Category Archives: Rex Clementine

September 9, 2018 · 1:54 pm

Wijesinghe and Clementine on the Cricket Scene

ONE = Mahinda Wijesinghe: “Giving up the game when ‘there’s nothing left in the tank’,” Sunday Island, 9 September 2018

At the moment cricket fans are awaiting the Asia Cup 2018 due to begin on September 15 with Sri Lanka placed in Group B alongside Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Akila Dananjaya

Unfortunately Sri Lanka is starting on the wrong foot with Chandimal on the injured list while Akila Dananjaya will in all probability miss two games and has informed the selectors to excuse him since he wants to be present when he is due to become a father for the first time shortly. Family comes before profession is a motto he is following. In this time and age, modern technology enable doctors to predict births almost to the date. Taking this into account, Dananjaya has taken the right decision by the family and the team. Opting out of the tour, at least where two games are concerned, before the tour begins is the correct decision. Going on the tour and baling out halfway is obviously not this youngster’s style. Well done Dananjaya, you have set an example even to your seniors. Let me wish you the best of luck as a father and as a player when you rejoin the team. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under cricket and life, Hathurusingha, performance, player selections, Rex Clementine, Sri Lanka Cricket

August 9, 2018 · 4:58 am

Magic! Sri Lanka’s ODI Triumph: Three Explanations

ONE = Andrew Fidel Fernando in ESPNcricinfo, 9 August 2018 =“Test-match line and length worked for us – Thisara”

With six overs left in the rain-hit fourth ODI, the ball was wet, and South Africa were ahead of the game, with 43 runs to get, and five wickets in hand. So what did Sri Lanka do? They bowled as if they were playing a Test.

Lakmal takes flight– AFP/Getty

It sounds like an odd move, but in the situation, it turned out to be an inspired one. South Africa had David Miller – one of the cleanest strikers in the world – at the crease, and another batsman to come. Yet they could muster no more than 39 from those 36 deliveries, as Sri Lanka claimed four wickets and squeezed the visitors out in Pallekele. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Andrew Fidel Fernando, Angelo Mathews, close finsihes, cricket and life, Firdose Moonda, Rex Clementine, Sri Lanka Cricket

July 25, 2018 · 7:11 pm

Rex Clementine’s Cricket Round-up

Rex Clementine, in Island, 25 July 2018,  where the title  is “Gunathilaka faces uncertain future ….Opener axed from the ODI squad

Sri Lankan opener Danushka Gunathilaka faces an uncertain future after Sri Lanka Cricket charged him with breach of Code of Conduct during the second Test match against South Africa at SSC. SLC officials said that they will launch their own inquiry after an ongoing Police inquiry into misbehaviour. Gunathilaka is alleged to have booked two additional rooms in the Five Star team hotel on Saturday. While the Police have cleared him of serious misconduct, his friend, for whom Gunathilaka had booked the second room is under arrest.Gunathilaka, who hit twin fifties in the second Test that Sri Lanka won by 199 runs, is believed to have turned up at his SLC booked room at 2am on Sunday, breaching team curfew.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Angelo Mathews, cricket and life, Rex Clementine, Sri Lanka Cricket

July 17, 2018 · 2:20 pm

Sri Lankan Brain’s Trust banished for several matches

Rex Clementine in Island, 17 July 2018, where the title reads “No escape as Chandimal, Coach and Manager receive further sanctions”

Neither a guilty plead nor Faizer Mustapha’s lawyer friends could save the Sri Lankan trio of captain Dinesh Chandimal, Coach Chandika Hathurusingha and Manager Asanka Gurusinha as the International Cricket Council came down hard on them imposing the maximum possible penalty for their excesses during the second Test Match against the West Indies last month. Apart from the two Test match ban, that the trio are already serving, they were also handed a suspension of four ODIs after pleading guilty for breaching Level 3 of the ICC Code that relates to conduct that is contrary to the Spirit of the Game.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under confrontations on field, cricket and life, cricket governance, cricketing icons, Hathurusingha, politics and cricket, Rex Clementine

June 11, 2018 · 3:34 pm

Duleep Mendis: Doughty Fighter, A Man to Command

Rex Clementine, in The Island, 9 June 2018, where the title runs:  “Duleep’s grit and courage – need of the hour”

A Tamil demonstration kinda opened proceedings when the Aussies were batting at the Oval — Editor, Cricketique

It was on a day like this, 43 years ago, Sri Lankan cricket made its biggest impact in the world stage. The six full members of the ICC were automatic choices for the 1975 World Cup and in a bid to make up the numbers, Sri Lanka and a team comprising cricketers from East Africa were invited to play the inaugural event. The quality of Sri Lankan cricket was displayed on this day at The Oval against an Australian side comprising the Chappell brothers, Dennis Lille, Jeff Thomson and others.

