Category Archives: cricketing records

February 21, 2019 · 7:45 am

Top of the Tree in Test Cricket: Kusal’s 153 Not Out in a Statistical Table of Comparison

Anantha Narayanan, in ESPNcricinfo, 20 February 2019, with this title “Why Kusal Perera’s 153* is the best Test innings ever”

Kusal Perera‘s once-in-a-lifetime 153 not-out, which orchestrated an almost single-handed win over a South Africa much stronger than Perera’s Sri Lanka, has become the best innings in 142 years of Test cricket, moving to the top spot in my Golden Willow 25 (GW 25) table of top batting performances.

Perera’s innings secured 897.2 rating points, which is about 30 points more than the previous top innings, Graham Gooch’s classic 154 at Headingley in 1991 against the mighty West Indies. Perera’s innings ticks all the boxes and sits comfortably in top place. The only other innings that has come into the top 25 since this list was originally published in August last year is Cheteshwar Pujara’s 123 in Adelaide.

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February 19, 2019 · 1:53 am

Rohan Wijeyaratna’s Fine-grained Analysis of the Durban Test Match

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rohan Wijeyaratna, in Island, 18 February 2019, where the title reads “Sri Lanka’s finest hour!”

By the end of the third day at Kingsmead in Durban, Sri Lanka were three down for 83 and still requiring 221 to win. All indications were that they were heading towards another customary ending. The game was keenly poised, and If ever there was an occasion for someone to play Horatius at the Bridge, this was it. Early indications were that there weren’t any such gallant men in sight. Batsmen simply came and went. Among those dismissed on day three were Karunaratne, Thirimanne and Kusal Mendis; more or less the main gut of the Sri Lankan batting. At the wicket were Kusal Perera and Oshada Fernando; both threatening to depart anytime. If Sri Lanka were to clamber out of this latest hole, character, restraint, measured aggression and some luck were all needed in equal measure. Despite their well-chronicled self-destructive tendencies, this Test still offered the visitors an opportunity. The pitch was relatively benign and the South African bowlers somehow lacked the sustained menace to cause alarm. All what Sri Lanka needed was greater stomach to make a fist of things. The Lankans however, seemed unconvinced. Instead they set about doing what they were quite expert at. That was to self-destruct. Be it at cricket or any other, Sri Lanka stands unparalleled when it comes to missing out on opportunities which land on their own doorstep. And so it seemed, one more time!

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February 17, 2019 · 1:19 pm

Kusal Perera’s Blast from the Past: 336 runs … in 2012

Nirgunan Tiruchelvam, in ESPNcricinfo, 2012, http://www.espncricinfo.com/thestands/content/story/626666.html

A hurricane hit Sri Lankan cricket last week, but it was barely mentioned. Kusal Perera, a 22 year-old left-handed batsman and wicket-keeper blasted 336 off 275 balls for Colts CC against Saracens at Havelock Park, Colombo. The innings featured savage hitting with 14 sixes and 29 fours.

The innings is the highest score in the Sri Lankan domestic competition. It is also the only triple century in the 75 year history of the Sri Lankan domestic competition. Domestic cricket in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) was not recorded as first-class until the 1988-89 season, but there were no triple centuries in club cricket before that. The only other triple centuries in Sri Lankan first-class cricket were at Test level – Sanath Jayasuriya’s 340 against India in 1997 and Mahela Jayawardena’s 375 against South Africa in 2006.

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February 17, 2019 · 2:47 am

A Sporting Appraisal from Faf du Plessis

Liam Brickhill, in ESPNCricinfo, ….http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/26010989/test-cricket-be

His team ended up on the losing side in one of the most dramatic finishes in recent memory, but after South Africa’s one-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka in the first Test at Kingsmead, captain Faf du Plessis insisted: “This is what Test cricket should be.”

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA – FEBRUARY 13: Faf du Plessis of South Africa during day 1 of the 1st Test match between South Africa and Sri Lanka at Kingsmead Stadium on February 13, 2019 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images)

ALSO READ: Five great knocks in one-wicket wins

“It should show people, whether it’s three or four or five days, that it is still the number one format if you see games of cricket like this,” du Plessis said. “It’s incredible the amount of times the game goes to the opposition and then comes to you and goes back. It’s always that to and fro. It’s great to be part of an amazing Test match.”

