Sports

Lucknow Super Giants outwit Rajasthan Royals in low-scoring contest

Published

3 years ago

2023/04/21

The Lucknow Super Giants sneaked past the Royals in a low-scoring thriller

Marcus Stonis’s all-round efforts (a 16-ball 21 & 2-28) helped Lucknow Super Giants secure a 10-run win over Rajasthan Royals, in Jaipur, to retain the second spot on the points table. After posting 154 for 7, courtesy Kyle Mayers’ half-century and Nicholas Pooran’s late blitz, the visitors restricted Royals to 144 for 6, despite an 87-run opening stand by Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Lucknow Super Giants’ start was extremely slow. Trent Boult’s tight lines notwithstanding, KL Rahul and Kyle Mayers didn’t attempt too many attacking strokes. The left-arm pacer bowled 11 dot balls in his first two overs. The openers managed only 37 runs in the powerplay, with the former going at run-a-ball 17 and the latter even slower – 18-ball 16. It was the lowest score registered in the powerplay without the loss of a wicket in IPL 2023.

On a pitch that stayed low despite being hard on the surface, shot-making was difficult. The duo brought up their half-century stand in 46 balls, but then broke free for a few overs. Mayers flatbatted Jason Holder for a six over the long off boundary and followed it up by off-driving Chahal for another maximum in the next over. KL Rahul also joined his opening partner in the attack, by hitting a boundary and a six in those two overs.

By the time the duo was separated – when Rahul holed out to Buttler at long on, after being put down twice earlier in the innings (on 6 and 12) – LSG had picked up pace, at 82 for 1 in 10.4 overs.

In a space of 20 balls, Rajasthan Royals struck four times. Following Rahul’s dismissal, Boult returned to bowl his final over and cleaned up Ayush Badoni, who missed out on a lap shot. Ashwin then struck twice in an over, having Deepak Hooda caught at deep midwicket and cleaning up Mayers, reducing LSG to 104 for 4 in 14 overs. Boult, who had finished his spell by then, returned figures of 1 for 16.

While most batters struggled to get going early on, Stonis got off the mark by reverse-sweeping Ashwin for a boundary. The hard-hitting Australian was able to rotate the strike easily but Nicholas Pooran, his partner at the other end, struggled for the majority of his stay.

However, Pooran turned it around in the penultimate over when he took down Jason Holder, hammering his fellow West Indian for two boundaries and a six in a 17-run over.

With what seemed like a below-par total, Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal were content in going slow early on. While Jaiswal managed only 1 run in his first five balls, Buttler was pacing at 5 runs in 14 balls before cracking his first boundary. While both the batters took some risks, and even managed 47 runs in the powerplay, they seemed in little difficulty.

Barring one thick edge off Jaiswal that was dropped by Naveen ul haq at short third while he was batting on 22, in the sixth over, there wasn’t much threat from the bowlers on a slowish wicket. The duo went on to add 87 runs for the opening wicket before the southpaw was eventually dismissed in the 12th over, cutting to Avesh at short third. Even at that point, Buttler was comfortably cruising at run-a-ball 35.

The stutter started with the fall of Sanju Samson, who was short of his crease while attempting a quick single amidst some miscommunication over the run with his partner, Buttler. The opener followed soon after, getting caught at deep midwicket.

Hard lengths with slower balls worked well on the surface that was playing slow and low, not allowing the batters to time their shots well, especially with one end of the boundary being extremely long. Stoinis used that to good effect, and bagged the wickets of the LSG openers.

The tactic allowed LSG to strangle RR’s scoring and even paved the way for the wickets of batters who went early in their shots, like Shimron Hetmyer a couple of overs later, when he top-edged an Avesh delivery to Rahul at long on. LSG also slipped to a similar position – 104 for 4 – but in 15.1 overs.

Devdutt Padikkal, who was brought in as an Impact Substitute, smashed Stonis for three boundaries in this final over, but Riyan Parag’s struggles from the other end didn’t help. The required rate kept climbing quickly, and despite three boundaries off Stoinis’s last over, RR were left needing 19 runs in the final over.

With an additional fielder inside the 30-yard circle due to LSG’s slow over rate, Avesh Khan was up against a nervy challenge which he aced despite getting hit for a boundary off the first ball. He had Padikkal caught behind and Dhruv Jorel caught at long on to end RR’s hopes.

