Category Archives: Angelo Mathews

Mendis and Mathews defy Kiwi Attack in Epic Stand

Marty Melville of AFP in Island,19 December 2018, with this title ““Epic stand saves Sri Lanka in New Zealand Test”

Sri Lanka battled to a rain-affected draw in the first Test against New Zealand on Wednesday after the Black Caps were unable to break an epic stand by Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews.  The tourists were 287 for three in their second innings — still nine runs away from an innings defeat — when the umpires called time with only 13 overs bowled on the final day. Mendis was unbeaten on 141 and Mathews 120 not out at stumps after a stubborn 274-run stand that, along with the weather, allowed Sri Lanka to salvage a draw.

  Kusal Mendis (L) and teammate Angelo Mathews walk from the field as rain starts to fall during day five of the first Test cricket match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on December 19, 2018.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Angelo Mathews, cricket and life, cricketing icons, cricketing records, New Zealand cricket, performance, Sri Lanka Cricket, tower of strength

Angelo in Obeisance to the Pope for the Grace of His Century?

Not So, Folks! Just a Broad Hint to the Sri Lankan Coach and Selectors about his Fitness Levels …. while both Coach and Selectors were equally delighted that Their Previous Messages of Chastisement had driven ANGELO to such depths of resolve.

ALL is well that ends well.

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Angelo Mathews, Sri Lanka Cricket, taking the piss, work ethic

Andrew Fidel Fernando’s Appraisal of the Day’s Play at Wellington

Andrew Fidel Fernando, in ESPNcricinfo, 18 December 2018, where the title runs thus: “Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews bat all day to give Sri Lanka hope”

Sri Lanka 282 and 259 for 3 (Mendis 116*, Mathews 117*) trail New Zealand 578 by 37 runs …… On day four in Wellington, facing a monumental first-innings deficit, and in what seemed like a hopeless match situation, Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews went to the trenches. They absorbed New Zealand’s many attacks. They delivered a few glancing blows of their own. They made a hundred apiece, and for only the 22nd time in the history of Test cricket, they batted out an entire day without losing a wicket.

Their partnership – 577 balls in – is worth 246. It is easily Sri Lanka’s best against New Zealand, and has allowed the visitors to go into the fifth day of an intriguing Test with a fighting chance of securing a draw. They are still 37 runs away from making New Zealand bat again, but will be buoyed no doubt by the weather forecast, which suggests rain will arrive around mid-day, if not before.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Andrew Fidel Fernando, Angelo Mathews, cricket and life, Hathurusingha, performance, Sri Lanka Cricket, tower of strength, unusual people

Errol Fernando’s Discerning Thoughts on Today’s Anitpodean Cricket

Errol Fernando in Melbourne

Two handshakes today at Wellington,New Zealand.One for Angelo Mathews and the other for Kusal Mendis. They batted all day  and each is a hundred not out. Herculean effort to bat all day under pressure and Tuffy would have rushed up to them at stumps.I cannot praise them too highly.More hard work for them tomorrow to save the match Must bat for two more sessions.

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND – DECEMBER 18: Angelo Mathews of Sri Lanka bats during day four of the First Test match in the series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at Basin Reserve on December 18, 2018 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty  Images)

PERTH, AUSTRALIA – DECEMBER 17: Virat Kohli of India and Tim Paine of Australia bump into each other during day four of the second match in the Test series between Australia and India at Perth Stadium on December 17, 2018 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Angelo Mathews, Australian cricket, Bradman, cricketing icons, performance, Sri Lanka Cricket, unusual people

Sri Lanka under the Pump in Wellington

New Zealand 311 for 2 (Latham 121*, Taylor 50*) lead Sri Lanka 282 (Mathews 83, Dickwella 80*, Karunaratne 79, Southee 6-68) by 29 runs

One of Sri Lanka’s two Test wins in New Zealand has come at the Basin Reserve. At the end of the second day’s play, it looks increasingly possible that they are unlikely to reprise that stunning win from 2006, after Kane Williamson and Tom Latham deflated them on a batting day as New Zealand nudged ahead by 29, with eight wickets in hand.

