Sports
Pathirana set to sling his way into Kiwi hearts
by Rex Clementine
Traveling to New Zealand feels like a journey to the ends of the earth. First, there’s the four-hour flight to Singapore, and from there, another ten hours to Auckland or Christchurch. But once you land, the long haul feels worth its weight in gold – New Zealand is an absolute gem, especially during Christmas.
The moment you step out of the airport and take that first breath, the air hits you like a tonic – fresh, crisp, and rejuvenating. The landscape is a symphony of green, and the people are as warm and welcoming as an open hearth on a chilly day. For a nation spanning over 260,000 square kilometers but housing just five million people, it’s nothing short of extraordinary what they’ve achieved on the global stage, especially with their beloved All Blacks.
New Zealand is a land of two islands, each with its own charm. The North Island, home to the bulk of the population, boasts bustling cities like Auckland, Wellington, and Hamilton. The South Island, on the other hand, is a visual feast – think scenic vistas straight out of a travel brochure – with cities like Christchurch, Dunedin, and the adventure capital, Queenstown.
For Sri Lankans, New Zealand holds a treasure trove of cricketing memories. None shine brighter than Aravinda de Silva’s majestic 267 in 1991 – his career-best innings, still celebrated to this day. His sister, Araliya, lived in New Zealand back then, and Aravinda fondly recalled how she’d whip up mouthwatering meals whenever he visited. However, her strict advice to return early to the team hotel often left him restless. One day, he broke free, stayed out late, and the very next day, he unleashed his full wrath on the Kiwis. That knock remains the highest score by an overseas player in Wellington – a testament to Aravinda’s maverick spirit. There won’t be another like him. Not in our lifetime.
New Zealand has been a happy hunting ground for Sri Lanka in more ways than one. It was here, in 1995, that Sri Lanka notched up their first-ever Test win against the Kiwis, a landmark moment in the island’s cricketing history.
Fast forward to 2024, and all eyes are on young Matheesha Pathirana, who looks poised to write his own chapter in this storied rivalry. New Zealand has always been kind to sling-arm pacers; it was here that Lasith Malinga announced himself to the world, leaving Kiwi batsmen – and umpires – scrambling for answers. The umpires even had to take a step back on the request of the batsmen for they had issues sighting the ball. Such was the shock factor of Malinga’s whippy, hard-to-pick action.
While many have tried to mimic Malinga, few – if any – have come close to matching his success. Pathirana, however, is cut from a different cloth. His blistering pace is what sets him apart from the dime-a-dozen Malinga copycats.
Although Pathirana has been in the spotlight for two years, his outings have mostly been limited to subcontinental conditions or slower wickets in places like Dubai, Bangladesh, and the USA. But New Zealand is a different ballgame – fast, seaming tracks with plenty of movement could prove to be his playground. These fresh wickets are the stuff pacers dream of, and they might just bring out the best in him.
Already a sensation in South India, Pathirana’s exploits for the Chennai Super Kings have made him a household name. Fans in Chennai practically worship him, thanks to his match-winning spells in the IPL. The franchise, owned by former ICC boss N. Srinivasan, didn’t hesitate to retain Pathirana’s services, opting to keep him rather than break the bank in the auction to buy him back.
Now, he has a chance to win over the hearts of Kiwi fans. Don’t be surprised if, by the end of this tour, Pathirana has the entire nation singing his praises. Sri Lanka’s New Zealand campaign kicks off with a warm-up game in Lincoln on Monday, with the first T20 International scheduled for January 28th at Mount Maunganui.
The stage is set, the spotlight is on, and Pathirana has all the tools to steal the show. Let’s hope he turns this trip to the land of the long white cloud into his own field of dreams.
The former president of Spain’s football federation, Luis Rubiales, goes on trial today [03], accused of sexual assault for kissing the player Jenni Hermoso, in a case which has fed into wider discussions about sexism and consent.
Hermoso is scheduled to appear as a witness on the opening day having travelled from Mexico, where she plays club football. The trial runs until 19 February.
As Spain’s players received their medals after defeating England in Sydney to win the 2023 World Cup, Rubiales grabbed Hermoso by the head and kissed her on the lips. Afterwards, Hermoso said the kiss had not been consensual, while Rubiales insisted it had been.
