Sports
Durban: A field of dreams for Sri Lankans
Rex Clementine in Durban
Some grounds hold a special place in the hearts of teams, sparking unforgettable performances and creating lasting memories. For Sri Lanka, Durban in South Africa is one such venue—etched into cricketing folklore with iconic moments.
The 1995 Rugby World Cup where hosts South Africa famously beat the All Blacks in a nail-biting final to brought a divided nation together. The Cricket World Cup they hosted was expected to have a similar effect. However, the script did not go to plan in 2003.
In their final group match at Kingsmead, South Africa faced Sri Lanka in a do-or-die encounter. What followed was a calamity of epic proportions. A misread of the Duckworth-Lewis sheet led Mark Boucher to block the final ball, believing his team had won the rain affected game. But in cricket’s cruel twist of fate, the tie only ensured South Africa’s exit. Sri Lanka, instead, sailed through.
The aftermath was a storm. Shaun Pollock, one of cricket’s most amiable characters, was unceremoniously sacked as captain. The loss was especially poignant for Pollock, a Durban native. Cricket royalty runs deep in this coastal city; Pollock’s father, Peter, and uncle, Graeme, had graced these pitches, as did legends like Barry Richards and Mike Procter—players whose careers were tragically curtailed by apartheid. In the modern era, Durban has produced stars like Jonty Rhodes, Lance Klusener, and Hashim Amla, who carried South Africa’s flag with distinction.
For Sri Lanka, Durban has been a happy hunting ground, particularly in Test cricket. Remarkably, they have never lost a Test here. The 2000 clash ended in a hard-fought draw, and in 2011, they registered a historic Boxing Day Test win.
That 2011 victory came against all odds. After suffering an innings defeat in the first Test, Sri Lanka arrived in Durban battered and bruised. But a spectacular team effort turned the tide. Thilan Samaraweera, controversially dropped earlier, made his critics eat their words with a sublime first-innings century. Kumar Sangakkara, ever the class act, sealed the deal with a second-innings ton. Chanaka Welegedara’s five-wicket haul in the first innings and Rangana Herath’s nine wickets across the match ensured a commanding win. Herath deservedly walked away with the Man of the Match award.
Fast forward to 2019, and once again, Sri Lanka arrived in Durban under a cloud of uncertainty. Fresh off a 2-0 series drubbing in Australia, they had lost captain Dinesh Chandimal to the selectors’ axe, and their batters were still nursing bruises—both literal and figurative—from relentless short-pitched bowling Down Under.
Coach Chandika Hathurusingha, however, refused to throw in the towel. He made critical adjustments to help the team tackle the short ball barrage, and his gamble paid off in spades. What unfolded at Kingsmead defied belief.
Set a daunting target of 304, Sri Lanka’s hopes seemed dead in the water. Enter Kusal Perera, who played the innings of a lifetime. His unbeaten 153 was a masterclass in guts and guile, blending defiance with audacity. The final wicket partnership with Vishwa Fernando, worth an unbelievable 78 runs, was the stuff of dreams. With nothing to lose, Kusal threw caution to the wind, pulling and hooking with abandon as South Africa ran out of ideas.
Sri Lanka snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, securing a famous one-wicket win. The match is now enshrined as Sri Lanka’s greatest Test triumph, with Kusal’s knock widely hailed as the finest innings ever played by a Sri Lankan.
For Sri Lankans, Durban is more than just a cricketing venue; it’s a theater of dreams where the underdog roars, and history is written in bold strokes.
Sri Lanka Athletics has invited India, the Philippines and the Maldives for next month’s Relay Championships conducted by Sri Lanka Schools Athletics Association in a bid to provide the men’s 4×400 metres relay quartet with a chance to reach qualifying standards for the World Relays.
Currently Sri Lanka men’s 4×400 metres relay team is within the required ranking position to compete at the prestigious World Relays taking place in Guangzhou, China. The 3:04.48 seconds finish to win the gold medal of the men’s 4×400 metres at the Asian Relays in May last year has placed Sri Lanka in the 31st position in the ‘Road to Guangzhou’ rankings.
But with many competitions coming up within the next couple of months Sri Lanka Athletics wants to leave no stone unturned in their quest to keep the ranking position within the qualifying range.
The teams in the first 32 positions according to the times produced within the qualifying period (January 1, 2024 to April 13, 2025) become eligible for the World Relays taking place on May 10 and 11 in Guangzhou.
Sri Lanka’s chances of improving the current standings (31st) at this week’s World Indoor Championship in China are minimal as Olympian Aruna Dharshana, who is the fastest of the current crop of athletes will not be available for the event.
Dharshana is currently training and competing in Australia. He is looking forward to reach qualifying standards or reach the required ranking position for World Championships in the 400 metres.
The World Athletics has set a tough standard of 44.85 seconds for the men’s 400 metres. While only 17 are selected through direct qualifying standards, 31 athletes are selected through rankings for the 400 metres. Dharshana is yet yo enter rankings to be eligible for the World Championships.
Sri Lanka Athletics will field Dharshana, Kalinga Kumarage, S.B.R. Madushan and Sadew Rajakaruna for the relay event in April.
by Reemus Fernando
Defence Services Beach Volleyball Championship 2025 was held from March 12 to 14 at the SLAF beach volleyball courts, Katunayake. During the finals SLAF Men’s team defeated SL Army (2-0) while the SL Navy Women’s team defeated SLAF Women’s team (2-0). Incidentally is the seventh Defence Services Beach Volleyball title won by the SLAF Men’s Team.
Base Commander SLAF Base Katunayake AVM Dhammika Dias graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Chairman of SLAF Volleyball, Group Captain Milinda Mendis, Senior Officers from SL Army and Navy were also present for the finals.
The Central Province Badminton Association (CPBA) is now accepting entries for one of Sri Lanka’s most anticipated badminton competitions, the Summer Season All-Island Open Championships 2025, which will be staged at the Municipal Council Indoor Stadium in Nuwara Eliya from April 21 to 27.
The highly followed seven-day annual badminton tournament, held during the Nuwara Eliya April Holiday Season, is known to attract Sri Lanka’s top ranked shuttlers. The National Ranking Level 1 competition, sanctioned by Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB), is one of the key sporting attractions of Nuwara Eliya during April every year, known to generate increasing public interest.
The championship will feature a wide range of events from Under-11 to Under-19 in the Junior category and Over-30 to Over-70 in the Senior category, with an addition of three Combined Age segment of 100+. The main attraction of the competition will be the Open events comprising Men’s and Women’s Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles, with an addition of a Plate Championship for the losers in Men’s and Women’s Singles.
The opening ceremony will take place on April 21st at 9:00am, followed by the preliminary rounds, leading up to the climax on April 26 with the quarter-finals and semi-finals. The excitement will continue on April 27 with the highly anticipated semi-finals and final matches, followed by the Closing Ceremony to mark the culmination of this championship.
The main draw seeding will be determined based on SLB Ranking as of April 13, followed by the draw on April 16 at 11:00am at No.2, Cambridge Terrace, Colombo 7. Entries will close on April 10 at noon. Entries can be submitted online or by contacting Sadeesha Adithya on 0761759017 and further details of the tournament are available in the prospectus published in the SLB website.
A total prize money of Rs.750,000 for all events based on the number of entries will be on offer, in addition to trophies, medals and certificates guaranteed for winners, runners-up and semi-finalists of each event of the tournament. Junior winners will receive appropriate gifts instead of prize money, according to a decision taken by the tournament organisers. The tournament is sponsored by Mobil, Li Ning, McFoil, 3M and GAC.
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