Michael Roberts
Having come across “a drenching cricket story” from late in the year 1958 in my CRICKETIQUE website, let me place it within THUPPAHI for reflection because the Cricketique site can be visited and read… BUT is not readily open for comments or visited much.
The LEAD PHOTO is of considerable significance because of the ethnic mix in Sri Lankan team — inclusive of a Malay man and another with Colombo Chetty lineage roots.
Shashank Kishore in ESPNcricinfo, 27 July 2024 …. with highlights imposed by The Editor, Thuppahi
India 213 for 7 (Suryakumar 58, Pant 49, Jaiswal 40, Pathirana 4-40) beat Sri Lanka 170 (Nissanka 79, Mendis 45, Parag 3-5, Arshdeep 2-24, Axar 2-38) by 43 runs
India’s new T20I era under Suryakumar Yadav began on a winning note, even if it was jittery at various points in their defence of a big score. A spirited Sri Lankan batting unit, spearheaded by Pathum Nissanka and his free-stroking 79 left an Indian team playing with just five bowling options hanging onto crumbs of hope. One of them was scoreboard pressure. Sri Lanka had nine wickets in hand, but they still needed 74 off 36.
Yadav sweeps & 
Riyan Parag celebrates a wicket
Compiled from a set of sources by The Editor, Thuppahi
Sri Lanka T20I squad: Dinesh Chandimal, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (wk), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Binura Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Matheesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Welalage.
NEW DELHI: India is poised to begin a fresh chapter in their ……. https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/india-announce-new-captain-for-t20is-as-they-name-squad-for-sri-lanka-series ….. India will travel to Sri Lanka in July-August for a white-ball tour consisting of three T20Is and ODIs each.
iNFO in ESPNcricinfo – https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/lanka-premier-league-2024-1421415/fan-ratings/6
The JAFFNA KINGS and GALLE STALLIONS head the table with 4 wins and eight points from 06 matches each; while KANDY FALCONS languish at the bottom with only two wins [thus 4 points from 06 matches. COLOMBO STRIKERS and DAMBULLA SIXERS have played one less match than the other teams and have 4 points.
Avishka Fernando — batting stats at present
ECB Reporters Network in ESPNcricinfo, 11 July 2024 .… with this headline “Dinura Kalupahana leads from the front as Sri Lanka U19s rally at Wormsley”
Michael Roberts
The Sri Lankan world of cricket was well served in the past by an accomplished set of batsmen school at Ananda College and the Sinhalese Sports Club who were all, remarkably, opening batsmen. The first of these lads to hit the headlines was Mithra Wettimuny – the second in the brotherly line-up. As Captain of Ananda, [1] he was selected to lead the Ceylon schoolboys in their tour of India in 1969 ……. with guidance from managers A. D. Karunananda and Angelo Rayer. The squad had an outstanding tour – in fact securing a set of remarkable results (see Ranjan Anandappa’s recounting at https://thuppahis.com/2023/09/09/when-the-ceylon-schoolboys-beat-the-indian-schoolboys-in-their-home-turfs-in-1969/).
Sunil Wettimuny (Sri Lanka) pulls Ashley Mallett (Australia). The Australian wicket keeper is Rod Marsh. (Photo by PA Images via Getty Images)
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Matt Roller, in ESPNcricinfo, 30 June 2024, where the title runs ”Triple-threat Axar, the unsung hero in India’s triumph”
A spell of 2 for 23 in three overs. Hardly an uncommon set of figures in a T20 match but in the context of an innings of 176, there is an obvious question to ask: why only three overs? Keshav Maharaj took two wickets in his first over of Saturday’s T20 World Cup 2024 final and went at 7.66 runs per over, compared to an innings run rate of 8.80. But after the ninth over, he was not seen again.
The reason behind it was straightforward: it was because of Axar Patel. Triple-threat Axar was playable on some surfaces, made a strong case for catch of the tournament, and made useful contributions as a batter.Mahinda Wijesinghe, in ESPNcricinfo on 4th February 2004, … deploying this title ”Australia’s first Test tour of Sri Lanka”
Conveniently situated midway between Australia and England, Ceylon, as the island was then known, provided touring cricket teams with a perfect chance to break their long journey and refresh their sea legs. No doubt the most famous of all Australian cricketers to visit Ceylon was Don Bradman. His first visit, aged 22 and on the threshold of becoming the most feared batsman of all time, was in 1930 and was the first occasion that he had donned his pads outside his native land. The Australians, led by Bill Woodfull, were dismissed for 233 (Kelaart 6 for 65) with The Don contributing 40 and the locals replied with 52 for 1 when rain intervened. Incidentally, Bradman was dismissed `hit-wicket’ by the first delivery bowled by Neil Joseph. In his first book, published in 1930, he commented: “The cricket enclosure was a pleasant surprise; it was an excellent ground and a big crowd turned out…the people were most enthusiastic and they had infinitely more than a nodding acquaintance with the game.”
Michael Roberts
A Sri Lankan Under 19 Squad is touring the United Kingdom with Dilruwan Perera as Manager and Ruwan Kalpage as Head Coach (a managerial team of off spinners!!). The captain is Dinura Kalupahana of the SSC (school = ?Mahinda). They have begun remarkably well: defeating England Under 19 at Chelmsford in Kent by 65 runs after assembling 294 runs for 6 wkts … with Perera, Shanmuganathan and Abeywickramsingha as chief run-makers; and Praveen Manisha as a key wicket-taker.
Dinura Kalupahana in white gear
The ESPNcricinfo report is presented below; but let me note two incidentals: the England team includes a Dineth Keshana Fonseka from Lancashire listed as opening batsman and spin-bowler; as well as a Rocky Flintoff –son of the former England paceman Freddie Flintoff of Lancashire.
Filed under cricket for amity, cricket selections, life stories, performance
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