The incident triggered protests and calls for Rubiales’s resignation, and it also entered the political arena. Prime minister Pedro Sánchez, whose left-wing government has approved reforms seeking to boost gender equality and ensure consent in sexual relations, said that Rubiales’s kiss had shown that “there is still a long way to go when it comes to equality and respect between women and men”.
After initially remaining defiant and denouncing a witch-hunt driven by “fake feminism”, the federation president eventually resigned, before legal charges were brought against him.
Prosecutors are calling for Rubiales to receive a one-year prison sentence for sexual assault for the kiss. They are also calling for him to be given a sentence of a year-and-a-half for coercion, for allegedly trying to pressure Hermoso into saying publicly that the kiss was consensual. Rubiales denies the charges.
Three colleagues of Rubiales are also on trial, accused of colluding in the alleged coercion: Jorge Vilda, coach of the World Cup-winning side, Rubén Rivera, the federation’s former head of marketing, and former sporting director, Albert Luque. They all deny the charges.
Isabel Fuentes has watched the female national team closely ever since she was among the first women to represent Spain at football, from 1971 onwards. She describes the furore caused by the Rubiales kiss as “very sad”, because of how it overshadowed the World Cup victory, which, when mentioned, brings her to the verge of tears.
“It was something we would have liked to experience, but we weren’t allowed to,” she says. “These players won it for us. They have lived out our dreams.”
Fuentes played when the dictatorship of Francisco Franco was still in place and the women’s team were not even allowed to wear the Spanish flag on their shirts.
“The regime said: ‘We don’t want you to play football, but we’ll just ignore you,'” she says. “And the federation put all manner of obstacles in our way.”
Like many fans, she was concerned by how the Rubiales controversy affected the international image of Spanish football and she was also shocked by footage showing the former federation president celebrating the World Cup win by grabbing his crotch as he stood just a few feet away from Spain’s Queen Letizia.
But younger players, like Belén Peralta, prefer to emphasise how far women’s football has come, rather than dwell on the Rubiales case. Playing for third-division side Olimpia Las Rozas, Peralta says that even in the last few years she has noticed a shift in terms of the attention and support that women’s football receives.
“When I was younger, girls playing football was kind of strange, you were told, ‘Oh, that’s for boys,’ or ‘That’s not a girl’s thing,'” she says. “And nowadays, you go to some places and you say, ‘I’m a footballer,’ and that’s so cool and attractive.”
Her teammate, Andrea Rodríguez, agrees. Although she says that occasionally she might hear sexist comments about women’s football, social attitudes are overwhelmingly positive.
“People are more open-minded now,” she says.
[BBC]
Abhishek Sharma demolished records left, right and centre – and with it England’s pace-laden T20I attack – to power his way to 135 from 54 balls, the highestscore ever made by an Indian batter in T20Is.
On his watch, India romped to a massive total of 247 for 9, which would prove to be overkill in a crushing 150-run victory, and with it a 4-1 series scoreline.
In response, Phil Salt reprised some of the form that had lit up last year’s IPL, to crack his way to a 21-ball fifty, but his was a lone hand in an overwhelmed England reply, as they stumbled to 97 all out in 10.3 overs.
Even after his commanding display, there was no keeping Abhishek out of the game. First, he was on hand in the covers to intercept Ben Duckett’s first-ball drive and hand Mohammed Shami the first of his three wickets.
And then, after Jos Buttler, Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone had each fallen in their quest to stay in touch with a rate of more than two a ball, Abhishek was tossed the ball for the ninth over, and duly bagged two more in five balls, as Brydon Carse and Jamie Overton each holed out.
All of that, however, was somewhat superfluous to the day’s main action. The stats of Abhishek’s innings were as breathless as his strokeplay. He creamed an India-record 13 sixes (equating to almost one in four of his balls faced), all of them in the arc from point to mid-on, with the crowd at extra cover living a particularly dangerous existence.
