Monthly Archives: July 2017

Angelo Mathews: Highs and Lows … but still Potent

Andrew Fidel Fernando, courtesy of ESPNcricinfo, where the title reads Can Mathews arrest batting slump?”

Angelo Mathews, 30 years old, former captain, once the owner of a fearsome average, now merely a very good one, potentially a great batsman still, but man, the last 18 months have not been kind. For a player of such indisputable quality, it has been a strange decline.Remember how he had been in 2014 – that last great year of Sri Lankan cricket – when out of nowhere, he hit a harvest so golden, so irrepressible, that he bludgeoned attacks into pulp, nurdled without relent, left no advertising board unstung by his boundary hits, and even when off the field, probably coughed up, sneezed and exhaled runs.

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Filed under Andrew Fidel Fernando, Angelo Mathews, cricket and life, cricketing icons, cricketing records, English cricket, performance, Sangakkara, Sri Lanka Cricket, tower of strength

Herath and Ashwin and Finger-spin

Siddharth Mongia, courtesy of ESPNcricinfo, July 2917, where the title is “Making Finger spin great again

 

On July 2, 2009, Rangana Herath was about to go to his gym in Stoke-on-Trent in northern England. He was 31, a veteran of 94 first-class matches, but only 14 of them were Tests. He wasn’t really expecting to add to that tally any time soon.

herath on songNot yet an international cricketer, having made his IPL debut two months previously, R Ashwin was perhaps going through the previews to gear up to watch India play an ODI in the West Indies on July 3 and then the Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Galle from July 4. Continue reading

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“Opening Bats face Problems in Sri Lanka” says Rajesh Maestro

S. Rajesh in ESPNcricinfo, 21 July 2017, … Does Sri Lanka remain a tough country for openers?

Opening the batting is usually easier in Asia than in other parts of the world: the pitches and the conditions normally don’t offer as much by way of pace, bounce, seam and swing as they do elsewhere. However, Sri Lanka is one country that has consistently bucked that trend. The overhead conditions there have often been more favourable for swing, while the pitches too have had a bit by the way of pace and bounce. As a result, bowling with the new ball has usually been profitable, while openers have struggled.

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Filed under performance, Sri Lanka Cricket, unusual statistics

Adieu! Adieu! Dear Angelo, Dear Angelo

Rip Van Winkle

  My dear Angie,   I thought I must write to you because everyone is talking about you these days, especially after your team lost to Zimbabwe and you resigned from the captaincy. Cricket seems to have become the topic of conversation – more so than changes to the Constitution, the dengue epidemic or even SAITM! I suppose this is one of those moments when all about you are losing their heads and blaming it on you. It does appear as if there are many problems with cricket in Sri Lanka and that several others are responsible for them- but you are the one taking the rap, just because you happen to be the captain.

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Filed under cricket and life, cricket governance, cricketing icons, Lasith Malinga, player selections, politics and cricket, Sri Lanka Cricket, taking the mickey, unusual people

Harmanpreet Monster devours Australian Women

Jarrod Kimber, courtesy of ESPNcricinfo, 20 July 2017 where the title is  “Australia eaten by Harmanpreet monster”

The helmet is bouncing, the gloves are on the ground, and Harmanpreet Kaur is screaming. She has 100 runs, she doesn’t care. She doesn’t care that her bandana has come off, that she is dirty, that her partner may be out. She is angry that Deepti Sharma didn’t listen to her. Harmanpreet started screaming at Deepti while she was still running. Had she been further down the pitch, she would have picked Deepti up and tossed her like she did the helmet. Deepti is almost in tears; she won’t even look up, she’s afraid of Harmanpreet.

And she should be. In this mood, Harmanpreet is angry, Harmanpreet is a monster. 

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Filed under Australian cricket, cricket and life, Indian cricket, Jarrod Kimber

Sathasivam: The Island’s Greatest Batsman,

Says Prof. Ravindra Fernando during Q and A with Dr. Hemamal Jayawardena
When I dropped in recently at the Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Colombo to get some guidance on some forensic aspects of child
abuse, a subject on which the professor is a pioneering expert, I noticed a book on his table on a subject that had nothing to do with forensic
medicine. It was titled, “Sathasivam of Ceylon – the Batting Legend”. This interested me and I went over a few pages. It took me a while to
realise that it was Professor Fernando who had authored the book, to my surprise. It was unusual as the book was not on medicine or a medically
related subject as he usually writes. It was on cricket! More accurately, about a cricketer. As we spoke more, I recalled reading a piece he had
written long ago on our ace wicket keeper, Kaluwitharana to the newspaper as well and realised that Professor is a keen cricket fan. This led to the
following interview which I thought will be of interest to all our readers.

 Sobers gifts Satha a memento

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Filed under Bradman, cricket and life, cricket in India, cricketing icons, performance, Sri Lanka Cricket, tower of strength, unusual people, West Indian Cricket

Sri Lankan Heroes at Premadasa Stadium

Sri Lankan cricketer Asela Gunaratne raises his bat to the crowd after scoring a half-century (50 runs) during the final day of a one-off Test match between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe at the R Premadasa Cricket Stadium in Colombo on July 18, 2017. / AFP PHOTO

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Filed under cricket and life, performance, Rangana Herath, Sri Lanka Cricket, tower of strength

Sri Lanka make over 388 runs in Fourth Innings to beat Zimbabwe

ESPN Summary

Sri Lanka stand behind the Champions banner as well-deserved winners. They maintain their proud record at home, and what a start Dinesh Chandimal has had to his captaincy career. This has been a famous win for Sri Lanka. This Test will be spoken of for a long, long time. Sri Lanka will rejoice for now, but it will be back to work pretty soon with a tough series against India looming. This is all we have from here. The first of the Women’s World Cup semifinals has just got underway, so do switch tabs to catch out coverage of that. From here, it’s goodbye from myself and Deiva. Thank you for joining us!

Sri Lankan cricketers pose for photographers after victory in the final day of a one-off Test match between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe at the R Premadasa Cricket Stadium in Colombo on July 18, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / ISHARA S. KODIKARA (Photo credit should read ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)

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Filed under cricket and life, cricketing records, performance, Rangana Herath, Sri Lanka Cricket, unusual statistics

An Enthralling Test Match: Lanka beat Zimbabwe … Just!

One ILLUSTRATION among the Enthusiasts Comments .. after over 111.2 in the SL second innings

MD FURKAN UDDIN: “What a match we are watching. congratulations both team for play some good cricket.”

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Filed under Angelo Mathews, close finsihes, performance, Rangana Herath, Sri Lanka Cricket

Zilch! Mass Emptiness at Premadasa Stadium for Test Match

Volare!!!###@@##!!

 So… no $$$$$$$$$

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Filed under cricket and life, cricket governance, Sri Lanka Cricket