Sports

Sri Lanka search for elusive Test win at Lord’s

Published

2 years ago

2024/08/29

Sahan Weerasooriya

Pathum Nissanka will make a comeback to the Test side after two years replacing Kusal Mendis.

Rex Clementine in London

Sri Lanka are searching for an elusive Test win at Lord’s and have got momentum behind them to achieve the milestone having addressed batting woes in the opening Test match at Old Trafford. Sri Lanka have drawn their last five Test matches at The Home of Cricket, including forcing England to follow on in 2002, but they have come short of a win here.

It was cold and windy at Old Trafford where Sri Lanka lost by five wickets, but sun is out in London and Sri Lanka will fancy their chances.

Opening batter Pathum Nissanka will make a comeback to the side playing his first Test match in two years. Kusal Mendis has been dropped. Nissanka will open batting with Dimuth Karunaratne and Nishan Madushka is expected to go down to number three.

Dinesh Chandimal has recovered sufficiently after copping a nasty blow to his right thumb, but he will not keep wickets and Madushka is expected to take over the wicketkeeping duties.

Fast bowler Lahiru Kumara will replace left-armer Vishwa Fernando, who featured in the first Test. Kumara was Sri Lanka’s best bowler during their series win in Bangladesh but was overlooked for the opening Test.

The tourists have been talking a lot about getting a big first innings score. They were bowled out for 236 in the first innings at Old Trafford but fared much better in the second innings making 326.

Opening batter Dimuth Karunaratne is the key for Sri Lanka’s success as he has scored big in all conditions but England is one place where he has failed to make an impact. The former captain has scored only one half-century in England although he has played in six Test matches.

England have suffered a huge blow with Mark Wood ruled out of the game with a thigh injury. He has been replaced by 30-year-old quick Olly Stone, who has featured in three Test matches.

Wood clocked 95 miles per hour at Old Trafford while rest of the bowlers barely touched 90 miles per hour in the first Test and England will feel his absence while Sri Lanka will be relived.

This week marks the 40th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s first ever Test match at Lord’s and several players who featured in that historic game at Lord’s in 1984 are expected to be in London this week.

England (Probable XI)

Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope (Captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (Wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Olly Stone and Shoaib Bashir.

Sri Lanka (Probable XI)

Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Nishan Madushka (Wicketkeeper), Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kamindu Mendis, Milan Ratnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara and Asitha Fernando.

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Colombo Kaps down Dambulla Sixers by 21 runs

Published

6 hours ago

2026/07/26

Priyan

Colombo Kaps defended 197 runs to win the 12th match of the Lanka Premier League by restricting Dambulla Sixers to 176/8 at the Dambulla International Cricket Stadium on Saturday [25] night.

SCORES:
Colombo Kaps 197/5 in 20 overs [Rubin Hermann 39, Sadeera Samarawickrema 16, Sharujan Shanmuganathan 12, Kamindu Mendis 88*, Ben McDermott 14, Janith Liyanage 17; Fazalhaq Farooki 1-41, Dushmantha Chameera 1-41, Ramesh Mendis 1-05, Gulabdin Naib 1-15]
Dambulla Sixers 176/8 in 20 overs [Pavan Rathnayake 50, Marques Ackerman 40, Gulabdin Naib 28, Maheesh Thhekshana 13; Shahnawaz Dahani 2-20, Wanuja Sahan 1-34, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 2-33, Malsha Tharupathi 1-26, Milan Rathnayake 1-26]

Latest News

Kandy Royals win by 11 runs

Published

7 hours ago

2026/07/26

Priyan

Nuwan Thushara starred with three wickets

Kandy Royals’ bowlers led by Nuwan Thushara were able to defend their score of 165 to win the 11th match of the Lanka Premier League by defeating Galle Gallants by 11 runs at Dambulla on Saturday.

SCORES:
Kandy Royals 165/6 in 20 overs [Lahiru Udara 16, Dale Phillips 34, Wanidu Hasaranga 16, Moeen Ali 41, Angelo Mathews 28, Vijay Shankar 15; Pramod Madushan 2-41, Akif Javed 2-26, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth 2-36]

Galle Gallants 154/8 in 20 overs [Sam Harper 14, Charith Asalanka 14, Chamika Karunarathne 52, Dasun Shanaka 57*; Nuwan Thushara 3-33, Asitha Fernando 2-33, Moeen Ali 1-11, Wanidu Hasaranga 1-26]

Sports

Jaffna Kings LPL side under SLC purview

Published

13 hours ago

2026/07/26

Thilina Walpola

Jaffna Kings former co-owner Manjot Kalra is in judicial custody until July 31

Innovative Production Group (IPG), the tournament rights holder of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), in consultation with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), has terminated the franchise agreement with Sports Commune, which was granted franchise rights of the Jaffna Kings.

The termination follows the franchisee’s inability to fulfil its financial obligations under the terms of the franchise agreement. As a result, all rights relating to the Jaffna Kings franchise have reverted to IPG, which, together with Sri Lanka Cricket, has assumed full operational control of the team.

IPG confirms that the 6th edition of the LPL will proceed as scheduled and Jaffna Kings will continue to participate in the tournament under the same nomenclature, with no changes to the squad, tournament format, or match schedule.

To ensure the uninterrupted operation of the franchise, IPG and Sri Lanka Cricket have taken complete responsibility for all player, coaching staff, and support staff contracts. The organizers also confirm that all logistical arrangements for the team have been secured, ensuring the squad is intact for the tournament.

Furthermore, approximately 90% of all player and staff payments have already been completed, with the remaining payments to be settled in accordance with contractual commitments.

IPG and Sri Lanka Cricket remain committed to delivering a successful sixth edition of the Lanka Premier League while upholding the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and transparency for players, teams, commercial partners, and fans.