His 17-ball fifty was India’s second fastest in the format; his 37-ball century was tucked in just behind David Miller’s 35 ball effort against Bangladesh in 2017 as the second-fastest in a contest between Full Member nations. On Abhishek’s watch, India romped to 95 for 1 in the six-over powerplay, another national record … and all this after being stuck in by Jos Buttler, too.
At times, it was like watching a full-fidelity game of Stick Cricket, with Abhishek’s utter faith in the conditions, and in England’s often guileless lengths, encouraging him to plant his front foot to pace and spin alike, and launch even 150kph deliveries with impunity through the line.
At the 10-over mark of the innings, the sky was the limit for India’s ambitions. Abhishek had pumped his way to 99 from 36 balls, and with 143 for 2 on the board, the first Full Member 300 was very much on the cards.
To their credit, however, England found themselves a relative toe-hold, thanks in particular to Brydon Carse’s excellent three-wicket spell. Abhishek’s momentum dipped significantly after he had nudged a rare single into the covers to bring up his three figures, as he was limited to nine runs from nine balls in the next six overs.
India’s onslaught could not be entirely contained, however. Abhishek reasserted himself as Carse’s final over went for 17, and though a game of cat-and-mouse with Adil Rashid resulted in a miscued wrong’un to deep cover, that wasn’t until Abhishek had connected with two more sixes back over the bowler’s head.
There was no shortage of needle after the events at Pune, where Harshit Rana’s controversial introduction as Shyam Dube’s concussion substitute had left England feeling rather aggrieved. Buttler’s description at the toss of England’s four unselected players as “impact subs” was an amusing commitment to the rumpus.
The fact that Dube was back in action, just 48 hours after a heavy blow to the helmet from Overton, was further reason for England to look slightly askance at that call. But not only did Dube show no ill-effects, he underlined the fact that his own bowling – though noticeably less express than Harshit’s – was every bit as capable of making an impression.
His first delivery, at the start of the eighth over, was the final death knell to England’s innings. Salt had bludgeoned 17 runs from Shami’s first over – the only moment at which England had been ahead of India’s rate – but when he snicked Dube’s 117kph sighter through to Dhruv Jurel, England were 82 for 5 and sinking fast. He then bowled Jacob Bethell with the first ball of his next over. Oh, and he also thumped 30 from 13 balls for good measure.
Carse has had an exceptional breakthrough winter for England across formats. His thirst for the hard overs means he has already inked himself in as their go-to third seamer in Test cricket, and many of those same big-hearted traits were on show in a gruesome match situation today.
Carse began his spell with India rattling along at more than 15 runs an over, having reached 127 for 1 after eight, but from the outset, his ability to hit hard lengths with canny changes of pace set him apart from the more one-dimensional block-knocking approach that his colleagues had settled for.
Mark Wood and Jofra Archer set the tone for England’s approach with another deeply unsubtle powerplay display, albeit it was thrilling to behold. Archer’s first-over duel with Sanju Samson featured two sixes, 16 runs and a nasty cut to the finger from a third-ball lifter into the gloves; Wood’s follow-up barely dipped below 150kph, as Samson holed out to deep square leg – his fifth dismissal to the pull shot in as many innings this series.
Suryakumar Yadav had a similar experience – once again India’s captain came a cropper to a leading edge as he finished his series with just 28 runs in five innings. But at the other end was Abhishek, and so it mattered little.
Brief scores:
India 247 for 9 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 135, Tilak Varma 24, Shivam Dube 30; Brydon Carse 3-38, Mark Wood 2-32) beat England 97 in 10.3 overs (Phil Salt 55; Mohammed Shami 3-25, Varun Chakravarthy 2-25, Shivam Dube 2-11, Abhishek Sharma 2-03) by 150 runs
[Cricinfo]
Three present First XI players and four team officials were felicitated by the Dharmaraja College Cricket Foundation (DRCCF) at its annual Cricket Night and Awards Ceremony for the 2023/2024 season held on the 25th of January at the Grand Kandyan Hotel in Kandy. The event, which coincided with the 25th anniversary celebrations of DRCCF saw the presence of over 200 past cricketers of Dharmaraja College joining hands.
