Sports

Concerns about Sri Lanka’s spin trio

Published

4 years ago

2022/06/1

Sahan Weerasooriya

Sri Lanka's spinners struggled in the recent Test series in Bangladesh.

by Rex Clementine

The great game of uncertainties that cricket is, stranger things happen in this sport more often than not. By strange, we don’t mean things like computer hacking where mails are delivered to television partners to deposit hundreds of thousands of US Dollars to offshore accounts or well known underworld figures being sponsored to watch the game’s showpiece event at Lord’s. To be exact we mean what we witnessed last week in Dhaka.

For decades Sri Lanka have heavily depended on their spin bowlers to win Test matches. Even in some of their most famous overseas Test wins like – The Oval 1998, Trent Bridge 2006, Basin Reserve 2007, Kingsmead 2011, or St. George’s Park 2019 – spin has played a vital part. Spin legends Muttiah Muralitharan and Rangana Herath have rarely disappointed the team. But what if the nation had given a fair deal for quicks as well.

Not just preparing good wickets where seamers too will have a stake. But in domestic cricket ensuring that fast bowlers are not made redundant on rank turners where the new ball is in fact shared by spinners.

Cricket’s stakeholders had something serious to think about as, during the recent Test series in Bangladesh, the team’s quicks won them the series while the spinners were hardly effective. To be precise among the three spinners – Ramesh Mendis, Praveen Jayawickrama, and Lasith Embuldeniya – they shared just two wickets in two Test matches.

Usually, Sri Lankan captains have used their quicks for the containing job. The fast bowlers’ role was merely to hold one end up unless of course, you had a Chaminda Vaas in your ranks.

But in Dhaka and before that in Chittagong, the quicks were on the money. Asitha Fernando may have got all the accolades after becoming the first Sri Lankan right-arm quick to claim a match bag of ten wickets, but Kasun Rajitha, who is four years Asitha’s senior, was impressive too showing a lot of character and heart.

Bangladesh would have been happy with a couple of draws as they know that tracks that turn square could backfire against Sri Lanka. So they prepared flat decks and were caught off guard by the quicks.

Sri Lanka’s three spinners have been quite handy at home and they had finished with a rich haul of wickets in last year’s home series as they beat Bangladesh and West Indies. But those were in helpful conditions. Suddenly when the wickets are flat and not offering much of a help, the spinners lose patience and struggle.

They are not going to get helpful conditions when travelling overseas. That’s why they need to learn the art of drying up runs and creating the dot ball pressure. This Sri Lankan trio failed to do but they are still young and you hope that they learn moving forward.

More than Mendis or Jayawickrama, you felt disappointed with Embuldeniya as he had been in the system for three years now having played 16 Test matches.

Spin was a vital card that Sri Lanka used in whitewashing Australia 3-0 the last time they were here. But then that was when Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera were still around. Both of them are retired now and it will be interesting to see what Sri Lankan curators will do for the upcoming series. Will they back their spinners and prepare turning tracks or will they give fair pitches where everyone will have some stake?

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Sports

Sri Lanka Under 19s pull off two wickets win against Afghanistan

Published

24 hours ago

2025/12/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

Sri Lanka Under 19s scored back to back victories as Mahanama College batsman Chamika Heenatigala anchored the tail with an unbeaten half century to seal two wickets victory over Afghanistan U19s in their second group match of the Under 19 Asia Cup in Dubai on Monday.

‎Chasing 236 runs to win Sri Lanka U19s were eight wickets down for 217 runs in the 48th over but Heenatigala with Rasith Nimsara kept their cool to seal the victory with four balls to spare.

‎In their chase, Viran Chamuditha top scored with 62 runs and put on a first wicket stand of 55 runs with Dimantha Mahavithana (27).

‎While Kavija Gamage (34) and Dulnith Sigera (22) made vital contributions with the bat, Sethmika Senevirathne and Sigera took three wickets each.

‎It was Sri Lanka Youth team’s second consecutive win in the tournament after registering their first win against Nepal.

Sports

Dasun Shanaka’s all-round effort can not hold Vipers

Published

24 hours ago

2025/12/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

Sam Curran bagged two wickets before scoring an unbeaten fifty. (ILT20)

Dasun Shanaka scored an unbeaten 29 and took two wickets but that could not hold Desert Vipers becoming the first team to seal a playoffs spot as they made it six wins out of six on Sunday (December 14) halfway through the league stage of the ILT20 2025-26.

