Sports

Sri Lanka fight back in first Test against West Indies

Published

2 years ago

2021/03/25

After a poor start in the first Test against West Indies, Sri Lanka fought back on day three to finish on 255 for four on Wednesday at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.

A 162 run stand for the second wicket between Oshada Fernando (91) and Lahiru Thirimanne (76) helped Sri Lanka defy West Indies bowlers and gain a lead of 153 runs with six wickets in hand.

Fernando tipped as the nation’s best player against fast bowling was unlucky to miss out on a second Test hundred. He faced 149 deliveries for his 91 and hit 11 boundaries.

Opener Thirimanne meanwhile backed up his first innings 70 with another classy 76 as Sri Lanka fought hard to regain the initiative.

The tourists were blown away for 169 runs after being put into bat first as Jason Holder picked up five for 27.

Suranga Lakmal was on the money during the West Indies first innings and finished with career best figures of five for 47. The seamer who turned 34 this month has had a tough four months. He travelled to South Africa hoping to be fit for the first Test but was ruled out of both Tests and failed to recover for the opening Test against England in Galle. Then he was caught on camera playing card games during the match and came in for intense criticism.

Lakmal bowled so well during the West Indies first innings and richly deserved his fourth five wicket haul. He has been excellent in Test match cricket since 2018 having averaged 23 way below his expensive career average of 37.

With 156 wickets to his credit, Lakmal is now Sri Lanka’s second most successful seam bowler behind the peerless Chaminda Vaas.

West Indies resumed day three on 268 for eight and were able to add just three runs to their overnight score as Vishwa Fernando knocked off the last two batters.

Sri Lanka needed more than just two batters to click if they were to set West Indies a decent target and Dhananjaya de Silva (44*) and Pathum Nissanka (21) were involved in an unbroken 66 run stand for the fifth wicket.

Brief Scores:

Sri Lanka

169 and 255 for four (Oshada Fernando 91, Lahiru Thirimanne 76, Dhananjaya de Silva 46, Kyle Mayers 2/10)

West Indies

271 (John Campbell 42, Kyle Mayers 45, Joshua da Silva 46, Rahkeem Cornwall 61, Suranga Lakmal 5/47)

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Ibrahim 98 trumps Asalanka 91 as Afghanistan go 1-0 up

Published

6 hours ago

2023/06/2

Priyan

Powered by a run a ball 98 by Ibrahim Zadran and 55 off 80 balls by Rahmat Shah, Afghanistan registered a six wicket win with 19 balls to spare in the first of the three match ODI series against Sri Lanka played at Sooriyawewa today (02).

Brief scores:

Sri Lanka 268 in 50 overs (Pathum Nissanka 38, Charith Asalanka 91, Dhananjaya de Silva 1, Dushan hemantha 22; Fazalhaq Faarooqi 2-58, Fareed Ahmad 2-43) lost to Afghanistan 269/4 in 46.5 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 98, Rahmat Shah 55, Hashmatullah Shahidi 38, Mohammad Nabi 27* ; Kasun Rajitha 2-49) by six wickets

Latest News

Charith Asalanka 91, Dhananjaya de Silva fifty set Afghanistan 269 in first ODI

Published

8 hours ago

2023/06/2

Priyan

Charith Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva added 99 for the fifth wicket (Cricinfo)

Afghanistan’s seamers struck with the new ball, and closed out the innings efficiently with the old one, but Charith Asalanka’s 91 and Dhananjaya de Silva’s 51 pushed Sri Lanka to a competitive total. Their 268 all out left one ball unused, as four wickets fell in the last two overs of the innings.

Fazalhaq Farooqi made the first incisions, dismissing opener Dimuth Karunaratne and No. 3 Kusal Mendis inside the first nine overs, though he would go on to bowl some expensive spells later, finishing with an economy rate of 6.44. Fareed Ahmad also took two wickets – that of Angelo Mathews in the 15th over, and of debutant Dushan Hemantha at the death.

Everyone else – Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Nabi, and Azmatullah Omarzai – took one wicket apiece. While Noor went for runs, Mujeeb and Nabi kept a lid on the scoring through Sri Lanka’s middle overs. Omarzai bowled the last over, in which Sri Lanka mustered only four runs but lost three wickets – two of them to run-outs.

