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Scenic Sydney provides Sri Lanka’s best chance for semis

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Rex Clementine in Sydney

Imagine the International Cricket Council or Cricket Australia saying to the Sri Lankan captain you can play two games of the World Cup at one venue and you can even chose that venue.  A number of skippers from Arju to the incumbent would opt for Sydney Cricket Ground.  Not because Sydney is one of the world’s most expensive cities to live in, but the conditions are generally favourable for Sri Lankan style of play.

Sydney is the venue where Australia usually played their last Test of the summers. It’s called the New Year Test. This is where Shane Warne used to get a spinning partner at home games. It used to be Stuart MacGill. Sydney has always been a two spin venue. Before Warne-MacGill it used to be Greg Matthews and Bob Holland and prior to them they had Ashley Mallet and Terry Jenner. In 1960s it was Richie Benaud and Tom Veivers.  Benaud  probably started the practice. He could have it his way as he was the last spinner  to captain Australia. Warne would have made a fine captain too. But his off the field excesses proved to be too much of a distraction. Hence his title, ‘the best captain that Australia never had.’

But who cares about Benaud and all? Most of our generation know Benaud as a commentator. So is Ravi Shastri! For a man who scored a double hundred at SCG, Ravi is nowadays the guy who does the toss before every India game. People hardly remember that he nearly scored 4000 Test runs and his left-arm spin fetched more than 150 Test wickets.

Coming back to Sri Lanka, they will love the conditions here. Their games against New Zealand and England are sandwiched between the one at the Gabba against Afghanistan. If they win two of those encounters and don’t let their Net Run Rate to suffer, they are in with a good chance of making it to the semis. After the hammering he got in Perth, Wanindu Hasaranga will be out to prove a point. Take all the gossip about him in social media with a pinch of salt. Since Kumar Sangakkara, no body works as hard as him at training.  He’ll love the conditions and so will Maheesh Theekshana and there’s Dhananjaya de Silva for back up. That’s 12 overs of spin and Sri Lanka should fancy their chances.

Sri Lanka’s batting has relied largely on Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka so far. Captain Dasun Shanaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa are yet to fire and when they come good, Sri Lanka are a deadly side.

Sydney is also a tourism hub and one of world’s most expensive cities.  A one hour train journey from Melbourne central would cost you about AUD 4.50.  If you are lucky enough to be in Perth, public

transport within the city is free, with free wi-fi and ports to charge your phone. The same one hour journey from Sydney central would cost you a whooping AUD 22.50, no wi-fi and no charging spots.  Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge,  Blue Mountains, Bondi Beach, Sydney Aquarium, the newly built Madame Tussauds are top attractions.



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Asalanka vows to bounce back after Dambulla drubbing

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Kusal Mendis’ run out triggered a collapse as Bangladesh won the second T-20I by 83 runs at Dambulla.

Skipper Charith Asalanka has promised a swift turnaround after Sri Lanka’s crushing defeat in the second T20I against Bangladesh left the three-match series level at 1-1.

The hosts were blown away for just 94 in a calamitous run chase at Dambulla on Sunday, their lowest T20I total on home soil and heaviest defeat to Bangladesh in the format, as the tourists romped home by 83 runs.

“Very disappointed with the batting effort. But these collapses can happen in T20 cricket,” Asalanka told reporters. “What matters is how you bounce back. We’ve done it before in the ODI series. We’ll dust ourselves off and come back hard in Colombo.”

Bangladesh had posted a competitive 177 for seven after being put into bat, but Sri Lanka’s response never got out of the blocks. The top order floundered and the innings fell apart like a house of cards.

“Once you restrict the opposition to 180 on that wicket, it should be a gettable target,” said a visibly frustrated Asalanka. “But we were nowhere near it. The batting was a big letdown.”

The team’s brittle middle order has long been a soft underbelly, with Chamika Karunaratne batting at number seven and Avishka Fernando, under scrutiny, struggling at four.

“We need to sit down and sort this out,” Asalanka said. “Number four and six have been problem positions. With the World Cup coming up, we can’t afford to shuffle without clarity. We’ve got to lock down our best XI.”

Despite the debacle with the bat, there were a few silver linings. Left-arm seamer Binura Fernando delivered a probing spell, returning career-best figures of three for 31. However, Sri Lanka’s sloppy fielding let the game slip further from their grasp.

