Category Archives: cricket selections

September 24, 2025 · 11:42 am

Pakistan Strangle Sri Lanka in Asia Cup

Madusha Balasuriya  in ESPNcricinfo,  September 2025

Hussain Talat

Pakistan 138 for 5 (Nawaz 38*, Talat 32*, Theekshana 2-24, Hasaranga 2-27) beat Sri Lanka 133 for 8 (Kamindu Mendis 50, Afridi 3-28, Talat 2-18, Rauf 2-37) by five wickets

An unbroken stand of 58 off 41 between Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz saved Pakistan’s blushes as they stumbled their way through a middling chase to eventually come away with a five-wicket win against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup in Abu Dhabi.

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September 19, 2025 · 9:20 pm

A Ripping & Gripping Cricketing Fight: Lanka vs Afghanistan

Michael Roberts

The 20-Over Contest between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka at Abu Dhabi was a rip-roaring and thrilling contest that generated several marvellous performances (which I did not watch live because of time differences & other demands).

Let me outlines some noteworthy features.

  1. The everlasting senior Mohammed Naby’s launch of five sixes in the final over from Dunith Wellalage!   ,,, Mohammad Nabi Profile – Cricket Player Afghanistan _ Stats, Records, Video
  2. Dusmantha Chameera’s failure in this match – conceding 50 runs four overs in what was a striking contrast from his super figures in two previous matches.
  3. Nuwan Thushara’s bowling figures of 4 for18…. quite outstanding.
  4. Wanindu Hasaranga’s 0 wkts for 18 runs at 4.50….what economy!
  5. Pathum Nissanka’s failure…unusual for this anchor-man!
  6. Kusal Mendis’s noteworthy 74 runs n.o.in 52 balls at a rate of 142.30
  7. Kamindu Mendis’s 26 runs in 13 balls at the end of the SL innings

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September 16, 2025 · 11:55 am

Hong Kong Give Sri Lanka A Scare in Asia Cup

ITEM in The Island, 16 Septmber  2025 with this title “Nissanke helps Sri Lanka edge sloppy Hong Kong in a thriller”

A Pathum Nissanka fifty at the top of the innings, and a Wanidu Hasaranga cameo at the end saw Sri Lanka survive a scare from the group’s lowest-ranked team, Hong Kong. .

In two disciplines, Hong Kong were valiant. Anshy Rath batted with determination to score 48, and Nizakat Khan with verve to make 52 not out off 38, the pair driving Hong Kong to a total of 149 for 4.

Pathum Nissanka anchored Sri Lanka’s innings [Cricinfo]   ... PIX rejects copying

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September 14, 2025 · 11:29 am

Karthik’s Appraisal of the Bangladesh-Lanka T20 Match

Karthik Krishnaswamy in ESPNcriciinfo, 13 September 2025

Sri Lanka 140 for 4 (Nissanka 50, Mishara 46*, Mahedi 2-29) beat Bangladesh 139 for 5 (Shamim 42*, Jaker 41*, Hasaranga 2-25) by six wickets
They were locked 8-8 in T20Is in the decade leading up to this match, and all signs pointed to the first close contest of this Asia Cup after it kicked off with four mismatches. It was a bit of an anticlimax in the end, however, with Sri Lanka brushing Bangladesh aside by six wickets, with 32 balls remaining.
 Given the high stakes of this group-of-death contest, Sri Lanka got everything they wanted from it: two points and a massive net-run-rate boost. Bangladesh, who had already copped criticism for taking 17.4 overs to chase down 144 against Hong Kong, now face an uphill task to qualify for the Super Four.

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September 9, 2025 · 9:31 pm

Asia Cup Now … Gruelling Schedule for Sri Lanka

Shashank Kishore in  ESPNcricinfo, 9  September 2025, where  his  title runs  thus “Back-to-back games plus travel ‘not ideal’ – Asalanka, Rashid on gruelling schedules”

“If you start complaining about these things, it affects your performance on the field,” Rashid Khan says.

“Right now, I’m feeling very sleepy,” Charith Asalanka announced, to peals of laughter around the room. It was a brutally honest opening quip from Sri Lanka‘s captain, who had flown into Dubai from Harare via South Africa just hours earlier for the men’s T20 Asia Cup.

