Sports

Kamindu gets promoted to number five

Published

2 years ago

2024/09/18

Kamindu Mendis’ prolific run scoring has been recognized and he has been now moved up to number five in the batting line-up....

Rex Clementine in Galle

Sri Lanka have recognized Kamindu Mendis’ contributions in Test match cricket and have moved him up to number five in the Test batting line-up for the two match Test series against New Zealand that gets underway in Galle today. Kamindu is expected to bat at five during this cycle of the World Test Championship where Sri Lanka have six more Tests and probably one more slot further for the next cycle.

The prolific left-handed batter has played only six Test matches so far but in that brief period he has notched up three hundreds and four half-centuries in just ten innings. The 25-year-old was Player of the Series in the recent Test series against England. With 695 Test runs to his credit, he is closing in on Roy Dias’ long standing record for fastest Sri Lankan to 1000 Test runs. Dias reached the milestone in 23 innings.

“We felt the need to move Kamindu up the order. He has been prolific for us this year. It is not easy to go to England for your first tour and return home with Player of the Series award. Too often he is batting with the tail and we felt that he should be promoted up the order and hopefully he will do better,” Sanath Jayasuriya Sri Lanka’s Head Coach told reporters.

With Kamindu moving up to number five, Dinesh Chandimal is making way for him becoming Sri Lanka’s new number three. The wicketkeeping duties have been now handed to Kusal Mendis, who will drop down to number seven.

Sri Lanka confirmed that they will do two changes from the side that won the third Test last week at The Oval leaving out seamers Vishwa Fernando and Milan Ratnayake in favour of off-spinner Ramesh Mendis and left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya.

“Our seamers did a terrific job in England. It is a tough call to leave out someone like Milan Ratnayake, who bowled really well and contributed with the bat too. But we need to pick horses for courses. Galle will spin and we need to have our spin bowling options,” Jayasuriya added.

Sri Lanka are placed fifth in World Test Championship while New Zealand are in third place just behind India and Australia.

New Zealand have a hectic Test schedule as they will be playing eight Test matches between now and December. Apart from the two Tests in Galle, New Zealand play three Tests in India and then will host England in three more Tests.

“We haven’t played Test matches since March this year. But we have lot of games coming up in the next three months. It’s important to collect as many World Test Championship points as possible moving forward,” New Zealand skipper Tim Southee told reporters in Galle.

Kane Williamson is the key for the Kiwis. The former captain is New Zealand’s highest run getter in Test match cricket in their history. Williamson, world’s number two ranked batter averages 78 against Sri Lanka, way above his career average of 54.

“Kane is such a vital member of our squad and his experience is vital. Not just with Sri Lanka, he is an exceptional batter against any opposition,” Southee went on to say.

New Zealand haven’t lost a Test series to Sri Lanka since 2009. From there on, these teams have played in six series with New Zealand winning four and drawing two.

Teams:

Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Kusal Mendis (wkt), Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando.

New Zealand:

Tim Southee (capt), Tom Blundell (wkt), Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Kane Williamson, Will Young.

Umpires:

Michael Gough (ENG) and Ahsan Raza (PAK)

Third Umpire:

Nitin Menon (IND)

Match Referee:

Javagal Srinath (IND)

All News Advertisement

Latest News

Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up: Kapp, Wolvaardt take SA past Ireland

Published

2 hours ago

2026/06/7

Priyan

Laura Wolvaardt scored 65 off 37 balls (Cricinfo)

South Africa successfully defended 136 in an 18-over game against Ireland in the Women’s T20 World Cup warm-up fixture in Loughborough . The experienced Marizanne Kapp led the way with the ball, her 4 for 24 helping South Africa dismiss Ireland for 120 in 17.4 overs. Shabnim Ismail, who had recently reversed her retirement, picked up 1 for 25 in her four overs.

Leah Paul was the only Ireland batter to pass 20 in their chase. Apart from Paul, only four Ireland batters got to double figures.

After South Africa were asked to bat first, they posted 136 for 8 on the back of captain Laura Wolvaardt’s 65 off 37 balls, including seven fours and three sixes.

SCORES:

South Africa Women 136 for 8 in 18 overs (Sune Luus 17, Laura Wolvaardt 65, Annerie Dercksen 26, Nadine de Klerk 11, Aimee Maguire 1-13, Arlene Kelly 3-29, Cara Murray 2-13, Ava Canning 2-08) beat Ireland Women 120 in 17.4 overs (Rebecca Stockel 19, Leah Paul 29, Alice Tector 17, Louise Little 13, Arlene Kelly 15; Marizanne Kapp 4-24, Shabnim Ismail 1-25, Tumi Sekhukhune 2-18, Nadine de Klerk 1-16, Nonkululeko Mlaba 1-25) by 16 runs

(Crickinfo)

Latest News

Rahul, Gill hit centuries as India dominate Afghanistan on opening day

Published

3 hours ago

2026/06/7

Priyan

Shubman Gill brought up his 11th Test century (BCCI)

In the 11th over, KL Rahul edged a cut to the keeper off Ziaur Ahmed when he was on 16. Afghanistan did not review the not-out decision. In the 61st over, Rahul flicked a full ball off his pads, bringing up a gritty century – his 12th in Test cricket. Afghanistan’s bowling attack had been worn down in the intervening period. They could not cash in on their half-chances aplenty, in their first Test against India since their format debut in 2018. Instead, Rahul – alongside a regal Shubman Gill – headlined India’s march to 368 for 3 on day one in New Chandigarh.

