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Sri Lanka leave for Bangladesh for two Tests

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The two Test series in Bangladesh will be Chris Silverwood’s first assignment as Head Coach.

By Rex Clementine

The national cricket team left for Dhaka in the early hours of yesterday for a two match Test series against Bangladesh. The Tests are part of the World Test Championship and Sri Lanka will be looking to maintain their unbeaten run in Bangladesh in Test match cricket.Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne, who is contracted with English county Yorkshire  did not travel with the team. He is expected to join  the team straight from London today after a game at Chelmsford against Essex.This is Chris Silverwood’s first assignment as the Head Coach of the national cricket team. The former England boss has put down building up a strong crop of fast bowlers as one of his priorities. He also stressed on improving the team’s ICC Rankings, which does not reflect too good currently as Sri Lanka are ranked seventh in Tests, eighth in ODIs and ninth in T-20s. If Sri Lanka fail to win one of the Test matches, they will slip down in rankings and slump to number eight, below West Indies.Silverwood, the former Yorkshire fast bowler replaced Mickey Arthur last month after the national cricket team was without a Head Coach for five months.

There are couple of spots up for grabs in the line-up with Suranga Lakmal retired from Test cricket and Pathum Nissanka not part of the touring party due to injury. Lahiru Thirimanne, who opened batting during the recent tour of India is also missing. Oshada Fernando has returned to the squad after an impressive domestic season and so has Kasun Rajitha.

Although Sri Lanka’s batting flopped during the tour of India, it’s expected to deliver the goods against a weaker Bangladesh attack. However, the team’s bowling remains a concern with doubts over whether they are capable of taking 20 wickets in a Test match. The return of Ramesh  Mendis is some consolation for the tourists. The off-spinner missed the India Tests due to injury.The  national cricket team has a packed schedule in the next five months. Soon after the Bangladesh series, Sri Lanka will host Australia and Pakistan in bilateral series involving all three formats.The nation is also set to host the Asia Cup and the qualifiers but the fate of that competition hangs in the balance as Board of Control for Cricket in India has raised concerns due to the economic crisis in the country. The Asia Cup will be followed by the T-20 World Cup in Australia. In between, Sri Lanka will also host the Lanka Premier League. The franchise tournament that was played in December in the last two years has been moved to August this year.



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Wolvaardt ton crushes Sri Lanka

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This was Wolvaardt's first century in T20Is (Cricbuzz)

Laura Wolvaardt (102 off 63 bals) smashed her first century in T20Is as South Africa crushed Sri Lanka by 79 runs in the opening game of the three-match series at Willowmoore Park, Benoni on Wednesday (March 27). Put into bat on a good batting surface, South Africa’s innings hit top gear from the outset. Tazbin Brits’ stay at the crease was brief but Marizanne Kapp (60 off 40 balls) along with Wolvaardt stitched a rollicking 116-run stand that came off just 79 deliveries. The South African captain continued her recently-acquired avatar of the aggressor as she took apart the Lankan bowling that lacked penetration.

Wolvaardt struck 12 fours and three sixes in her emphatic knock, overshadowing Kapp’s power game as the duo put the visitors to the sword. In the process, South Africa also registered their second highest team total in the format. Chasing a mammoth target of 199, Sri Lanka understandably needed their biggest matchwinner in skipper Chamari Athapaththu to come good but the opener fell to Kapp in the first over of the chase to virtually kill any minor chance that the Lankans might have had.

Harshitha Samarawickrama (38 off 33) and Hasini Perera (30 off 18) produced some crisp strokes but the target was well beyond their reach. With a big total to defend, South Africa’s bowlers kept the pressure up on Sri Lanka’s batters who caved in rather meekly to make it a one-sided contest.

Brief scores:
South Africa
198/5 in 20 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 102, Marizanne Kapp 60; Achini Kulasuriya 2-39) beat  Sri Lanka 119 in 18.2 overs (Harshitha Samarawickrama 38, Hasini Perera 30; Annerie Dercksen 2-15, Tumi Sekhukhune 2-25) by 79 runs

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President commends victorious National Football Team

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As a symbolic gesture of honour, FFSL President Jaswar Umar presented President Ranil Wickremesinghe with a customized National Football Jersey.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe met with the victorious Sri Lankan National Football Team on Tuesday (26) at the Presidential Secretariat. He commended the team’s efforts in their recent triumph over Bhutan, marking the first win in a decade.

The President expressed his support for the football team’s aspiration to claim the South Asian Championship (SAFF) next year, pledging his commitment to advancing football infrastructure in the near future. Football’s popularity has surged in Sri Lanka in recent months, with the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) assembling a formidable national team comprising talented players of Sri Lankan descent from various professional leagues worldwide. Sri Lanka’s national team secured victory against Bhutan in the recently concluded FIFA Series 2024.

During the visit, FFSL President Jaswar Umar, Head Coach Andy Morrison, and the entire national team had the opportunity to meet with the President and pose for photographs.

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Injured Rajitha ruled out of second Test against Bangladesh

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Rajitha had a good outing in the first Test (Cricbuzz)

Sri Lanka received a blow ahead of the second Test against Bangladesh as pace bowler Kasun Rajitha is ruled out of the series concluding match, scheduled at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium from March 30. Asitha Fernando joined the squad as a replacement for Rajitha while the latter returned home to start rehabilitation work.

“Kasun Rajitha will not be available for the second Test match as the player has suffered an injury to his left upper back area,” SLC said in a statement on Wednesday. Rajitha, who grabbed eight wickets in the opening Test against Bangladesh at Sylhet, played a key role behind their win by picking a five-fer in the second innings to help them earn a massive 328-run win.

The right-arm medium fast bowler sustained the injury while playing the first Test and played the game by managing his injury. Both the teams reached Chattogram ahead of the second game and will start their preparation from Thursday for the second Test which is part of the ICC Test Championship.

Shakib Al Hasan, who made himself available for this contest, will be joining the team as well before they begin their preparation. The ace all-rounder featured for Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club against Gazi Group Cricketers in the ongoing Dhaka Premier League, the country’s traditional list A tournament, at BKSP on Wednesday (March 27).

Shakib scored a 65-ball 53 and later picked two for 14 run to help his side win the game by 39 runs and in the process prepare for the important encounter against the islanders.

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