Sports

Boxing Day Test memories

Published

3 years ago

2023/12/31

T.M. Dilshan skippered Sri Lanka to a famous Boxing Day Test win in Durban in 2011 but less than a month later was sacked as captain

by Rex Clementine

The Boxing Day Test match has become an integral part of the game of cricket as during the festive season people are hooked onto their televisions from morning to evening watching the proceedings at MCG before switching their channel to find out what’s happening at Centurion.

The Boxing Day Tests are well attended too. Most people are on leave in the week between Christmas and New Year and they make it a point to attend the Test match with families. Both MCG in Australia and Centurion in South Africa put on a grand show.

Although the term ‘Boxing Day’ is associated with sports events on the day after Christmas, it originated in Britian during the Victorian era. Servants used to work for their masters on Christmas Day and they were given a day off the following day and when they went home, the servants were given gifts put in a box to be shared with the family. Hence the term Boxing Day.

Although Sri Lanka has got no such traditions, cricket fans of the country know what it means in cricket and remember quite well some of the biggest Boxing Day events their team has been part of.

The no balling of Muttiah Muralitharan by Darrel Hair happened on Boxing Day in front of 55,000 people at MCG in 1995.

Nine years later, Sri Lanka were playing a game in Auckland when news reached of deadly flooding in the country despite there being no rain and it took hours for the players to figure out that what had struck the nation was tsunami and not floods. That tour was aborted, and Sri Lanka returned home as the fate of several players’ parents and loved ones, especially those who were in the south coast, were unknown.

The Boxing Day Test in 2011 in Durban is etched in all Sri Lankan fans’ memories as for the first time the team won a Test match in South Africa.

The first Test was played at Centurion and Sri Lanka had been blown away inside three days to lose by an innings. There was little hope for the team and a 3-0 series whitewash was looming large. Former South African captain Keppler Wessels had suggested in commentaries that South Africa were too strong for the islanders and maybe the selectors should think of playing the ‘A’ team. That made a few seniors angry.

Head Coach Geoff Marsh re-esembled the team back to the Centurion on day four and five and replicated a Test match atmosphere in which training was conducted. There was a nine day gap between the first and second Tests and in a team bonding exercise the coach paired a senior player with a junior.

Dinesh Chandimal was paired with Kumar Sangakkara, Lahiru Thirimanne was under the watch of T.M. Dilshan and Dimuth Karunaratne was put along with Mahela Jayawardene. The seniors were supposed to take juniors out for meals and coffee and the day before the second Test; on Christmas Day, the players were supposed to present gifts to each other. While this was an excellent team bonding exercise, for the younger players this was a great learning experience too.

By the time the second Test came, the players were raring to go. The team had gelled well.

Thilan Samaraweera was making a comeback to the side. He had been controversially axed from the side earlier and went onto showcase what the team had been missing with a back to the wall hundred. He celebrated his century folding his bat to the armpit making the bat look like a gun and shooting towards the dressing room. Shaun Pollock in commentaries said that he may well have been shooting at the selectors.

Chandimal was on debut and made twin half-centuries stitching some valuable partnerships with the tail.

Left-arm seamer Chanaka Welegedara is the sort of bowler who can make life difficult for batters with angles he creates. South Africa found themselves at 119 for eight with Welegedara accounting for the big four – Jacques Kallis, Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla and A.B. de Villiers. He finished with a five wicket haul.

Sri Lanka couldn’t believe themselves that they had a first innings lead of 170. Kumar Sangakkara had been dismissed for a duck in the first innings but he wasn’t going to miss out on a golden opportunity to beat South Africa and cashed in with a second innings hundred.

A target of 450 proved to be beyond South Africa’s reach as Sri Lanka created history with a 208 run win with Rangana Herath claiming a five wicket haul. Among his victims were Jacques Kallis, dismissed for a duck, the only time the great man had collected a pair in Tests. Mind you he featured in 166 Test matches in a career that spanned across 18 years.

The nation was celebrating. T.M. Dilshan had a tough initiation as captain but he was beginning to turn things around for the team. But little did he know that less than a month later he will be sacked as captain. There had been a coup. A bloodless coup!

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Ronaldo apologizes for Portugal walkout; says Jesus broke promise

Published

4 hours ago

2026/10/7

Priyan

Cristiano Ronaldo is Portugal's leading scorer (Aljazeera)

Cristiano Ronaldo has accused Portugal ‌coach Jorge Jesus of twice breaking his word, saying a failed agreement to publicly ⁠explain his omission ⁠against Norway drove him out of the camp, but insisting he remained available after any punishment.

In a lengthy statement, the 41-year-old gave his account of the dispute ⁠that prompted his departure from Copenhagen before Portugal’s Nations League match versus Denmark last week.

Ronaldo said Jesus had agreed a plan under which the forward would miss the Norway and Denmark ⁠matches to manage his fitness. However, on the day of the Norway game, the coach told him he would play for 30 minutes.

“Everyone knows the rest. I warmed up from halftime onwards, watched the minutes tick by and wasn’t called on,” Ronaldo said.

“The manager had broken his word to me.”

Portugal’s ‌captain and all-time leading scorer said a subsequent meeting with Jesus, attended by his club side Al Nassr’s sporting director Simao Coutinho, produced an agreement for the coach to clarify events at his next news conference.

