Category Archives: Sri Lanka Cricket

November 15, 2018 · 1:36 pm

The Sri Lankan Innings at Pallekelle

Andew Fidel Fernando, in ESPNcricinfo.com,

England 285 (Curran 64, Buttler 63, Dilruwan 4-61) and 0 for 0 (Leach 0*, Burns 0*) trail Sri Lanka 336 (Silva 85, Karunaratne 63, de Silva 59) by 46 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

A graceful Dhananjaya de Silva 59, and a watchful 63 from Dimuth Karunaratnegave the Sri Lanka innings some early substance, but both those turns were outshone by what was arguably the innings of the series so far – a resolute 85 from Roshen Silva that carried Sri Lanka 46 runs into the lead.

Almost as impressive as his score, and the 174 balls he batted, was the fact that he forged such fruitful partnerships with the tail, coaching them through the tough periods. The last three partnership in Sri Lanka’s innings were worth 125 – Roshen scoring 60 of those runs. Soon after Roshen had arrived, Sri Lanka had been six-down and still 120 runs behind. Given the extremely challenging nature of this surface, and the variety in England’s attack, it was a monumental recovery.

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Filed under Andrew Fidel Fernando, English cricket, performance, Sri Lanka Cricket

November 13, 2018 · 11:07 am

Lahiru Kumara rapped on the knuckles and ankles

Bipin Dani, in Daily Mirror, 13 November 2018, where the title is “Heavy fine imposed on Kumara for breaking curfew”

Sri Lankan fast bowler Lahiru Kumara has not only been axed from the squad on disciplinary grounds but is has been heavily fined too, it is learnt here. This was according to highly placed sources close to the team management. Kumara broke the team curfew just two days prior to the Galle Test and was replaced by another fast bowler, Dushmantha Chameera.

Players are supposed to be in their rooms before 11.00 pm on non-match days. On match-days, they can’t be out of team hotel after 10.00 pm. It could not be verified if and who Kumara, who came to team hotel after 11.00pm on November 4 had met. “He (Lahiru Kumara) is yet to pay the fine which was imposed by the team’s Fine Committee”, sources said. Continue reading →

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November 12, 2018 · 2:32 pm

Fare Thee Well Rangana

Item in Daily Mirror, 10 November 2018, with this title “Rangana’s swansong and Lanka’s future in spin bowling”

When Rangana Herath takes the field for one last time in Galle today, there will be tributes for the gentleman cricketer who has an unblemished record on and off field. Sri Lanka will host England in a three-match Test series but Herath will only play the first Test starting on November 6, thereby ending a career spanning nearly two decades.

With 430 wickets and counting, Herath can walk off the field with his head held high. He has achieved what no other left-arm bowler has done in the history of the game. With five more wickets in his last appearance, he will become number seven in the all-time list of highest wicket takers, led by our own Muttiah Muralidaran (800). It is a phenomenal achievement for a late bloomer. Among them are 34 five wickets hauls out of which 26 came off in home conditions. Continue reading →

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Filed under cricket and life, cricketing icons, Rangana Herath, spinning art, Sri Lanka Cricket, work ethic

November 7, 2018 · 10:18 am

Accolades Aplenty for Rangana Herath

Lankan cricket greats witness Herath’s farewell Test

Sri Lankan cricket legends Arjuna Ranatunga, Muthiah Muralitharan and Sidath Wettimuny along with other former cricket board officials were present at the historic Galle International Cricket Stadium to witness veteran spinner Rangana Herath’s farewell Test appearance on the first day of the first cricket Test against England yesterday. In fact Muralitharan also made his final Test appearance at this same venue eight years ago. Seated from left: Arjuna Ranatunga, Muthiah Muralitharan, Kushil Gunasekara, Nishantha Ranatunga and Sidath Wettimuny.

