February 23, 2020 · 11:39 am

Jadeja’s Inspiration behind Ashton Agar’s Hat-Trick

Michael Ramsey,of AAP in Courier Mail. 22 February 2020,  with this title “How conversation with ‘absolute rock star’ inspired Ashton Agar’s historic hat-trick”

Ashton Agar has revealed how a conversation with Indian superstar Ravindra Jadeja inspired his match-winning hat-trick in South Africa. Agar stole the show in the T20 series-opener at Johannesburg, snaring 5-24 to lead a rampant Australia to a thumping 107-run win.

The left-arm spinner is just the second Australian after Brett Lee in 2007 to deliver a hat-trick in a T20 international.

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Filed under Australian cricket, cricket and life, cricketing icons, performance, player selections, unusual statistics

February 21, 2020 · 4:08 pm

Poonam Yadav bamboozles the Aussie Women Cricketers

ESPNcricinfo staff …. https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/28749203/we-want-play-defensive-cricket-anymore-sri-lanka-mickey-arthur

Australia were cruising at 2 for 67 chasing 133 with Alyssa Healy rolling on 51 from just 34 balls. Poonam Yadav didn’t bowl in the first nine overs and Healy hit her fourth ball for six over long-on. But the legspinner changed the game with a dazzling spell. She bamboozled Australia’s much-vaunted middle order to take 4 for 19 and guide India to victory. She nearly took a hat-trick with Taniya Bhatia dropping a tough caught-behind chance from Jess Jonassen. Here’s how Alex Malcolm and Deivarayan Muthu described the action on ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball commentary.

Poonam Yadav is ecstatic after taking a wicket Getty Images

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Filed under Australian cricket, child of empire, cricket and life, cricket in India, Indian cricket, performance, unusual statistics, womens' cricket

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 21, 2020 · 2:25 pm

From Southern Province Skipper to Space Law Pathfinder

When Nandasiri Jasentuliyana led the Southern Province Schools Team against the Australian Schoolboy Team in 1958

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February 21, 2020 · 1:47 pm

Appraisals: Women’s World T20

Mel Jones      Alex Blackwell

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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 20, 2020 · 2:33 am

Whistle-Stop Boosts in Sri Lankan Cricketing History

Nicholas Brookes at https://wisdenblog.wordpress.com/2020/02/06/notes-from-a-small-island/ …. with this chosen title “Play to the Whistle” … with highlighting added and Pix illustrative and not always from such moments

Until 1982 Sri Lanka were stranded on the fringes of international cricket: a small island, marooned. Life on the outside wasn’t easy, but Sri Lanka still had something to make most of the cricketing world envious. You might call it a geographical blessing.

In the days before planes, the only way to get between England and Australia was by boat. It was an arduous journey that could take up to three months and required a stopover. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, Ceylon (as it was called until 1972) emerged as the natural point of transit.

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Filed under Ashes Tests, Australian cricket, cricket and life, cricketing icons, English cricket, memorable moments, performance, sportsmanship, Sri Lanka Cricket, unusual people, welfare through sport

February 19, 2020 · 3:28 pm

FOG stands as One Pillar in SL Womens’ Cricket

Three players from the FOUNDATION of GOODNESS at Seenigama in Hikkaduwa are in the Squad representing the island nation at the Womens’ T20 World Cup in Australia

“Three outstanding ladies from our Foundation of Goodness Seenigama Ladies Cricket Squad have been selected to represent the Sri Lanka National Team for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup which commences on the 15th of Feb, 2020! Congratulations to Kaveesha Dilhari, Umasha Thimeshani (Seenigama Ladies Captain 2019) and Satya Sanjeewani! ”  …. says Kushil Gunasekera

**** ****

Sathya Sandeepani

Age: 20 years 153 days Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm medium-fast

Umesha Thimashini

Age: 18 years 278 daysBatting: Right-hand batBowling: Right-arm offbreak

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February 19, 2020 · 1:29 pm

Topsy-Turvy: A Tale of Ingenious Tactics from the Aussie Boondocks

A Note from Ron Slee …. an Aged Aussie Mate

Michael, my ‘old age indulgence’ lacks the verification of yours and while it bears some similarities, sadly, I have no pictures.

It was ‘64/65.  I was captain of my High School Cricket X1.  I provided leadership in neither batting nor bowling but I had a heightened sense of how difficult it was to score runs against good bowlers and how equally difficult it was to bowl to good batsmen.  This profound weakness at batting and bowling led me to develop a strategy which produced success for my team.

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February 19, 2020 · 12:15 pm

Sri Lanka spring Surprise in Tuesday’s Round of Warm-up Matches — Womens’ T20

Daily News Report, 19 February 2020

Australia and India tuned up for Friday’s blockbuster ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 opener with hard-fought warm-up victories over South Africa and West Indies respectively. But by far the biggest shock of the day was Sri Lanka’s 10-wicket victory over England as Shashikala Siriwardana snaffled four wickets and Chamari Atapattu starred with bat and ball to earn an unlikely triumph.

Atapattu in full flight

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Filed under memorable moments, performance, Sri Lanka Cricket, T20 Cricket, unusual statistics, womens' cricket