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Arthur impressed by all-round skills of Santhush Gunathilaka

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by Rex Clementine

Sri Lanka are taking several young players to South Africa for the two match Test series and while most of them are there as cover because last minute injury replacements are impossible to be flown in due to the pandemic, the one who perhaps has got a chance to make his debut in the Boxing Day Test of Centurion is all-rounder Santhush Gunathilaka.

The 21-year-old is a top order batsman who bowls seam and he has impressed Head Coach Mickey Arthur.

“Very impressed by Santhush Gunathilaka. We are trying to develop a seam bowling all-rounder for conditions outside Asia. It’s tough to find in Asia someone who bats in the top six and bowls seam and we are excited by the talent set of Santhush,” Arthur who has coached the likes of Jacques Kallis and Shane Watson, top class all-rounders told Sunday Island.

What is ahead of Sri Lanka when they tour South Africa is a daunting task indeed. After they surprised the Proteas last time around becoming the first nation to win a Test series in South Africa, the hosts have given them two of the quickest wickets this time – The Wanderers in Johannesburg and Centurion, half hour’s drive from the capital.

Historically Sri Lankan sides have fared poorly at both grounds with Hashan Tillakaratne being the only batsman to post a hundred at one of those venues. Apparently, during his knock 16 years ago, the South Africans slip cordon kept reminding Hashan that the only drive he was going to get was from the ground to the hotel and back.

The 22 players who will tour South Africa began a week-long residential camp in Pallekele to prepare for the series.

“We have to get back into Test match mode We deloaded them after the Bangladesh series was pushed back. Now we have to get them back to load up. We want to build all over so that the boys get the right amount of work ahead of the tour. You can not ask a fast bowler to bowl four overs in LPL and then to bowl ten to 15 overs in a Test match. Skills simply won’t be at the appropriate level,” Arthur explained.

“Going to South Africa and playing on those bouncy wickets, you have got to get the batsmen’s technique get going. It’s all about preparation. The last thing we want to do is to take a team there without much preparation,” remarked Arthur.

There are nine seam bowlers in the squad, something that you expect when the team tours to South Africa. The return of Dushmantha Chameera is the most talked point in cricket circles. Once the quickest bowler in the country, Chameera has played little cricket since the 2015 World Cup due to injuries.

“Very excited about Dushy in particular going into South Africa. He bowls a good bouncer and hurries the batsman up. We have him and Lahiru Kumar putting a lot of pace into our attack. Then we have Suranga Lakmal who is always on the money. We are having a good pace battery for the tour.”

Also drafted into the squad for the first time is 20-year-old left-arm quick Dilshan Madushanka.

“There is a lot of promise there in Dilshan. He is obviously our seventh seamer. We see a future for him and we need to make sure that he learns and works with David Saker, our Fast Bowling Coach.

There is some criticism as batsman Lahiru Udara has been overlooked for the tour having scored heavily in domestic cricket. Arthur explained the reason. “He has certainly not been overlooked. He is in our system. We have conveyed what he needs to work on and he knows that. Why we have opted for someone like Lahiru Thirimanne is that he gives you stability, depth and experience particularly in a place like South Africa.”

 



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Shanto, Shadman stretch Bangladesh’s lead after Nayeem’s five-for

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Najmul Hossain Shanto reached fifty close to stumps [Cricinfo]

After a day-long tug of war, where Sri Lanka and Bangladesh ran each other neck and neck, the first Test will go into day five in Galle no closer to knowing which of these sides has the edge necessary to convert a likely draw into an improbable win.

At stumps, Bangladesh lead by 187 runs with seven wickets in hand, and Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim – both first innings centurions – are at the crease. By all intents and purposes, this should mean Bangladesh are comfortably in control – and they are…kind of.

The thing with Galle is that one tends to bring many, and there have been periods in this game where batters seemed like they could bat for days, only for that to be followed by spells where wickets fell in clusters.

This happened on the first morning, and then again on the second evening, Bangladesh losing eight wickets for 94 runs on either side of two massive partnerships worth 401 in total. Sri Lanka meanwhile seemed immune to collapses, stitching together a string of solid stands across their first innings, until this morning when they lost two wickets in the space of the first hour, and then three more in 45 minutes after lunch.

It meant that a day that had started with Sri Lanka eyeing a cheeky lead in the hope of putting Bangladesh into bat on a day five Galle surface, and maybe, possibly, perhaps instigating a final-day collapse, ended with them being bowled out for 10 runs short of Bangladesh’s 495.

It also meant that Bangladesh now control where this Test heads. A lead of 300 would seem like a minimum requirement, but they will also want to give themselves enough time to bowl Sri Lanka out – two sessions seems like the absolute minimum requirement.

But to get to such an eventuality, they might need to score at a quicker rate tomorrow morning than they have all game – but that of course means they would have to risk getting dismissed for far less than that (please refer to the bit about collapses).

As things stand, the Bangladesh batters have handled the Sri Lanka spinners and a steadily deteriorating Galle surface admirably. The delivery to dismiss Anamul Haque spun and bounced off the rough, while Shadnan Islam – following an assured 76 off 126 – had a Milan Ratnayake seamer jag back sharply from outside off to trap him plumb in front.

But in between, both Shadman and Shanto used the depth of the crease expertly. When going back, they went right back, and when coming forward they did so with gusto. Sri Lanka’s spinners for their part were perhaps guilty of a little impatience, not sticking long and persistently enough to those nagging lines around off.

That could partly be down to the success Naveem Hasan had achieved earlier in the day. After three days of batting haven, that first ball which pitched on off and spun down the right-hander’s leg stump probably seemed to Nayeem like the proverbial oasis in the desert. But so ravenous was he for more that he diligently pestered that line all morning. And he was duly rewarded when Dhananjaya de Silva tickled a sharp-turner down leg for Litton Das to grab.

