Sports

Sri Lanka’s formidable pace attack is reason for excitement

Published

3 years ago

2022/10/9

by Rex Clementine

Although spin has been Sri Lanka’s key weapon for success in World Cups, pace has played a critical role as well. There were the good old days of Chaminda Vaas running through the opposition and Lasith Malinga with his hat-trick taking abilities turning games on its head. But overall, spin had been Sri Lanka’s strength.

Muttiah Muralitharan had been the star performer with countless match winning performances while Ajantha Mendis humbled some of the world’s best batting line-ups with his mystery. Then there was Rangana Herath. Although he had his impact mostly in Test match cricket, there were a couple of deadly spells in T-20 cricket as well like in the must win clash against New Zealand in the 2014 T-20 World Cup where the left-arm spinner claimed five wickets for just three runs to bowl out the Kiwis for 60 runs. That was a virtual quarter-final and that victory gave much confidence to the team and they went onto win the title beating India in the finals.

Currently, Wanindu Hasaranga is Sri Lanka’s go to man; outsmarting batsmen with his googlys and leg-breaks. There’s also Maheesh Theekshana, who like Mendis bamboozles batsmen. But on Australian wickets it remains to be seen how effective he will be. Hasaranga though will be quite a handful on the bigger grounds where leg-spinners have had an impact over the years.

There will be a lot of attention on Sri Lanka’s pace bowling during the World Cup. The return of Dushmantha Chameera is quite exciting as he bowled some unplayable deliveries during the last World Cup in the UAE. On wickets where there is pace and bounce, he can be devastating. Chameera is no longer a one-trick pony. He’s got a good short ball, excellent yorker and a well disguised slower ball.

When Chameera first came onto the scene he was lethal as he possessed extra pace. He impressed many people during the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. However, a series of injuries sidelined him and since making a comeback 18 months ago, he has won the team some games. SLC’s medical staff headed by Professor Arjun de Silva need to be commended for looking after him well.

The quickest among the Sri Lankan bowlers is Lahiru Kumara. He can be wayward at times and there was the heartbreak against South Africa last year when David Miller smashed him out of the park in Sharjah as the Proteas snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. He is sure to have learned from that experience. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and we can discuss various options that Kumara could have taken that night. But that experience would have done him a world of good now that he has learned what will work and what will not work defending runs in the death overs.

When Chaminda Vaas told us a couple of years ago that Dilshan Madushanka is going to be the real deal among the young fast bowlers, we didn’t get his point. There were other left-arm quicks who were impressive and you weren’t sure why the coach would highlight him. But during the Asia Cup he proved that he’s a smart customer. There’s no better sight in cricket than when fast bowlers think and set up batsmen. Madushanka did it a couple of times last month. He’ll do that more often in Australia. Sri Lanka’s fast bowling prospects certainly look exciting.

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Ranaweera’s four-for leads Sri Lanka to tense win over West Indies

Published

12 hours ago

2026/02/21

Priyan

Inoka Ranaweera returned figures of 4 for 44 [Cricinfo]

Sri Lanka took a 1-0 lead in the ODI series with a tense ten-run win over West Indies, thanks largely to a match-defining performance from Inoka Ranaweera.

After being asked to bat, Sri Lanka posted 240 for 6, built on half-centuries from Hasini Perera (61 off 86) and Harshitha Samarawickrema (66 off 105). Captain Chamari Athapaththu made 27, while useful middle-order contributions from Nilakshika Silva and Kavisha Dilhari kept the innings moving at a controlled rate. A late cameo from Dewmi Vihanga, who struck 14 off six balls, ensured Sri Lanka pushed towards a competitive total in St George’s in Grenada.

But it was Ranaweera who tilted the contest. The experienced left-arm spinner returned figures of 4 for 44 from her ten overs. She removed the No. 3 Shemaine Campbelle cheaply, dismissed Chinelle Henry soon after, and then returned to break the dangerous stand of 89 between Stefanie Taylor and Jannillea Glasgow in the 40th over, just as West Indies were threatening to surge ahead. Ranaweera also accounted for Shawnisha Hector at the death.

Taylor’s 66 off 83 balls and Glasgow’s 50 off 67 had revived West Indies from early setbacks, and with Aaliyah Alleyne in the middle, the chase remained alive deep into the game. West Indies needed 18 from the last two overs, and 12 from the last six balls. However, Sri Lanka’s spinners held firm, with Dilhari finishing with three wickets, including two in the final over, to complement Ranaweera’s starring role.

