Two Twin Hundreds by Dhananjaya & Kamindu create history for Lanka – By Michael Roberts Source : thuppahis Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis become the first ever duo to stitch 170+ runs in both innings of a Test match & 3rd ever pair of batsmen to score Centuries in both innings of a Test match! BRIAN THOMAS and HIRAN HEWAVISENTI also had high praise for the two ….. with the latter having this to say: …. Ha ha …. FB denies copying rights. What a bugger THE REPORTS in espncricinfo …. thus far = bugger all …. Nought yet on the innings within easy access. SL 280 & 418 BAN (13 ov, T:511) 188 & 47/5 Day 3 – Bangladesh need 464 runs. Current RR: 3.61  • Last 10 ov (RR): 37/3 (3.70) ...

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Sri Lankan Cricketers in Hard-fought Win Against Afghanistan at Home-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis Andrew Fidel Fernando, reporting in ESPNcricinfo on 5 February 2024, where the title reads “Jayasuriya, Asitha and batters lead Sri Lanka to comfortable win in one-off Test ….. Afghanistan’s top order fought back in the second innings, but they lost 9 for 82 to collapse on fourth day.” Sri Lanka 439 (Mathews 141, Chandimal 107, Naveed 4-83) and 56 for 0 (Karunaratne 32*, Madushka 22*) beat Afghanistan 198 (Rahmat 91, Vishwa 4-51, Asitha 3-24) and 296 (Ibrahim 114, Jayasuriya 5-107, Asitha 3-63) by ten wickets Sri Lanka’s use of the second new ball sent Afghanistan tumbling to a ten-wicket defeat on day four. Having begun the day with only one wicket down and within striking distance of the lead, Afghanistan crashed, losing their remaining nine for 82 runs. Left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya was the primary destroyer, taking five wickets in a devastating spell either side of lunch. Asitha Fernando claimed ...

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SRI LANKA CRICKET NEWS – By Victor Melder Chairman of cricket selectors Upul Tharanga said that Dhananjaya de Silva has been appointed the new captain of the Sri Lanka Test team succeeding Dimuth Karunaratne. Kusal Mendis will be the vice-captain. De Silva will become the country’s 18th Test captain when he leads Sri Lanka in the one-off Test against Afghanistan next month.  Karunaratne was Sri Lanka’s Test captain from 2018-19 till 2023 leading his country in 28 Tests with 12 wins, 10 losses and 6 draws. He captained Sri Lanka to three series victories, a rare 2-0 win in South Africa making Sri Lanka the only Asian country to win a series in Rainbow Nation in 2018-19, and 2-0 wins against West Indies (2021) and Ireland (2023). (Daily Financial Times, 6.1.2024) The first One Day International (ODI), played at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, between the touring Zimbabweans and Sri Lanka, ended ...

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Two New Cricket Captains for Sri Lanka-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis Item in The Island, 31 December 2023 ….. with highlighting imposed by The Editor, Thuppahi Dasun Shanaka’s reign as Sri Lanka’s white-ball captain has come to an end as Sri Lanka’s new selection committee appointed Kusal Mendis and Wanindu Hasaranga to lead the ODI and T20I sides, respectively. With Dimuth Karunaratne currently leading the Test side, this is the first time Sri Lanka have three different captains in the three formats. Shanaka first captained Sri Lanka in 2019, on the team’s first tour to Pakistan since the 2009 Lahore attack, but it was not until 2021 that he became their regular captain. Under him, Sri Lanka won 23 out of 41 ODIs and 22 out of 48 T20Is. The highlight of his tenure was the 2022 T20 Asia Cup victory in the UAE where Sri Lanka beat Pakistan in the final. Also notable were ODI series wins against South ...

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Sri Lanka register first win but it certainly wasn’t pretty. – By TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE (Elanka Sports Editor)  Sri Lanka wobbled their way to their first World Cup win over the giant killing Netherlands but they made it after after some uncomfortable moments.  Unbeaten so far by the world’s new upstarts in their previous five encounters, Sri Lanka scrambled to a five wicket victory with ten balls to spare and kept that record intact. Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards may have rued his decision to bat first after winning the toss on a grassy Lucknow wicket. Sri Lanka’s seamers Dilshan Madushanka and Kasun Rajitha exploited early movement off the wicket to skittle Netherlands top order and at 91 for 6 it looked like a the game was heading for a lopsided end. Not so,  as Netherlands tail dug in and fought back defiantly, and Sri Lanka’s bowlers lost their grip ...