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Filed under cricket and life, cricketing icons, performance, Rangana Herath, Sri Lanka Cricket, tower of strength, unusual people

November 6, 2018 · 1:13 pm

Day One of Galle Test Match elongs to Foakes

Andrew Fidel Fernando

Ben Foakes was largely in the team for his wicketkeeping. That, at least, was one of the arguments. But following a morning session in which England’s more highly rated batsmen tangled themselves up in aggressive strokes and left the side at 103 for 5, it was debutant Foakes whose steady hand raised them gradually out of the ditch they had been in at lunch.

Foakes used the crease, skipped out to meet the spinners, and he swept as well, but he did each of these in a much more measured fashion than the men who batted above him. Thanks to him, and the men who batted well in his company – Jos Buttler, Sam Curran and Adil Rashid – England can even claim to have grasped a position of strength in this match. A score of 321 for 8 at stumps on day one is not shabby, in a Galle Test. Foakes himself was not out, 13 runs short of what would be a plucky century in his first Test innings.

Foakes

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November 3, 2018 · 11:08 pm

Both Jayasuriya and Zoysa charged by ICC Anti-Corruption Unit

ONE:

Sri Lanka batting great Sanath Jayasuriya has been charged with two counts of breaching the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption code, the world governing body has announced.The former captain and explosive opening batsman has refused to cooperate with any investigation conducted by the ICC’s anti-corruption unit (ACU), the ICC said in a statement.

Charges: Sanath Jayasuriya, seen here back in his playing days, is under investigation.

The 49-year-old has also been charged with trying to conceal, destroy or tamper with evidence that could be crucial to an anti-corruption investigation.”Mr Jayasuriya has 14 days from 15 October 2018 to respond to the charges. The ICC will not make any further comment in respect of these charges at this stage,” the ICC statement said.

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November 2, 2018 · 3:12 am

Piyal Nandana Charged in Sri Lanka Cricket Fraud Case: Huge Ramifications looming

N Krishnamurthy, in Cricket Age, 2 November 2018,

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has found several shocking details about Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) chief financial officer Piyal Nadana in the 11.1 million dollars attempted fraud case, Cricket Age reliably learns. After new findings, the CID has extended his remand till November 15. A Few days ago, the CID had arrested Piyal in the ongoing investigation of the attempted fraud. According to sources, in the investigation, CID has found that Piyal was using 7 different mobile phones while working at SLC. More surprisingly, CID has found Piyal’s 18 different bank accounts along with his wife.

The investigative CID officials are confident that these findings will help them to find real culprit behind this attempted fraud. It is noteworthy that, Piyal was a employee of former SLC President Thilanga Sumathipala few years back.

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October 30, 2018 · 1:00 am

Cricketers snapped Extraordinary

Rangaiyaa! Rangaaiyya! Budu Ammo! Herath raised aloft after securing a match fo Sr Lanka … or so one can imagine

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Filed under Adelaide Oval, Australia Cricket, Australian cricket, cricket and life, cricketing icons, fair play, Mahela Jayawardene, murali, performance, Rangana Herath, Sangakkara, Sri Lanka Cricket, Uncategorized, unusual statistics

October 9, 2018 · 5:03 pm

England have taken a Leaf from Sri Lanka’s Ranatunga Book

Tanya Aldred in The Spin,8 October 2018 where the title is “How Sri Lanka’s magical 1996 cocktail paved the way for Morgan’s men”

Echoes of Arjuna Ranatunga’s World Cup-winning blueprint – potent spinners, pinch-hitting openers, bucket loads of confidence – can be seen in the England ODI side today

As England and Sri Lanka prepare for the five-match one-day series starting on Wednesday in Dambulla, a warm-up of sorts for the World Cup now less than eight months away, it feels the right time to stumble backwards 22 years, to one of cricket’s greatest stories.

On 17 March 1996, in the sultry atmosphere of Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, Arjuna Ranatunga, Sri Lanka’s captain, lifted the World Cup high into the air. No one could quite believe it. Sri Lanka, the baby brother of the Asian block, the international whipping boys, had popped out of the hat, brandishing a party popper, a grin and a new kick-ass way of playing the game.

Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga celebrates with his team after winning the Cricket World Cup final against Australia in Lahore in 1996. Photograph: John Parkin/Getty Images