MCC Cricket Season to be launched at Galle in late March 2020

News Item, 31 October 2019, ….. https://www.lords.org/lords/news-stories/mcc-champion-county-match-to-be-held-in-sri-lanka

The traditional curtain-raiser to the new English domestic season, which dates back to 1970 in its current guise, will be played at the Galle International Stadium between 24^th and 27^th March 2020. The Champion County match, which sees MCC play the winners of the Specsavers County Championship in a four-day first-class match, was played at Lord’s until 2010 when the match first moved abroad.

Rohan’s Assesssment of Kumar Sangakkara in May 2019

Rohan Wijeyaratna, in Island, 25 May 2019, with the title “The Best is Yet to come”

Men with disciplined minds, set their sights on far loftier goals than others given to average thinking. Such are the virtues that have made Kumar Sangakkara become what he now is. Kumar Sangakkara has played many a fine inning in his time. They have spanned across every notable playing field and every nook and cranny worth knowing on the cricket map. They have stretched across all types of the game – from Tests to ODIs, to the T20s. In each of them, his performances have won him accolades from men of discernment. Be it with bat or lip, he has made his mark. His opponents know only too well how fiendishly difficult it is to match him – be it at play or at his lip and intellect, either singly or in combination.

Dismemberment at Edgbaston: Way Out Thoughts from a Fella Way Out

Anonymous Aficianado

I cannot believe that I have just witnessed such a clinical dismemberment of the invincible  Australian one-day team. They were made to look like junior school novices. Cousin Ralston predicted this with the utmost confidence.  Through gritted teeth I will concede that if Finch had inserted he would have won the match. On this occasion it was obviously an advantage to bowl first.

New Zealand will be licking their lips because they will not encounter either Roy or Bairstow. Bairstow is obviously injured and Roy will most certainly be suspended for high level dissent.No reprimands,no raps on knuckles but kicked out big time for several matches. No question.

NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND – JUNE 17: Jason Roy of England hits out for six runs during the 4th ODI Royal London One-Day match between England and New Zealand at Trent Bridge on June 17, 2015 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

He got a shocking decision from Kumar Dharmasena but so have we all. I will never forget how Tuffy dealt with me when I merely raised my eyebrows when I was given an appalling LBW decision. Roy did far more than raise his eyebrows and I would love to have seen Tuffy deal with him if he had been in the English dressing room this evening.  His body would have been beyond identification!

That was one of the worst cases of dissent I have seen and Roy will be out till Christmas. Certainly no Final and no Ashes. Cannot imagine Kane Williamson or Kumar Sangakkara behaving like that.

 

Kumar Sangakkara Reviews Sri Lanka’s Performance in the World Cup

Kumar Sangakkara, in Sunday Times, 7 July 2019, with this title “Sri Lanka — near yet too far from the CWC semis”

So, Sri Lanka’s World Cup journey has ended without qualification. Few predicted they would reach the semi-finals and their final mid-table position represents a decent performance in the circumstances. Nevertheless, it was ultimately a disappointing campaign. In hindsight, it feels like we could and should have done better and could have competed harder for the fourth qualification spot secured by New Zealand. Sri Lanka were dogged by the inability to balance out the side with a specialist spinner, injuries, and the presence of players with no or little ODI experience within 18 months of the World Cup.

Avishka Fernando’s Breakthrough Ton

Rex Clementine, in Island, 2 July 2019, where the title is “Avishka goes past Kohli and Tendulkar as third youngest World Cup centurion”

Young batting sensation Avishka Fernando has made an impact with cameos against Australia and South Africa in the ICC Cricket World Cup from the moment he was given a break at the expense of Lahiru Thirimanne. On Monday, he converted a start against the West Indies into a match winning knock posting a less than run a ball century. Aravinda de Silva was 30 when he made a World Cup hundred while Sanath Jayasuriya was 33 and that makes Avishka’s achievement a remarkable one.

Sri Lanka’s Avishka Fernando plays a shot during the 2019 Cricket World Cup group stage match between Sri Lanka and West Indies at the Riverside Ground, in Chester-le-Street, northeast England, on July 1, 2019.

Sri Lanka’s Cricket Dissected

Sidharth Monga, in ESPNcricinfo, 16 June 2019, where the title reads “Dysfunction, hope, more dysfunction; Sri Lanka’s World Cup rolls on”

The wife of Sri Lanka’s once-captain has accused – on Facebook – one of their players of being a political appointment made by the sports minister of the country. That captain – one of the seven ODI captains tried by Sri Lanka since the last World Cup – is not the captain anymore. He has been accused of picking and choosing games, and has been forced to switch between IPL and domestic cricket in Sri Lanka, and is eventually here at the World Cup. Barely.

With Sanga as President-Designate of the MCC the best is yet to come

Rohan Wijeyaratna, in Island, 25 May 2019 where the title runs “THE BEST IS YET TO COME”

Men with disciplined minds, set their sights on far loftier goals than others given to average thinking. Such are the virtues that have made Kumar Sangakkara become what he now is.

Kumar Sangakkara has played many a fine inning in his time. They have spanned across every notable playing field and every nook and cranny worth knowing on the cricket map. They have stretched across all types of the game – from Tests to ODIs, to the T20s. In each of them, his performances have won him accolades from men of discernment. Be it with bat or lip, he has made his mark. His opponents know only too well how fiendishly difficult it is to match him – be it at play or at his lip and intellect, either singly or in combination.