‎Sam Curran produced an all-round effort as Vipers chased down Dubai Capitals’ 166/4 with five wickets in hand and a ball to spare.

‎Asked to bat, Capitals lost Shayan Jahangir to Naseem Shah in the third over and were kept on a tight leash by the Vipers pacers in the powerplay, reaching 35/1. Gulbadin Naib and Leus du Plooy then added 39 at close to a run-a-ball before Noor Ahmad removed his Afghanistan teammate. Capitals were 68/2 at the halfway mark and in need of momentum through the second half of the innings.

‎Du Plooy injected some urgency with two fours off Lockie Ferguson in an over, followed by a six off Naseem Shah to bring up a 38-ball fifty. But Curran turned the innings again with a double-wicket over, dismissing du Plooy and Rovman Powell off successive deliveries. Jordan Cox and Dasun Shanaka, however, ensured a strong finish, striking six fours and three sixes in an unbroken 72-run stand off 40 balls.

‎Max Holden set the tone in the chase, accounting for six of the seven fours Vipers struck in the powerplay. Fakhar Zaman fell to Mustafizur Rahman in the fifth over but Vipers still reached 50 in six overs. Holden was dismissed for 34 by Haider Ali while attempting a slog sweep, and although Hasan Nawaz struck three sixes, he fell to Waqar Salamkheil to leave Vipers at 88/3 after 10 overs.

‎Dan Lawrence and Curran steadied the chase with a 32-run stand before Lawrence was dismissed by Shanaka for 20 in the 14th over. In the same over, Shimron Hetmyer struck a four and a six and was later reprieved by Shanaka. A couple of tight overs followed, but Vipers remained in control, needing 31 from the final four overs.

‎Curran took them closer with two fours off David Willey and a six off Muhammad Jawadullah. With three required in the final over, Hetmyer fell to Shanaka, but Curran finished the chase with a six off the fourth ball, completing a 33-ball fifty to cap a fine all-round performance.

‎‎Brief scores:

‎Dubai Capitals 166/4 in 20 overs (Leus du Plooy 54, Jordan Cox 49*; Sam Curran 2-17)

‎Desert Vipers

171/5 in 19.4 overs (Sam Curran 52*, Max Holden 34; Dasun Shanaka 2-19)

Sports

Akbar Brothers crowned MBSA A-Division champions

Published

1 day ago

2025/12/15

Priyan

Akbar Brothers Ltd delivered a commanding all-round performance to clinch the ‘A’ Division title at the 33rd MSBA League Basketball Tournament, defeating defending champions Fairfirst Insurance 70–60 in a thrilling final held recently.

Despite a group stage loss to Fairfirst, a revitalized Akbar Brothers team returned for the final with renewed focus, executing a strategic and disciplined game plan with some excellent passing and defense. Akbar Brothers came in with all guns blazing right from the outset. The first quarter was all Akbar’s that stacked up a 13 to 4 lead. Fairfirst mounted a strong challenge in the second quarter, narrowing the margin, but Akbar’s momentum secured a 35–28 lead at halftime, a margin they maintained with composure through to the final whistle.

Dasun Mendis led the charge for Akbar Brothers with 18 points and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). Chenura De Alwis added 17 points to the tally, while Shehan Udayanga posted a valiant 22 points for Fairfirst. Dimitri Grebe anchored Akbar Brothers with strong leadership, with Hiran Wijesooriya captaining Fairfirst.

Earlier in the tournament Akbar Brothers beat Sampath Bank (82-71), Seylan Bank (91-68) David Pieris (110-78) and Seylan Bank in the semi final (83-60)

The final, held at the Royal College Indoor Sports Complex, saw a vibrant turnout of supporters as Akbar Brothers proved their championship mettle with teamwork, resilience, and clinical execution.

Akbar Brothers – Dimitri Grebe (Captain), Dasun Mendis, Chenura De Alwis, Randil Henry, Taher Akbarally, Selvam Savarimuttu, Franklyn Morais, Sanketha Jayarathne, Jeewan Priyankera , Praneeth Udumalagala, Ajith Kuruppu (Coach), Adrian Gabriel (Asst. Coach)

Fairfirst Insurance – Hiran Wijesooriya (Captain), Shehan Udayanga , Lakshan Kulathunga, Roshan Randima, Arnold Brent, Isuru Perera, Denzil Nicholas, Nimesh Fernando, Keshawa Perera, Charaka Anuhas, Asanga Perera (Coach)