Category Archives: performance

Vale: Dean Jones, A Straight-Talking, Hard-Hitting Aussie

Rex Clementine

The Aussies were in Galle for the first Test of the series in 2004 and Dean Jones joked in commentary. He said that it took him less than four hours from Singapore to Katunayake but five hours to get to Galle from Katunayake! He was driving home some pertinent points. Travel in Sri Lanka before the highway days was a nightmare. Sri Lanka Cricket did not raise objections with the television company that employed Jones nor did the Sports Ministry. His criticism was well taken by all and sundry. Jones didn’t mince any words. He was a bold critic. As The Island’s former Editor Mr. Gamini Weerakoon used to say, ‘A good journalist works with his resignation letter in the pocket.’

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Filed under Australian cricket, cricket and life, cricket in India, cricket tamashas, cricketing icons, memorable moments, performance, Sri Lanka Cricket, tower of strength

Still Batting in Life’s Ways: Old Cricketers’ Gathering

Tall Stories, True Stories ….. and Gahapan Machang … as they passed the arrack and beer around

Courtesy of Somasundaram Skandhakumar …. and presented here in memory of Michael De Zoysa

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“Michael Holding is shooting blind” – Jof Archer

Jofra Archer has claimed Michael Holding “doesn’t know anything that is going on behind the scenes” after he criticised England and Australia for failing to take a knee during their limited-overs series.

Holding, the former West Indies fast bowler, has been a vocal advocate of the Black Lives Matter movement in recent months. As well as providing impassioned testimony of his experiences on Sky and with ESPNcricinfo, he welcomed the decision of the England, West Indies and Ireland teams to register their respect for the movement by taking a knee ahead of their Test and ODI fixtures earlier this season.

 Jofra Archer, back in the light blue of England’s ODI team Getty Images

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Australian Implosion permits England Victory

ESPN Report, 4 August 2020, entitledEngland storm back to choke chase and take 1-0 series lead”

England 162 for 7 (Malan 66, Buttler 44, Richardson 2-13) beat Australia 160 for 6 (Warner 58, Finch 46, Rashid 2-29) beat by two runs

Australia imploded in their first international game since March at the Ageas Bowl, falling two runs short against England despite needed 39 from the final 36 balls with nine wickets remaining in their chase. David Warner and Aaron Finch had put on 98 for the first wicket in the space of 11 overs to break the back of the chase, before Steven Smith flew out of the blocks at No. 3. But four wickets in the space of 14 legal deliveries gave England a foothold, as Australia went 5.4 overs without a boundary.

Glenn Maxwell reacts to his dismissal AFP

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Lanka Premier League Shoot-Out Re-Jigged

Andrew Fidel Fernando in ESPNcricinfo, 2 Septmber 2020

Sri Lanka Cricket has announced fresh dates for the Lanka Premier League (LPL), which has now been scheduled between November 14 and December 6. However, government approval for a shorter quarantine period for players, officials and broadcast staff is yet to be secured; it is this hurdle that had forced the postponement of the LPL, originally slated to begin in late August. The SLC officials have asked that the quarantine period for those arriving in the country for this tournament be reduced to seven days, from the present 14-day period.

There is no known community spread of Covid-19 in Sri Lanka at present, but quarantine protocols have been incredibly strict PA Photos/Getty Images

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Filed under Andrew Fidel Fernando, backyard cricket, child of empire, cricket tamashas, performance, politics and cricket, Sri Lanka Cricket

An Appreciation of PI Pieris …. Ian to Some, “PI” to Others

Mevan Pieris of S. Thomas College & SSC

Dear Michael, ……  Read with interest Gerry Suraweera’s appreciation of Ian Pieris. Indeed when Arpico beat Lever Brothers in the Mercantile A Division cricket Final in 1976, PI was really happy. I still carry happy memories of this match having captained the Arpico team that year. The whole team ended up at my home that night for drinks and to share a simple meal of bread, butter and meat curry.

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A Love Affair with the Colombo Oval

S. Skandakumar, in The Sunday Island, 30 August 2020 where his chosen title is “The Colombo Oval and I”

The majestic Oval scoreboard clock showed ten minutes to three on a Sunday afternoon when our final wicket fell. We had conceded first innings points by a small margin to Moors in a P. Sara Trophy encounter. The year was 1973 and it was my first game for the club. The many Moors supporters hugged each other and left the venue to return to Braybrook Place to celebrate. With just half an hour left to tea, and two hours thereafter to the end of the game, their optimism was justified.

In our dressing room our skipper Benedictine Tony Appathurai had other ideas. “I want five by tea,” he thundered as he briskly led us back on to the field for that half an hour. I admired his arrogance!

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Filed under Australian cricket, cricket and life, cricketing icons, memorable moments, performance, player selections, politics and cricket, sportsmanship, The Oval in Colombo, tower of strength, unusual people, work ethic

kent and Middlesex in High-Scoring T20 Tie

209/4
(20 ov, target 210)
209/5

Match tied

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Tharanga Paranavitana calls it A Day

ONE: ESPNcricnfo staff:

Tharanga Paranavitana, the 38-year old Sri Lanka batsman, has announced his retirement from international cricket. Known as an old-school opener, he played 32 Test matches for his country, scoring 1792 runs including two hundreds and 11 fifties.

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Chandimal scores 354 runs in 390 balls

Dinesh Chandimal enjoyed a marathon innings of 354 runs in 390 balls [run rate being 90.53] as the SL Army cricket team piled up  642 runs dfor 8 wkts vs Saracens at the Katunayake grounds before declaring.

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