In that Test, Sri Lanka had Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga to call upon after posting close to the 282 they managed here. On Sunday, barring Lahiru Kumara’s bristling pace and bounce, there was little bite in the bowling. This meant a party for large parts of a three-hour passage in the afternoon for Williamson, who put together 162 with Latham at more than four runs per over.

Dickwella’s upper cut

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Angelo Mathews, performance, player selections, Sri Lanka Cricket

Lasith Malinga to Skipper Sri Lankan ODI Squads

News item in Daily News, 14 December 2018,

A change in selection committee has brought yet another change in the limited-overs leadership, with Lasith Malinga named captain of the ODI and T20 squads to New Zealand. Wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella has been named vice-captain. President Maithripala Sirisena has approved the squad for the Tour in the absence of a functioning Sports Minister.  Sri Lanka play three ODIs and a T20I in New Zealand. The first of those matches is scheduled to be played on January 3, at Mount Maunganui.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Angelo Mathews, cricket and life, cricket governance, Lasith Malinga, performance, player selections, politics and cricket, Sri Lanka Cricket

Angelo’s Lone Hand Century saves Sri Lanka from Debacle

Practice Match vs New Zealand XI at  Napier — Scorecard in ESPNcricinfo = http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/18812/scorecard/1168314/new-zealand-xi-vs-sri-lankans-tour-match-sri-lanka-in-nz-2018-19

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Angelo Mathews, Sri Lanka Cricket

A Muckraking Essay from Krishnamurthy about Hathurusingha

N Krishnamurthy  in Cricket Age, 30 September 2018, with this title : “Exclusive! Is Sri Lanka Head Coach Chandika Hathurusingha No More A Buddhist?”

Ever since his arrival in Sri Lanka as national Team head coach, Chandika Hathurusingha has become the most powerful and manipulative at the Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC). Especially, after the shameful departure of Thilanga Sumathipala led administration on May 31st, he has extended his control over several other non cricketing expects [sic] as well, like in which airlines Sri Lanka team should travel!

 

SLC too, in a bid to hide its incompetent and wrongdoings, gave Hathurusingha all the authority! Though, Sri Lanka Cricket is still in shambles.

Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under Angelo Mathews, confrontations on field, cricket and life, cricketer politicians, foul tactics, Hathurusingha, performance, player selections, politics and cricket, Sri Lanka Cricket, unusual people, verbal intimidation

The Axing of Mathews: A Key Factor divulged

Andrew Fidel Fernando in ESPNcricinfo, 26 September 2018, with this title  “Angelo Mathews’ poor running in focus after axe from ODI squad”

Poor running between the wickets, and a particular propensity to run his partners out is among the main reasons Angelo Mathews has been left out of Sri Lanka’s ODI squad. Sri Lanka chief selector Graeme Labrooy told ESPNcricinfo that Mathews had been “sluggish” between the wickets during the Asia Cup, but coach Chandika Hathurusingha went further, detailing the number of times he felt Mathews had been involved in run-out dismissals. He also said that Mathews had a tendency not just to participate in run-outs, but to particularly run the opposite batsman out.

Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under Andrew Fidel Fernando, Angelo Mathews, performance, player selections, Sri Lanka Cricket

Angelo Mathews Quite Furious

Andrew Fidel Fernando, in ESPNcricinfo, September 2018, where the title is “Mathews ticked off at being made ‘scapegoat’ for SL Asia Cup exit”

Angelo Mathews has expressed strong resentment at being made a “scapegoat for the dismal performances … at the Asia Cup”, after he was sacked as captain on Sunday. In a letter to SLC, he has even floated the idea of retiring from ODI and T20 cricket.

Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under Andrew Fidel Fernando, Angelo Mathews, performance, Sri Lanka Cricket, taking the piss