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ICC World Cup squads announced Source:Dailynews The ten countries have finalised their squads for the ICC Cricket World Cup on Thursday (28). The matches will commence from October 5. India team led by Rohit Sharma will be looking to become the fourth consecutive host nation to win the tournament, a run which began when they lifted the trophy themselves in 2011. Defending champions England, welcome back Ben Stokes, who has come out of ODI retirement as his side look to retain the trophy, while Kane Williamson will be hoping to win his fitness battle having been named to lead 2019 runners-up New Zealand. Last edition’s runner-ups, New Zealand will meet England in the opening game at Ahmedabad on October 5 and the final will be played at the same venue on November 19. Each team will play nine group stage matches before the semi-finals and all teams are expected to ...

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Asia Cup At Khettarama: Disaster! Comedy! …. Hara-Kiri?-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis Given the humid and rainy conditions, why the Sri Lankan management chose to bat on winning the toss is a major issue for deate after the collapse for 5 runs in  the face of some excllent seam and swing bowling from Siraj, Bumrah and Pandya. ...

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SL Cricketers in Hara-Kiri vs Pakistan …… Nearly !@! – By Michael Roberts Source : thuppahis Madushka Balasuriya, in ESPNcricinfo, 14 September 2023, where the title of the report reaeds thus “Charith Asalanka, Kusal Mendis shine in chaotic finish as Sri Lanka make Asia Cup final” Hosts won final-ball thriller while chasing 252 in 42 overs, as Mohammad Rizwan’s 86* went in vain for Pakistan ………….Sri Lanka 252 for 8 (Mendis 91, Asalanka 49*, Ifthikar 3-50) beat Pakistan 252 for 7 (Rizwan 86*, Shafique 52, Pathirana 3-65) by two wickets via DLS method In a game of multiple compelling storylines, it was Charith Asalanka who stood tall in the end as Sri Lanka edged Pakistan out by two wickets in final-ball thriller in Colombo. With it, Sri Lanka made it to their 11th Asia Cup final, where they will face India on Sunday. Asalanka remained unbeaten on 49 off 47 balls to see home a nervy chase, but it ...

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Dinuth Wellelage announces his entry to the big time in fruitless performance against India – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE (eLanka Sports Editor) Cricketing prodigy Dinuth Wellelage was a Lone Ranger in Sri Lanka’s fruitless effort to upset economic heroes India,  as the home team showed spark with the ball, then slumped to a competitive 41- run defeat in Colombo. The Lankans first loss, after a record breaking 13 consecutive wins, clouded what could have been a memorable upset if the batsmen acknowledged a stirling performance by an undermanned Sri Lanka attack who found two unlikely heroes.  Dinuth Wellelage and Charith Asalanka combined to bamboozle a strong Indian batting line-up restrict them to 213 all our in 49.1 overs. That was another unusual record the Lankans established in 14 games, bowling the opposition out in this format.  But it was Wellelage who announced himself to the big time, grabbing 5 ...

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Sadeera, Matheesha and Asalanka star in big win-by Rex Clementine at Pallekele Matheesha Pathirana finished with four wickets as Sri Lanka bowled out Bangladesh for 164 at Pallekele yesterday. Source:Island There were doubts about how Sri Lanka’s depleted bowling attack will go about things in the Asia Cup, but the backup bowlers came up with a splendid performance in their opening encounter yesterday at Pallekele helping Sri Lanka to a seven wicket win over Bangladesh. Hometown boy Matheesha Pathirana was sensational finishing with four wickets providing early breakthroughs and then coming back for a last spell to destroy the tail as Bangladesh were bowled out for 164 runs with five overs to spare. Sadeera Samarawickrama then smashed a half-century to help Sri Lanka to a comfortable win with 11 overs to spare. He was joined by Charith Asalanka, who posted an unbeaten 62. ...

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