Sports

T-20 becoming most popular brand of cricket

Published

3 years ago

2022/10/9

by Rex Clementine

Test cricket being the highest form of the game and a real test of character are all true no doubt but T-20 cricket has become the most popular format of the game for a variety of reasons. There’s more money being invested by sponsors for T-20 cricket as that’s where you see the younger generation getting involved. In a fast paced world, after five days of Test cricket, younger generations find it difficult to come to terms with the fact that games can still end in no results. They are more comfortable with the fact that three hours of T-20 entertainment gives them a result.

The eighth edition of the event is taking place in Australia for the first time and the Aussies are known to be fabulous hosts and put up grand shows. Their government is giving the fullest backing with visa fees and biometrics exempted for players, officials and even journalists. With some entertaining finishes and new heroes, this tournament is expected to take the popularity of T-20 cricket further.

There’s an increasing trend for teams to engage in more T-20 cricket than Test matches. For example, Pakistan and England recently played seven T-20 Internationals but there’s only room for three Tests. Australia and Sri Lanka have ended up playing eight T-20s this year alone but their Test series won’t stretch beyond two games.

It is true that the money is in T-20 cricket, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of Tests. In reality, the tendency to play fewer Tests has become the norm as most boards end up incurring huge costs playing Tests and they make little money.

Countries like Sri Lanka need to be aware of the dangers of playing fewer Test matches. England, Australia and even India will not cut down on the number of Tests they play a year as they can sustain it even when they don’t make profits. Sri Lanka’s red ball players were involved in a Test series in July this year and need to wait till march next year for their next series.

It has only taken two decades for T-20 cricket to expand beyond imagination. The financial riches T-20 cricket has brought in is such that Sri Lankan cricketers now can afford to buy acres of prime land. No not just around Colombo, but even in places like Melbourne and Manchester. Yes, that’s correct, acres of prime land. T-20 cricket was first introduced in England in 2003. Lord Ian MacLaurin, the boss of UK’s most successful supermarket chain Tesco was the head of England and Wales Cricket Board and he brought in much needed change for the game.

ECB Marketing Executive Stuart Robertson had been told to look into ways that would make cricket appealing to younger fans in Britain again. It had been observed that there was this notion that cricket was a sport for the wealthy. The sport was being played while most men and women in UK were at work.

Robertson noted that even in limited overs cricket, it took seven hours for a game to end. Furthermore, 50 overs cricket at that point was losing interest. The first 15 overs with field restrictions were on was exciting and then the last five with batters cashing in towards the end of the innings. Between overs 16 and 44 was considered as a boring phase of the game. So he decided to take off the period between overs 16 to 44 and condense it to a 20 over game hoping the excitement was there.Activities where children can come over and enjoy the game were introduced too like bouncy castles and swimming pools and the idea was immensely popular in England.

India brought into the argument reluctantly. Jagmohan Dalmiya, cricket’s most powerful man at that point walked into the Durban press box during the 2003 50 over World Cup semi-final and the British media told him about the success of T-20 cricket in UK and asked whether international cricket could accommodate another format. Dalmiya said that in his part of the world the game was thriving. His famous quote was, ‘when there’s a Test match in Calcutta, there are 100,000 people inside the ground and 100,000 people outside the ground.’

But all that changed four years later when India won the first T-20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007. BCCI hadn’t taken the tournament seriously and sent a second string team. But that team had a smart leader, a certain M.S. Dhoni. Once India won the title beating arch-rivals Pakistan, the interest for the new format went through the roof.

Cricket landscape was also changing in India at that point and more dynamic and young businessmen like Lalit Modi and N. Srinivasan were taking charge. They saw the huge potential a domestic T-20 tournament would have and the IPL was launched. Rest of the world followed suit with their own lucrative T-20 league and the rest as they say is history.

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Sports

Bombay’s storied cricket venues remain a cut above the rest

Published

4 hours ago

2026/03/6

Thilina Walpola

Bombay Gymkhana celebrated its 150th anniversary last year

Bombay cannot quite match Colombo when it comes to Test venues. Colombo boasts four Test grounds, while Bombay has three. India’s first ever Test match in 1933 was staged at the historic Bombay Gymkhana, but international cricket soon shifted down the road to the Cricket Club of India, a stone’s throw away, before finally settling along the sweeping Marine Drive at the Wankhede Stadium, which now hosts all men’s international fixtures. Gymkhana and the CCI, meanwhile, play host largely to women’s internationals and domestic cricket.

