Sri Lankan Cricket Team’s Test Matches vs Netherlands and vs Denmark in 1975-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis Sri Lanka did not secure ICC cricket status till mid-1981. An important step in the progress towards this entitlement was the tour of England in mid-1975 with KMT Perera as Manager and Anura Tennekoon as skipper. The details of this tourcan be found in Michael Roberts & Alfred James: Crosscurrents. Sri Lanka and Australia at Cricket, Sydney, Walla Walla Press & Mobitel, 1998, pp. 88-94. Seated l-to-r David Heyn, Anura Tennekoon, KMT Perera. Mihael Tissera, Ranjit Fernando Standing l-to-r Duleep Mendis, Lalith Kaluperuma,  Sunil Wettimuny,  Tony Opatha, HSM Pieris,  DS de Silva, Dennis Chanmugam, Anura Ranasinghe, Bandula Warnapura What is little known, however, is the fact that the same squad played two Test Matches  …. Yes, Test Matches …. against the Netherlands and against Denmark as a tack-on after the exacting ODI games in England. This aspect of the tour ...

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Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs furious after the batting debacle against India scoring only 55 runs, then losing to Afghanistan by 7 wickets – By  Sunil Thenabadu After this disastrous batting display against India collapsing for a paltry 55 runs ,thereafter to Afghanistan by seven wickets , to console the irritated fuming cricket fanatics very appropriately the Minister of sports and youth affairs Roshan Abeysinghe had requested the President and the supporting staff of the Sri Lanka Cricket to resign immediately before he takes drastic action. The Minster of sports and youth affairs Roshan Ranasinghe via his media division has expressed his discontentment on the dismal performance of our cricket team once again in the hands of India losing the WC encounter by a massive margin of 302 runs the worst defeat inflicted on Sri Lanka since participating in  all world cups from year 1975.The defeat recently has made all ...

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Sri Lankan Gullivers facing Cricketing Goliaths in 1975 Source:Thuppahis Nicholas Brookes, in The Cricket Monthly, …. where the title is “Brave As Loons, Poor as Mice,” …. with highlighting emphasis inserted by The Editor, Thuppahi In 1975 the Sri Lankan cricket team had never toured outside Asia. But those who’d been paying attention would have known that their inclusion as one of the eight teams competing in the World Cup that year was well earned. In the past 18 months they’d dismissed West Indies for 119, fallen 17 runs short of victory in Pakistan and had the better of a drawn game against India. ...

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Murderous bowling of Jeff Thompson against Sri Lanka in the First World Cup series match between Australia and Sri Lanka at the Oval in June 1975   ” 6.48 minutes into the video you see me getting hit. I took 6 blows from him on my body. Still he didn’t get me out. Retired hurt at 53. Next to me is Duleep getting hit on the head” – “Sunil Wettimuny” …………… How Sri Lanka showed grit and displayed a ‘never say die’ attitude against the murderous bowling of Jeff Thompson and Dennis Lillie in  the First ICC World Cup series match between Australia and Sri Lanka played at the Oval in June 1975. The defiant and gallant batting of Sunil Wettimuny who scored a heroic 53 (retired hurt), Duleep Mendis, Ranjit Fernando, Bandula Warnapura, Anura Tennekoon, and Michael Tissera earned for them and Sri Lanka a place at the High ...

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A Historic Flight Revisited!-by S. Skandakumar George Steuarts hierarchy  S. Skandakumar, Bernard Wijetunga, R. Muralidharan and Cricket Board Secretary Anura Tennekoon address a media briefing organized to promote another event ahead of the 1996 World Cup. Source:Island The semi-final was over around 10 pm at Eden Gardens in Calcutta. Unruly crowd behaviour by shocked fans, when all was lost for India , ended in the Match Referee Clive Lloyd awarding the game to Sri Lanka on that Tuesday night,   the 14th of March 1996. I managed to get through to Cricket Board’s President Ana Punchihewa in the players dressing room, to convey congratulations and retired to bed truly happy!  We had qualified to play Australia in the Wills World Cup final, in Lahore on Friday the 17th. Shortly after midnight, I heard a knock on my front door. Bernard Wijetunge and Channa Wijemanne, two of the Directors of our Travel ...

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Sri Lanka invent cricket’s new “Domino effect” Clueless and unprepared team succumb to relentless Aussie pace – By TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE   Sri Lanka’s visit to Australia after quite a spell delivered the worst ever performance in Test cricket since they were given Test status in 1982 as they meekly succumbed to an unforgettable demolition job performed on them that will remain in their memory for several decades. Their embarrassing performance after India toweled the Australians at home underlined the gulf between the best and the rest as the fifth placed Aussies made their one rung lower opponent feel that they belonged in the dungeons of the world game. The pathetic batting display by a weak-kneed outfit bereft of proper technique and urgently needing a psychological assessment about what courage and commitment means sent shockwaves through their supporters who were in disbelief at what an ordinary show they could ...

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Duleep’s grit and courage – need of the hour – by Rex Clementine Source: The Island It was on a day like this, 43 years ago, Sri Lankan cricket made its biggest impact in the world stage. The six full members of the ICC were automatic choices for the 1975 World Cup and in a bid to make up the numbers, Sri Lanka and a team comprising cricketers from East Africa were invited to play the inaugural event. The quality of Sri Lankan cricket was displayed on this day at The Oval against an Australian side comprising the Chappell brothers, Dennis Lille, Jeff Thomson and others. A century by Alan Turner and half-centuries by Rick McCosker, Greg Chappell, and Doug Walters had propelled Australia to a total of 328. Many would have thought that Sri Lanka had little chance. But they did well; reaching 150 for two and needed 179 runs ...

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