It was a shame to finish the way we did. It’s one of those things we can’t dwell on too much because ...
Sri Lanka dare to dream with comfortable win over Bangladesh – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE (Elanka Sports Editor) Sadeera Samarawickrema smashed a whirlwind 93 off 72 balls with 2 sixers and 7 fours to steer Sri Lanka to a 23 run victory over Bangladesh. The rising star in Sri Lanka’s batting line-up looks to be fine tuning his craft in preparation for the Cricket World Cup in India next month. The win gives Sri Lanka vital points before facing Asian giants India and Pakistan and the hope of creating an upset to make it to the final. India and Pakistan have upto now had limited preparation due to inclement weather in Sri Lanka and may just be a little underdone for the crucial final stages of the tournament. Sadeera’s heroics and Kusal Mendis 50 off 73 and and Pathum Nissanka 40 off 50 helped bolster Sri Lanka to a ...
Pumped up Sri Lanka burst Dutch bubble. Shanaka’s men annihilate Netherlands in emphatic fashion in qualifying final. – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE Dasun Shanaka and Sri Lanka basked in the glory of a complete whitewash of the qualifiers with a comprehensive thrashing of the Netherlands in the final at Harare. The Sri Lankans showed remarkable fight when their backs were against the wall as the went on to remain unbeaten and throwing out a warning that they are up for the fight against the best. Maheesh Theeksheena and Dilshan Madushanka ensured that Sri Lanka’s modest total of 233 all out in 47.5 overs was defendable, when they routed the Dutch for 105 in only 23.3 overs making the decider a cakewalk. Theeksheena followed his four wicket haul against Zimbabwe with another similar effort and Madushanka grabbed another three and with Wanindu Hasarsnga De Silva two more to his remarkable ...
New Zealand crush hopeless Sri Lanka to make it a clean sweep. – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE Sri Lanka can pretend no more. They are just a hopeless Cricketing nation at the minute. What is being discussed by the wider circle of cricket fans is how did a team that is so lopsided actually challenge the best and attempt to make the Test Championship final? On reflection it would be fair to say it was laughable and unattainable. It also throws a heavy cloud over coach Chris Silverwood who confidently predicted a memorable tour. If by memorable he really meant nightmarish, the tour so far, is forgettable and delivered just that. Silverwood who appeared to be the Island nation’s good luck charm is now probably scratching his head for answers as the teams in all formats continue to flounder. Where they actually belong has been unravelled by New Zealand ...
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 ...
Sri Lanka crash out of T20 World Cup taking Australia with them – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE. Sri Lanka flattered, then flopped, to exit the T20 World Cup with a bitter sweet taste in their mouth and the realisation that winning the Asia Cup and competing with the best in the world was two completely different leagues. Playing a game that was crucial to Australia’s chance to make the semi finals, Sri Lanka’s batting showed early promise then folded like a deck of cards as the middle order continued their dismal form with the bat to give England easy access to the semis. Openers Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis started like a house on fire smashing the feared England attack for 39 runs off the first three and a half overs before England stemmed the tide by removing Mendis and the steady procession continued thereafter. Nissanka, 67 with ...
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 ...
