Trevor Jayetilleke, in The Island, 14 March 2020, with this title “West Indies cricket teams of the 1960’s and Frank Worrell”
Apropos the letter written by Mr. K. K. S. Perera and published in the Opinion Columns of your journal of the 4th March, please permit me to add my comments/observations to the facts expressed by Mr. Perera.
Andrew Miller, in ESPNcricinfo, 13 March 2929, where the title is “England tour of Sri Lanka postponed amid COVID-19 spread”
England’s Test tour of Sri Lanka has been called off at the request of the ECB, due to the growing threat of the the COVID 19 pandemic, but on the understanding that it will be rescheduled at a later date.
Captains Joe Root (England) and Lahiru Tirimanne (SL President’s XI) faced up the creeping threat of coronavirus cheerfully in novel style — foregoing the alternative path of a namasthe as a replacement for the normal handshake that was deployed prior to matches in the era before the CV has all of us concerned …..
Saádi Thawfeeq, in Daily News, 11 March 2020, with this title No need to panic we are on the right track says chief selector””
Sri Lanka’s 0-2 defeat at the hands of T20I world champs West Indies is not something to get too excited or worried about says chairman of selectors Ashantha de Mel. “I am not saying I am 100 percent satisfied but there is an improvement. We have a lot to go forward but from where we were we have come up. The structure is coming and there are little areas that we have to fine tune, our bowling and all that,” said De Mel reflecting on the ODI and T20I series.
West Indian Andre Russell hit six sixes off 14 balls against Sri Lanka in the second T20I at Pallekele.
Filed under performance, player selections, Sri Lanka Cricket, T20 Cricket
Alex Malcolm in ESPNcricinfo, 2 March 2020
Shashikala Siriwardene held her own retirement party on her final day in international cricket taking a tournament-best 4 for 16 to help Sri Lanka to a consolation nine-wicket win over Bangladesh at the Junction Oval [in Melbourne].
Filed under Bangladesh cricket, memorable moments, performance, womens' cricket
Harry Solomons, the Aloysian Australian Invincible, in Australian colours…. the same combination as his alma mater, St, Aloysius, Galle …. playing for Australia’s Over Seventies against New Zealand this February 2020 –where, he says, “we beat NZ in our only 70s International on tour…… [and] I played the full 6 matches on tour”. Harry then presents snapshots of the “emotional cap ceremony.”
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.
SW Ambris ….. run out (Mathews/Udana) 17
12.2 sensational fielding, and a run out breaks the partnership. I think this one is on Shai Hope. He clips this one square of midwicket and he thought he had beaten Angelo Mathews, but Mathews leaps to his right and cuts that one off. Hope has called Ambris through for a single, but seeing suddenly that Mathews has the ball in hand, he changes his mind. Only, Ambris is two thirds down the pitch now. Hope scampers back to the striker’s end, and Ambris is nowhere as the throw comes in from Mathews, and the bowler Udana takes the bails off. Hope might even had made it had he committed to the run. 64/1
Michael Roberts
I was in Sri Lanka in mid-1997 on research work but took time off to watch an ODI match between the Indian XI led by Sachin Tendulkar and the Sri Lankan side led by Arjuna Ranatunga on July 18th. One distinct memory is that of a relatively unknown player named Lanka de Silva batting in an uncomplicated, neat manner to support Arjuna and finalize Sri Lanka’s charge to victory.
Louis DB Cameron, in cricket/com.au 13 February 2020, where the title is “Agar following in footsteps of greatness in breakout summer”
