Hasaranga’s Heroic Return: Sri Lanka Crushes Zimbabwe in One-Day Series with Dominant Performance – By TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE.  (eLanka Sports editor) Image source: © ICC 2023 | Courtesy of ICC | Media Zone Access by Trevine Rodrigo (eLanka) (taken form media article from ICC: Hasaranga and Gardner voted ICC Players of the Month for June ) Wannindu Hasarsnga celebrated his return to international cricket after being sidelined with injury for eight months by wrecking Zimbabwe with a seven wicket haul in an eight wicket thrashing in Colombo. Hasarsnga was almost unplayable, producing a mesmerising spell in which he claimed 7 for 19 off 5.5 overs, leaving the Zimbabwe batters all at sea as they crashed to 96 all out in 22.5 overs. Sri Lanka skipper Kusal Mendis then led  the spirited run chase as they scurried to the under par target in 16.4 overs. Image source: © ICC 2023 ...

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Will Cricket add to Olympics   Source :  dailynews Cricket’s long Olympic exile could finally come to an end this week when Games chiefs meet in Mumbai to finalise the programme for Los Angeles 2028. Twenty-eight sports are already confirmed on the schedule but cricket was one of five new sports formally proposed for inclusion by organisers for the Games on Monday. The International Cricket Council’s proposal is for men’s and women’s Twenty20 competitions — the shortest form of the international game. “We are delighted that LA28 have recommended cricket for inclusion in the Olympics,” ICC chairman Greg Barclay said. “Whilst this is not the final decision, it is a very significant landmark towards seeing cricket at the Olympics for the first time in more than a century.” If it makes the cut, it would be the first time cricket has featured since 1900, when a team from Britain beat a ...

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Cricket Pitch Invasions: Contrasting Reactions in Different Times – By Michael Roberts Source : thuppahis If memory serves me right Terry Alderman injured himself when he tackled a lone Aussie pitch-invader on one occasion. Johnny Baisow isa sturdy Yorkshireman and he had no problems carting off …..yes “carting off” …. a slim intruder at the holy-of-holies ground known as “The Lords.” When Terry Aldermand tackled an Aussie intruder at …. he was not as efficient: he injured himself. Both these energetic policing actions stand in contrast to the calm, cool and collected responses of fielders, umpires and batsmen at the Kennington Oval when a bunch of Sri Lankan Tamil protestors (migrants all) rushed onto the grounds in display of their political cause on the 11th June 1975. ph above. The umpires were (are) as calm as can be. So, too, are the Sri Lankan fielders and Aussie batsmen. Indeed, Mevan Pieris ...

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Dilshan scoops out irritating incidents – by Sunil Thenabadu Just after the illustrious cricketing career which spanned for nearly two decades performing yeoman service as an all-rounder in all formats of the game to the country, TM Dilshan the inventor/ architect of the “Dilscoop” cricket stroke that embossed his patent on the most talked about new stroke in cricket was interviewed in an discussion over a popular TV channel for 1 ½ hours. This had been eagerly watched my millions of his cricket fans with utmost passion. The presenter aptly added that Dilshan is the most talked about and trendiest person in the country subsequent to quitting the game.  Even Dilshan himself may not have known that he had such abundant crazy fans scattered island wide. The fans thronged to the Pallekelle International stadium as well as the R.Premadasa International stadium in their colossal figures to accord him a supreme exit. The style ...

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Sri Lanka’s First International Cricket Half-Century – By Vinod Moonesinghe Source : roar.media On 5 September 1832, a notice appearing in the Colombo Journal inviting “gentlemen who may be inclined towards forming a Cricket Club” to attend a meeting at the Colombo Library three days later, resulted in the formation of the Colombo Cricket Club (C.C.C.). Shortly after, the first recorded cricket match in Sri Lanka took place between the C.C.C. and the British 97th Regiment of Foot (now the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment), on the Rifle Green in Slave Island. The C.C.C. faded away afterward, but revived in 1863. Ethnic Cricket The players on both sides were all White British—in fact, the C.C.C. remained European-only until 1962. British planters formed the Radella Club (officially Dimbula Athletic and Cricket Club) in 1856, and the Darawella Club (Dickoya Maskeliya Cricket Club) in 1868—which year saw the first Dimbulla-Dickoya cricket encounter. Other, all-European outstations clubs, such as ...