According to Ronaldo, an eight-point document was prepared saying he had never demanded playing time, had respected Jesus’s decisions and that the coach asking him to warm up without bringing him on had been a mistake.

Ronaldo said the agreed notes did ⁠not require Jesus to apologise to him but said the coach’s ⁠public remarks bore no resemblance to their private discussion.

“It was the second time he had broken his word to me,” Ronaldo said. “I decided to leave the training camp without waiting for any further broken promises.”

The statement provided Ronaldo’s account⁠, but on Sunday, after Portugal’s win over Norway, Jesus denied he had made any agreement with the player, nevertheless leaving the door open ⁠for his return.

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) did not immediately respond ⁠to a request for comment about Ronaldo’s statement.

Ronaldo apologised for failing to greet supporters after the Norway match and for leaving his teammates, accepting that his captaincy made his conduct more serious.

“The consequences of my actions must be assessed ‌and punished by the Portuguese Football Federation,” he said.

Despite the rupture, Ronaldo said he was not limiting his international ambitions to a farewell appearance.

“If I’m physically fit, playing for my club – scoring ‌goals, ‌I hope – after serving whatever suspension is imposed on me, I’ll be available, as I’ve always been until now, to compete and win for our national team,” he added.

(Aljazeera)

Sports

Nalanda on the cusp of reaching knockout stage as unbeaten run continues

Published

5 hours ago

2026/10/7

Sahan Weerasooriya

Rusandu Silva has nine wickets against his name after three matches.

by Reemus Fernando

Nalanda College, Colombo continued their unbeaten run to come closer to securing a berth in the knockout stage as they beat Gurukula College by nine wickets in the Under 19 Division I Tier A Limited Overs Tournament match played at Campbell Place on Tuesday.

‎With Rusandu Silva continuing his impressive run in the tournament, Nalanda did well to restrict the team from Kelaniya to just 113 runs (in 35.4 overs).

‎After two outings Rusandu had six wickets against his name coming to this match.‎Rusandu and Methuka Perera claimed three wickets each. ‎Lithum Wijekumara also impressed with two wickets, while Santhul Wijeyarathne took one.

‎Adeepa Pinsara was the only batsman to make a contribution of note as he top-scored with 35 off 49 balls, including four fours and two sixes, while Javindu Madusanka made 20.

‎In their chase Nalanda made light work of the modest target, reaching 114 for one, scoring at a rate of over a run a ball.

‎Nadul Jayalath cracked an unbeaten 62 from just 52 balls. His innings contained four fours and five sixes. He received valuable support from Lithum Wijekumara, who scored 35 off 42 deliveries with six boundaries.

‎Ranmith Senarath completed the successful chase with an unbeaten 10 off seven balls, including two fours.

‎Nalanda lost only one wicket as the opening pair added 89 for the first wicket. Jayalath and Senarath then finished the contest comfortably, securing a convincing nine-wicket victory with many overs to spare.

‎It was Nalanda’s third successive victory in the Tier A tourney after having beaten Thurstan (155) by seven wickets and St. Servatius’ Matara (187) by four wickets in the first two matches.

‎As of now, they are the leading team in Group G where they have only St. Joseph’s Darley Road to meet before the knockout stage.

‎With just two teams advancing to the next stage from each Group Nalanda are almost assured of their place.

Sports

Wins for Hayley’s Group ‘A’ , HNB ‘A’ and CDB on Saturday

Published

5 hours ago

2026/10/7

Sahan Weerasooriya

33RD SINGER – MCA Super PREMIER LEAGUE

Hayley’s Group ‘A’, HNB ‘A’ and CDB registered wins by defeating Colombo Aces, Fairfirst Insurance and SLC Youth in the matches of the Mercantile Cricket Association’s Super Premier League cricket tournament on Sunday (04).

The MCA Super Premier League is sponsored by Singer Sri Lanka for the 33rd consecutive year.

At the Bloomfield Cricket ground, Nishan Madushka, Pulindu Perera and Minod Dhanuka smashed half tons as Hayley’s Group ‘A’ registered their second win of the tournament defeating Colombo Aces by six wickets.

At the Thurstan ground, Nipun Dhananjaya and Muditha Lakshan posted eighty plus scores to help CDB amass 307/8, which the bowlers defended by 71runs.

At the Colts Ground Milan Rathnayake starred with bat and ball [71 and 3-24] to help HNB ‘A’ overcome SLC Youth by 41 runs. Rehan Pieris topped SLC Youth score card with a 108 ball 77 with six fours and a six.

At Bloomfield Ground Colombo:

Hayley’s overcome Colombo Aces by six wickets

Colombo Aces 222/10 in 49 overs

[ Kavin Bandara 62, Dinura Kalupahan 50; Dhanajaya Lakshan 2-14, Ramesh Mendis 4-36]

Hayleys Group A 227/4 in 25.2 overs [Nishan Madushka 61, Pulindu Perera 51, Minod Bhanuka 54; Dinura Kalupahana 2-35]

At Thurstan College Ground:

CDB BY 71 runs

CDB 307/8 in 50 overs

[ Vishsd Randika 53, Nipun Dhananjaya 86, Muditha Lakshan 89; Himesh Ramanayake 3-49, ]

Fairfirst Insurance 236/10 in 46.4 overs

[Sanoj Dharshika 58, Yasiru Rodriga 78; Movin Subasinghe 3-27, Lahiru Madushanka 2-16]

At Colts ground;