West Indies batsmen stable after spin duo Permaul, Warrican ran through formidable Sri Lanka batting line up been 113 for 1 wicket O/V – by Sunil Thenabadu (sports editor – eLanka) Photo Source:newsday.co.tt   Chief Scores”   West Indies 69 for 1 (Blackwood 44, Brathwaite 22*, Bonner 1*, Jayawickrama 1-11) trail Sri Lanka 204 (Nissanka 73, Karunaratne 42, Permaul 5-35, Warrican 4-50) by 135 runs    Rain permitted for barely half a day’s play on the second day of the second and final Test in Galle, but West Indies took big steps in the direction of squaring the series in that short time. Following a morning session that produced nine Sri Lankan wickets for just 91 runs, West Indies came up with a solid batting display after lunch, bringing the disparity to 135 runs for the loss of only Jermaine Blackwood’s wicket before the rain came. Kraig Brathwaite was unbeaten on 22 off 77 ...

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Lasith Embuldeniya 5- 46  aids Sri Lanka beat threatening rain and West Indies – By Sunil Thenabadu (sports editor – eLanka) Photo source: daily news ( https://www.dailynews.lk/2021/11/25/sports/265652/sl-vs-wi-test-match-sri-lanka-wins-187-runs ) Chief Scores   Sri Lanka 386 (Karunaratne 147, Chase 5-83) and 191 for 4 dec (Karunaratne 83, Mathews 69*) beat West Indies 230 (Jayawickrama 4-40) and 160 (Bonner 68*, Embuldeniya 5-46) by 187 runs  Nkrumah Bonner scoffed Sri Lanka for 173 balls on day five, Joshua Da Silva joined him for a 100-run, (44.4-over stand) , but even though the sky was swaying with drab clouds, rain did not come until minutes after Sri Lanka took the last wicket to seal victory in Galle.  Having swept through West Indies’ top order on the fourth evening, Sri Lanka’s spinners were made to sweat on day five, bowling 48.3 overs for the last four wickets. Offspinner Ramesh Mendis had begun the day with four wickets to his name,but could not add ...

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Sri Lanka vs West Indies – 1st Test – Nov 2021 – Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka and Dhananjaya de Silva frustrate West Indies – by Sunil Thenabadu (sports editor – eLanka)   Chief Scores :Sri Lanka 267 for 3 (Karunaratne 132*, de Silva 56*, Nisaanka 56 Chase 2/42 ) Dimuth Karunaratne kneeled down in the tricky first session, scored more confidently in the afternoon, and then pressed home Sri Lanka’s advantage in the evening, to go to stumps at 132 off 265 balls in his first Test since May. Pathum Nissanka and Dhananjaya De Silva made contrasting fifties, to help their captain saved the day with big stands. On a surface that is expected to dry out and take turn by day three, Sri Lanka’s 267 for 3 represents a substantial advantage for the hosts. West Indies will lament for a number of close and missed chances, none greater than the dropped ...

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Charith Asalanka deprived of his TEST CAP though was the highest run getter in the ICC T20 WC – by Sunil Thenabadu (sports editor – eLanka)   It is unfortunate as is deprived of his first TEST CAP in the first Test against scheduled to begin at the Galle International cricket stadium in Galle today Sunday. Charith Asalanka, who was Sri Lanka’s highest run-scorer in the recently concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, will not play for the first Test against West Indies, which will commence today (21) in Galle.In a press conference Dimuth Karunarane the skipper had said he will open with Pathum Nissanka whuile Dinesh Chandimal will keep wickets, which means that promising left-handed batsman Minod Bhanuka also misses out… ...