All three venues are top-notch facilities and there is plenty Sri Lankan clubs could learn from these Indian institutions. Our clubs carry rich traditions and colourful histories, but when it comes to member comfort and modern amenities, there is room to raise the bar.

Bombay Gymkhana, established in 1875, celebrated its 150th anniversary last year and the ground is steeped in history. In its early days it was a club reserved strictly for Europeans, with locals permitted only as workers. That rule had to be bent for India’s inaugural Test in 1933 so that Indian cricketers could walk through its gates. The policy was finally scrapped in 1947 following India’s independence.

Today, membership at the Gymkhana does not come cheap. The entry fee is eye-watering, and corporate entities rather than individuals are the ones who can comfortably afford it.

The club offers a smorgasbord of sporting activities, cricket and rugby among them, although India has yet to make serious strides in the latter. Indoor pursuits such as badminton and table tennis are also available, while those who prefer a quieter afternoon can retreat to rooms dedicated to card games. The billiards and snooker room, immaculately maintained with more than a dozen tables, remains one of the club’s prized attractions. There was a time when Sri Lanka’s own M.J.M. Lafir held court here, the cynosure of all eyes with cue in hand.

For book lovers there is a splendid library and for those who fancy forty winks there is even a siesta room. Several bars and coffee shops dot the premises, while a mini-supermarket caters to members’ daily needs. A well-stocked wine store sells both local and foreign beer and spirits at reasonable prices.

The food, of course, is a feast for the senses, an impressive spread of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes that would make even the most seasoned diner loosen the belt a notch.

It is remarkable that such facilities exist right in the heart of the city. That people had the foresight a century and a half ago to set aside acres of prime land purely for recreation speaks volumes of the wisdom of those who were calling the shots.

Bombay as a city too has come on in leaps and bounds over the last two decades. New highways have sprung up, including one that cuts across the sea. An underground tunnel emerges just a stone’s throw away from Wankhede Stadium, easing what was once nightmarish traffic. The metro network now connects most key parts of the city and continues to expand.

For a metropolis that never stops moving, Bombay’s infrastructure push deserves a tip of the cap.

Rex Clementine in Bombay

Sports

Rehan century highlight of final day

Published

4 hours ago

2026/03/6

Thilina Walpola

Rehan Peiris scored an unbeaten century in the second innings

Royal fought back on the back of a valuable five wicket haul by Himaru Deshan to earn first innings points against Richmond in the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ match at Reid Avenue on Thursday.

‎In their second essay, the home team posted 209 for one wicket at close with Rehan Peiris producing an unbeaten century.

‎Rehan and Hirun Liyanarachchi added 163 runs for the first wicket.

‎Rehan’s unbeaten 102 runs came in 112 balls and it included ten fours and a six.

‎Hirun’s aggressive knock of 75 runs was scored in 76 balls. He scored 12 fours and a six.

‎Earler on Richmond struggled to post 204 in reply to Royal’s 254 runs. Open batsman Risinu Rupasinghe (62) was the top scorer, while Ameesha Rasanjana and Tenusha Nimsara made 20s.

‎For Royal, Mihiru Kodituwakku (2/22) and Dushen Udawela (3/36) were the other two bowlers to take wickets.

Sports

Star Garments, CBC Finance, Allianz Insurance, VS Information Systems, Home Land and Millennium IT ESP register wins on Monday

Published

4 hours ago

2026/03/6

Thilina Walpola

15TH MCA G DIVISION T 20 LEAGUE TOURNAMENT

Star Garments, CBC Finance, Allianz Insurance, VS Information Systems, Home Land and Millennium IT ESP registered wins in the MCA G division league stage matches played last Monday.At the Nationalised Services Cricket Association grounds at Rathmalana, Nadeesha Rajakaruna scored 54 runs and Chathuranga Dilshan claimed a four-fer to help Star Garments overcome AIA Insurance by 8 wickets.

In the afternoon game at the same venue, an unbeaten half ton by Dilan Buddika and a four fer by Pradeep Kumar saw CBC Finance defeat Ceyline Holdings by 101 runs.

An unbeaten 116 off 52 balls which included 17 boundaries and 4 sixes by Dulan Avishka and three wicket hauls by Charinda Fernando and Naveen Vass Alianz Insurance overcome Trans by 169 runs in the morning.