Having come to the crease at 61 for 3, Asalanka had a jittery start. He survived a caught-behind review off the sixth ball he faced, before getting into his work, hitting three fours off successive overs. Asalanka was proactive – though not quite aggressive – by picking up singles as he awaited Afghanistan’s errors.

When Dhananjaya joined him at the other end, he too batted at a similar tempo. The early fall of wickets – Sri Lanka had been 84 for 4 when these two came together – did not allow either batter to free his arms. They progressed without any fuss through the middle overs – Asalanka prospered through midwicket and cover, while Dhananjaya found boundaries behind square on the off side, though he also played the legside flick effectively.

Asalanka got to his fifty with consecutive fours off Mujeeb in the 36th over, reaching the milestone off the 57th ball he faced. Dhananjaya got there next over, off his 56th ball. But he was soon bowled by the canny Nabi, who slid one quickly underneath the batter’s attempted sweep shot.

The pair’s 99-run stand had delivered Sri Lanka to the doorstep of the death overs, but Asalanka had only stinting support once Dhananjaya fell at the start of the 38th over. Dasun Shanaka managed only 17, before Noor – his Gujarat Titans team-mate at the IPL – sneaked one into his off stump. Hemantha then struck the only six of the innings – that came as late as the penultimate over – high over cow corner, but was out for 22 off 20 balls.

Two overs out, Sri Lanka were 256 for 6, with a total of 280 not out of reach. But they fell meekly after that, Asalanka getting himself run-out attempting to take a bye to start the final over, after Hemantha had holed out to mid-off three balls earlier.

Brief scores (Innings break) :

Sri Lanka 268 (Asalanka 91, Dhananjaya 51, Fareed 2-43) vs Afghanistan

(Cricinfo)

Sports

Angelo and Dimuth will be crucial moving forward – Dasun

Published

19 hours ago

2023/06/2

Thilina Walpola

Star batsman Angelo Mathews in conversation with consultant coach Mahela Jayawardena yesterday at Suriyawewa.

Rex Clementine
at Suriyawewa

Sri Lanka white ball captain Dasun Shanaka has welcomed the return of seniors Angelo Mathews and Dimuth Karunaratne to the ODI team after they were sidelined with the selectors launching their youth policy two years ago. While Mathews returned to the fea in New Zealand, Karunaratne will feature in the three match ODI series against Afghanistan starting at Suriyawewa today (Friday).

“It’s good to have Angelo and Dimuth back in the squad. Their experience is vital. We already had Angelo in New Zealand and now we have Dimuth adding depth. We looked at a lot of youngsters in the last couple of years and that’s why they missed out. Their presence makes our side stronger now,” Shanaka told journalists.

“This series we are targeting mostly for qualifiers. So, we will use a few combinations to get things right. We are looking to use three quicks for the game,” Shanaka added.

Leg-spinner Dushan Hemantha and quick Matheesha Pathirana are set to make their debuts today. While Pathirana has featured in a T-20I, Hemantha is uncapped. He will come in for Wanindu Hasaranga, who is nursing a foot injury.

Afghanistan themselves have injury concerns with star leg-spinner Rashid Khan ruled out with a lower back injury. He will miss the first two ODIs.

“Rashid has a back issue. So, hoping he recovers quickly. Looks like he will miss the first two games. He is our main bowler. He is our superstar, but it’s important that we keep him fresh for the Asia Cup and World Cup,” Hashmatullah Shahidi, the Afghanistan captain said.

Afghanistan have already qualified for the World Cup and will be using this series as preparation for the game’s showpiece event. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will try and get their combination right for the World Cup qualifiers.

“This series will be a sort of preparation for us. Conditions in India and Sri Lanka are the same, so we are looking forward for it,” Hashmatullah added.

Sri Lanka Squad:

Dasun Shanaka (Captain), Kusal Mendis (Vice-Captain) (WK), Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama (WK), Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushan Hemantha, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Matheesha Pathirana, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha

Afghanistan Squad:

Hashmatullah Shahidi (Captain), Rahmat Shah (Vice-Captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhail (WK), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujib ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Abdul Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Farid Ahmad Malik.