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 ...
Blog Archives
Hot Hot Cricket News from Sri Lanka-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis Victor Melder’s COMPILATION, end of February 2023 The Department of Sports Development (DSD) has decided to call for nominations through a newspaper advertisement for the 2023 Sri Lanka Cricket Selection Committee. This followed a high-level discussion led by Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe with the participation of officials of the National Sports Council and the National Sports Selection Committee (NSSC) on Monday. The newspaper notice inviting nominations to the Cricket Selection Committee will be published in the next few days, Amal Edirisooriya, Director General of DSD told the ‘Daily Mirror’. ...
Jaffna Kings – Galle Gladiators clash in LPL curtain raiser-by Dhammika Ratnaweera Source:Dailynews The third edition of the Lanka Premier League ( LPL) cricket tournament will commence today ) at three venues Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium Hambantota, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium and R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. This is the first time LPL the main franchise cricket tournament of Sri Lanka will be conducted at three venues Hambantota, Pallekele and Colombo and five teams will battle it out for this tournament which will commence today from Hambantota Said Tournament Director Samantha Dodanwela. Five teams Colombo Stars, Aura Dambulla ,Galle Gladiators, Jaffna Kings and Kandy Falcons will compete in this tournament which attracts several international players from West Indies, England, Afghanistan, Netherlands, Pakistan, and New Zealand. ...
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 ...
The Cliff-hanger Match at Khettarama: Reflections …. the Day After-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis The fourth ODI held at Khettarama on the June, as we know, was magnificent match …and a cliff-hanger. With the benefit of a night’s sleep, I can venture on a more considered commentary. Cricket is a great leveller is it not!! The skipper Dasun Shanaka had jolted the world with a heroic innings of the Maxwell variety in the second ODI at Palleakele. But, here, at Khettarama in the 4th ODI, he proved to be a lemon: running between the wickets like a novice …. with the first run taken in a dawdling manner, he was run-out at a crucial time. ...
Sri Lanka in shambles in second Test – by Rex Clementine in Bangalore source:island.lk India have not just got the world’s best franchise tournament, they also have a robust Test team and Sri Lanka with a bloated First Class system were no match for the hosts as they were heading for a heavy defeat in the second Test here in Bangalore inside three days. You can pardon Sri Lanka’s players for not being fit to hold a candle to the Indians as their opponents’ skill levels are far superior. But what is unpardonable is their mindless selections and sloppy cricket. Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Mendis are making a comeback since being suspended and a close look would tell you that they have learned little although they have been doing time for more than six months. On the first day’s play, Mendis walked out to the field wearing a floppy ...
India crumble SL by innings and 222 runs Source:dailynews.lk Hosts India defeated Sri Lanka by an innings and 222 runs inside three days in the opening test at Mohali on Sunday( yesterday) to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.Rohit Sharma’s captaincy tenure in the longest format of the game kicked off with India’s remarkable win in Mohali. Sri Lanka made 178 in their second innings after getting bundled out for 174 in the first. India, who declared their first innings on 574-8, enforced the follow-on. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who scored an unbeaten 175, picked up four wickets in the second innings for a match haul of nine. Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took 4-47. R. Ashwin celebrates with Rohit Sharma after picking up Lahiru Thirimanne’s wicket. After bundling out Sri Lanka for 174, India decided to enforce follow on as the tourists trailed by 400 runs. The visitors put ...
Why Sri Lanka will be no push-overs for India – by Trevine Rodrigo (eLanka Sports editor) (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images) Source:theroar.com.au Doomsayers in Sri Lanka are bracing themselves for a whitewash by the Indians in the two-Test series, but I have a gut feeling that the tourists will be no pushovers. Dimuth Karunaratne leads a Sri Lankan outfit unusually sitting at the top of World Test Championship rankings currently in its infancy. The Lankans are a team looking for resurgence and they are stacked with a blend of youth and experience. But expert predictions strongly suggest they will be blown away by the powerful Indians led for the first time by Rohit Sharma. The emotional attachment by Indian fans celebrating former skipper and cult hero Virat Kohi’s 100th Test may lift the home team and fend off any possible challenge. India will be in the process of evolution under ...
Sri Lanka on the up again in world cricket – by Trevine Rodrigo Sri Lanka and the rest of the world have dawned on the realization that the Island nation are no quitters. Written off, and supposedly resigned to a clean sweep again, and against a sub par Australian line-up, the Lankans showed spirit and grit to reverse the tide leaving with a unlikely win in the final game throwing Win-Wiz and all betting agencies into turmoil. What is most pleasing is that the cricketing world is seeing a resurgence of Sri Lanka cricket which has deteriorated to a point of concern recently. Yes, they beat an unconcerned Australia who had already clinched the series and more, but from a Sri Lankan perspective, it was a small step towards getting back to the pedestal of world cricket where they were not so long ago. Dasun Shanaka is a revelation ...
Sri Lanka lift international ban on trio Niroshan Dickwella is one of three Sri Lankans whose international bans have been cut short. Credit: AAP Source:Thewest Three Sri Lanka cricketers who broke COVID-19 movement restrictions while on tour in England last year have had their suspensions from the international game lifted. Sri Lanka Cricket said it had agreed to reprieve wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella and top-order batsmen Danushka Gunathilaka and Kusal Mendis, who were given 12-month suspensions. ...
