Sports

Remembering ‘Spirit of Cricket’ when it suits you

Published

3 years ago

2023/07/6

Brendon McCullum had been a serial offender as a player running out batters provoking angry reactions. Now as England’s Head Coach, he finds fault with Alex Carey for the manner in which Johnny Bairstow was run out at Lord’s.

by Rex Clementine

The Prime Ministers of United Kingdom and Australia have been drawn into the debate of ‘Spirit of Cricket’ after England wicketkeeper Johnny Bairstow was stumped by his opposite number Alex Carey in the recent Lord’s Test. There was uproar after the incident as MCC members reacted angrily in the Long Room towards the Australian players and three of them had been suspended with MCC issuing an unreserved apology to the Australian team.

Politicians joining cricket debates is nothing new. We had a brilliant Foreign Minister in Lakshman Kadirgamar whose ‘shopping is for sissies’ comment created quite a stir in Australia in 1995. He was invited by the Australian Foreign Minister to his hometown in Adelaide to watch a game involving Sri Lanka and Australia and Kadirgamar returned home by telling the diplomat that ‘Australia had won by a hair’. This was during the height of the chucking controversy with umpire Darrel Hair amidst thick of things.

The cricketing world is deeply divided with the Aussies insisting that they had played by the Laws of cricket while the English have been reminding them that same old Aussies are always cheating. A couple of former England captains such as David Gower and Michael Atherton have spoken sense by saying they had no problems with the dismissal.

England Head Coach Brendon McCullum, however, feels that the appeal should have been withdrawn by Australia’s captain as it was contrary to Spirit of Cricket.

There was this Test match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Christchurch’s old cricket ground – Lancaster Park – when last man Muttiah Muralitharan stepped out of the crease after completing a run to congratulate Kumar Sangakkara, who had reached three figures. McCullum, the New Zealand wicketkeeper took the bails off and appealed as the ball wasn’t dead. Murali was given out and there was quite a bit of bad blood between the teams from thereon. McCullum did apologize a few years after the incident during his MCC Cowdrey Lecture, but by then he had done the same on a few other instances as well and no one was talking about Spirit of Cricket on those instances.

Guess who has joined the debate? Stuart Broad, the man who edged to first slip and still wouldn’t walk. He wants no harm to be done to the Spirit of Cricket.

England is a terrific place to travel and their fans generally are a good sport. But their cricket team when things don’t go theire way tend to harp on ‘Spirit of Cricket’.

In this instance of Bairstow’s dismissal, the stumping happened less than a second after the ball had reached the gloves of the wicketkeeper and the batsman had no business to wander around.

It’s been sloppy cricket by England. They were the ones who declared on day one of the first Test with Joe Root on a hundred. Since then, they have been playing catch up and if not for the Bairstow dismissal could have gone onto square the series chasing down the big 371 run target. Eventually, they lost by 43 runs. They are trailing 2-0 because they have played sloppy cricket and not because Australia played the game in poor spirit.

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Ronaldo apologizes for Portugal walkout; says Jesus broke promise

Published

6 hours ago

2026/10/7

Priyan

Cristiano Ronaldo is Portugal's leading scorer (Aljazeera)

Cristiano Ronaldo has accused Portugal ‌coach Jorge Jesus of twice breaking his word, saying a failed agreement to publicly ⁠explain his omission ⁠against Norway drove him out of the camp, but insisting he remained available after any punishment.

In a lengthy statement, the 41-year-old gave his account of the dispute ⁠that prompted his departure from Copenhagen before Portugal’s Nations League match versus Denmark last week.

Ronaldo said Jesus had agreed a plan under which the forward would miss the Norway and Denmark ⁠matches to manage his fitness. However, on the day of the Norway game, the coach told him he would play for 30 minutes.

“Everyone knows the rest. I warmed up from halftime onwards, watched the minutes tick by and wasn’t called on,” Ronaldo said.

“The manager had broken his word to me.”

Portugal’s ‌captain and all-time leading scorer said a subsequent meeting with Jesus, attended by his club side Al Nassr’s sporting director Simao Coutinho, produced an agreement for the coach to clarify events at his next news conference.

According to Ronaldo, an eight-point document was prepared saying he had never demanded playing time, had respected Jesus’s decisions and that the coach asking him to warm up without bringing him on had been a mistake.

Ronaldo said the agreed notes did ⁠not require Jesus to apologise to him but said the coach’s ⁠public remarks bore no resemblance to their private discussion.

“It was the second time he had broken his word to me,” Ronaldo said. “I decided to leave the training camp without waiting for any further broken promises.”

The statement provided Ronaldo’s account⁠, but on Sunday, after Portugal’s win over Norway, Jesus denied he had made any agreement with the player, nevertheless leaving the door open ⁠for his return.

