Sri Lanka clip the wings of flying Dutchmen to enter Super 12’s. – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE (eLanka Sports Editor) It was a game not for the faint hearted as Sri Lanka made heavy work of an assignment meant to be a formality before advancing to the Super 12’s against a spirited Netherlands.  The highly rated Lankans did nothing to let the rest of the world sit up and take notice and be excited of what to expect from  them as their batters struggled to come to grips with the two paced wicket at Kardinia Park before scrambling to safety and finally able to post a defendable score. The Papare band blared, the fans were over exuberant as the norm, but the early mood in the air was one of trepidation and anxiety about the unknown as they scratched and struggled to 36 for 2 off the first 6.4 overs. ...

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Sri Lanka crush UAE at T20 World Cup despite Meiyappan hat-trick Source:Dailymirror Karthik Meiyappan lit up the Twenty20 World Cup with a hat-trick Tuesday but it was in vain as Sri Lanka dismissed the United Arab Emirates for just 73 to get their campaign back on track. The Asian champions were stunned by Namibia in the tournament’s opening game on Sunday, a crushing 55-run defeat that left no room for error against the UAE. They responded with a convincing 79-run victory, but not before some drama. Sri Lanka were cruising at 117-2 at Geelong when spin bowler Meiyappan derailed their plans in the 15th over, removing Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Charith Asalanka and skipper Dasun Shanaka in successive balls. ...

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Pride of the Lion’s in main frame for some fireworks at T20 World Cup – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE (eLanka Sports editor) Sri Lanka warmed up to a beautiful Melbourne spring day at the MCG and soon sounded out their intentions for the upcoming World Cup T20 tournament in Australia with a convincing 33-run win over Zimbabwe.  Fresh from a successful Asia Cup triumph, the Lankans showed no signs of letting up in different conditions by quickly adapting to the bouncier and quicker wickets here, as they rev up preparations to get through the qualifiers before the big event commencing on October 16. Early indications suggest that the flighty Lankans will trouble some of the top teams and although it seems far fetched at this stage, they certainly can emulate their previously seemingly improbable Asia Cup success.  Although warm up games don’t usually carry the same significance,  it gives some indication ...

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Three replacements for Sri Lanka Asia Cup squad-by Dhammika Ratnaweera Source:Dailynews Three replacements have been named in the 20-man cricket squad for the six nation Asia Cup T20 cricket tournament which will commence on August 27 in Dubai. The selection committee headed by Pramodya Wickramasinghe has picked a 20-member squad (17-player squad and three stand-by players) and Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe has given his approval to this squad. Two players who were originally named pacemen Binura Fernando and Kasun Rajitha got injured during the recently concluded SLC Invitational T20 League tournament while Sri Lankan white ball format main strike bowler Dushmantha Chameera who was rested for the T20 invitational tournament once again got injured last Friday during the training and selectors named three replacements for Binura Fernando, Kasun Rajitha and Dushmantha Chameera. The selectors earlier named two replacements pace bowlers Asitha Fernando who was the best player of the recently ...

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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 ...

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Chandimal, Jayasuriya star as Sri Lanka stun Australia to level Test series – By AFP Debutant spinner Prabhat Jayasuriya takes a match haul of 12 wickets as Sri Lanka beat Australia by an innings Source : thenews.com.pk GALLE: Dinesh Chandimal’s maiden double century and a match haul of 12 wickets by debutant Prabhat Jayasuriya led Sri Lanka to an innings and 39-run thrashing of Australia in the second Test on Monday. Chandimal made an unbeaten 206 in Sri Lanka’s 554 all out, as the hosts managed a first innings lead of 190 in Galle. Jayasuriya, a left-arm spinner, then took six wickets to help dismiss Australia for 151 in the final session on day four as the hosts bounced back from their opening loss to end the series at 1-1. The tourists posted 364 with Steve Smith hitting an unbeaten 145 in the first innings but their batting faltered the second ...

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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 ...

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Andrew’s Review: Before the Galle Tests CommenceAndrew’s Review: Before the Galle Tests Commence-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis Andrew Fidel Fernando  in ESPNcricinfo, Tuesday/Wednesday On paper it’s been six years since the Australia men’s side were last in Sri Lanka for a Test tour, but somehow that 2016 tour seems a lifetime ago. Graham Ford was Sri Lanka’s coach then; Angelo Mathews still the captain. For Australia, it was pre-Sandpapergate. Adam Voges was a part of the middle order. If you’re a Sri Lanka fan, there was magic in the air. That was not a Sri Lanka side that should have won. Even their greatest teams have struggled against Australia and when they were bowled out for 117 in Pallekele on the first day of the tour, there was disappointment, but no major surprise. Sri Lanka seemed dead in a series that had only just begun. Five factors that could decide the Sri Lanka-Australia Test series Then, madness. Kusal Mendis played the innings of ...

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Pathum Nissanka century gives Sri Lanka 2-1 series lead vs Australia  Source:Dailymirror Pathum Nissanka’s magnificent century powered Sri Lanka to a six-wicket win in the third ODI of the five-match series against Australia on Sunday at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.  Nissanka scored 137 off 147 deliveries, finishing with 11 boundaries and two sixes. He was eventually dismissed by Jhye Richardson. Kusal Mendis was also set for a ton, but he had to retire hurt on 87.  Australia won the toss and elected to bat and Travis Head (70*) top scored with Aaron Finch (62) and Alex Carey (49) in support to give Australia a respectable total of 291/6 to defend – Jeffrey Vandersay 3-49 was the top wicket taker for Sri Lanka. ...

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India -Sri Lanka – by Trevine Rodrigo : Melbourne (eLanka Sports editor)   I predicted a spirited response from Sri Lanka against India, but they proved me so wrong as they stumbled and bumbled to a humiliating innings and 222 run thrashing at the hands of a dominant neighbour.  The wicket at Mohali appeared to be the dream track for batsmen as the Indians, led by swashbuckling Rishabh Pant (96), Hanuma Vihari (58), Virat Kholi (41), lower order batsman Ravindra Jadeja (175 not out) and Ravichandran Ashwin (61) bludgeoned a hapless Sri Lanka attack for over a day and a half  amassing 574 for 8 before letting the exhausted Lankans in to bat. The Lankans in their stint appeared to be clueless, turning what the Indians previously feasted on into an inexplicable minefield, as they hopped, probed and prodded their way to a measly 174 all out. How this game had ...

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