Pic from Getty Images
Seated: Ashantha de Mel, Ranjan Madugalle, Duleep Mendis (captain), the late Neil Chanmugan (Manager), Roy Dias (vice-Captain), DS de Silva, M. Rajasingham, Sidath Wettimuny
Standing: Marlon von Hagt, Arjuna Ranatunga, Anusha Samaranayake, Vinodhan John, Ravi Ratnayake, Brendan Kuruppu, Mumtaz Yusuf, Amal Silva, Don Arunasiri, Aradvinda de Silva
Janaka Malwatta, courtesy of ESPNcricninfo, 16 July 2015, where it is presented under an apposite title “Somachandra de Silva’s age-defying cricketing journey”
In the build-up to Sri Lanka’s first Test in England in 1984, a throwaway line in a newspaper article caught my eye. The Sri Lankan bowling attack was to be headed by a 42-year-old legspinner. That a bowling attack could be said to be headed by a spinner, in a summer headlined by fearsome West Indian pacemen, was unusual enough. That he was 42 was even more beguiling.
Somachandra de Silva–Getty Images
Thirty years later, I met Somachandra de Silva and sated my curiosity. De Silva is an enviably fit-looking 73-year-old, who is still able, as he demonstrated, to turn his arm over. His story is of a lifelong, if peripatetic, involvement in cricket. He is too good to be described as a cricketing journeyman, but he is certainly a man of cricketing journeys. Continue reading
Mohammad Isam, 16 July 2015, courtesy of ESPNcricinfo.com, where the title is “Bangladesh go from inadequacy to audacity”
The first ever meeting between Bangladesh and South Africa was hardly a contest. In the sixth over of Bangladesh’s 302-run chase, Al Sahariar turned his back on a Makhaya Ntini bouncer with his bat hanging out vertically. The ball struck the bat and spooned up. Jacques Kallis ran back from slip to complete a superb one-handed diving catch. Bangladesh were 12 for 2, slipped to 43 for 6, and ended up losing by 168 runs.
Commentators described Sahariar’s dangling bat over his head as a “periscope”. At the time, Bangladesh were not even into their second year as a Test-playing nation, their progress emanating suspicion. Handling the short ball was a prerequisite to playing against top teams, but despite high-billing locally, many like Sahariar were at sea. His dismissal in Potchefstroom symbolised inadequacy.
Soumya Sarkar in action —AFP
Thirteen years later, in their third tour of Bangladesh, South Africa encountered another periscope. This time it was Soumya Sarkar‘s dangling bat, but unlike Sahariar’s periscope, this was deliberate. On Wednesday in the third ODI, Soumya was on 67 in the 19th over when he leaned back and ramped a Kyle Abbott bouncer high over the head of wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock, landing just short of the rope. Soumya’s periscope symbolised Bangladesh’s audacity. Continue reading
Filed under cricket and life, performance, unusual people
ESPNcricinfo–Pic by Getty Images
QUOTATION: ““If we continue to play the way we have been playing over the last 12-18 months,’’ said Steve Smith of England on leaving Australia, “I don’t think that they’ll come close to us to be honest.” … Steve Smith before departing from Australia
QUOTATION TWO: “New English attitude? Brad Haddin and Shane Watson were dismissive of it on the eve of the series: to them, the Pom had resumed the posture as Australia’s natural supplicant. — GIDEON HAIGH in critical vein in The Australian , 13 July 2015, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/opinion/ashes-2015-test-loss-30-months-in-making/story-fnb58rpk-1227439212137
Sujith Silva, reproduced from the QUADRANGLE where the title of this article reads “Up Close & Personal with Murali”
Affectionately called as ‘Murali,’ he is by far the greatest Sportsperson Sri Lanka ever produced in the modern era. Truly a Legend, an icon and an Ambassador. Not only to his alma mater St. Anthony’s College, Katugastota but also to his country, Sri Lanka and for the game of Cricket. A World beater across all formats of the game, holder of many World Records and he has won many hearts around the world with his trade mark smile and for his fighting skills. He was recently hired as a Spin Bowling Consultant by the Australian Cricket Board. Almost 20 years ago, Murali was publicly humiliated at the MCG and widely despised by the Australian cricketing public. It was in Australia he faced his worst challenges both on and off the field. His Cricketing career almost came to an abrupt end before it even blossomed. Who would have thought it likely that Australian Cricket would ever pay Murali the ultimate compliment, almost an apology of sorts, by inviting him to be their spin guru? He was much feared and respected on the field and he was accused by his critics, challenged by those who didn’t like his success, heckled by those who feared him and tested and cleared by the governing body. Irrespective of all that, he came out as a Champion. 
Murali mobbed by fans in Jaffna town
how many times did this make a batsman frown … long time passing!
Andrew Fidel Fernando, courtesy of ESPNcricinfo, 29 June 2015
Dhammika Prasad is a fast bowler who won his way through to Test level playing most of his cricket at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground. For that alone, he deserves a little respect. If the pitch at the SSC is ever dug up, multiple remains of quick bowlers are sure to be discovered. The other first-class decks on the island are not much better. At 32 years, a hit-the-deck seamer like Prasad should be a fossil. Instead, he is Sri Lanka’s top wicket-taker in the series so far.