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February 16, 2019 · 3:51 pm

Topsy-Turvy: Sri Lanka’s Insane Triumph in Durban

Liam Brickhill, in ESPNcrcinfo, 16 February 2019, where the title is “Kusal Perera’s epic 153* leads Sri Lanka to insane victory”

A see-sawing Test match reached an incredible finale on the fourth afternoon at Kingsmead as Kusal Perera and Vishwa Fernando put on a record-breaking 10th wicket stand to see their team home in an atmosphere of almost unbearable tension.

Sri Lanka’s last pair came together with 78 still needed and victory virtually assured for South Africa, but as Vishwa clung limpet-like to the crease Kusal slugged, slapped and swiped his way to the target. Along the way, both men reached their highest Test scores – Kusal finishing on 153, while Vishwa’s more modest – but no less vital in the final analysis – contribution was 6 not out.

Kusal Perera showed guts in tough conditions Getty Images

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February 8, 2019 · 6:42 am

Rex in Q and A with Michael Hussey

Rex Clementine, in Island, 7 February 2019, with the title “Murali is Mr Cricket –Mike Hussey”

No batsman in Test cricket played Sri Lanka better than Australia’s Mike Hussey. Numbers prove it. His average of 110 against Sri Lankan attacks is better than that of Brian Lara (86), Virat Kohli (77), Sunil Gavaskar (66), A.B. de Villiers (62) and Sachin Tendulkar (60). Hussey’s average against Sri Lanka is the best by any Test cricketer.

 Rival players at one point, Muttiah Muralitharan and Mike Hussey went onto become great friends when they were team mates at Chennai Super Kings.

The Island caught up with the man who was nicknamed Mr. Cricket for his deep knowledge about the game. In this interview, Hussey opens up on his battles against Murali, his close relationship with the man who was once his opponent and later a team-mate. Dismissing Kumar Sangakkara in a Test match and the future of Australian cricket and lots more. Here are the excerpts. Continue reading →

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January 14, 2019 · 2:51 pm

Gamini Goonesena’s Brilliant Journey through the Green Fields of Cricket

Mahinda Wijesinghe, in Sunday Times, December 2019 where the title is “A ‘net’ bowler storms the cricket world”

Royal College right-arm leg-spinner Gamini Goonesena (1931–2011) first made a dramatic appearance in the 1947 ‘big match’ against S.Thomas’s – and thereby hangs a tale. A bare two weeks earlier, Goonesena had celebrated his 16th birthday and was merely considered a ‘net’ bowler for the first team, and was hard at practice in the final week preceding the annual Royal-Thomian cricket encounter.

Conducting practices on that fateful day was Coach F.C.de Saram. Watching Goonesena bowl, wily de Saram insisted that the leg-spinner be picked for the ‘Big-Match’ despite the fact that the leg-spinner has not been played in a single first XI game previously – a tradition that has not been broken since this encounter began in 1879. Obviously this move must have upset many in this tradition steeped school. Continue reading →

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December 27, 2018 · 2:23 pm

Trent Boult tips the Bowler Scales

In taking six wickets in 11 balls Trent Boult has swung his way to be ahead of Monty Noble (in 1902), Jacques Kallis and Kemar Roach in the available statistics on Test cricket for the least number of runs for the most number of wickets.

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December 20, 2018 · 3:05 pm

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.

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November 27, 2018 · 1:52 pm

Errol Fernando’s Cricketing Delights This Week

Errol Fernando’s EMAIL NOTE to pals, 28 November 2018

I have enjoyed 3 contests – 4 if you include the Aussie ladies winning the World Cup against England which was extremely praiseworthy.

England  men won the 3rd Test against Sri Lanka despite a wonderful last wicket stand between numbers ten and eleven. Well done England winning 3-nil.

Pakistan levelled the series 1-1 against New Zealand 5 minutes ago. Yasir Shah took 14 wickets,equalling the 14 – wicket record of Imran Khan. When making his Man of the Match speech Yasir began by giving thanks to Allah.  When Shane Warne made his many MOM speeches. D o you recall whom he gave thanks to ??

Finally, Kohli won the third match against Australia,levelling the series 1-1. Everyone is expecting the Aussies to be thrashed  in the Test matches by Kohli’s Indians. However,I am not so sure about this. The Aussies have a fearsome bowling attack and I am not at all convinced by the Indian attack. It will not be a one-sided series.

 

 

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