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 ...
Dhananjaya, Jayasuriya lead Sri Lankan resurgence against Pakistan – by Trevine Rodrigo (Melbourne – eLanka Sports editor) Image Source : timesofsports Dhananjaya De Silva played a long overdue starring role and Sri Lanka’s batting found harmony to destroy Pakistan’s hope of a series win as an all-round effort saw the home team square the two match series in Galle. Sri Lanka’s batters put the Pakistanis out of reach with a memorable performance that made a 507 target way beyond a realistic chase able target. Jack -in -the- box I called them. So it was, as a history focused home team rammed home a milestone Matthews 100th Test to pull off a fantastic series levelling Test victory. If there was a spur needed to produce the unexpected, Matthews, the Sri Lanka former skipper, and loyal soldier in a team in transition, gave them the impetus to acknowledge and honor a man that ...
Jack -in- the- box Sri Lanka can do it for Matthews – by Trevine Rodrigo – Melbourne (eLanka Sports editor) Image source: theswagsports.com Inconsistent and a predictably jack-in-the-box Sri Lanka go into the second Test against Pakistan keeping their fans in hopeful limbo of a turnaround of fortunes similar to their performance against Australia. A shaky start to the first Test, then, a recovery of sorts to keep Pakistan under a less than impressive 222, did nothing to justify their elation and expected win, after setting the visitors what seemed like an imposing target which counted for nothing in the end. Pakistan chased down a record fourth innings target with consummate ease to leave the home side embarrassed much like the Aussies did in their first Test. Dimuth Karunaratne and his team mates must realize by now that against the best teams in the world, nothing, including home ground advantage counts ...
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 ...
Smith, Labuschagne lead Aussie charge for clean sweep – By Trevine Rodrigo (eLanka Sports editor) Australia have nailed home their dominance thanks to a dominent batting display to have the hapless Lankans against the ropes on the first day of the second Test in Galle. Crucial missed stumpings and lacklustre bowling at times, gave Manus Labuschagne and Steve Smith the gateway to Australia’s imposing total including Smith’s drought breaking century after 16 previous innings. Labuschagne also posted his first century on the sub continent and Australia look commanding on a wicket that mysteriously lacked the usual wicked turn but was two paced in contrast, giving a little more to accurate pace. This spells imminent danger to Sri Lanka’s batsmen who face the daunting prospect of dealing with Australia’s lethal pace attack who have routed some of the best batting in the world. Australia gambled with retaining Mitchell Stark over ...
Hara Kiri by Sri Lankan Cricketers assures Hallelujah for the Aussies at Galle – By Michael Roberts Source:thuppahis.com On a wicket with uneven bounce that also supported massive spin the Sri Lankan batsmen proceeded to perform “hara kiri” in a manner that was as comical as disastrous. The second innings scoreline of 113 runs underlines the disaster; but does not quite capture the astounding manner in which some of the batsmen contibuted to their dismissal — though one must also record the competent fielding (catched by Labushagne and Swepson) and intelligent bowling). HARA KIRI = ritual suicide by disembowelment practiced by the Japanese samurai or formerly decreed by a court in lieu of the death penalty …. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hara-kiri#:~:text=Definition%20of%2Sam0 hara%2Dkiri,2%20%3A%20suicide%20sense%201b A Samurai about to commit “seppuku” or “hara-kiri” Swepson acclaims his wicket Dimuth Karunaratne: c Carey b Lyon 23 5.3 Bottom edge, given! Went for the sweep from outside off and gets ...
SLC to honour late Shane Warne before the first Test-by Dhammika Ratnaweera Shane Warne returning to the pavilion after taking his 500th Test wicket at Galle in 2004 Source:Dailynews Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) will pay tribute to the late spin legend Shane Warne when the first Test between Sri Lanka and Australia begins at the Galle International Cricket Stadium tomorrow. The spin legend Warne died on March 4, 2022, during a holiday in Thailand nearly four months ago. Late spin legend from Australia Shane Warne was not a popular figure among Sri Lankans in the 1990s but his contributions towards the country’s most disadvantaged kids after the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 helped change that attitude. ...
Aussie cricketers arrive today for full series against SL -By Dhammika Ratnaweera Source:dailynews.lk Australia cricket team led by Aaron Finch will arrive in Sri Lanka today for a full cricket series (T20, ODI and test) and this is going to be very important for both sides to get more exposure before world T 20 tournament and also the two tests in Galle which are part of the ICC test championship. According to a senior official of the Sri Lanka cricket (SLC) after six years time Australians the T20 champions and top test team of the world is always a challenge for the Sri Lanka team while next T20 world cup will be held next October- November in Australia and this is going to be a real test for Sri Lanka cricket team Dimuth Karunaratne and Dasun Shanaka will lead the Sri Lanka Test team and White ball team (ODI and ...
SRI LANKA CRICKET NEWS MAY 2022 Compiled by Victor Melder Sri Lanka Cricket is planning to conduct Sri Lanka ‘A and Australia ‘A’ cricket series concurrently with Sri Lanka- Australia National cricket series from next June and its confirmed by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Chief Executive officer (CEO) Ashely de Silva yesterday. Australia’s National men’s cricket team will arrive in Sri Lanka to play all format cricket series which will work off from June 7 to July 12 while in this same period we have made arrangements to conduct Sri Lanka ‘A’ and Australia ‘A’ cricket series here. Sri Lanka ‘A’ cricket series itinerary has already finalized and it will announce very soon, said CEO Ashley de Silva. Earlier SLC has released their National cricket itinerary of the series against Australia. SLC CEO Ashley de Silva further said “We are in for some exciting cricket, especially considering that an ...
