Chamari Athapaththu named BBL Player of the tournament confounding Australian non-believers. Sri Lanka skipper does her country proud. – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE.  (eLanka Sports editor). There have been many adages about never giving up if you want to succeed, but Chamari Athapaththu took it a step further by not just proving the experts wrong. She rubbed it in to the non-believers with a magnificent BBL campaign and claimed the tournaments biggest honour.  Sri Lanka’s Superstar,  who has time and again ripped apart the best bowling attacks in the world, was in breathtaking form in Australia’s premier competition for Sydney Thunder earning the award as the WBBL/09 Player of the tournament.  Her consistency with bat and ball made her a standout shading even Australia’s best including the likes of Elyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Ashley Gardner and the rest which included some of the best exponents from around the world.  ...

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Shanaka and Pathirana double blow will test Sri Lanka resolve. – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE.  (eLanka Sports editor) Injuries to Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka and young paceman Matheesha Pathirana has worsened injury stricken Sri Lanka’s chances of making it past the first round.  And while the Wolves baying for Shanaka’s blood will feel vindicated about derailing their country’s progress and still expecting success, it does nothing in my opinion to enhance their chances of progressing any further. It definitely underlines a divisive nation expecting success to meet their personal gain. This goes against the grain of the best teams that have represented that country.  Sri Lanka have shown fight in defeat in the last two games despite battling the odds to field their best line-up. Injuries have dessimated  a once formidable team who have gone through an extended rebuilding process.  But agendas among the outer with vested interests,  ...

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DUSHAN HEMANTHA AND MATHEESHA TO MAKE ODI DEBUT TODAY IN FIRST ODI – By Sunil Thenabadu Source : info-rain Dasun hints of two ODI debuts tomorrow Fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana and Spinner Dushan Hemantha are likely to make ODI debut against Afghanistan according to Sri Lanka Skipper Dasun Shanaka. ...

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Chamari Athapaththu leads Lanka to stunning upset in World Cup opener over hosts South Africa.  – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE  Chamari Athapaththu found timely form to blast South Africa into submission as the Sri Lankans provided the first upset of the Women’s World Cup.  In the curtain raiser designed to kick- start the host nation’s hopes of lifting the prestigious event, South Africa reckoned without the dynamic Sri Lanka skipper whose form on the recent past has not been upto her lofty capability.  Athapaththu smashed a player-of-the-match 68 off 50 balls to get Sri Lanka to a par total of 130 before Sri Lanka’s spinners led by Inika Ranaweera 3 for 18 off four economical overs aided by Inoka Ranasinghe 2 for 20 off 4, and Sugandika Kumari 2 for 28 off 4, strangled the strong South African batting as the visitors clung on to a pulsating and famous ...

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Shanaka dazzles in a losing effort. Sri Lanka fall in first one-dayer – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE (eLanka Sports editor) Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka continues his purple patch with the bat but his unbeaten century in a losing effort underlined the inconsistency of his team. When the bowlers produce great economy the batters let them down. This time it was the opposite as the fully represented Indian batting sent them on a leather hunt after being invited to bat first.  Chasing 373 was a daunting target from the outset. But the Sri Lanka batters for once took on the challenge but fell short by 67 runs. Shanaka has been widely and unfairly criticised for his leadership in the shorter formats. But the purists fail to see or acknowledge his success rate which has been the best since the days of their great leaders of the past,  Mahela Jayawardena ...

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Whirlwind Shanaka rocks Aussies – by Trevine Rodrigo (Melbourne – eLanka Sports editor) https://www.elanka.com.au/watch-cricket-highlights-sri-lanka-vs-australia-t20-series-june-2022/ If there was a performance that exemplified the adage “glorious uncertainties of cricket” it was given profound meaning by Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka who single-handedly steered his country to an unlikely win over Australia at Pallekelle. The high riding Aussies who had clean swept the Lankans in Colombo to take an unassailable series lead and was on course for a clean sweep of the three game contest, reckoned without Shanaka, who bludgeoned the hitherto feared attack to all parts of Sri Lanka’s Hill country for a 25 ball 54 that will live long in the minds of those who watched his epic knock apart from the shell shocked Aussies.  Marcus Stonis possibly summed up the outcome best by saying “We probably got ahead of ourselves”, not expecting Sri Lanka to chase down what seemed like an ...

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