Sri Lanka denounce Thirimanne, Asalanka from Bangladesh Tests
Sri Lanka pay dispute | Arvinda de Silva asks players to stop complaining, focus on 'winning games'
SL vs BAN | 2nd Test, Day 2: Sri Lanka steady after quick fall of wickets in Pallekele
SL vs BAN | 2nd Test - Sri Lanka take Day 1 honours, Karunaratne and Thirimanne score centuries
Yet again it proved to be a batting paradise at the Pallekele International Stadium as Sri Lanka took the Day 1 honour against Bangladesh on the opening day of the second Test. There was no hesitation in Dimuth Karunaratne’s mind after winning the toss. Batting first was a no-brainer and they justified the call by posting 291 on the board at the end of 90 overs losing just the wicket. The pitch seemed to be a belter as the bowlers got no help what so ever. Taskin Ahmed and Abu Jayed got some help early on but once Karunaratne and Thirimanne were set, the Bangladesh bowlers were all over the place and didn’t quite manage to break their partnership. Both Thirimanne and Karunaratne were hardly bothered by any of the bowlers. Karunaratne who has been one of the most consistent run-scorers for Sri Lanka in the longest format did his reputation no harm carving his way to yet another well-deserved Test century. It was his 12th Test century and he laid the foundation well for the rest of the batters. He was eventually dismissed after a partnership of 209 runs with Thirimanne. It was Shoriful Islam who bagged the wicket of the captain. Thirimanne played the field to perfection and never really allowed the bowlers to settle in. The stylish left-hander played some delightful shots as the bowlers found it difficult to bowl to a particular line to him. Mehidy Hasan did beat his outside edge on a few occasions but those were few are far between. Thirimanne reached a well-deserved century with a dab down the deep third man region. It was his 3rd Test hundred. Following Karunaratne’s dismissal, he did nothing silly and again build another partnership with Oshada Fernando who remained unbeaten on 40. They took their time but made sure that they don’t play any loose shots and end the day’s play without losing any more wickets. Brief Scores Sri Lanka 291/1 (Karunaratne 118, Thirimanne 131*, Oshada Fernando 40*, Shoriful Islam 1/52)
SL vs BAN | 1st Test: Run feast in Pallekele ends in a draw after rain plays spoilsport
The first Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Pallekele ended in a draw after the final day of the game was curtailed by rain on Sunday. Bangladesh who batted first in what was a run feast at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium posted 541/7 (D) in the first innings. Opener Tamim Iqbal struck 90 while Najmul Hossain and captain Mominul Haque notched up individual tons during the course. While Hossain scored 163, Haque got out for 127. Apart from them, Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das also struck individual fifties for the side. Vishwa Fernando was the pick of the bowlers for Sri Lanka in the innings after he scalped four wickets for 96 in 35 overs. The home side then rode on some scintillating batting from Dimuth Karunaratane who scored 244 and Dhananjaya de Silva who went on to score 166 during the course to put 648/8 in reply. Lahiru Thirimane also chipped in with a half-century for Sri Lanka while Taskin Ahmed bagged three wickets for Bangladesh and Taijul Islam picked up a couple. The hosts took a first innings lead of 107 runs. Bangladesh then came out to bat in the second innings on Day 5. The Lankan team did pick up two early wickets but opener Tamim showed his class and took on the bowlers to score 74* off 98. Fast bowler Suranga Lakmal had both the wickets to his name in the second innings before the match was halted by the rain and eventually ended as a draw. Karunaratne who was adjudged man of the match for his knock said that he had a struggling time in West Indies and wanted to score runs at home. “I had a very tough time in the West Indies, so I wanted to make the most of these conditions. We thought the wicket would have pace and bounce, but the conditions and heat made the pitch flat. Bangladesh batters also played really well,” he said. The encounter witnessed huge amounts of runs being scored and the Sri Lanka captain admitted that the track didn’t really have much to offer to the bowlers. “There was nothing much for the bowlers, it was a batting paradise. There was no threat for the batsmen in the second innings as well, nothing much we could have done on this kind of a wicket. We need something in the pitch for the bowlers (in the next game), because we need 20 wickets to win,” he added. Bangladesh skipper Mominul credited the team for their performance. “It was a team performance, everyone contributed really well, especially Shanto. Tamim and Mushy also played crucial knocks and the bowlers, especially Taskin and the spinners, tried really hard,” he said. The second and final Test will begin on April 29 at the same venue.