West Indies were eventually bowled out for 230 in 49.4 overs. Sri Lanka have now won four of their last five ODIs against West Indies since 2017.

Brief scores:
Sri Lanka Women 240 for 6 in 50 overs (Harshitha Samarawickrama 66, Hasini Perera 61; Hayley Matthews 2-46, Karishma Ramharak 2-57) beat West Indies Women 230 in 49.4 overs (Stefanie Taylor 66, Jannillea Glasgow 50; Inoka Ranaweera 4-44, Kavish Dilhari 3-49) by ten runs

[Cricinfo]

Sports

Sharada, Kithma join to trouble Richmond

Published

18 hours ago

2026/02/21

Thilina Walpola

Left arm spinner Sharada Jayaratne took bowling honours of the day’s Under 19 cricket encounters as he took six wickets for Ananda to restrict Richmond to 168 runs in the traditional match at Ananda Mawatha.

‎Richmond were strongly placed at one stage with Risinu Rupasinghe (40) and Senuk Dulneth adding 91 runs for the first wicket. But when skipper Kithma Widanapathirana broke the stand, Richmond collapsed. Kithma and Sharada shared all ten wickets to fall.

‎In response the home team were 37 for three wickets at stumps with Vihanga Mihiranga inflicting early dammage.

‎At Darley Road, Wesley had a promising start with openers Shamma Fernando and Rasheed Nahyan putting on 58 runs for the first wicket before Nushan Perera and Sri Lanka Under 19 spinner Vigneswaran Akash shared seven wickets between them to restrict the Campbell Park team to 161 runs.

‎In reply St. Joseph’s reached 74 for no loss at stumps. The Joes amassed those runs in just 12.1 overs with Aveesha Samash hammering an unbeaten 53 in 38 balls (6x4s, 4x6s).

‎At De Soysa Stadium, Moratuwa, Mahanama posted 350 for nine wickets declared against Prince of Wales as Dulnith Sigera (74), Eshan Withanage (71n.o.) and Sineth Veerarathne (59) made half centuries.

‎For the Cambrians Nethul Anuhas took five wickets.

by Reemus Fernando

Sports

We are seeing something special in Pavan Rathnayake – Mathews

Published

18 hours ago

2026/02/21

Thilina Walpola

Former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews believes the islanders have unearthed a gem in Pavan Rathnayake, backing the 23-year-old middle-order batter to scale the game’s highest peaks.

Drafted into the World Cup squad at the eleventh hour, Rathnayake has wasted little time in justifying the selectors’ leap of faith. While much of the spotlight has rightly fallen on Pathum Nissanka’s match-winning heroics, the youngster has quietly gone about his business, compiling runs with poise and a range of strokes that suggest he belongs on this stage.

Rathnayake’s inclusion was no shot in the dark. Sri Lanka’s struggles against spin had been laid bare in the lead-up to the tournament and the think tank sought a batter who could milk the tweakers rather than get tied in knots. Rathnayake ticked that box emphatically, earning praise from batting coach Vikram Rathour for the way he used his feet to get to the pitch of the ball and employed soft hands to manoeuvre the field.

Mathews, who has long advocated fast-tracking the youngster into the senior set-up, said the signs were unmistakable.

“We are seeing someone special in Pavan Rathnayake,” Mathews told Telecom Asia Sport.

“I have seen him in close quarters and what impressed me most is his temperament. If he gets a start, he will go on to get a big hundred. I rate him very highly. The manner in which he plays spin is remarkable. He can both use his feet and rock back as well. He is a huge find for Sri Lanka and the world will start talking about him as we move on,” he added.

Mathews reserved special praise for the youngster’s mental steel, a trait he believes separates the run-of-the-mill from the truly elite.

“Pavan has a cool head and is so good to watch when he is on song. He is a man of few words, but mentally a very tough bloke and that’s what separates good players from great ones. I have no doubt he can go on to become a great,” Mathews said.

Sri Lanka became the first side to book their ticket to the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup after a stirring win over Australia, a result that sent fans into raptures and put the former champions back in the reckoning.

They begin their Super Eight campaign on Sunday against England, returning to a contest that promises high voltage and little margin for error.

On paper, Sri Lanka appear to have most bases covered. But the injury list has thrown a spanner in the works. Eshan Malinga, Wanindu Hasaranga and Matheesha Pathirana have all been ruled out, forcing the selectors into three replacements and leaving the bowling attack short on experience at the business end.

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