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) did not immediately respond ⁠to a request for comment about Ronaldo’s statement.

Ronaldo apologised for failing to greet supporters after the Norway match and for leaving his teammates, accepting that his captaincy made his conduct more serious.

“The consequences of my actions must be assessed ‌and punished by the Portuguese Football Federation,” he said.

Despite the rupture, Ronaldo said he was not limiting his international ambitions to a farewell appearance.

“If I’m physically fit, playing for my club – scoring ‌goals, ‌I hope – after serving whatever suspension is imposed on me, I’ll be available, as I’ve always been until now, to compete and win for our national team,” he added.

(Aljazeera)

Sports

Nalanda on the cusp of reaching knockout stage as unbeaten run continues

Published

7 hours ago

2026/10/7

Sahan Weerasooriya

Rusandu Silva has nine wickets against his name after three matches.

by Reemus Fernando

Nalanda College, Colombo continued their unbeaten run to come closer to securing a berth in the knockout stage as they beat Gurukula College by nine wickets in the Under 19 Division I Tier A Limited Overs Tournament match played at Campbell Place on Tuesday.

‎With Rusandu Silva continuing his impressive run in the tournament, Nalanda did well to restrict the team from Kelaniya to just 113 runs (in 35.4 overs).

‎After two outings Rusandu had six wickets against his name coming to this match.‎Rusandu and Methuka Perera claimed three wickets each. ‎Lithum Wijekumara also impressed with two wickets, while Santhul Wijeyarathne took one.

‎Adeepa Pinsara was the only batsman to make a contribution of note as he top-scored with 35 off 49 balls, including four fours and two sixes, while Javindu Madusanka made 20.

‎In their chase Nalanda made light work of the modest target, reaching 114 for one, scoring at a rate of over a run a ball.

‎Nadul Jayalath cracked an unbeaten 62 from just 52 balls. His innings contained four fours and five sixes. He received valuable support from Lithum Wijekumara, who scored 35 off 42 deliveries with six boundaries.

‎Ranmith Senarath completed the successful chase with an unbeaten 10 off seven balls, including two fours.

‎Nalanda lost only one wicket as the opening pair added 89 for the first wicket. Jayalath and Senarath then finished the contest comfortably, securing a convincing nine-wicket victory with many overs to spare.

‎It was Nalanda’s third successive victory in the Tier A tourney after having beaten Thurstan (155) by seven wickets and St. Servatius’ Matara (187) by four wickets in the first two matches.

‎As of now, they are the leading team in Group G where they have only St. Joseph’s Darley Road to meet before the knockout stage.

‎With just two teams advancing to the next stage from each Group Nalanda are almost assured of their place.

Sports

Wins for Hayley’s Group ‘A’ , HNB ‘A’ and CDB on Saturday

Published

7 hours ago

2026/10/7

Sahan Weerasooriya

33RD SINGER – MCA Super PREMIER LEAGUE

Hayley’s Group ‘A’, HNB ‘A’ and CDB registered wins by defeating Colombo Aces, Fairfirst Insurance and SLC Youth in the matches of the Mercantile Cricket Association’s Super Premier League cricket tournament on Sunday (04).

The MCA Super Premier League is sponsored by Singer Sri Lanka for the 33rd consecutive year.

At the Bloomfield Cricket ground, Nishan Madushka, Pulindu Perera and Minod Dhanuka smashed half tons as Hayley’s Group ‘A’ registered their second win of the tournament defeating Colombo Aces by six wickets.

At the Thurstan ground, Nipun Dhananjaya and Muditha Lakshan posted eighty plus scores to help CDB amass 307/8, which the bowlers defended by 71runs.

At the Colts Ground Milan Rathnayake starred with bat and ball [71 and 3-24] to help HNB ‘A’ overcome SLC Youth by 41 runs. Rehan Pieris topped SLC Youth score card with a 108 ball 77 with six fours and a six.

At Bloomfield Ground Colombo:

Hayley’s overcome Colombo Aces by six wickets

Colombo Aces 222/10 in 49 overs

[ Kavin Bandara 62, Dinura Kalupahan 50; Dhanajaya Lakshan 2-14, Ramesh Mendis 4-36]

Hayleys Group A 227/4 in 25.2 overs [Nishan Madushka 61, Pulindu Perera 51, Minod Bhanuka 54; Dinura Kalupahana 2-35]

At Thurstan College Ground:

CDB BY 71 runs

CDB 307/8 in 50 overs

[ Vishsd Randika 53, Nipun Dhananjaya 86, Muditha Lakshan 89; Himesh Ramanayake 3-49, ]

Fairfirst Insurance 236/10 in 46.4 overs

[Sanoj Dharshika 58, Yasiru Rodriga 78; Movin Subasinghe 3-27, Lahiru Madushanka 2-16]

At Colts ground;