A century by Alan Turner and half-centuries by Rick McCosker, Greg Chappell, and Doug Walters had propelled Australia to a total of 328. Many would have thought that Sri Lanka had little chance. But they did well; reaching 150 for two and needed 179 runs in 30 overs with eight wickets in hand.  Australian skipper Ian Chappell was a worried man. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under confrontations on field, cricket and life, cricket governance, cricketing icons, performance, politics and cricket, Rex Clementine, Sri Lanka Cricket, Tamil demonstrations, tower of strength, unusual people

May 13, 2018 · 2:16 pm

Lankan Squad for the West Indies: Viewpoints

ONE: “Will Sri Lanka cold-shoulder Vandersay again?”  by Sportswriter, Sunday Observer, 13 May 2018

Uncapped leg spin bowler Jeffrey Vandersay has been recalled into the Sri Lanka squad for the upcoming three-Test tour of the West Indies, but experts fear that he will most likely sit out the matches as has been the case before. Vandersay shot to the limelight by taking seven wickets in a three-day match against Pakistan three years ago but was not selected for the ensuing Test series against the same opposition.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Angelo Mathews, cricket and life, cricketing icons, performance, player selections, Rangana Herath, Rex Clementine, Sri Lanka Cricket

January 14, 2018 · 6:03 pm

Sri Lanka’s Test Squad vs Bangladesh …. Two Reports

Sri Lanka Test squad: Dinesh Chandimal (Captain), Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Roshen Silva, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Dilruwan Perera, Dushmantha Chameera, Lakshan Sandakan, Akila Dhananjaya, Lahiru Gamage and Lahiru Kumara.

ONE: Rex Clementine, in Sunday Island, 14 January 2017

Sri Lanka have dropped promising top order batsman Sadeera Samarawickrama for the two match Test series against Bangladesh. Samarawickrama, who made his Test debut against Pakistan during the tour of UAE, played all three Tests against India and finished with 74 runs in six innings. The 22-year-old is one of the brightest prospects around having finishing the last domestic season as the highest run getter. His close-in fielding earned the praise of former Indian cricketers as he fearlessly stood at short leg after begin repeatedly hit by Murali Vijay and Virat Kohli. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Angelo Mathews, cricket and life, Hathurusingha, performance, player selections, Rex Clementine, Sa'adi Thawfeeq, Sri Lanka Cricket

January 7, 2018 · 4:35 am

New Structure for Local Cricket Competition

Rex Clementine, in Island, 7 January 2018, with title “Domestic cricket set for complete overhaul”

Following the national cricket team’s disastrous showing in 2017 across all formats of the game, Sri Lanka Cricket has been under the pump for messing with the domestic cricket structure. SLC’s decision to increase the number of First Class teams from 14 to 24 had drawn much criticism forcing the Sports Ministry to intervene. It resulted in a high profile committee put in place to restructure domestic cricket and the committee has now forwarded its recommendations to the Ministry.

Former Test captains Aravinda de Silva, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara were part of a high profile committee that was formed by the Sports Ministry to address the woes of domestic cricket.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Aravinda de Silva, cricket governance, cricketing icons, Mahela Jayawardene, performance, player selections, politics and cricket, Rex Clementine, Sangakkara

December 20, 2017 · 3:21 pm

The Gloomy Background looming over Hathurusinghe’s Advent

Rex Clementine, in Island, 20 December 2017, where the title is  “The Messiah has arrived

The long wait for the arrival of the Messiah who will redeem Sri Lankan cricket from its current predicament has ended. Former Test opener Chandika Hathurusingha today will formally take over as Sri Lanka’s Head Coach in Colombo. Millions of admirers of Sri Lankan cricket will be desperately hoping that he will take a team that is in total shambles into the Promised Land.

Hathurasinghe arrives with an Alex Ferguson like reputation. Everyone talks about the impact he has had with Bangladesh during his three-year tenure, but equally successful has been his coaching stints with Sri Lanka ‘A’, UAE and New South Wales. But very few know the impact he had on Moors Sports Club. In the year 2000, when he took over as Captain cum Coach of Moors SC, the club had been relegated from Premier League cricket.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under cricket and life, cricket governance, performance, player selections, politics and cricket, Rex Clementine, Sri Lanka Cricket

December 13, 2017 · 2:07 am

Comments on Sri Lanka’s First ODI Win at Dharamsala

It is s -evident that wining the toss and bowling first was a central factor in this victory. Rumesh Ratnayake was savvy enough to note this, but va idly praised the pace trio’s efforts. Michael Roberts

Rex Clementine: “Ratnayake praises fast bowlers’ effort,” Island, 13 December 2017

Sri Lanka’s Fast Bowling coach Rumesh Ratnayake has praised the efforts of his bowlers that enabled Sri Lanka to take a 1-0 lead in the ongoing three-match series against India. Spearheaded by Suranga Lakmal, the seamers did a fine job to bowl out India for 112 runs in Dharamsala on Sunday and the tourists went on to secure a seven-wicket win. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Indian cricket, performance, player selections, Rex Clementine, Sri Lanka Cricket