Brief Scores:

Lucknow Super Giants 154/7 in 20 overs (Kyle Mayers 51, KL Rahul 39; R Ashwin 2-23) beat Rajasthan Royals 144/6 in 20 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 44, Jos Buttler 40; Avesh Khan 3-25, Marcus Stoinis 2-28) by 10 runs

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Sri Lanka look to their bowlers against big-hitting West Indies

Published

2 hours ago

2026/06/11

Priyan

We are more than a week into this tour, and it feels like it’s barely begun. The first ODI went off without too much of a hitch, but the next two were washed out without a ball bowled, Kingston rains crashing the party. Unfortunately, the threat of rain hangs over this opening T20I too – with thunderstorms threatening on Thursday afternoon, which could affect the viability of the Sabina Park outfield later in the day (8.30pm local time is the start).

Unlike with ODIs, this is a format in which one of these teams is the favourite. West Indies were one victory away from knocking India out of their own home World Cup, while Sri Lanka spent much of the Super Eight in the recent global tournament fighting merely to prove they belonged. In India, West Indies showed their six-hitting strategy could still make waves. On top of which they have a much more successful franchise T20 product in the CPL than Sri Lanka has had with the LPL. Over many seasons, these sorts of advantages add up.

While West Indies clearly have the batting pedigree heading into this series, Sri Lanka will hope that their bowlers can make the contest more even. Wanidu Hasaranga has wreaked T20 havoc before in the Caribbean. In Dushmantha Chameera, they have a bowler who has shown he is in good rhythm on tour.

West Indies have excellent T20 bowlers too, Gudakesh Motie and Akeal Hosein especially. But the kind of firepower they possess in the batting order Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder and the like – Sri Lanka have rarely ever had, even at their T20 pinnacle.

Shimron Hetmyer had a pretty abysmal IPL with Rajasthan Royals, hitting only 78 for them from his seven innings. This is strange, because in the T20 World Cup preceding the IPL, he had crashed 248 runs at a strike rate of 186, and was legitimately the batting star in the West Indies line-up as they threatened to make a deep run in the tournament. He had not been selected in the only ODI West Indies played against Sri Lanka, but coach Darren Sammy and Co. would be hoping he rediscovers some of his World Cup form in this series.

Wanindu Hasaranga remains one of Sri Lanka’s most prized white ball assets. But over the years, as the franchise contracts have piled up, so have the kilograms, and as a consequence, the injuries. He’s one of the few top spinners in the world, for example, who has recurring hamstring complaints. His bowling record in the West Indies is genuinely spectacular, though, but perhaps it’s getting to the stage of his career when he is required to produce the kinds of performances that remind fans – and selectors – what makes him a special white ball cricketer.

West Indies may revert to their preferred World Cup XI to get some momentum into this tour.

West Indies (possible): Shai Hope (capt, wk), Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Sherfane Rutherford, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, Akeal Hosein Shamar Joseph

Sri Lanka may continue to trial Kamindu Mendis at the top of the order. Fast bowler Eshan Malinga is likely to get into the XI after a good IPL. Dasun Shanaka will probably reclaim a spot in the lower-middle order as well. The state of the surface may also determine whether they play a spin-bowling allrounder (likely Dunith Wellalage) or a seam-bowling allrounder (Milan Rathnayake).

Sri Lanka (possible): Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis (capt, wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage/Milan Rathnayake, Dushmantha Chameera, Eshan Malinga, Nuwan Thushara

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Edgbaston takes center stage as England, Sri Lanka kick off T20 World Cup

Published

5 hours ago

2026/06/11

Priyan

Chamari Athapaththu will once again be key to SL's success [Cricinfo]

Hosts England will take on Sri Lanka at Edgbaston. The match is set to begin at 6.30pm local time (5.30pm GMT).

England hold an advantage in this contest, having won 10 out of the 12 T20Is between the sides. Sri Lanka though will draw confidence from recent history, having won the last two T20Is against England in 2023. This will be just the fourth time these two sides meet in the T20 World Cup.

England arrive at the tournament having won four out of the six matches since the start of the year, while Sri Lanka come in with momentum on their side, riding on five consecutive T20I wins that include series wins against West Indies and Bangladesh.

England (probable): Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), Alice Capsey, Heather Knight, Freya Kemp, Dani Gibson, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell

Sri Lanka (probable): Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hansima Karunaratne, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika de Silva, Kaushini Nuthyangana (wk), Malki Madara, Sugandika Kumari, Kawya Kavindi/Chetana Vimukthi

Lauren Bell has been in spectacular form all year, starting with the WPL where she finished with 12 wickets in nine games and was often a handful with the new ball. After picking three wickets in two games against New Zealand, she bagged seven wickets in three matches in the T20I series win against India. She’s bowled at an economy of 7.4 this year, and the home conditions are likely to suit her perfectly.

All eyes will once again be on Chamari Athapaththu for Sri Lanka. In what will be her 10th T20 World Cup the 36-year old will be expected to do the heavy lifting for her side. She heads into the tournament in excellent touch, highlighted by a blistering 94 off 58 balls in the warm up against Pakistan. Her contributions with the ball could prove just as important – she picked up four wickets in three matches in the series against Bangladesh in May.