The annual Cricket Night and Awards Ceremony conducted by DRCCF, an event highly anticipated among the former cricketing alumni of Dharmaraja College, recognised the achievements of their three Under-19 talents, who represented Sri Lanka Youth in 2024. They were Pulindu Perera, Lakvin Abeysinghe and Sheshan Marasinghe, who have been outstanding contributors to Dharmaraja cricket, as well as the teams they represented at different levels.
Pulindu Perera, a fifth-year player who bats Left-handed and bowls right-arm off-spins, has been awarded the best batsman award in the 34th and 35th editions of the Limited Overs encounters against big match rivals Kingswood College. He also was adjudged the best batsman at the 115th Battle of the Maroons against Kingswood, and was adjudged the best bowler in the 116th edition of the two-day encounter.
Pulindu went onto represent Sri Lanka U-19s against West Indies, Pakistan, England, as well as the Youth Asia Cup and the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in 2024. His achievements earned him the promotion to compete in the National Super League, the Lanka Premier League and a slot in the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team against Pakistan Shaheens.
Lakvin Abeysinghe was a member of the Sri Lanka Under-19s in the Youth Asia Cup 2024 held in Dubai, where he scored 50 against Nepal and 69 against India. He was adjudged the best batsman in the U-19 Division I Tier ‘B’ segment, and also has gone the extent of playing four times in the Super Provincial Tournament, representing Under-17 and Under-19 teams since 2022.
Shehan Marasinghe, who has many accolades under his belt, has represented the Kandy District team in the SLC Super Provincial Youth League at Under-17 and Under-19 levels. A fast bowler who could hit the above 130 kilometres per hour range, Shehan represented Sri Lanka Under-19s against their tour of England.
Lakvin Abeysinghe, Pulindu Perera and Sheshan Marasinghe.
The four officials felicitated by the DRCCF were Ananda Wijajasekara, Rienzie Subasinghe, Senaka Dissanayake and Haresh Ratnayake, who contributed to the growth and success of Dharmaraja cricket in different capacities.
Wijayasekara, an experienced cricket coach who imparted his services as a coach at different age groups since 1994, has helped Dharmaraja produce many cricketers at national level, including the school’s recent star, Chamara Kapugedara. Under him Dharmaraja was able to win many titles.
Subasinghe, a well-qualified public servant, has been actively involved with Dharmaraja cricket as the Master in-Charge since he joined the Hill Capital school as an English teacher in 1987. He has worked alongside many coaches of Dharmaraja cricket including David Karunaratne, Sonny Yatawara and Senaka Dissanayake, and has guided many Rajan cricketers reach the highest level.
Celebrated cricketer from the Hill Capital, Dissanayake, has contributed his yeoman services to the recent successes of Dharmaraja cricket. Being a well recognised cricketer himself, Dissanayake has represented his alma mater, at all age levels beginning from Under-13, and also represented Sri Lanka Under-19s under the legendary Aravinda de Silva against Australia in 1984. The first Rajan cricketer to score 200 runs for his school team at the iconic Asgiriya Ground, Dissanayake has served Dharmaraja First XI cricket as a coach from 1984 to 1992 while serving as Head Coach of the team from 2005 to 2017 and a second tenure from 2023 to date.
Considered as a cricketing legend among the Rajans, Ratnayake’s achievements as a former player and captain of Dharmaraja cricket speaks greater volume. Ratnayake, who captained the Dharmaraja First XI team in the 2001/02 season, has many accolades under his belt, such as an impressive batting average of 94.5.
His talent earned him the national spotlight from the category of Under-15, where he was picked to represent the Sri Lanka Development Squad. A former skipper of Dharmaraja U-15 and U-17 teams as well, Ratnayake led the Kandy District and Central Province teams at Under-17 and Under-19 levels, before earning Sri Lanka Schools Colours. He has played for different teams, home and abroad, and has been an inspiration to the young cricketers of Dharmaraja College for many years.
The Dharmaraja College Cricket Foundation, who recognised these seven individuals for their outstanding contributions at different capacities, as players, coaches and officials, also pledged to continue their enduring commitment towards the development of the school’s cricket future. The event was held under the patronage of the Immediate Past Principal of the school as well as the Past Presidents of the DRCCF.
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