Sports
Spin trial awaits England
England captain Joe Root and coach Chris Silverwood inspect the Galle wicket yesterday. Pic courtesy ECB.
by Rex Clementine
Cricket is a funny game. Two weeks ago, the Sri Lankans hardly needed the services of a spin bowler. That was on the hard and bouncy surfaces of Wanderers and Centurion. But Galle, the paradise of spin bowlers, will see them using as many as three spinners in the opening Test match against England that gets underway on Thursday.
Off-spinner Dilruwan Perera, who did not play any of Sri Lanka’s four Tests last year, is set to make a comeback. The 38-year-old will be the lead spinner and he will be supported by Wanindu Hasaranga and Lasith Embuldeniya – as Sri Lanka have all bases covered with leg-spin and left-arm orthodox spin supporting the veteran offie.
Suranga Lakmal has regained full fitness ahead of the series opener but may not find a slot in the starting eleven as the selectors seem to back Asitha Fernando. The 23-year-old debuted in South Africa and has impressed the coaching staff with his ability to bowl tight spells and get reverse swing from the old ball.
With Dasun Shanaka able to share the new ball, Vishwa Fernando will be unlucky to miss the opening Test match. Vishwa claimed a five wicket haul in the last Test match and not very often a bowler gets axed soon after claiming a five wicket haul.
Former skipper Angelo Mathews returns after missing the tour of South Africa and so does Dinesh Chandimal. They will occupy number four and five slots. The selectors are backing Kusal Mendis and it won’t be a surprise if he gets another go in the first Test despite picking up three ducks in a row in South Africa. Spin will be a key factor in Galle and Mendis being one of Sri Lanka’s best players of spin bowling is set to get an extended run.
Sri Lanka’s preparation has been not so great ahead of the series. They had just two full practice sessions in Galle as inclement weather restricted their movements. England meanwhile have had adequate time training in Sri Lankan conditions having arrived in the island ten days ago.
All-rounder Moeen Ali, who was tested positive for COVID-19 on arrival is still in isolation and the news from England camp is that he will not be available even for the second Test match. Moeen was a key player when England beat Sri Lanka 3-0 two years ago. His off-spin fetched eight wickets. He also has a decent record against Sri Lanka with the bat having averaged 35.
The BCB has said that they will rely on the Bangladesh government’s directive before finalising their tour to Pakistan later this month. Bangladesh were originally scheduled to play five T20Is there from May 25 to June 3, but the PSLs schedule was revised following cross-border tensions between Pakistan and India.
According to the revised fixtures, the PSL final will now be held on May 25, when Pakistan and Bangladesh were originally scheduled to play the first T20I.
ESPNcricinfo has learned that the PCB has sent a new schedule for the T20Is between Pakistan and Bangladesh, with the first match now slotted for May 27, and the last on June 5.
BCB’s media committee chairman Iftekhar Rahman said they will rely on information from government security agencies and the Bangladesh high commission in Islamabad to take the final decision.
“Once we receive official communication about the dates and venues [of the tour], we will forward it to the government,” Rahman said. “The BCB is not the decision-maker in this matter. If the government agencies and our embassy declare Pakistan safe for travel, only then will we proceed.
“In our previous meeting, we agreed that any such situation would be referred to the foreign and home ministries. Once we get clearance from all relevant bodies, we will finalise the tour. Security concerns were more significant in the past, but Pakistan has proven it can ensure safety. Still, given the current circumstances, we need to assess whether the situation across the country is stable before sending the team.”
Before playing Pakistan, Bangladesh are scheduled to play two T20Is against UAE in Sharjah on May 17 and 19. They were then supposed to fly to Lahore on May 21.
[Cricinfo]
Apna Perera won his third title of the 110th Colombo Championships as he partnered Dhilvan Herath to beat Dumindu Dilum and Chehan Fernando in the open men’s doubles final.
Apna and Dhilvan registered 6-2, 6-2 win in the final.
Apna, the open men’s singles champion, was also the winner of the mixed doubles which was played according to round robin method. In the mixed doubles Apna partnered Inuki Jayaweera.
Results
Men’s doubles semi-finals
Apna Perera and Dhilvan Herath beat Ashen Silva and Lithum Jayabandu 6-1, 6-2
Dumindu Dilum and Chehan Fernando beat Methika Wickramasinghe and Vichinthya Nilaweera 6-3, 2-6, 10-4.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) recently carried out a Fast Bowling Talent Search program in the Polonnaruwa District as part of its ongoing efforts to identify and nurture emerging cricketing talent across the country.
The program, held at the Royal College Ground, Polonnaruwa, attracted over 60 promising young players—both boys and girls—including school cricketers of the district. Each participant underwent skill assessments to evaluate their fast bowling potential.
Following the evaluations, 20 talented bowlers were selected for further development.
The selected players will now receive structured training under the guidance of Provincial coaches of Sri Lanka Cricket, with a focus on refining their techniques and enhancing their overall performance.
Those who continue to demonstrate consistent improvement will be given the opportunity to join SLC’s district squads, thereby becoming part of the official National Pathway Program.
This initiative is a part of SLC’s ‘Cricket Gamata’, program which aims to find talent from rural areas across Sri Lanka.
The talent assessments were conducted by Lasantha Lakmin, SLC Talent Scout for the North Central and North Western Provinces; Lakshitha Herath, North Central Provincial Women’s Coach; and Saman Senanayake, North Central Provincial Fast Bowling Coach.
The event was organized by the North Central Provincial Cricket Association under the guidance of Sri Lanka Cricket. It was managed by Krishan Anandakumar, Manager of the Center of Excellence, Dambulla.
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