Litton Das, who top-scored with a fluent knock, was handed two lives, once on 30 when Kusal Mendis fluffed a stumping and again on 56 when Maheesh Theekshana spilled a regulation chance. Both reprieves came off the bowling of leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay.

“Binura was excellent — he bent his back and dragged us into the contest during his second spell,” Asalanka said. “But we let ourselves down badly in the field. You can’t afford to gift chances at this level.”

A full house witnessed the Dambulla encounter, and another sell-out crowd is expected in Colombo for the series decider. Tickets for the final game were snapped up a week in advance, and with the series now on a knife edge, fans are hoping for a blockbuster finish.

by Rex Clementine

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Idupa joins sub 46 club, bags best athlete title

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Kalhara Idupa Silva poses after returning a time of 45.99 seconds to win the 400 metres at the Western Province Athletics Championship of the National Sports Festival at Diyagama.

Schoolboy Kalhara Idupa Silva joined an elite group of Sri Lanka’s 400 metres sprinters when he achieved a massive personal best time of 45.99 seconds to win the men’s 400 metres at the Western Province Athletics Championship of the National Sports Festival concluded at Diyagama on Sunday.

In the 100 year old track and field history in Sri Lanka only six men had run the one lap race under 46 seconds according to official counts. Idupa became the seventh athlete to accomplish the target and proved beyond doubt that the impressive performance displayed at the last selection trial was not a fluke.

Eyebrows were raised when he clocked 46.62 seconds in April to get selected to the Asian Championship in Gumi.

He also became the second athlete in the Under 20 age category to run the distance under 46 seconds. Reigning national champion Aruna Dharshana was the first.

Commenting on his achievement his coach Sumith Jayantha said that Idupa was groomed carefully to achieve success at senior level. “He did not get deceived by the talent scouts of Colombo schools. When he started winning podium places there were interest from Colombo schools. We have seen many talented athletes failing at senior level after peaking at junior level in those schools,” Jayantha said in an interview with The Island.

Sumith Jayantha (Coach)

“He deserves the support of a sponsor. He could not get the Mas Holding sponsorship as he could not attend the trial. I am hopeful the authorities would act swiftly to aupport him,” said Jayantha.

Idupa and national sprinter Sayuri Lakshima Mendis stole the limelight at the weekend when they bagged the best athlete titles of the Western Province Athletics Championship.

The 400 metres specialists were adjudged the most outstanding athletes for their impressive performamce during the two day meet where the winners of the three district meets of Colombo, Kalutara and Gampaha clashed for supremacy.

Indupa from Ananda Sastralaya Kotte excelled in both the men’s 200 metres and the 400 metres as he established new meet records in both events. The up and coming athlete who formed country’s 4×400 metres relay team with seasoned campaigner Kalinga Kumarage in Gumi, slashed nearly one second off the meet record when he stopped the clock under 46 seconds to win the 400 metres. In the 200 metres Idupa returned a time of 21.10 seconds.v

Lakshima clocked 53.93 seconds to win the 400 metres. She was adjudged the best athlete in the women’s category ahead of H.R.D. Sithmini who cleared 6.10 metres in the long jump.

by Reemus Fernando

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Sinner beats Alcaraz to win first Wimbledon title

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Jannik Sinner is the first Italian player to win a Wimbledon singles title [BBC]

World number one Jannik Sinner won his first Wimbledon title by wearing down Carlos Alcaraz in another high-quality Grand Slam final between the dominant forces of the men’s game.

Italy’s Sinner claimed a 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 victory at the All England Club, avenging his brutal French Open defeat by Spanish world number two Alcaraz just 35 days ago.

Sinner led by two sets – and held three championship points – before Alcaraz roared back to win a five-set classic lasting more than five hours.

The 23-year-old has responded by taking two-time defending champion Alcaraz’s crown on the Centre Court grass, following another gripping contest which again showcased the pair’s shot-making, athleticism and star power.

“It is so special,” Sinner said. “I’m living my dream.”

Sinner, who served a three-month doping ban earlier this year, has claimed the fourth Grand Slam title of his career and a first major victory not on a hard court.

A composed and clinical performance from the top seed ended Alcaraz’s 24-match winning streak.

[BBC]

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