He saved his best though for Kamindu Mendis, going strong on 87 and looking odds on to add to his catalogue of Test tonight, as he pulled out a classic offspinner’s dismissal. Around the wicket, drifting in, dipping on the stumps, and straightening just enough to take the edge on the forward defence.

Five balls later Nayeem had one pushed through with the arm to castle Tharindu Rathnayake. Suddenly the young Bangladesh spinner was getting the full Galle experience, the one he’d been told so much about.

Fittingly, Nayeem ended the innings, turning one sharply all around Asitha Fernando’s attempted reverse sweep, to bring to an end a spell of verve and precision. It was his fourth five-wicket haul in Tests, and as he fell to his knees on the Galle pitch in worship, you could see what it meant to him – and then his teammates, who swarmed him.

Less than an hour prior to that though, Sri Lanka were in the midst of a 79-run stand. A few minutes before lunch, Milan had lofted Taijul Islam down the ground off consecutive deliveries. Kamindu at the other end was doing Kamindu things, punishing anything that was too short or too wide. It meant even a streak of dot deliveries was inevitably punctuated with a boundary. His runs had come with minimal risk, only a missed reverse and pulled six over deep square leg offering any peril.

Sri Lanka had looked at the time to be in total control – kind of like Bangladesh do now.

Brief scores:
Bangladesh 495 and 177 for 3 (Najmul Hossain Shanto 56*, Mushfiqur Rahim 22*, Shadman Islam 76, Prabath Jayasuriya 1-48, Thrindu Rathnayake 1-51, Milan Rathnayake 1-13) lead Sri Lanka 485 in 131.2 overs (Pathum Nissanka 187, Dinesh Chandimal 54, Kamindu Mendis 87, Angelo Mathews 39, Milan Rathnayake 39; Nayeem Hasan 5-121, Hasan Mahmud 3-74) by 187 runs

[Cricinfo]

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Akesha, Dinara guide Sri Lanka to Billie Jean King Cup Asia Oceania Group III victory

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Sri Lanka team pose after winning the tournament. (From left) Charles Lau (Tournament Referee), Dinara de Silva, Tuvini de Alwis, Inuki Jayaweera, Thangarajah Dineshkanthan (Team captain). Oneli Samarawickrama, Akeesha Silva, Iqbal Bin Issack (President SLTA) ans Nithiyananthan Sailan (Tournament Director)
Sri Lanka won the Billie Jean King Cup Asia Oceania Group III tennis tournament as the hosts beat Turkmenistan 2-0 in the final at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association clay courts.
Sri Lanka secured a Group II spot by vertue of their victory in the Group III final.
Akeesha Silva and Dinara de Silva won their singles matches against their Turkmenistan counterparts to avoid a doubles match.
Akeesha beat Aynur Movlyamova 6-0, 6-2 in the first singles match while Dinara completed the victory with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Ilima Guseynova. (RF)
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Nissanka’s masterclass powers Sri Lanka fightback in Galle Test

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Pathum Nissanka posted a career best 187 and his first century at home as Sri Lanka came up with a strong reply on day three of the first Test against Bangladesh in Galle yesterday

Pathum Nissanka produced a career-best 187 to anchor Sri Lanka’s spirited reply on day three of the first Test against Bangladesh in Galle on Thursday, guiding the hosts to a commanding 368 for four at stumps.

Sri Lanka still trail by 127 runs, but with wickets in hand and a placid pitch beneath their feet, the momentum appears to be tilting in the hosts’ favour.

On a surface that has offered little to the bowlers, Nissanka made hay while the sun shone, unleashing an array of strokes that left the Bangladesh attack chasing leather. The right-hander peppered the off-side with exquisite drives and was equally adept square of the wicket, cutting and pulling with authority to force the field back.

The 27-year-old had been under the pump coming into the match, having managed just one half-century in nine innings since his heroic ton at The Oval last year against England. But there was no stopping him this time, as he cashed in on a batter-friendly deck to silence critics and steady Sri Lanka’s ship.

Having first made waves with a century on debut in the Caribbean four years ago, Nissanka’s red-ball career has been sporadic, punctuated by injuries. But since August last year, he has carved out a regular spot in the Test side, though recurring back niggles have occasionally sidelined him.

Nissanka was cruising towards a maiden double hundred when he was castled by Hasan Mahmud with the second new ball — bowled through the gate in classic fashion. His knock, laced with 23 fours and a six, was a timely reminder of his pedigree and poise at the crease.

He put on 47 for the opening wicket with debutant Lahiru Udara, before adding a crucial 157 runs with Dinesh Chandimal for the second wicket. Chandimal, who looked set for a big score, fell against the run of play, flicking one to leg slip to give Bangladesh a much-needed breakthrough.

Angelo Mathews, walking out to bat in his farewell Test amidst a guard of honour from the opposition, joined Nissanka in a stand worth 89. The veteran looked composed until he feathered a catch behind off part-time spinner Mominul Haque for 39.

Though Nissanka stole the limelight, the most assured batter at the crease by day’s end was Kamindu Mendis. The left-hander was a picture of composure, using his feet to good effect against the spinners and rotating strike with ease. He remained unbeaten on 37, with skipper Dhananjaya de Silva on 17, as Sri Lanka ended the day with plenty still in the tank.

Earlier in the morning, Bangladesh added just nine runs to their overnight total before being dismissed for 495. Asitha Fernando mopped up the tail, finishing with four wickets as the tourists lost their last six wickets for just 37 runs — a collapse that handed Sri Lanka the opening to claw back into the contest.

Rex Clementine ✍️
in Galle

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