Sports
Dialog powers SLC Invitational T20 League
Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider, Dialog Axiata PLC has come forth as the title sponsor for ‘Dialog – SLC Invitational T20 League’ which will be played from 12th to 24th August 2021 at the Pallekele International Stadium, Kandy.
The ‘Dialog – SLC Invitational T20 League’ will be broadcast LIVE on Dialog Television Channel One, Dialog ViU app on Mobile and will also be live streamed on thepapare.com web site and Facebook page as well as SLC (Sri Lanka Cricket) YouTube Channel.
As the title sponsor of the League, Dialog will also power the four teams, ‘SLC Blues,’ skippered by Dhananjaya De Silva, ‘SLC Reds,’ skippered by Dinesh Chandimal, ‘SLC Greens,’ skippered by Ashan Priyanjan and the ‘SLC Greys, skippered by Dasun Shanaka will be competing for top honours in the tournament. The competition will see Sri Lanka’s leading national and First-Class cricketers in action.
The Dialog – SLC Invitational T20 League will see each team playing six games in the initial round, whilst the top two teams will qualify for the finals to be played on the 24th of August 2021 at the picturesque Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium.
The tournament will be played in accordance with international standards, and the games will take place as ‘Double Headers,’ with the first game starting at 02.30 pm and the next one at 07.00 PM. The inaugural game of the league will take place between the Greys and the Greens.
The entry of Dialog Axiata PLC to power with the latest competition comes on the back of its long-standing partnership and much broader engagement with the SLC as the ‘Official National Team Sponsor of Sri Lanka Cricket’.
“The entry of Dialog Axiata to sponsor this tournament which we are conducting as part of our preparations for the South Africa Tour of Sri Lanka and the also the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup is highly welcomed, and I take this opportunity to thank Dialog for its unwavering commitment shown to promote the game,’’ said Mohan de Silva, Honorary Secretary of Sri Lanka Cricket.
“In the recently concluded India tour of Sri Lanka, a young Sri Lanka side beat the odds to win the T20 series against India by simply ‘believing in’ their ability and talent to play like champs,” he also added.
“As the proud sponsor of the National Cricket Team, we are pleased to have partnered with Sri Lanka Cricket to come forth as the title sponsor of the ‘Dialog – SLC Invitational T20 League,’ which would help identify fresh talent into the national T20 pool ahead of the key upcoming tourneys. I wish the ‘Dialog – SLC Invitational T20 League’ a successful tourney,” said Harsha Samaranayake, Senior General Manager – Brand and Media, Group Marketing, Dialog Axiata PLC.
Dialog Axiata is the proud sponsor of Sri Lanka’s National Cricket, Rugby, Volleyball and Netball teams. The company also has a close association with the President’s Gold Cup Volleyball, National Junior and Senior Netball tourneys, Beach Volleyball, Club Rugby, Schools Rugby, Premier Football, Beach Soccer, Schools’ Cricket, Junior Volleyball and Paralympic sports – whilst also powering the Army Para Games, National Para Games and the Sri Lanka contingent to the World Paralympic Games.
An ODI between Canada and Netherlamds in King City Toronto on Tuesday was abandoned due to a dangerous pitch. The fixture was part of the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 competition, which is part of the qualification pathway for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
The match was abandoned just 4.1 overs into the Netherlands innings after they had chosen to bat. They were 15 for 1, with Max O’Dowd the batter dismissed for a duck in the second over. The pitch had uneven bounce and the batters were struck several times during the short passage of play.
On June 12, four days before the abandoned match, the ICC had issued a statement saying the pitch at King City that was used for an ODI between USA and the Netherlands on June 8 had been given an “unsatisfactory” rating and one demerit point.
“This was a pitch that fell below the standard expected for this level of cricket,” match referee Phil Thompson had said about the surface for the USA-Netherlands match. “Both captains expressed disappointment with how it turned out, and the match officials assessed it as ‘very poor’. The inconsistent bounce created challenging and potentially unsafe playing conditions. Taking all factors into consideration, I believe the pitch merits an ‘unsatisfactory’ rating.”
According to the ICC’s pitch and outfield monitoring process, pitches that get an “unsatisfactory” rating will be given one demerit point, while an “unfit” pitch rating will result in three demerit points for the venue. Demerit points remain active for a rolling five-year period, and an accumulation of six demerit points will result in the venue being suspended from hosting international matches for 12 months (12 demerit points will lead to a 24-month ban).
(Cricinfo)
Joshua Da Silva and Amir Jangoo have earned recalls to West Indies’ squad for the two-match World Test Championship series at home against Sri Lanka starting later this month, while the two Josephs, Alzarri and Shamar, are back after missing the tours of India and New Zealand late last year because of injuries.
Trevin Imalch had kept wicket when West Indies last played Test cricket, in New Zealand last December, but Da Silva, 33 Test matches old, has returned after scoring 996 runs across the last two seasons of the West Indies Championship. Imlach, who failed with the bat in New Zealand with a total of 81 runs across six innings – after scoring 33 runs in his only Test in India – has been named captain of a West Indies Select XI to play the Sri Lankans in a tour match in Coolidge from June 18 to 21. Roston Chase will continue to captain the Test side.
West Indies vs Sri Lanka Tests
Jangoo, dropped after only one Test appearance, in Multan in January 2025, where he scored 0 and 30, has returned to the side following a fruitful WI Championship in which he scored 411 runs in seven innings. He finished second on the scorers’ table there, only behind Da Silva, who scored 413 in seven outing. The highlight of Jangoo’s season was the 203 not out he scored for Trinidad & Tobago against Leeward Islands
The pair of Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph, meanwhile, last played Test cricket during the home series against Australia in mid-2025.”Every Test series is an opportunity for us to grow as a team and strengthen our identity,” Darren Sammy, the head coach, said in a Cricket West Indies statement. “Sri Lanka are a quality side, so we know we’ll have to be at our best, but we’re excited about the challenge ahead.”For us, it’s about playing with discipline, showing character when the game gets tough, and representing the West Indies with pride. The players have been putting in the work, and we’re looking forward to putting on a strong display for our fans across the Caribbean.”
Some of the squad members are currently participating in a high-performance training camp in Antigua, which began on June 12 and will run till June 22. The members of the Test squad who were also part of the white-ball series against Sri Lanka – West Indies lost the ODIs and won the T20Is – will join the camp on June 15. The Tests will be played in North Sound from June 25 to 29 and July 3 to 7.
“This is a key component of our preparations heading into the series, providing players and coaches with valuable time to enhance and improve the skills we want to see sharpened, based on the areas we need to focus our attention on when facing this opponent,” Sammy said about the camp. “It also gives us the opportunity to put clear objectives and plans in place for the conclusion of the summer against Pakistan.
“Additionally, the four-day warm-up game prior to the series provides the chance for some of our Test hopefuls to play in high-intensity action and create the avenue for more competition within the squad ahead of the upcoming and future series.”
West Indies are currently bottom of the nine-team WTC table, having lost seven of their eight games in the ongoing cycle.
West Indies squad for Test series against Sri Lanka
Ireland Women 118/9 in 20 overs (Alana Dalzelle 14, Orla Prendergast 26, Leah Paul 10, Alice Tector 10, Louise Little 26*; Lauren Bell 1-39, Linsey Smith 1-20, Sophie Ecclestone 3-22, Charlie Dean 2-11, Dani Gibson 2-10) lost to England Women 119/6 in 17.3 overs (Dani Wyatt Hodge 16, Nat Sciver-Brunt 48, Heather Knight 26; Aimee Maguire 2-23, Orla Prendergast 2-17) by 4 wickets
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