Category Archives: tower of strength

February 19, 2019 · 1:30 am

Akila, Avishka & Kamindu among those in the ODI Squad for South africa

Sa’adi Thawfeeeq in Daily News, 19 February 2019, … http://www.dailynews.lk/2019/02/19/sports/177932/akila-dananjaya-picked-sa-odi-series

Sri Lanka spinner Akila Dananjaya who was reported for a suspect bowling action following the first Test against England at Galle last November was named in the 17-man squad for the five-match One-Day International series against South Africa starting on March 3 at Johannesburg. Dananjaya underwent remedial action to his bowling and was cleared by the ICC (see separate story) that has resulted in him finding a place in the one-day side. Dananjaya was the most consistent bowler in Sri Lanka’s ODI ranks over the past year and had begun to have success in the Test format as well when he was reported.

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Filed under performance, player selections, Sa'adi Thawfeeq, Sri Lanka Cricket, tower of strength, unusual people

February 10, 2019 · 3:34 pm

Shatter and Clatter! Thommo’s Fact Sheet

Surajit Musafi, 29 Decmeber 2016 … article entitled “Jeff Thomson: 17 facts about one of the fastest bowlers in cricket history”

Jeffrey Robert Thomson, born August 16, 1950, is a former Australian cricketer, widely regarded as one of the fastest bowlers of all-time. Known as ‘Thommo’, he happens to be one Jefof the most interesting and colourful characters of the game. On his birthday, Suvajit Mustafi looks at 17 interesting facts about the bowler who had formed a fearsome fast bowling pair with the legendary Dennis Lillee. 

Thomson had an unusual sling-shot bowling action. In fact, his father Don bowled with the similar action. Years later one of his sons, Matt, replicated that action. Don’s two other sons didn’t bowl much, but whenever they did, the action was similar to their father’s.

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Filed under Australian cricket, cricket and life, cricketing icons, performance, player selections, taking the piss, tower of strength, unusual people, violent intrusions

February 9, 2019 · 1:56 am

Harry And Doug Today

Harry Who? Doug Who?

None other than Harry Solomons of Galle & Sydney and Doug Walters of Sydney, NSW and Australian cricket in yesteryear. Are we not glad to see  them downing beer, signing autographs, chatting about old times, et cetera …. and still retaining some of their hair!

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Filed under Australian cricket, cricket and life, cricketing icons, sportsmanship, taking the mickey, tower of strength

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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Filed under cricketing icons, cricketing records, Mahela Jayawardene, memorable moments, performance, player selections, Rex Clementine, Sangakkara, shane warne, Sri Lanka Cricket, tower of strength, unusual people

January 17, 2019 · 7:00 am

Pulsating ODI Contest at Adelaide Oval – Tuesday 15 January 2019

Michael Roberts

This review will be in disjointed point-form set out in rough temporal order from my observation point alongside Justin Labrooy in the middle layer of Riverbank Stadium at a spot behind long-off.

Pic from web

Pics by Mike R

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Filed under Adelaide Oval, Australian cricket, cricketing icons, Indian cricket, performance, taking the mickey, tower of strength, unusual people, unusual statistics

January 13, 2019 · 1:31 am

Sri Lanka’s Adventurous Cricket downs Australia U19 in Test Match

A bold declaration and aggressive cricket seems to have enabled SL Under 19 to upstage Australia in theri single Test Match at the SSC grounds: Editor, Cricketique

ONE = News Item in ISLAND, 13 January 2019

Tissa Central, Kalutara spinner Rohan Sanjaya and Richmond’s Sandun Mendis took four wickets each to restrict Australia Under-19s to 151 runs in the second innings as Sri Lanka Under-19s pulled off three wickets victory in the three-day Youth match at the SSC grounds on Saturday. Commencing from the overnight score of 287 for seven wickets in the morning the hosts declared their innings after three overs with a lead of 40.In their second essay the visitors batted for 66 overs but could muster only 151 as Sanjaya and Mendis bowled the bulk of overs. The duo bowled almost 50 overs and provided the key for victory.

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Filed under Australian cricket, spinning art, Sri Lanka Cricket, tower of strength, Under 19 cricket

January 1, 2019 · 7:57 am

Lamichane vs Nabi …. Nepal vs Afghganistan…. Raw Youth vs Old Head … in Melbourne Today

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Filed under T20 Cricket, tower of strength

December 27, 2018 · 7:12 am

Dilruwan Perera beats Lyon and Rabada to 50 wickets within the Year 2018

47.6 Perera strike, Raval fails to reach his century once again. Length on middle and leg, Raval was looking to work it on the leg side, gets an inside edge on to the pads that lobs towards short leg, Mendis accepts it gleefully, tumbling to his right 121/1

An English wicket in 2018– Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA / AFP)– (Photo credit should read ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)

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Filed under bowling average, cricket and life, cricketing icons, memorable moments, murali, Rangana Herath, spinning art, Sri Lanka Cricket, tower of strength

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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Filed under Angelo Mathews, cricket and life, cricketing icons, cricketing records, New Zealand cricket, performance, Sri Lanka Cricket, tower of strength

December 18, 2018 · 1:22 pm

From Basin Reserve to Aravinda, Sanga and A Homily

Rex Clementine, in Island, 16 December 2018, where the title reads “Two different Basin Reserve classics”

The Basin Reserve where the current Test match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand is in progress remains a special place for Sri Lankans in many ways. Generally the Sri Lankans have done well at this picturesque venue. The Basin as they call it is literally one of Wellington’s busiest roundabouts. It is the two mountains – Mount Cook and Mount Victoria in the backdrop that add to the beauty of this ground in New Zealand’s north island.

The first double hundred by a Sri Lankan overseas was scored at the Basin and the last double hundred by a Sri Lankan was also scored at the Basin. In fact after Kumar Sangakkara’s sensational effort in 2015, no Sri Lankan has scored a double hundred – home or away. Aravinda de Silva was the first Sri Lankan to score a double hundred overseas in 1991.

Arjuna Ranatunga once told us that there won’t be another Aravinda for another 50 years. When we asked him why, he told us this story. “I was batting with Aravinda at the Basin and was struggling to put bat to ball as there was quite a bit of seam movement. But Aravinda had no such issues and he was absolutely hitting everything from the middle of the bat. During the tea break, I took Aravinda’s bat and checked whether his was wider than that  of mine. He was making it look so easy,” Ranatunga said. Continue reading →

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Filed under Aravinda de Silva, child of empire, cricketing icons, memorable moments, performance, Rex Clementine, Sangakkara, Sri Lanka Cricket, tower of strength, unusual people