Sri Lankan cricketer Dhammika Prasad makes an unsuccessful appeal for the wicket of Pakistan cricketer Asad Shafiq during the fourth day of the opening Test match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the Galle International Cricket Stadium in Galle on June 20, 2015. AFP PHOTO/ Ishara S. KODIKARA (Photo credit should read Ishara S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)
The thing with Prasad is that he just keeps coming back – on a micro and macro scale. The P Sara pitch had slowed considerably by day four, with the wicketkeeper more often taking balls at knee height than above the waist, as had been the case on the first morning. Yet, it was neither of the spinners, the swing bowler, or the tearaway who regained Sri Lanka’s advantage in the match. Pitching it outside off, moving it a little off the seam, Prasad just kept on coming. Continue reading
Devashish Fuloria, in ESPNcricinfo, http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-pakistan-2015/engine/match/860265.html
Superb win for Sri Lanka here. The circus moves on to Pallekele where Sri Lanka will be without Sangakkara and Pakistan will be without Wahab Riaz. This series is shaping up really well for the finale. Thanks for all the comments and feedback. Please also keep an eye on all the analysis and reports from Andrew Fernando and Umar Farooq. This is Devashish Fuloria signing off, ciao ciao.
“The boys showed a lot of character after the defeat in Galle,” says Angelo Mathews. “We wanted to bat positively because we were not sure about the rain. So we gave green signal to play positively. It’s easy to get bogged down. The conditions were helpful, I liked bowling here. Kushal Silva is playing the anchor role and others are playing around him.”
Sri Lanka’s cricketer Dhammika Prasad (C) celebrates with wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal (L) the wicket of Pakistan cricketer Sarfraz Ahmed (R) during the fourth day of their second test match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the P. Sara Oval Cricket Stadium in Colombo on June 28, 2015. AFP PHOTO / LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI (Photo credit should read LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/Getty Images)
Dhammika Prasad is the ‘Smart player of the Match’ and the Man of the Match. “It was a great match because we came as underdogs,” he says. “I am really happy with the way we played. I tried to bowl in good areas. We had a plan before this game and I executed it very well. ” Continue reading
Filed under Angelo Mathews, Sangakkara, Sri Lanka Cricket, unusual people
Andrew Fidel Fernando, courtesy of ESPNcricinfo,com, 21 June 2015
Late on day five, Angelo Mathews stands at slip, glum faced, chin resting on knuckles as the ball skids towards the straight boundary off Ahmed Shehzad’s bat. Rangana Herath turns around grimacing in his follow through and puts hands on hips. Having watched Sri Lanka’s young batsmen throw the game away again in the afternoon, old man Kumar Sangakkara wears a resigned look in the infield. At this late stage of his career, he looks more and more like a dad fed up with telling his kids not to pee into the public pool. Dilruwan Perera is going at 10 an over. Kithuruwan Vithanage is averting gazes.
Karunaratne diddled and stumped off Yasir Shah–Pic by Kodikara -AFP
Michael Roberts, courtesy of islandcricket.lk
In chatting cricket with Michael de Zoysa early in June we addressed the issue of spin bowlers in the longer-format of cricket in the light of Murali’s retirement and Rangana Herath’s aging 37 year-old frame. De Zoysa was concerned because he felt the majority of the options were rollers of the ball rather than genuine spin-merchants, a type of bowling that he considered of limited value in the longer format of cricket. Dilruwan Perera (aged 33 now), in his view, was “a genuine off-spinner,” while Tharinda Kaushal (22 years) was a good prospect who needed to develop consistency and guile.
Intriguingly and with some foresight de Zoysa presented Jeffrey Vandersay (aged 25), a right-arm leg-spinner, as a good prospect. This he did early in June well before Vandersay was picked for the trial match against Pakistan where he proceeded to take 5 wickets in the first innings and a brace in the second.[1] De Zoysa is an SSC stalwart and Vandersay plays for that club now,[2] but it is evident now that more than club loyalty directed his assessment. Vandersay could be an asset in the future and one hopes that he is made to concentrate on the longer form of cricket for the near-future.
Vandersay-–Pic from Lake House 
Sandakan —Pic from http://www.ceylontoday
Umar Farooq, in Galle, courtesy of ESPNcricinfo.com where the title reads “‘We have an answer for Herath this time’ – Misbah”
Pakistan were undone by Rangana Herath last year when the left-arm spinner took 23 wickets in only two Tests, as the visitors crumbled to lose both the matches. Statistically, Pakistan are the second team, among the top eight teams, with the worst batting average against left-arm spinners in the last ten years. Their captain Misbah-ul-Haq said his side won’t capitulate against Herath this time.
Pic from AFP
“We have an answer for Herath this time as everybody is working hard on how to defend him,” Misbah said. “In the past we really played him well except in the last series in Sri Lanka…sometimes bowler takes the edge, or sometimes batsman. But we are looking on a plan on how to handle him and how we should apply ourselves against him. We only struggled because he got a good hold of the conditions and it’s important for us to play him well to get a better result. The more we play him well, more we have a chance to do better against them.” Continue reading