Weather and conditions

The forecast points to clear skies in Birmingham on Friday evening. There was however some rain in the area on the eve of the match.

[Cricinfo]

Features

Samarawickrama’s rise gives Sri Lanka a second pillar

Published

6 hours ago

2026/06/11

Priyan

Harshitha Samarawickrama's advance as a T20 batter has opened up a new frontier in Sri Lanka's batting performance [Cricinfo]

Harshitha Samarawickrema was 14 when Sri Lankan women’s cricket first pricked the national consciousness. She had already been playing cricket for her school, Gothami Balika Vidyalaya, but had largely pursued cricket merely for the sake of playing a sport, and also because she had enjoyed watching the men’s team play. But watching Sri Lanka defeat England in a thriller at the 2013 World Cup stirred up a deeper yearning.

“I’d watched all of the matches at that World Cup actually – that was the first time those kind of matches were telecast,” Samarawickrama said once. “That’s when I decided I was going to play and win matches for Sri Lanka one day.”

That victory against England was a new dawn for Sri Lanka’s women for two reasons. First up it was the highest-profile victory on their ledger until then, marking an unexpected high point in a World Cup in which little was generally expected of the team. But it also marked the rocket-powered arrival of Chamari Athapaththu, who top-scored with 62 to help set up the chase.

Thirteen years later, Samarawickrama has not only fulfilled her promise to herself, she has also helped Sri Lanka bring to life the promise of that 2013 campaign. Athapaththu, who has since has become the superstar around which Sri Lanka’s cricket orbits, has never known a more consistent batting collaborator than Samarawickrama. In T20Is, the pair have put on 1,202 runs together – easily the best for Sri Lanka. Though both are lefties who revel in pressure, that’s about where the similarities end – Athapaththu having grown up idolising the big-hitting of Sanath Jayasuriya, while Samarawickrama had been a disciple of the Kumar Sangakkara school of left-handed batting. (Samarawickrama still tries to replicate that famous bent-kneed cover drive, though she invariably sprinkles a little of of her own flair to the endeavour.) Oppositions have found this combination difficult to contend with, Athapaththu commanding through the legside and brutal on errors of length, while Samarawickrama flits around the crease and carves boundaries through cover and point.

It has been clear for years now that Sri Lanka’s chances in pretty much any match depend primarily on Athapaththu runs. But Samarawickrama’s advance as a T20 batter has now opened up a new frontier in the team’s batting performance. Ideally, what Sri Lanka want is not merely big runs from their captain, but a strong partnership between Athapaththu and Samarawickrama. In victories, the Athapaththu-Samarawickrama stand averages 41.38.

More tellingly, a good Samarawickrama innings has become as reliable a predictor of a strong Sri Lanka showing as a good Athapaththu innings. In T20I wins, Athapaththu averages 40.18 and strikes at 131, in comparison to 17.94 and a strike rate of 94 in losses. Samarawickrama’s corresponding numbers are even more stark. In Sri Lanka victories, Samarawickrama averages 44.08 with a strike rate of 109. In losses those numbers are 16.94 and 87. Other Sri Lanka batters have leveled up in recent years too – Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva and Hasini Perera having become more frequent contributors, while 20-year-old Vishmi Gunaratne has also showed promise. But 11 years into her international career, Samarawickrama now has a serious body of work.

Samarawickrama had been modest in the shortest format in 2025, but she arrives at the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 having had a good six months. Against Bangladesh in April, Samarawickrama had cracked 61 off 35, then 49 off 29, in back-to-back matches that Sri Lanka won (Samarawickrama was top-scorer on both occasions). This was in addition to having put up good numbers in the ODI series that preceded the T20Is. Her 36 not out off 34 in a comfortable warm-up win against Netherlands suggests she is still riding on that form.

This is the first T20 World Cup in which serious runs are expected of Samarawickrama, and if history is much to go by, she is not the sort to be daunted by occasion. Samarawickrama’s finest moments as a Sri Lanka cricketer had come in their most-celebrated win of all, in the Asia Cup final of 2024, against India. Typically, that chase of 166 in Dambulla had been propelled by an 87-run Athapaththu-Samarawickrama stand, but when Athapaththu was dismissed, Samarawickrama ensured she remained at the crease until the winning moments, hitting 69 not out off 51, ultimately collecting the Player-of-the-Match award.

If 2013 was a new dawn inspiring a fresh generation of Sri Lanka cricketers, 2024 was the year in which the team hammered its stake into the ground, breaking through into an entirely new galaxy of recognition and acclaim at home. Frequently batting in the shadow of Athapaththu, but always charting her own path, Samarawickrama has grown into a leader.

[Cricinfo]