WI vs SL | 2nd Test: Karunaratne, Thirimanne keep Windies at bay; Test series ends without a result
Sri Lankan openers showed grit and determination to stop West Indies from claiming 10 wickets on the last day and seal the series. The pair of experienced batsmen Lahiru Thirimanne and skipper Dimuth Karunaratne set out a plan and churned out an invaluable partnership to lower the morale of Kraigg Brathwaite’s men who felt that they were on top at the end of day four. The opening wicket added 101 runs and delayed any prospect of a breakthrough by the 39th over. Even when Thirimanne was caught brilliantly at the slips by Rakheem Cornwall off Alzarri Joseph, the Sri Lankans didn’t let the pressure build as the new man in Oshada Fernando kept rotating the strikes after blocking balls en masse. By the time the skipper was dismissed by Kyle Mayers, Sri Lanka had consolidated their position, scoring just 146 in the chase of 377, but essentially blocking out almost 56 overs off the 80 that they were supposed to play (minus the extra hour of play). The pitch too played its part in confirmation of the draw as it did not break and remained a good slow batting track. Coupled with the inclement weather and injury to Shanon Gabriel, the Windies were unable to push on with the attack and Dinesh Chandimal and Oshada remained unbeaten at 10 and 66 respectively to see the islanders to a comfortable draw. Earlier Windies were late at declaring their second innings at 280-4 and with rain disturbing the match throughout, the Sri Lankans, even after getting out for 258 in the first innings in response to Windies’ 354, were able to save the game and draw the series. Brathwaite, who scored a century in the first innings and 85 in the second was adjudged Man of the Match. Suranga Lakmal, who is on a path to rediscover himself with fierce fast bowling was adjudged Man of the Series for taking 11 crucial wickets at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.
WI vs SL | Brathwaite misses out on twin centuries, Holder-Mayers set up perfect finish
A valiant innings of 85 runs and twin fifties from middle-order batsmen Kyle Mayers and Jason Holder helped West Indies put Sri Lanka out of contention of winning the second and final game of the series. In reply to the target of 375 runs, Sri Lanka were 29/0 at the stumps on the fourth day with both Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne negotiating the last nine overs of the day. They were helped by wayward bowling by the new ball bowlers in Kemar Roach and Jason Holder. Earlier, to start the day, Pathum Nissanka completed a hardworking fifty to continue his golden run of form with the bat. However, in order to add more runs while batting with the lower order batsmen, he perished to a short ball by Roach. Roach wiped off Vishwa Fernando and with him, Sri Lanka’s first innings in the same over as Windies earned a 96 run lead. The situation demanded a strong partnership between Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell, who has not had a great time with the bat in the last few months. He survived a close LBW call and hit few boundaries to get going but the innings was cut short by an accurate Suranga Lakmal from round the wicket. Needing quick runs with the need to win the game, Windies promoted Jermaine Blackwood to the number three position. There was intent from both batsmen as boundaries started coming off easily for them. A confusion between them in running between the wicket allowed Sri Lanka n opportunity to run Blackwood out, but as they have done on the tour so far, they wasted it. The missed out run out chance got more embarrassing when Blackowdd was dropped in the slips just two overs later. Sri Lanka have been quite poor in the field and they dropped many catches in the first innings to let Swindies get off the hook. Finally, Dushmantha Chameera came on to send Blackwood back to the pavilion although the ball did not deserve a wicket but for the poor short of the batsman. A similar delivery was guided seamlessly by the next man Kyle Mayers and the duo started putting pressure on the bowling line up with calculated assault. Off-spinner Dhananjaya de Silva troubled the left-handed Mayers, but he was saved on the DRS by the very old foe for captains—umpire's call, that that ICC said yesterday is here to stay. Emboldened by the reprieve, Mayers got more belligerent with the bat and put Chameera on his attack list. He was treating the pacer with disdain ad waiting on the backfoot in expectations of short-pitched bowling. There was no improvement in Lank’s fielding as Oshada Fernando grassed yet another chance off Brathwaite of the bowling of Chameera. Both batsmen reached their fifty run-mark and Windies pressed on for more and more runs to force a result in the game. Lakmal came back to see the back of Mayers but there was no respite for the tourists as Holder took off from where Mayers left the crease. A silky drive against de Silva’s spin and the former captain was off and running. He looked in menacing touch and when bowlers tested his backfoot game, he brought ut his whopping pull shots to send the signal to his IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad that although he is away from them, the preparation is well and truly on for the IPL. Brathwaite was nearing his second century of the match but the momentum was not slowing for him. He was finding boundaries with the use of the wrist. However, he missed out on the feat when he tried to be too cheeky against Chameera. Windies were already on the charge and Joshua Da Sliva did not waste any time in stamping his team’s authority on the game. After batting for nearly 75 overs, Windies declared their second innings to have a crack on Sri Lankan batsmen. But, that intent and efforts were thwarted by the Sri Lankan openers and it has set up a perfect finish for a highly riveting final day of the Test and series.