The city was hosting a men’s Test for the first time. Temperatures soared up to 40 degrees Celsius, and India captain Gill opted to bat first, expecting the pitch to worsen as time wore on in the match. However, Afghanistan’s new-ball bowlers – Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohamed Saleem – extracted uneven bounce off the pitch right away. They kept bowling back-of-a-length deliveries to Jaiswal and Rahul, moving the ball away from the openers.

Rahul reached for deliveries far from his body early in the day, often mistiming his shots. He ambled away to 16 off 34 by the end of the 10th over. At the other end, Jaiswal pounced on fuller deliveries with more regularity to race to 20 off 26.

Then, in the 11th over off Ziaur, Rahul slashed at a wide delivery and both bowler and keeper went up with a big appeal. However, they opted out of the review. Replays later showed Rahul had edged the delivery. Rahul rode his luck thereafter, leaving balls outside off, and dead-batting fuller ones that gripped in the pitch.

In the next over – the 12th – Jaiswal leaned into a front-foot drive off Mohammad Saleem. Then he jumped at an inswinger drifting down leg, and tried to flick it off his hips. He edged it to the keeper instead. Against the run of play, Jaiswal departed for a 32-ball 24, giving Saleem his maiden Test wicket.

Soon after, the new-ball swing dissipated and the bounce became less treacherous. B Sai Sudarshan made full use of this period of play at the back end of Saleem and Omarzai’s extended spells. He laced three fours in his first 15 deliveries.

In the 35th over off Ziaur, Sai Sudharsan stepped out of his crease for a tentative defense outside off. His edge dissected the wicketkeeper Afsar Zazai and first slip. Eight overs later, with Sai Sudharsan looking set for his maiden Test century, the batter played an expansive drive outside off against Saleem. Once more, the ball flew into the slip cordon, but was snared by Zazai with a one-handed stunner to his right. Sai Sudharsan was dismissed for 81. The second-wicket partnership was aborted at 131, with Rahul still steady at the other end.

As the day wore on, the New Chandigarh surface began gripping and turning more. Afghanistan’s captain Hashmatullah Shahidi was their most effective spinner. He bowled slowly, often keeping his speeds under 80 kph, and used drift to troublealla batters. Still, he never induced any real chances, with edges off him flying past short leg or the keeper.

From the other end, debutant Nangeyalia Kharote induced a thin edge off Sai Sudharsan with just his fourth delivery. Rahmanullah Gurbaz dropped the consequent one-hander, diving to his right at first slip. On his return spell, Kharote – as well as part-timer Abdul Malik – both strayed into leg-stump lines too often.

With Afghanistan’s fast bowlers erring in discipline too, Gill took full toll on them, especially after the tea break. If Rahul’s knock was a product of battling against the early swing and seam, Gill’s imperious century – his 11th in the format – was aided by a worn-down attack. Still, he pounced on good-length deliveries outside off as he unfurled his drives, and cut close to his body, in trademark fashion to rack up 11 fours and one six.

Gill had Rahul for company through the beginning of his knock, during a 67-run partnership for the third wicket. However, just one delivery after bringing up his century, Rahul perished for the third time in Test cricket on exactly a 100 – the joint-second most times in Test cricket, right behind England’s Len Hutton (4). Rahul had been out playing a loose waft away from his body, off Ziaur, straight to short extra cover.

Once Rishabh Pant walked out to join Gill, the brief was clear: by their standards, India had already shut up shop for the final hour of play. An unusually restrained Pant, also playing his 50th Test for India, batted within his means until his eyes lit up against offspinner Abdul Malik in the 68th over. He took advantage of half-trackers to flat-bat three sixes in trademark Pant style. Tellingly, these would also be Pant’s only sixes of the evening.

Gill brought up his century just a few minutes before close of play, off a flick to square leg, in the 83rd over off Saleem. Afghanistan had opted not to choose the new ball, bowling through till the close of play with a battered ball. Pant manipulated a thinly spread leg-side field in these final overs to bring up his own fifty off 70 balls, on the penultimate delivery of the day’s play.

SCORES:

India 368 for 3 in 85 overs (Shubman Gill 103*, KL Rahul 100, B Sai Sudharsan 81, Rishabh Pant 50*; MohaSaleem 2-67) vs Afghanistan

(Cricinfo)

Latest News

Persistent rain in Kingston washes out second ODI between West Indies and Sri Lanka

Published

4 hours ago

2026/06/7

Priyan

The Sabina Park staff clear the water on the ground (Cric8nfo)

West Indies won the toss and put Sri Lanka into bat, but that was the extent of the action from thesecod ODI at Sabina Park, as persistent rain put an end to proceedings before they had even begun.

The washout means West Indies’ hopes of winning the series are wiped out, but they can still draw level in the final game on Monday. Perhaps more importantly, a win there will give the hosts a much needed rankings boost, with qualification for next year’s World Cup hinging on their final position come March next year.

The toss itself had been delayed by 30 minutes following rain earlier in the day, and it was the possibility of rain intervening later on that had influenced Shai Hope’s decision to field first.

Both teams had also made changes, with Amir Jangoo due to get a game for the injured Matthew Forde, while Eshan Malinga had been drafted in for Asitha Fernando. Shai Hope, playing his 150th ODI for West Indies, received a special jersey before rain came along.

(Cricinfo)