Rex Clementine in Island, 1 May 2020 where the title reads “Galle voted world’s best cricket ground ahead of Lord’s”
Galle International Cricket Stadium has been voted as the best cricket ground in the world ahead of home of cricket – Lord’s and other leading international cricket grounds. In a survey conducted by cricket statistician Jarrod Kimber through twitter, an audience from all over the world voted and Galle earned the top price.
Rex Clementine, in Sunday Island, 2 February 2020, where the title is “Mendis on the verge of crucial milestone”
Young Kusal Mendis, who turned 25 today (Sunday) is on the brink of a crucial milestone. He is just five runs short to complete 3000 Test runs, a feat achieved by only 13 other Sri Lankans. He will also become the second youngest Sri Lankan to reach the milestone when England visit the island later next month. Mahela Jayawardene, who achieved the landmark at the age of 24 is the youngest and quickest Sri Lankan to get there (65 innings). If Kusal keeps his appetite for big runs like Mahela, there is little doubt that he would join the 10,000 club of which Mahela and Kumar Sangakkara are members.
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 24th and 27th 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 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.
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, 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.
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.
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.
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.
Nuwan Ranasinghe, in The ROAR, 29 May 2019, where the title is “What Cricket Really means to Sri Lanka”
Contrary to popular belief, cricket has never actually been viewed as a religion in Sri Lanka. Whilst Sri Lankans do love their cricket, they are not essentially a cricket-mad people as is so often stereotypically coined by the Western media. Decades of civil war, a devastating tsunami, soul-destroying floods, monsoon rains and now this latest terror bombing has reminded Sri Lankans that there certainly are more important things in life than a simple game of cricket.
Lasith Malinga spearheads Sri Lanka’s attack at the 2019 World Cup. (Michael Bradley/AFP/Getty Images)