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September 9, 2025 · 1:52 am

Mishara leads Many Hands in Stride to Victory in Third ODI

Sunil Thenabadu  in ??  ….where the title runs thus:  “MISHARA”S 73* AND KUSAL PERERA’S 46* SEALS SERIES T 20 WIN FOR SRI LANKA”

Mishara’s maiden fifty seals Sri Lanka’s T20I series against Zimbabwe He added an unbroken 117 for the third wicket with KJ Perera as SL chased 192 down

Sri Lanka 193 for 2 (Mishara 73*, Perera 46*, Evans 1-28) beat Zimbabwe 191 for 8 (Marumani 51, Raza 28, Hemantha 3-38) by eight wickets

Zimbabwe put forward a team effort led by Tadiwanashe Marumani’s fourth T20I fifty to post an imposing 191 for 8. But Sri Lanka’s top four batters made light work of their target by ending the game with 14 balls and eight wickets to spare. With it, Sri Lanka took the series 2-1.

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September 7, 2025 · 1:08 pm

Zimbabwe Squash Sri Lanka

Andrew Fidel Fernando  in ESPNcricinfo, 6 September 2025

Kusal Mendis was the first wicket to fall, Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka, 2nd T20I, Harare, September 6, 2025

Sri Lanka never recovered from a terrible start  •  Associated Press

Zimbabwe 84 for 5 (Musekiwa 21*, Burl 20*, Chameera 3-19) beat Sri
Zimbabwe 84 for 5 (Musekiwa 21*, Burl 20*, Chameera 3-19) beat Sri Lanka 80 (Mishara 20, Raza 3-11, Evans 3-15, Muzarabani 2-14) by five wickets
Sri Lanka crashed to their second-lowest T20I total ever, going down for 80 inside 18 overs, as Sikandar Raza, Brad Evans, and Blessing Muzarabani shared eight wickets between them. At no point in their batting innings did Sri Lanka stage even a mild recovery. There was a 26-run partnership for sixth wicket, but even that appeared laboured, and had multiple close calls.
Zimbabwe‘s top partnership was also worth just 26, but they strung greater periods of batting competence together, even in the face of some penetrative bowling from Dushmantha Chameera. Tashinga Musekiwa’s assured 21 not out off 12 balls helped the hosts stroll to victory in the 15th over.

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September 5, 2025 · 12:42 pm

Vale … Lareef Idroos: A Gathering in Los Angeles

Dr Mohamed Lareef Idroos of La Canada, Ca. passed away on September 1st, 2025.

Beloved husband of Nabila and father of Shireen, Sabrina and Samira

Funeral will be on Thursday, September 4th …..at Rose Hills Memorial Park, 3900 Workman Mill Road, Whittier, Ca……………..at 10 am

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Dr Lareef Idroos, was a past pupil of St Thomas College……….. He headed the Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Hollywood, Ca……………….A highly respected and loved doctor to all his patients.

Lareef Idroos was a successful leg-spin and googly bowler for S. Thomas’ College in the late 1950s; entered the Medical Faculty circa 1960 and was a member of the University of Ceylon cricket team under Carlyle Perera which secured the Sara Trophy during a spectacular season 1962/63. After he migrated to USA in the 1970s, he played for USA in the ODI tournaments conducted by the ICC in the late 1970s.

“Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un”

                                               ****************

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September 4, 2025 · 1:30 am

Another Nailbiter in Zimbabwe ODI: Remarkable Last Stage Win

LIVE COVERAGE of Last Stages followed ball-by-ball by the Thuppahiyaaaa !

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA – MAY 30: Kamindu Mendis …..  (Photo by Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

Pathum Nissanka

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September 3, 2025 · 4:40 pm

Vale: Lareef Idroos

Errol Fernando in Melbourne

I am deeply saddened to hear of my very old friend Lareef’s death. He was my neighbour in Kollupitiya, Colombo 3. From the time I was 6 or 7 years old I played cricket with him under the coconut trees. The railway line and the sea were just behind the batsman!  Lareef loved to bowl, and I loved to bat and so we were both happy! I spent hours, days, weeks, months and years facing his bowling. He came up with new tricks all the time and used the sea breeze very effectively!  I have no memory of him batting and me bowling !

 

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