In the afternoon game VS Information Systems registered their second win of the tournament to lead group F by defeating DSI group by three wickets.

At the D S Senanayake College grounds half tons by Suranga Gamage [65 not out] and Thevindu Senarathne [55] helped Hoe Lands Group overcome Swisstek Ceylon by nine wickets with 8 overs to spare. Powered by a four wicket haul [4-04] and an unbeaten 34 by Uvindu Andurajith, Millenium IT ESP beat Coats Thread by seven wickets In a low scoring game in the afternoon.

At NSCA ground Ratmalana

Star Garments won by 8 wickets

AIA Insurance

118/10 in 20 overs [Sasanka Kularathna 44,Nuwan de Silva 21, Sujith Siriwrdana 13; Suwahas Yapa 1-29, Dunik Perera 1-13, Dulanjana Abeysinghe 2-29, Chathuranga Dilshan 4-08]

Star Garments

122/2 in 11.1 overs [Nadeesha Rajakaruna 54, Dileep Fernando 43, Dunik Perera 11*; Isuru Madhusanka 1-21, Avindu Fernando 1-31]

CBC Finance by 101 runs

CBC Finance

162/7 in 20 overs [Asanka Fernando 15, Methusha Wijethilaka 19, Harsha Fernando 21, Shehara Fernando 26, Dilan Buddhika 50*, Keshika Dilshan 11; Anushka Fernando 2-35, Tharindu Munasinghe 1-14, Chameera manamperi 1-12, Devindra Fernando 1-31, Kaviru Sannasooriya 1-37]

Ceyline Holdings

61/10 in 12.4overs [Tharindu Munasinghe 10, Shane Deshabandhu 10, Anushka Fernando 12; Ravindu Nimsara 2-17, Dilan Budhdhika 2-14, Pradeep Kumar 4-12, Keshika Dilshan 2-06]

At MCA grounds

Allianz Insurance won by 169 runs

Allianz Insurance

243/3 [Yohan Ravishka 58, Dulan Avishka 116*, Sameera Fernando 40, Ranga Dias 10*; Shiran Chathuranga 2-33, Dasun Gunathilake 1-55]

Trans

74/10 in 19.1 overs [Sachin Silva 12, Thilanka Sachin 28; Charinda Fernando 3-06, Mayura Ranasinghe 2-21, Naveen Vaas 3-14, Sameera Fernando 1-10, Ranga Dias 1-0]

VS Information Systems by three wickets

DSI Group 114/9 in 20 overs [Ochintha Nadeeshan 14, Avishka Madushan 13, Yasas Weerasekera 13, Udith Indunil 32, Mahesh Wediwardena 11; Adeesha Bandaranayake 1-29, Chamath Chamupathi 3-17, Nimnada Kirindage 1-12, Ayesh Lakmal 2-16, Kasun Bandara 2-28]

VS Information Systems 118/7 in 19.4 overs [Nimnada Kirindage 10, Chamath Chamupathi 18, Shamilka Wickramathilaka 51, Shan Aniketh 19*; Mahesh Wediwardena 2-20, Asitha Wijesekera 1-40, Udith Indunil 1-23, Nilinda Maddumage 2-17]

At D S Senanayake College grounds

Home Lands Group by nine wickets

Swisstek Ceylon

156/8 in 20 overs [ Lasith Karunathilake 13, Danidu Wijekoon 20, Supun Wijesinghe 30, Dushmantha Dias 23, Tihan Senanayake 37; Sanura Dias 1-13, Umesh Lakshan 1=22, Thiwanka Ginige 1-24, Malith Fernando 3-21, Reshan Basnayake 1-30]

Home Lands Group

157/1 in 12 overs [Suranga Gamage 65*, Thevindu Senarathne 55, Sehan Herath 11*; Gamini Wanasingha 1-31]

Uvindu powers Millennium IT ESP to seven wicket win

Coats Thread

57/10 in 16.1 overs [Ravi Lakshan 22; Uvindu Adurajith 4-04, Yehan Hettiarachchi 3-10, Eeshan geethanjana 2-14, Charith Rathnaweera 1-05]

Millennium IT ESP

61/3 in 7.5 overs [Uvidu Andurajith 34*; Thushan Malintha 2-14, Arun Nagalingm 1-19