Sports
Few positives in South Africa, more challenges ahead
by Rex Clementine
Sri Lanka’s return to international cricket after the pandemic did not go to plan in South Africa as they lost both Test matches by heavy margins – the first by an innings and the next by ten wickets. Having overcome the Proteas in their own backyard last time around, there were a lot of people who were hopeful of a good show in South Africa this time around.
The last time the Tests were played in coastal cities of Durban and Port Elizabeth. But this time the Sri Lankans were taken interior to the Highveld where the Wanderers and Centurion hosted the games. Located at close to 6000 feet above sea level, international sport can be demanding at these places and the Sri Lankans were not up to the task. Pity them that they went into the series just ten days after a domestic T-20 competition without even a warm-up game.
With England abandoning their tour of South Africa halfway through due to breach of health protocols, Sri Lanka had no reason to rush to South Africa. They could have taken their time and put everything in order. But practically, with so many postponed series of 2020 taking place this year, cricket boards are left with little time and the reason to play the series over the festive season is understandable.
Four players sustained injuries during the first Test that ruled them out of the second Test while Suranga Lakmal and Oshada Fernando who were carrying injuries and missed the first Test never regained fitness for the second game and that saw Sri Lanka fielding a weak attack at the Wanderers.
Sri Lanka’s selectors and team management need to take stock about the high amount of injuries that their players carry and there’s an urgent need to find out ways of injury prevention and management. The Centurion Test would have been a lot more close had the team not been reduced to just two bowlers. Often in Test match cricket when you post nearly 400 runs batting first that is good enough to test the opposition.
Kusal Mendis ended the tour having picked up three ducks in a row. He is so close to emulating Mark Waugh. The former Australian great during a tour of Sri Lanka in 1992 picked up a pair in the second Test at RPS and another pair in the third Test at Moratuwa. He was nicknamed Audi.
Posting Sri Lanka’s highest total ever in South Africa – 396 at Centurion was a massive positive. Far stronger Sri Lankan sides have toured South Africa and have fared worse.
Sri Lanka have such a poor record at the Wanderers that just one batsman had scored a half-century previously. It was good to see skipper Dimuth Karunarante putting out a splendid fight to post a hundred against a formidable attack.
Vishwa Fernando’s bowling was the other highlight of the tour. The left-arm seamer was on the money bowling lengthy spells and troubling the batsmen especially with the new ball.
The national cricket team arrived in the island on Friday and the challenge for them now is to adjust to the home conditions against England. From playing in the hard and bouncy surfaces of South Africa to low and slow tracks of Galle, the technique and mindset becomes so different.
There is plenty of cricket over the next few months as well. Soon after the England series, Sri Lanka will travel to the Caribbean where they will play all three formats and then return home to host Bangladesh for Tests.
[Cricbuzz]
Former Sri Lanka head coach Mickey Arthur has voiced disappointment over remarks made by Chairman of Selectors Pramodya Wickramasinghe, who last week claimed that Arthur was reluctant to include a young Pathum Nissanka during Sri Lanka’s tour of the Caribbean in 2021.
In his first media briefing, Wickramasinghe said it was he who pushed for Nissanka’s inclusion despite Arthur’s reservations. The former coach has flatly denied the allegation, calling it wide of the mark.
“I am very disappointed with Pramodya’s comments,” Arthur told Telecom Asia Sport. “The right people know exactly how I felt about Pathum. There was never any doubt that he was our future. I don’t want any credit for Pathum’s success. That belongs entirely to his hard work. I simply gave him an opportunity because the talent was impossible to ignore.”
Arthur said Nissanka’s domestic form had left little room for debate. “He was scoring runs for fun and the sheer weight of them made it impossible not to take a look. Once he joined the squad on tour, his attitude and work ethic were truly remarkable. From that moment, there was no doubt this bloke was going places,” Arthur added.
Even before Nissanka’s elevation to the senior side, Arthur had publicly spoken of his admiration for young prospects such as Nissanka and Charith Asalanka, stressing the importance of giving emerging players a long rope. His view was simple: once talent is identified and the attitude checks out, selectors and team management must back those players through thick and thin.
Arthur arrived in Sri Lanka with a formidable résumé, having coached South Africa, Australia and Pakistan. He placed a premium on fitness and fielding and under his watch a team in transition began to show signs of turning the corner. At the end of his tenure, Arthur opted not to renew his contract and instead took up a stint in English county cricket with Derbyshire.
As for Nissanka, he has scarcely put a foot wrong since breaking into the side. There was a Test hundred on debut in the West Indies, followed last year by a match-winning unbeaten century against England at The Oval on a lively seaming pitch. In between, he made history by becoming the first Sri Lankan to score a double hundred in ODIs. Last week, he was snapped up by Delhi Capitals at the IPL auction.
Nissanka is currently ranked third in T20 internationals and is knocking on the door of the top ten in both Tests and ODIs.
73rd National Badminton Championship
Defending champions Viren Nettasinghe and Ranithma Liyanage made a fitting end to their campaigns of the 2025 season, by defending the Men’s and Women’s Open Singles titles as Varangana Jayawardana and Rashmi Mudalige clinched the Women’s Open Doubles title at the 73rd National Badminton Championship, concluded at the S. Thomas’ College Indoor Sports Complex, Mount Lavinia on Wednesday (24).
Viren clinically overcame each of his opponents from the Round of 32, all in straight sets, to reach the final. The country’s top Men’s Singles shuttler continued his form against Rasindu Hendahewa in the final, winning in straight sets to defend the title. Viren defeated Rasindu 21-10 and 21-14 to win his second national title in style.
Ranithma aptly defended her Women’s Open Singles title by recording a comfortable straight sets win against Rashmi Mudalige in an absorbing final that lasted nearly 45 minutes. Though the title decider stretched way longer than anticipated, Ranithma managed to seal the victory by recording set wins of 21-12 and 21-18 to claim the national title for the second year running.
Fourth seed pair Sanuda Ariyasinghe and Thisath Rupathunga created an upset by toppling top seeds Oshamika Karunarathne and Thulith Palliyaguru in a lengthy final that went down to the wire in the Men’s Open Doubles. Sanuda and Thisath won the first set 21-15, but the top pair bounced back to level the game one-all with a 21-18 win. But the gritty pair of Sanuda and Thisath maintained their composure to overcome the favourites 21-15 in the decider and claim the Men’s Open Doubles title.
Varangana Jayawardana and Rashmi Mudalige completed a successful campaign to defend the Women’s Open Doubles title from last year, this time overcoming the aspiring pair of Dilni Ambalangodage and Ranumi Manage in straight sets. Varangana and Rashmi remained unbeaten throughout, as they ended the unblemished run of Dilni and Ranumi with set wins of 21-13 and 21-18.
The Mixed Open Doubles title was claimed by Thulith Palliyaguru and Panchali Adhikari, who battled for 45 minutes to overcome Aashinsa Herath and Rashmi Mudalige 2-1 in the final. After conceding the first set by 12-21, Thulith and Panchali regrouped to claim the next two sets 21-18 and 21-15.
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