Category Archives: spinning art

August 18, 2020 · 12:22 pm

“A Sri Lankan XI To Die For in My Time” — THILAN

Mohamed Isam with Thilan Samaraweera, in ESPNcricinfo and its CRICKET MONTHLY, August 2020, where the title is “My Best XI: The Lords of Sri Lanka’s Golden Age”

Thilan SamarawThe lords of Sri Lanka’s golden age”eera, who played 81 Tests with 12 centuries and two double-hundreds, was one of Sri Lanka’s middle-order mainstays. In a career spanning 12 years, he played alongside two generations of his country’s finest cricketers in five-day cricket – from among whom he picks an all-time XI.

Jayawardene, Sangakarra, Atapattu: that’s just short of 30,000 Test runs right there

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Filed under Angelo Mathews, cricket and life, cricketing icons, Lasith Malinga, Mahela Jayawardene, memorable moments, performance, sanath jayasuriya, Sangakkara, spinning art, Sri Lanka Cricket, tower of strength, unusual people

June 28, 2020 · 5:52 pm

Some Assessments of Muralitharan as Cricketer … and Philanthropist

ONE = Simon Barnes: “Muttiah Muralitharan as Cricketer of the Year 2006″

writing in 2007 on the year 2006 =  https://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/350915.html

The time has come to grasp the nettle, to remove the mental and†, to reject the frown, the shrug, the pursed lips and the quizzical look. Muttiah Muralitharan was, without qualification, the finest cricketer on the planet last year and, by implication, is one of the best cricketers that have ever played the game.

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Filed under bowling average, Bradman, child of empire, cricket and life, cricketing icons, cricketing records, cricketing rules, ICC, Mahela Jayawardene, memorable moments, murali, performance, politics and cricket, spinning art, technology and cricket, tower of strength, unusual statistics, work ethic

May 18, 2020 · 7:03 am

That Fat Bastard Shane Warne

David Runciman reviewing No Spin –Warne’s Autobiography

When​ the Australian cricketers Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were exposed tampering with the ball during last year’s test series in South Africa there was, along with all the faux outrage, some genuine incredulity. Why did they take such an insane risk? The subterfuge was so cack-handed – rubbing the ball with lurid yellow sandpaper, perfectly suited to be picked up by the TV cameras – and the potential rewards so slight that they seemed to be putting their careers on the line for next to nothing. Confronted with the filmed evidence, Smith confessed straightaway. As conspiracies go this one barely got to first base, since almost no thought had been given to keeping it secret. They can’t have wanted to be caught. Each of the three culprits looked distraught in the aftermath. But it does appear that they didn’t think getting caught would matter much.

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Filed under Australian cricket, baggy green, confrontations on field, cricket and life, cricketing icons, cricketing rules, foul tactics, memorable moments, performance, politics and cricket, spinning art, taking the piss, technology and cricket, unusual statistics

February 27, 2020 · 3:04 pm

Andrew Fernando dissects the Contest at Sooriyawewa

Andrew Fidel Fernando, in ESPNcricinfo 26 February 2020

Sri Lanka 345 for 8 (Fernando 127, Mendis 119, Cottrell 4-67, Joseph 3-57) beat West Indies 184 (Hope 51, Hasaranga 3-30, Sandakan 3-57) by 161 runs

Kusal Mendis and Avishka Fernando dovetailed beautifully through the middle overs, producing an effortless 239-run third-wicket partnership that became the bedrock of Sri Lanka’s 345 for 8, and by extension, their series-sealing 161-run victory over West Indies. Mendis hit a run-a-ball 119 and Fernando made 127 off 123 deliveries, as they punished West Indies’ indiscipline with the ball and sloppiness in the field, rescuing Sri Lanka from a scoreline of 9 for 2 in the third over.

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February 21, 2020 · 2:54 pm

‘Trigger Movements’ and ‘Split-Step’ to spark Sri Lankans in Windies Matches

Andrew Fidel Fernando talks to Mickey Arthur, ESPNcricinfo, 21 February 2020 – where the title is “

On Wednesday, ahead of his first ODI series as Sri Lanka coach Mickey Arthur spoke about players being handed down well-defined roles within the team. On Friday, on the eve of the first one-dayer against West Indies, he went into a little more detail about what those roles were.

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Filed under Andrew Fidel Fernando, Angelo Mathews, cricket and life, performance, player selections, spinning art, Sri Lanka Cricket, unusual people, West Indian Cricket

February 20, 2020 · 2:42 pm

Confronting the Windies in ODIs at Home

Michael Roberts

Sri Lanka play three 50-over ODIs against the West Indies over the next few days, one at the SSC this coming Saturday 22nd February, the second  at Hambantota on Monday the 24th and the third at Pallekeley on the 1st March. With Danushka Gunathilake injured, Shehan Jayasuriya has been added to the squad of 15 (see below for details).

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February 10, 2020 · 3:02 am

Bangla Under 19 Lift World Cup in Sturdy Display

Playing away from Asian conditions Bangladesh Under 19 Squad revealed heir prowess against such teams as South Africa (home side) and Australia and yesterday took on the mighty Indian team  low-scoring match on a difficult wicket and eked out a fighting win … The Player of that match was their captain Akbar Ali; while the player of the tournament was Yashasvi Jaiswal …….. Michael Roberts

POTCHEFSTROOM, SOUTH AFRICA – FEBRUARY 09: Mohammad Akbar Ali of Bangladesh sweeps the ball towards the boundary, as Dhruv Jurel of India looks on during the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup Super League Final match between India and Bangladesh at JB Marks Oval on February 09, 2020 in Potchefstroom, South Africa. (Photo by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

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Filed under Indian cricket, performance, spinning art, Under 19 cricket, unusual people, unusual statistics

October 11, 2019 · 6:50 am

Murali celebrated in Sri Lankan Musical Rhythms via Alston Koch

Murali the official music video & song

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Filed under child of empire, confrontations on field, cricket and life, cricketing icons, cricketing records, murali, patriotic excess, performance, spinning art, Sri Lanka Cricket, tower of strength, unusual people

September 17, 2019 · 4:28 pm

Day Four at the Oval: Broad and Leach complete the victory for England despite valiant resistance from Wade

Dannie Byrne

Lyon bowled the first over of the day and immediately got the ball to turn away from Leach. He dropped short and Leach clubbed it to the extra cover fence. Cummins bowled from the other end and Archer was caught behind off his glove down the leg side. Marais Erasmus initially ruled not out but Paine used the DRS successfully for a change and Archer was obliged to return to the Pavilion ( 317 – 9 ). It was Cummins’ 29th wicket of the series, the highest in an Ashes Series by a bowler not taking five wickets in any innings. Broad hit Cummins for a six straight over Siddle’s head at deep square leg and with five men on the boundary he smashed another six into the groundsmen’s hut under the Bedser Stand. Leach was caught at wide mid-on by Hazlewood off Lyon and the home side were all out for 329 effectively setting the Australians an unlikely target of 399 for victory.

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August 28, 2019 · 6:59 pm

Contingencies, Strikes and Performances at the Colombo Oval

Michael Roberts

Contingencies reigned during the Second Test Match at the Colombo Oval between New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Rain was the reigning contingency — surmounted in part by the tremendous work of an army of workers beating tarpaulins and what have you. Watching most of the match live, my thoughts are disjointed and point-form.

BJ Watling  the quiet achiever

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Filed under Andrew Fidel Fernando, New Zealand cricket, performance, spinning art, Sri Lanka Cricket, work ethic