1st Test Day 4: Ton-up Pathum Nissanka, Dickwella stamp Sri Lanka's authority over listless Windies
Coming back from behind after an ordinary display of batting, Sri Lanka set the hosts West Indies a steep target of 375 runs to win the game and take a 1-0 lead or bat three and a half session to draw the game. Achieving any of the two targets will be a mountainous one for the hosts and Sri Lanka will be the better side than them going into the fifth and final day of the Test. Windies were rocked early in their effort on late on the fourth day as Vishwa Fernando got an outside edge off John Campbell’s bat to take the tourists further on the path of ascendency. Before that, it took a heroic century from Pathum Nissanka on debut and a magnificent 96 from Niroshan Dickwella that established Sri Lanka’s resurgence in the game. Sri Lanka had resumed the play at 255/4 on the fourth day with Dhananjaya de Silva and Pathum Nissanka at the crease. De Silva was quick to get to his fifty with a clip off his pads off Alazarri Joseph, but the celebration did not last long enough as the pacer bounced back rattling the right-hander’s stumps. Dickwella walked out to bat after the tourists had already taken a sizeable lead and his contributions with the bat would have made the case stronger for the Dimuth Karunaratne-led side. He started off in his typical fashion picking off Joseph through his prominent pickup shot towards the leg side. Joseph’s corrected line of attack on the off-stump was pushed away for boundary and Lanka were up and running on the penultimate day of the Test. At the other end, Nissanka’s patience was being rewarded with poor balls from Kemar Roach and Jason Holder. Shannon Gabriel’space too could not too much to harm the pair, while the military medium pace of Kayle Mayers was not good enough as Nissanka went past the 50-run mark for the first time. Roach corrected his length to hit Nissanka on his pads, but the umpire Joel Wilson did not find it hitting the stumps. At the other end, Holder found outside the edge of Dickwella’s bat but Bonner dropped a dolly at the gully, to sum up, Windies’ day in the field. The chance was enough of the opportunity that the pair threw at the hosts’ bowling lineup and Nissanka reached his test century on debut to become only the fourth Sri Lankan batsman to achieve such feat. Nissanka departed soon after the century but Dickwella carried on with his attack through unusual shots. Roach found his helmet with a rising delivery when the left-hander was at 95, but the bad luck continued for the hosts’ bowlers as the impact of the ball was not strong enough to shake up the bails on the stumps. Kemar Roach was not done and he got Dickwella played on as the batsman tried to be too cheeky in terms of scoring runs. Rakheem Cornwall wiped out the tail after Dickwella’s departure. Kemar Roach and Holder toiled hard for wickets but Sri Lankan batsmen were too rigid in their mindset to let the opportunities of winning a Test match in West Indies slip away from their grasp. The opening pair of the skipper Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell had a task in their hands to defend in the later period of the fourth day and it turned out to be too much for them as Vishwa Fernando provided Sri Lanka with a vital breakthrough. Sri Lanka have their nose significantly ahead of the Windies going into the fifth and final day fo the Test. However, the hosts can not be written off just yet.
Mathews to miss South Africa tour as Sri Lanka announce Test squad
Sri Lanka Cricket on Thursday announced the Test squad for the upcoming South Africa tour as well as the much anticipated England visit to the island nation. The team would be captained by experienced opener Dimuth Karunaratne while no person as such was named as his deputy. Stalwart all-rounder and the most experienced active Sri Lankan batsman, Angelo Mathews will miss the South Africa tour, however, he will be available for the England series which will take place in late January. A 22 member strong squad is full of brimming young talents, and also has some experienced hands in the form of Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal, and Suranga Lakmal. In the batting department, it has got a good mix of left and right with captain Karunaratne, Kusal Perera, Niroshan Dickwella, and Thirimanne along with young gun Minod Bhanuka playing as left-handers. In terms of right-handers, the team has experienced Chandimal, flamboyant Kusal Mendis, Oshada Fernando, and Dhananjaya De Silva. The bowling is also filled with a good mix of pacers and spinners as apart from Akmal, speedsters Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera are back and so is all-rounder Dasun Shanaka. Alongside them, the spin duo of Lasith Embuldeniya and Wanindu Hasaranga will also play crucial roles alongside spinning all-rounder Dilruwan Perera. Other pacers in the team include Vishwa Fernando and Kasun Rajitha while there are three players who have been picked for the first time in the Test squad and it includes the youngsters Santhush Gunathilake and Dilshan Madushanka alongside Asitha Fernando, who has made his Sri Lanka debut, but has played just one ODI.