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Australian cricketer enters record books with 309 off 140 balls Steffan Nero of Australia bats during the International Cricket Inclusion Series match against New Zealand in Brisbane. Photograph: Albert Perez/Getty Images for Cricket Australia Source:Theguardian Blind national team player Steffan Nero betters 24-year benchmark Wicketkeeper-batter averages 523 at inclusion series in Brisbane Australian blind cricket team opener Steffan Nero has smashed a longstanding world record with an astonishing unbeaten 309 off 140 balls at the International Cricket Inclusion Series. The wicketkeeper-batter’s triple century broke the previous benchmark of 262 not out, set by Pakistan’s Masood Jan at the 1998 Blind Cricket World Cup. “It’s a dream in itself to play for Australia so to make a century for Australia is one of those lifelong memories you will never forget,” Nero said after making his third straight century at the tournament in Brisbane. It followed knocks of 113 (off 46 balls) and 101 not out ...

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Shane Warne – A cricketing genius – by Sanjeewa Jayaweera   Source:island.lk There are great cricketers for whom cricket lovers worldwide have a feeling of deep affection and respect. This feeling of affection is unique in that it is while they are still playing international cricket, scoring runs and taking wickets even against the team you support and not when retired from the game. There is not even a whiff of controversy surrounding such cricketers either in terms of how they conduct themselves on the cricket field or outside. They are often cited as great ambassadors of the game and their country and looked upon as budding cricketers’ role models. The criteria being they were exceptional players with unblemished reputations. In the last half a century, cricketers like David Gower, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and our own Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara would be included in the list. We also ...

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Richardson eyes international return in Sri Lanka – by Jack Paynter Source:cricket.com.au The West Australian quick has inked a new two-year deal with the Perth Scorchers as he sets his sights on a return to the Australian side during the tour of Sri Lanka in June Pace ace Jhye Richardson is targeting a return to international cricket during Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka in June after being rested from the current Test series in Pakistan. Richardson was left out of the squad for the Pakistan tour as selectors opt for a long-term approach with their young quick, and after watching the Aussies claim just four wickets in the first Test, he said he remains comfortable with the decision to skip the series. The 25-year-old express paceman has battled a shoulder injury during his short career and more recently shin soreness that ruled him out of the Boxing Day Test after ...

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ICC delegates front foot no ball calling to third Umpire via technology By Sunil Thenabadu(Sports editor – elanka) The issue of the head umpire in calling no balls correctly had been found to be grave as it has been proved that it is difficult to call no balls correctly instantly. It has been reported that most umpires have failed to call correctly as it had been noticed that when a batsman is dismissed it has been the practice the umpire to check the no ball via technology of the third umpire. It had been proved that on some occurrences the head umpire had missed calling the no ball which had resulted in recalling the dismissed batsman back causing some delay and panic. The authorities of the International Cricket Conference have prudently taken this wise decision to allow the head umpire to do his duties in a less colossal manner entrusting him to call no balling other than for front foot overstepping. ...

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Sri Lanka’s fortunes are on the rise despite limited success – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE Photo source: CricketAddictor ( https://cricketaddictor.com/icc-t20-wc-2021/icc-t20-world-cup-2021-sri-lanka-announces-15-member-squad-for-the-tournament/ ) Sri Lanka’s attempt to resurrect its dying image as a force in international cricket hit a vital stumbling block when they squandered a chance to topple South Africa in the T20 World Cup in Sharjah. But all is not lost as a mostly inexperienced outfit showed grit in a last over disaster to warn the rest of the world that they are well on the way back to being respected and feared as they were during the reign of Arjuna Ranatunge, Sanath Jayasuriya, Aravinda De Silva, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Tillekeratne Dilshan and a few others who had them riding the crest of a wave during their time with the Island nation. Sliding down to the embarrassing depths of having to qualify for the Super 12’s, the Lankans romped ...

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