Asitha Fernando gets Top UK Cricket deal – By Sunil Thenabadu Source : info-rain Sri Lankan fast bowler Asitha Fernando has reportedly agreed to a deal to play county cricket in the United Kingdom (UK) this season. According to cricket sources, he is likely to sign with Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club to play the England and Wales Cricket Board’s County Championship competition in September. The deal is important for cricketer Asitha Fernando as Sri Lanka does not play test cricket during this season this year.Sri Lanka is also scheduled to tour England next year as part of the Test Championship. Meanwhile, retired Sri Lankan fast bowler Suranga Lakmal is also currently playing in the UK county championship for Derbyshire County Cricket Club. (NewsWire) ...

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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. ...

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A team mate, a brother and a dear friend-by Rex Clementine in Bangalore Chairman of selectors Pramodya Wickremasinghe and Consultant Coach Mahela Jayawardene in conversation during last year’s T20 World Cup Source:Island Decorated Army General Shavendra Silva some time back was appointed as the Chairman of the National Selection Committee. The role of this committee is to oversee the appointments of selection committees to all sports that are under the Ministry of Sports. He didn’t have many issues dealing with the appointments, but when it came to cricket there was a bone of contention. The Cricket Advisory Committee moved full steam ahead backing Pramodaya Wickramasinghe while the National Olympic Committee raised objections. NOC argued that while there’s no issue with Wicky being part of the Selection Panel, it was pointed out that Chairman of Selectors had to be a person of stature, preferably a former captain. There were heated arguments. ...

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A tale of contrasts? – by Trevine Rodrigo (Melbourne – eLanka Sports editor) Photo source: Sportskeeda India’s batsmen revelled at Bengaluru but  Sri Lanka made it look like their turn to bat was at  another venue. Sad but true, Sri Lanka are far away from being competitive against anyone close to the the  best.  Actually very far. Sad as it sounds, catching up with where they once belonged not so long ago in world standings,  is a long, long way from where they need to be. And getting there,  seems a long, long way away.  Quite unlike in the past, Sri Lanka is in an uncertain transition trying to claw their way back to where their predecessors belonged. The expectation from this cricket mad country is high among its millions of fans. But the trough they are in at the moment is far too deep at this stage for them ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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SRI LANKA CRICKET NEWS(FEBRUARY 2022) Compiled by Victor Melder       Former Sri Lanka Test Captain Suranga Lakmal has informed Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) that he will retire from all forms of International Cricket following the completion of the upcoming Sri Lanka Tour of India 2022, the SLC said today. “I’m indebted to Sri Lanka Cricket for giving me this astonishing opportunity and having faith in me to bring back my mother land honour as it has been absolute pleasure to be associated with the board that shaped my professional life and also enriched my personal development,” said Lakmal in his retirement letter submitted to Sri Lanka Cricket. “I have nothing but the utmost respect for all my players, coaches, team managers, support staff, administrative staff and all other supportive staff,’’ Lakmal has said further. Suranga Lakmal played for Sri Lanka across all international formats, making valuable contributions to ...

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Charith Asalanka receives Test cap – by Sunil Thenabadu (sports editor – eLanka) Photo source: dailynews.lk Charith Asalanka who was Sri Lanka’s highest scorer in the recently concluded ICC T20 WC missed out on a TEST cap in the First Test against the visiting West Indies team as there was no vacancy for a batsman in the team as the eleven selected were well balanced.Howver Charith got his chance in the ongoing second Test as the selectors opted to include him at the expense of Dushmantha Chameera with Angelo Mathews to open with Suranga Lakmal.  Sri Lanka’s 157th Test player Charith Asalanka who got Test status on the 29th  November received  his Test cap from Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne just before the start of the second Test. Sri Lanka Manager Manuja Kariyapperuma with head coach Mickey Arthur and team members watching. ...

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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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Sri Lanka off to robust start but Dimuth skips World Record – by Sunil Thenabadu (sports editor – eLanka) Chief Scores: Sri Lanka 113 for 1 wicket. in 34.4 overs Pathum Nissanak 61 * Dimuth Karunaratne 42  There was dissatisfaction and annoyance as skipper Dimuth Karunaratne unexploited out on the prospect of matching the World Record for most consecutive half-centuries in Test cricket by just eight runs yesterday, but Sri Lanka did well to reach 113 for one at stumps in a rain-curtailed day where only 34.4 overs were bowled. Rain had washed out the first two sessions of the Test match and play got underway only after tea with 45 overs scheduled but after 34.4 overs when  the umpires suspended play with 30 minutes left when the light faded. Dimuth had been in pretty good nick this year and he missed out on the milestone when he offered a return ...

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