Sports

The Moratuwa duo hit the high notes

Published

2 years ago

2024/11/15

A record-breaking 206-run stand between Kusal Mendis and Avishka Fernando helped Sri Lanka secure a decisive victory over New Zealand, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Rex Clementine at Dambulla

The Moratuwa duo stole the limelight on Wednesday, etching their names into the record books as Sri Lanka secured a comfortable 45-run victory over New Zealand in Dambulla. Kusal Mendis hammered a career-best 143, while opener Avishka Fernando brought up his fourth ODI century. Hailing from the same cricketing cradle—Kusal from Prince of Wales’ College and Avishka just a stone’s throw away at St. Sebastian’s—the pair stitched together a magnificent 206-run partnership for the second wicket, leading Sri Lanka to a win with flair and finesse.

Kusal’s knock was a treat for the purists, as he danced down the track to the spinners with nimble footwork, while Avishka was a powerhouse against the pacers, unleashing his trademark hook shot that sent the crowd roaring.

“I told Avishka not to worry if he had a few dot balls early on; it wasn’t the kind of wicket where you could hit the ground running,” Kusal revealed to journalists after Sri Lanka claimed a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. “I assured him that the runs would flow from my end, allowing him to play his natural game without feeling the weight of the scoreboard.”

Kusal was all praise for Avishka’s potential, forecasting a bright future. “Avishka will score plenty of runs. The wicket was a bit on the sluggish side today, and the ball didn’t come onto the bat as we expected. But once he got his eye in, there was no looking back.”

With his 143, Kusal also broke new ground for Sri Lankan cricket, setting a national record against New Zealand by surpassing the previous highest scores of 140 by both Sanath Jayasuriya and Thisara Perera. His tally now also stands as the highest individual score in Dambulla, eclipsing Shikhar Dhawan’s 132 not out made in 2017.

“Delighted to bring this win home,” Kusal added. “When Avishka got out, my focus was to stay in as long as possible. I’m glad it all came together in the end.”

After a batting masterclass, Sri Lanka’s bowlers found themselves in a tight spot as the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system set New Zealand a revised target of 221 in 27 overs, a challenge that tested Sri Lanka’s nerve.

“We knew bowling them out in 27 overs was a tall order, so our strategy was to keep the run rate in check even if wickets didn’t fall immediately. The bowlers handled the pressure brilliantly, especially with the wet outfield,” Kusal reflected.

The action now shifts to Pallekele, where the two teams will resume on Sunday, with Sri Lanka keen to tighten their grip on the series.

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England call up Crane and rest Archer for Pakistan series

Published

1 hour ago

2026/10/1

Priyan

Mason Crane has played one Test and two T20s for England (BBC)

Leg-spinner Mason Crane could play for England for the first time in eight years after being recalled for the one-day international tri-series in Pakistan.

The 29-year-old won his only Test cap against Australia in Sydney in 2018 and is now given an opportunity in the series which also involves Sri Lanka next month.

Crane, who also played two T20 internationals in 2017, could also push his case in the fight to be England’s number one spinner in Test cricket.

Sam Curran and Adil Rashid both return after injuries, and uncapped pair James Coles and Henry Crocombe are included.

Jos Buttler is out with the hamstring injury he sustained last week, while Jacob Bethell is continuing his recovery from knee surgery.

Brydon Carse, who is under an investigation from the Cricket Regulator following an incident outside a nightclub in Derby in August, remains absent.

England are on a diet of white-ball cricket until three Tests in South Africa in December as they build up to the 50-over World Cup in southern Africa next year.

The tri-series in Pakistan involves the three teams taking part playing each other twice, with the top two advancing to the final. Following the trip to Pakistan, England play three one-day internationals and five T20s in Australia in November.

As England continue to shape their backroom staff following the arrival of Stephen Fleming as Test coach, Jeetan Patel, Mike Yardy, David Saker and Carl Hopkinson will assist white-ball head coach Brendon McCullum in Pakistan.

That means Marcus Trescothick, who took temporary charge of the Test team for the series against Pakistan in the home summer, misses the trip.

It is understood the make-up of the coaching staff is part of a plan to rotate the coaches – fielding coach Sarah Taylor and fast-bowling coach Tim Southee are also not going to Pakistan.