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Dimuth to lead Sri Lanka in Test Series against West Indies – Sunil Thenabadu (Sports editor – eLanka) Opener Dimuth Karunaratne  sans any surprise has been preserved as the captain to lead Sri Lanka for the two-test series against West Indies which is scheduled to begin from November 21 at the Galle Cricket Stadium.Both Tests are scheduled to be played at The Galle International Cricket Stadium  The national selectors who are strongly contemplating on young talent have elected newcomers in dashing batsmen Charith Asalanka, Kamil Mishara, and leg spinner Suminda Lakshan and seamer Chamika Gunesekara based on their domestic performance to reinforce the team which was not performing well in the recent past. The other highlight of this squad is that there are ten specialised batsmen, two all-rounders and four spin bowlers while six fast bowlers are drafted in to keep the options wide open for selection.  The batting department is spearheaded ...

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Dickwella, Gunathilake and Mendis given a pardon, permitted to play in domestic cricket- Lanka Premier League to commence on 5th December  By sunil Thenabadu (sports editor-eLanka) Banned Sri Lanka cricketers  for misconduct for breaking the Bio-Bubble while touring England with SL team Niroshan Dickwella, Dhanushka Gunathilaka and Kusal Mendis in June this year have got a reprieve  before their one year ban period expired have been granted permission to play in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) that will have top players both overseas and local in action when it begins on December 5 in Sri Lanka.  The three players were banned from both international and domestic cricket and fined Rs.10 million each at a time they were also involved in a pay dispute with Sri Lanka Cricket.  The squads:  Jaffna Kings: Faf du Plessis, Thisara Perera, Wahab Riaz, Wanindu Hasaranga, Shoaib Malik, Usman Shinwari, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Avishka Fernando, Upul Tharanga, Chaturanga de Silva, ...

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An inspirational campaign with piles of positives by our young T 20 team – By Sunil Thenabadu (Sports editor – eLanka) The national cricket team journeyed back home on Friday night having been away for approximately a calendar month and their showing during the seventh edition of the ICC T-20 World Cup held successfully in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai organised to precision which even the pessimistic fans commended and endorsed the performance by beating the formidable West Indians the reigning champions in the sixth edition with so many famous names. Sri Lanka former champions in year 2014 and twice runners up of course had little impetus behind them when they left the island having been whitewashed by touring South Africa 3-0 at our own backyard. home. It is pertinent to quote that more than half the members in the tour party had played less than a handful of T-20 Internationals and there ...

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SRI LANKA CRICKET NEWS (OCTOBER 2021) Compiled by Victor Melder Minod Bhanuka, Ramesh Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Lakshan Sandakan and Ashen Bandara have been added to Sri Lanka’s original squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup – announced mid-September. Lahiru Madhushanka, who was named in the original squad will not travel with the team as he is recovering from an injury. Reserve-keeper Minod Bhanuka and the two batsmen – Ramesh Mendis and Pathum Nissanka – were part of Sri Lanka’s recent home series defeat to South Africa in August. They came away with underwhelming performances and were omitted from the initial squad. Ashen Bandara last played a month before at home in the series win against India, while Lakshan Sandakan’s previous outing for the national side came in July in England. Neither made a big enough mark to be considered initially, but Sri Lanka have now added to their squad, which ...

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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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Charith Asalanka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa flay Bangladeshi attack with raining sixes to win by five wickets – by Sunil Thenabadu (eLanka Sports editor). Chief Scores:  Sri Lanka 172 for 5 (Asalanka 80*, Rajapaksa 53, Shakib 2-17) beat Bangladesh 171 for 4 (Naim 62, Mushfiqur 57*) by five wickets with seven balls to spare  The first of the second phase clash between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Group 1 in the ICC WC T20 tournament was played as a day match in Sharjah  in very hot conditions in front of many enthusiastic supporters of both countries. Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka having won the flip invited Bangladesh to bat first.The skipper of the Bangladesh Mahamudulla Reyal said that if he had won the toss they were to bat first,Sri Lanka and Bangladesh made one change each from the team that played in the final match in the Group stage matches.Sri Lanka rested the main destroyer Maheesh ...

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