Sports

Why Sri Lankan hearts beat for the West Indies

Published

2 years ago

2024/10/11

West Indies arrived in Colombo yesterday and headed to Dambulla. Former captain Darren Sammy, under whom West Indies won the World T-20 at RPS in 2012 is the Head Coach now.

by Rex Clementine

For most of us, there’s no greater pleasure than watching Sri Lanka triumph. But, when our lads aren’t in the fray, it’s the West Indies that steal our hearts. It’s no accident that so many of us have a soft spot for the men in maroon – perhaps it’s their thrilling domination in the 1970s and 80s, a golden era that swept fans off their feet and turned cricket into a carnival. The spirit and swagger with which they played captured the world’s admiration, making them everyone’s second team.

Take, for instance, a moment with Sidath Wettimuny. Fresh off his iconic hundred at Lord’s, becoming the first Sri Lankan to reach that milestone at the hallowed ground, Sidath was signing autographs when a tap on his shoulder stopped him. He turned, and there was none other than Sir Viv Richards. “Good knock, maan. Great cover drives. I just came to wish you,” Richards said, exuding that legendary West Indian warmth.

Sidath was stunned, goosebumps racing down his spine. Here stood a man who’d sent the world’s best bowlers running for cover, coming over to applaud him. “They’re just nice people, the West Indians,” Sidath told this newspaper once. “They never sledged; they always appreciated their opponents. That’s how cricket should be played.” The West Indies weren’t just competitors; they were ambassadors of sportsmanship, elevating the game with their grace.

The impact of West Indian brilliance lingered long after. When Brian Lara danced through Sri Lanka in the 2001 series, amassing a staggering 688 runs – 42% of his team’s total – it left such an indelible mark that two years later, Sri Lanka felt the tremors at the World Cup in Cape Town. A dropped catch by Marvan Atapattu gave Lara a lifeline, and skipper Sanath Jayasuriya was so furious that he didn’t speak to his vice-captain for two whole weeks. Imagine that – sharing the same dressing room, same bus, same hotel, all while giving each other the silent treatment. It speaks volumes about the reverence Sri Lankans had for Lara’s ruthless elegance.

Viv Richards was a hero to so many of us, but even most of us right-handers dreamed of playing with the finesse of the left-handed Lara. Every drive, every flick was poetry in motion.

And then, of course, there was Christopher Henry Gayle – a colossus at the crease. He remains the only overseas player to score a triple century in Sri Lanka, and it was a knock that shook Galle to its core. Early in his innings, Dhammika Prasad had Gayle caught off a no-ball. After that reprieve, Gayle unleashed hell. Sixes rained down, with some even landing at the Galle bus halt, leaving Prasad wondering if he could vanish into thin air.

The quicks? Oh, they were fire-breathing dragons. Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, and Malcolm Marshall instilled terror. When that fearsome quartet handed over the baton, Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose ensured the West Indies pace legacy roared on. It wasn’t just fast bowling; it was fast-bowling artistry.

Who do they have now? Enter Alzarri Joseph from Antigua – all six-foot-four of him, bowling serious thunderbolts that have batters trembling. He’s not the only Joseph on the 150 km/h express, either. Shamar Joseph, fresh from a spell that humbled the Aussies at the Gabba, could be one to keep a close eye on in Dambulla. Playing through pain, Shamar carved out a moment of pure grit in that historic Aussie fortress, a place where visiting teams rarely win. That spell was one for the ages.

What about their batters? While Nicholas Pooran, their brightest star, isn’t touring, there’s no shortage of firepower. Brandon King, Evin Lewis, and Sherfane Rutherford bring the kind of raw hitting that sends spectators scrambling for cover. Each of them promises to put on a show in Dambulla, reminding us once more why we can’t help but love the West Indies.

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Heartbreak for Scotland as Sri Lanka clinch thriller to stay alive

Published

2 hours ago

2026/06/27

Priyan

Sugandika Kumari and Nilakshika Silva took Sri Lanka home with one ball to spare [Cricinfo]

Sri Lanka kept alive their slim hopes of making it to the semi-finals of the 2026 T20 World Cup with a nervy win over Scotland in Manchester.

Chasing 152, they found themselves needing seven from the final over. Nilakshika Silva and Sugandika Kumari took four off the first three balls of Rachel Slater before the seamer hobbled off with what looked like a knee issue. Priyanaz Chatterji came on to bowl the remaining three balls. She conceded a single off the fourth delivery but with two needed from two, Sugandika slashed through short third for four to seal the win.

Sri Lanka now rely on England beating New Zealand and Ireland handing a thrashing to West Indies to make it to the final four. On the other hand, Scotland would rue a golden opportunity of securing a direct qualification to the 2028 edition of the tournament.

Darcey Carter and Katherine Fraser gave Scotland a brisk start. Carter didn’t hesitate to take the aerial route and picked up four fours off the first ten balls she faced. Fraser too chipped in with a couple of boundaries but Silva’s excellent catch diving to her right at mid-off off Mithali Ayodhya ended her innings on 12.

Carter and Kathryn Bryce took the side to 45 for 1 in the powerplay. During this period, Carter also became the leading run getter in the tournament, going past England’s Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s tally of 193.

Sri Lanka made a comeback once the field restrictions were relaxed. Even though Kathryn hit Athapaththu for a six and a four off successive balls in the ninth over, she could manage only 23 off 23 before being caught and bowled by Kavisha Dilhari.

Carter tried to break the shackles but her aerial shots failed to clear or beat the boundary riders. After being 18 off ten at one point, she could manage only 16 off the next 26 deliveries she faced. As a result, Scotland could score only 43 in eight overs after the powerplay.

Sarah Bryce and Ailsa Lister put the Scotland innings back on track with a fourth-wicket stand of 53 in just 32 balls. The stand was broken when Lister was run out for 26 off 17 as Silva nailed a direct hit at the non-striker’s end after fielding the ball in her follow-through. Chatterji was also run out on the very ball but Sarah carried on. She hit two fours off Ayodhya in the final over to take her side past 150. That meant Scotland scored 63 in the last six overs.

Coming off an unbeaten 106 against Ireland, Athapaththu once again was at her attacking best. She started by smashing two fours off Kathryn in the opening over before taking down Gabriella Fontenla in the next. She hit Fontenla three fours and a six in an 18-run over. Imesha Dulani fell cheaply but Athapaththu and Hasini Perera took Sri Lanka past fifty in just 4.4 overs.

Just when it started to look like another easy chase for Sri Lanka, Fraser bowled Athapaththu from around the wicket for 33 off 16. Harshitha Samarawickrama showed good intent, hitting two fours off the first three balls, but just like the first innings, the scoring rate dropped after the powerplay. Kathryn then had Perera caught at mid-off in the ninth over and Fraser trapped Hansima Karunaratne lbw in the tenth to make it 78 for 4.

Fraser and Kirstie Gordon bowled enough dots to keep Sri Lanka under pressure. But with 27 required from 18 balls, Gabriella Fontenla dropped two catches in two overs. In the penultimate over, Kathryn also felt the pressure and gave away ten, including two in the form of wides. In contrast, the experienced Silva stayed calm and took her side home in the company of Sugandika.

Scores:
Sri Lanka Women 154 for 7 in 19.5 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 33, Hasini Perera 23, Harshitha Samarawickrama 27, Kavisha Dilhari 18, Nilakshiaka Silva 21*, Kaushini Nuthyangana 12; Kathryn Bryce 2-28, Rachel Slater 2-31, Kathryn Farser 2-25, Kirstie Gordon 1-24) beat Scotland Women 151 for 6 in 20 overs (Sarah Bryce 47*, Darcey Carter 34, Katherine Fraser 12, Kathryn Bryce 23, Alisa Lister 26; Mithali Ayodhya 2-34, Sugandika Kumari 1-25, Kavisha Dilhari 1-19) by three wickets

[Cricinfo]

Sports

Finals of CDB – MCA T10 cricket tournament under lights on Sunday

Published

4 hours ago

2026/06/27

Thilina Walpola

CDB –MCA T10 CRICKET TOURNAMENT 2026

The finals of both the Tier A and Tier B of the Mercantile Cricket Association T10 cricket tournament sponsored by Citizens Development Business Finance PLC [CDB] will take place under lights at the CCC grounds on Sunday.

The tier A finalist will be decided after Abans Group take on Sampath Bank and CDB ’A’ take on David Peiris Group of Companies ‘A’ in the semifinals which will be played at the same venue in the morning. The losing semifinalists of both Tier A and Tier B will vie for the third place spots in the afternoon.

The final of Tier ‘B’ is scheduled to commence at 5.45 PM while the final of Tier A will commence at 7.45PM on Sunday.

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Should not drop someone just to give Sooryavanshi an opportunity: Sitanshu Kotak

Published

18 hours ago

2026/06/26

Priyan

The India batting coach said that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would get his chance, but was tight-lipped about a possible debut in the opener against Ireland [Cricbuzz]

While the air around the build-up to India’s two-match T20I series against Ireland remains centered around a potential debut for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 15-year old prodigy may have to wait a little longer to get his cap, with batting coach Sitanshu Kotak suggesting that it would be unfair to change the combination to fit him into the XI.

India’s top-order is stacked with plenty of firepower. While Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan are currently ranked first and second respectively in the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, Sanju Samson walked away as the Player of the Tournament in the team’s victorious T20 World Cup campaign.

Addressing the media on the eve of the opener in Belfast, Kotak remained tight-lipped about a possible debut for Sooryavanshi, stating that head coach Gautam Gambhir and newly appointed skipper Shreyas Iyer would zero in on the XI later in the day.

“I am sure that he will get his dues and his opportunities,” Kotak said. “So I don’t think that just to give him an opportunity, we should drop someone who has already been scoring runs. That also won’t be right.

“Obviously, it depends on the team management… what we plan to do in this match. That is a different thing. But I think it is a very thin line between trying to give somebody an opportunity and you being unfair to some other player.”

Kotak lavished praise on Sooryavanshi, who broke into the T20I setup on the back of a season-topping 776-run campaign for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026, striking 72 sixes and winning the MVP Award. He called the left-handed opener an “outstanding talent”, while stressing on the need for him to enjoy his experience in the senior setup.

“The boys who come through the BCCI system playing U19, India A or Emerging tournaments, they more or less understand the culture of the Indian team,” Kotak said. “So it’s not as though a lot is different for him. But what we told him was for him to enjoy. If he wants to ask or share something, he should.

“Gautam was also telling him the same thing – ‘you just feel like you are playing for your own team and just say whatever you feel.'”

Despite Sooryavanshi’s limited domestic experience at his tender age, Kotak wasn’t of the opinion that he needed to be looked after differently.

“I feel that the level of maturity, decision-making, and intent of those who perform at this level will always be good. More than that, as long as he feels that he is part of the team and he can freely behave the way he behaves in other teams, that is good enough.” Kotak said.

Ireland’s newly appointed T20 skipper Lorcan Tucker too heaped praise on Sooryavanshi managing to break into the senior India setup at the age of 15.

“I think it’s pretty incredible for them to have a 15-year-old on their team,” Tucker said. “I didn’t think ever that was going to be possible in this professional era of the game, especially with the amount of work that goes into professional cricket and the standard of the players. So yeah, credit to him.”

Dubbing him a “special player”, Tucker was hopeful of his team keeping Sooryavanshi’s bat quiet.

“We’re obviously hoping we’ll see him this week. It’ll be a big moment for him. But I think, like I said in a previous release, it’ll be great to kind of spoil that party…and make an impact in that game,” Tucker said.

Tucker went on to acknowledge the buzz around Sooryavanshi’s impending international debut and the massive Indian community in Ireland who were looking forward to witnessing him in action.

“It’s really exciting. So I think energy like that coming into a series is fabulous not only for us, [but also] for people coming to watch, for people watching at home, for those kids playing around the corner,” Tucker said while going on to add that Sooryavanshi was a role model for young kids around the world.

“I know Vaibhav is only a young boy, but he’s still an incredible player. And I think he is a pretty special role model for cricketers all around the world now and kids coming through.”

[Cricbuzz]