All of Trescothick, Taylor and Southee are likely to be part of England’s coaching team for other tours this winter.

England squad for tri-series in Pakistan:

Harry Brook (Yorkshire – captain), Gus Atkinson (Surrey), Sonny Baker (Hampshire), Tom Banton (Somerset), James Coles (Sussex), Jordan Cox (Essex), Mason Crane (Glamorgan), Henry Crocombe (Sussex), Sam Curran (Surrey), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Will Jacks (Surrey), Jamie Overton (Surrey), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire).

(BBC)

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ICC introduces pink-ball daytime Test trial, new time-wasting penalties

Published

3 hours ago

2026/10/1

Priyan

The changes to playing conditions will come into effect on October 1 [Cricbuzz]

The ICC has introduced a trial allowing pink balls to be used in daytime Test matches, among a series of changes to the Playing Conditions that come into effect for international series beginning on October 1.

The pink-ball provision is aimed at reducing the loss of playing time due to bad light. Its use will require mutual agreement between the two teams before the start of the Test and, once agreed, the ball colour cannot be changed during the match.

Continuing the push to make full use of playing time, the ICC will also clamp down on excessive time-wasting by batters in men’s cricket. A batter who is not ready to face the next delivery within the prescribed time, in the umpires’ view, will receive a warning for the first offence, followed by a final warning for the second. A third and each subsequent offence will result in five penalty runs being awarded to the fielding side, with Code of Conduct provisions potentially invoked for repeated offences.

Time-wasting came into focus during the Lord’s Test in 2025 when India captain Shubman Gill alleged that his confrontation with Zak Crawley stemmed from the England opener and his batting partner Ben Duckett seemingly arriving at the crease 90 seconds late when tasked with seeing out one final over before close of play on Day 3.

In another Test-specific change, following an MCC recommendation, the fall of a wicket in the final over of the day’s play will no longer automatically bring the day’s play to an end. If conditions remain suitable and the over has not been completed, the remaining deliveries will be bowled rather than carried over to the following day.

The ICC has also tightened the specifications for balls used in women’s international cricket, with separate size and weight requirements now in place for men’s, women’s and junior cricket. A new men’s ball must weigh between 5.5 and 5.75 ounces (156-163 grams) and measure 22.4-22.9 centimetres in circumference. For women’s cricket, the ball must weigh 5-5.25 ounces (142-149 grams) and measure 21.5-22 centimetres in circumference.

Among other changes following MCC recommendations, the ICC has also clarified the requirements around control of the ball, an area that has frequently come under scrutiny in run-out and stumping decisions. The revised laws make it explicit that mere contact with the ball is insufficient for a dismissal. For a wicket to be valid, the ball must be held with complete control at the moment the stumps are broken. Simply brushing the ball with a hand or glove while dislodging the bails will no longer meet the requirement.

The umpire will also have greater leeway in determining whether a ball is finally settled. The ball no longer necessarily has to be in the bowler’s or wicketkeeper’s hands to be considered finally settled.

Meanwhile, in ODIs and T20Is, the 15-minute interval in T20Is is now fixed, although it can be reduced to a minimum of 10 minutes when time has been lost. The ODI and T20I Playing Conditions are now aligned to allow the ‘Head Coach or their designate’ to enter the field of play at drinks intervals.

Also in white-ball cricket, the wide-ball rule initially trialled in ODIs and T20Is has now been made permanent. The provision offers leniency to bowlers when a batter moves before or during a delivery. The batter’s leg position at the point of delivery will be used as the reference point for judging a wide, even if the batter subsequently moves across to the off side.

The revised Playing Conditions apply to international series beginning on October 1 or later, with ongoing series continuing under the previous regulations.

[Cricbuzz]

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Sri Lanka bowl first in semi final clash against India

Published

10 hours ago

2026/10/1

Priyan

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl first in the Asian games semifinal clash against India.

Sri Lanka XI: Lasith Croospulle, Sineth Jayawardene, Sohan de Livera (wk), Ashen Bandara, Sahan Arachchige (c), Nuwanidu Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Wanuja Sahan, Tharindu Rathnayake, Binura Fernando, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth

India XI: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah