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Hasaranga and Theekshana spin West Indies out and seal Sri Lanka series win
Sherfane Rutherford and Gudakesh Motie put on a record breaking 119 run ninth wicket stand before Motie and Alzarri Joseph struck once apiece inside the powerplay. Aside from these stretches of dominance though, Sri Lanka ran away with the game.
Wanidu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana and Asitha Fernando had sent West Indies crashing to 58 for 8, before that ninth-wicket resistance came. Then, after the loss of two early wickets, Sri Lanka recovered through a 62-run partnership between Sadeera Samarawickrama and Nishan Madushka, before the in-form Charith Asalanka came in to produce a fluent half-century, and take Sri Lanka to a substantial victory, and another series victory under his fledgling captaincy.
Though the pitch for this 44-over match – drizzle had delayed the start by two hours – was exceedingly spin friendly (it was the same track used for Sunday’s game), 190 was always going to be a challenge to defend. Where Sri Lanka’s spinners were able to be consistently menacing, often getting significant turn even off faster deliveries, West Indies’ slow bowlers did not quite have the same impact.
Motie was their best slow bowler, conceding only 18 from his nine overs, and taking the wicket of Kusal Mendis. But legspinner Hayden Walsh was underwhelming, guilty of pitching far too short and being picked off – he went for 41 runs off his five overs. Roston Chase was also only moderately effective. In fact it was seamer Alzarri Joseph who collected the innings’ best figures of 2 for 30.
Although Hasaranga would go on to get more wickets, it was Theekshana who was the best of Sri Lanka’s slow bowlers, and Theekshana who set the collapse in motion with a gorgeous offbreak that beat the outside of left-hander Alick Athanaze’s bat and clip off stump. The offbreak turned big on this surface, and he threatened both right-handers and left-handers with it, going to the carrom ball only occasionally. The lines Theekshana bowled were mostly impeccable.
Later, a big offbreak would sneak between Keacy Carty’s bat and pad and rattle his stumps as well, before a slider beat the wild reverse-swipe that Walsh attempted off Theekshana in the 15th over. He collected figures of 3 for 25 off nine overs.
Hasaranga’s googlies were doing their usual damage, with Chase suckered in by one that was flighted beautifully. Hasaranga had to work less hard for the wickets of Romario Shepherd, and Alzarri Joseph, who didn’t fancy picking him. He’d take the final wicket of the innings too, getting Jayden Seales caught and bowled, and took home the game’s best figures of 4 for 40.
Fernando’s 3 for 35 was especially impressive on a track that did not favour him. He dismissed Brandon King with a surprise bouncer that King played at too early, before bowling Shai Hope with a slightly back of a length delivery that the batter dragged on to his stumps. That he broke the big Rutherford-Motie stand was also significant, even if the wicket of Rutherford came off a low full toss.
In fact, Rutherford had been struggling terribly before Motie joined him at the crease in the 16th over and provided the early impetus for their partnership. The No. 10 struck important boundaries, off Hasaranga especially, and by the end of the 25th over had 35 runs to Rutherford’s 33, though Rutherford had been there longer and faced more balls.
This is the point at which Rutherford began to attack however, having earlier seemed bewildered by every spinner Sri Lanka employed against him. There were suddenly sixes down the ground and on the legside from Rutherford – one hoick over deep square leg off Asalanka’s bowling taking him to his half century, off 57 balls. He continued to hit out until he was caught on the deep square leg boundary in the 35th over, having hit four sixes and seven fours. His 80 off 82 was the highest score in the game.
Later, after Samarawickrama and Madushka – both of whom made 38 – had lifted Sri Lanka out of immediate danger, Asalanka’s entry into the game sent them smoothly off towards the five-wicket victory that would eventuate with 34 balls remaining.
The hallmark of a good Asalanka innings is his early boundary-striking ability, and so it was here – spotting a full delivery outside off from the opposition’s best seamer second ball, Asalanka creamed it through point for four. In Joseph’s next over, Asalanka crashed him through square leg and drilled him through cover for two more fours, having also slog-swept Roston Chase for a boundary in between. In a flash he was on 20 off 14.
Though the tempo slowed, he got to his half century off the 48th ball he faced, and went on to shepherd Sri Lanka home, remaining not out on 62 off 61 balls.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 190 for 5 in38.2 overs (Charith Asalanka 62*, Nishan Madushka 38, Sadeera Samarawickrema 38, Janith Liyanage 24; Gudakesh Motie 1-18, Alzarri Joseph 2-30, Roston Chase 1-43) beat West Indies 189 all out in 36 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 80, Gudakesh Motie 50*, Wanidu Hasaranga 4-40, Maheesh Theekshana 3-25, Asitha Fernando 3-35) by five wickets
[Cricinfo]
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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I extend my heartfelt wishes to all the sons and daughters of our country for a Happy World Children’s Day – President
Children’s Day Message from President Anura Kumara Dissanayake:
“Children are the most valuable asset of a nation. Ensuring their physical and mental well-being and creating an environment conducive to their proper development is a primary responsibility of any government. Children’s imagination, aspirations and creativity will determine the shape and colour of the country tomorrow. The country we build for children must not merely be a country prepared to be handed over to them in the future; it must be a country that gives space to their dreams today, listens to their voices and provides opportunities for them to realise their potential.
For the best interests of children, we are taking the necessary steps to ensure equal access to education, guidance, social protection, opportunities for sport, leisure and recreation, proper nutrition and access to healthcare, while protecting children from all forms of violence and discrimination and safeguarding their rights.
Race, religion, economic status, geographical background or any other circumstance should not be a barrier to any child’s education or proper development. Every child should have equal and fair opportunities to realise their potential, pursue their dreams and create the future they wish for themselves. To this end, we have already begun the process of reforming the education system in Sri Lanka, transforming it towards a skills-based system suited to the new world, one that does not place a burden on parents or cause distress to children.
Our aim is to ensure that no child is left behind in the new Sri Lanka we are building, and to provide every child with opportunities for development in a safe environment. It should be emphasised that the fundamental objective of all the programmes being implemented, from expanding educational scholarships to securing the future of children growing up in child development centres and those in need of care, is to create a dignified and secure tomorrow for every child in the country.
It is the aspiration of every parent to give their children a better life than the one they themselves experienced. We are currently steering the country’s economy towards a correct and stable direction in order to provide children with a safe and happy childhood, free from the shadows of an unstable economy. At the same time, we have launched the national operation “A Nation United” (Ratama Ekata), bringing everyone together to free the younger generation from the menace of illicit drugs.
At a time when we are working towards the goal of building a safe and better country for children, I greatly appreciate the initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs in organising this year’s World Children’s Day celebrations under the theme “Strong Minds – Enriched Children”, declaring a National Children’s Day Week and conducting a range of meaningful programmes aimed at strengthening children’s rights, well-being, protection, education and freedom.
I extend my heartfelt wishes to all the sons and daughters of our country for a Happy World Children’s Day”.
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