Mahinda on the Australian Cricketers 1983 Test Tour of Sri Lanka-by Mahinda Wijesinghe Source:Thuppahis 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 ...

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Micheal Tissera one of the finest gentleman cricketers – by Sunil Thenabadu (sports editor – eLanka) Photo source: island.lk On the 3rd December  as the second Test between Sri Lanka and West Indies comes to a conclusion if goes on to day five, Michael Tissera will be in Galle to give away Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne a trophy that bears his name and that of West Indies legend Sir Garry Sobers. Notwithstanding of the outcome of the second Test, Sri Lanka will retain the Sobers-Tissera Trophy having won the first Test. West Indies can only square the series and as the holders of the trophy hence in allits probability Sri Lanka will preserve the title.  Sri Lanka’s current cricketers will do well to pick the brains of Tissera, an iconic figure in our game. He played the game at a time when the sport was not had dealt with money, ...

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A Historic Flight Revisited!-by S. Skandakumar George Steuarts hierarchy  S. Skandakumar, Bernard Wijetunga, R. Muralidharan and Cricket Board Secretary Anura Tennekoon address a media briefing organized to promote another event ahead of the 1996 World Cup. Source:Island The semi-final was over around 10 pm at Eden Gardens in Calcutta. Unruly crowd behaviour by shocked fans, when all was lost for India , ended in the Match Referee Clive Lloyd awarding the game to Sri Lanka on that Tuesday night,   the 14th of March 1996. I managed to get through to Cricket Board’s President Ana Punchihewa in the players dressing room, to convey congratulations and retired to bed truly happy!  We had qualified to play Australia in the Wills World Cup final, in Lahore on Friday the 17th. Shortly after midnight, I heard a knock on my front door. Bernard Wijetunge and Channa Wijemanne, two of the Directors of our Travel ...

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A Historic Flight Revisited!-by S. Skandakumar George Steuarts hierarchy  S. Skandakumar, Bernard Wijetunga, R. Muralidharan and Cricket Board Secretary Anura Tennekoon address a media briefing organized to promote another event ahead of the 1996 World Cup. Source:Island The semi-final was over around 10 pm at Eden Gardens in Calcutta. Unruly crowd behaviour by shocked fans, when all was lost for India , ended in the Match Referee Clive Lloyd awarding the game to Sri Lanka on that Tuesday night,   the 14th of March 1996. I managed to get through to Cricket Board’s President Ana Punchihewa in the players dressing room, to convey congratulations and retired to bed truly happy!  We had qualified to play Australia in the Wills World Cup final, in Lahore on Friday the 17th. Shortly after midnight, I heard a knock on my front door. Bernard Wijetunge and Channa Wijemanne, two of the Directors of our Travel ...

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Imran Khan, Sri Lankan cricketers recall bygone era-BY DHAMMIKA RATNAWEERA mran Khan with former members of the Sri Lanka cricket team Source:Sundayobserver Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his efforts to strengthen sports diplomacy, participated at an interactive session with the sports community of Sri Lanka on Wednesday at the Shangri- La Hotel in Colombo during his two day visit. The former Pakistan cricket captain Khan fondly recalled his visit to Sri Lanka as a fresh university graduate and as a young player and commended the Sri Lankan players in attendance especially Arjuna Ranatunga as the team captain in the World Cup win in Pakistan. ...

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Court moved to restructure SLC’s governing and voting structure-by Rex Clementine Source:Island Four former Presidents of Sri Lanka Cricket; Ana Punchihewa, Rienzie Wijetilleke, Vijaya Malalasekara and Sidath Wettimuny along with some prominent and well respected individuals moved the Appeal Court to change the governance and voting structure of Sri Lanka Cricket.  Sri Lanka Cricket hierarchy that came in for a severe censure last week by the Parliamentary watchdog COPE has received another blow with a group of well respected individuals moving the Appeal Court requesting for a restructure of the governance and voting structure of Sri Lanka Cricket.  ...

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SLC: Organisational failure?-By Rienzie Wijetilleke Source:Island (rienzietwij@gmail.com) Sri Lankans rise and fall with the performances of our ‘boys’. When Jayasuriya was out of form, we felt it deeply. Every time Aravinda pulled a ball on a good length, our hearts leapt up to our throats. The team recently suffered a painful test series defeat at the hands of a well-prepared and professional England team, and while many will debate the reasons, ranging from personnel to fitness to extracurricular activities to commercial interests; the cricketing aspect will be debated by far more astute observers of the game than myself.  Indeed, during my involvement in the Cricket Board in 1999/2000 as Chairman of Interim Committee, I was never involved in tactical discussions or player selections. These matters were delegated to others who formed part of a ‘team’. I have always been forthright with every one of my colleagues during my time at ...

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Sri Lanka Cricket’s talk show takes hypocritical twist-BY CALLISTUS DAVY Poacher turns Game keeper at cover-up meeting as problem-creating administrators are seen as solution finders: Recalled cricket manager Jerome Jayaratne (left) meets former captain Angelo Mathews in this file photo during a recent media event after an overseas tour Source:Sundayobserver Amid calls for the sacking of the current cricket administration and replacing it with an alternate body in the aftermath of catastrophic team results, the jockeying for positions and vote buying are taking shape while a high-level discussion to turn things around has been seen by analysts as an eye-washing cover-up that changes very little or nothing. An election to either allow the present set of shady Sri Lanka Cricket administrators to continue or be replaced with another tried and tested outfit is scheduled to be held in two months time. ...

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Cricket’s Iron Lady-by Rex Clementine Source:Island The world is celebrating the election of Kamala Harris, the first female Vice-President of the US. But hey, we Sri Lankans had a woman as our Prime Minister more than half a century ago. Some of our women have been trendsetters and their visionary leadership has been remarkable and exemplary. In cricket circles, you find more and more women taking up leadership roles. Sri Lanka set the trend in appointing a woman to run one of game’s showpiece events when they hosted the World T-20 in 2012. Upeka Abeykoon is her name. The World T-20 in 2012 is the biggest sporting event the nation has hosted so far. The men’s and women’s events were scheduled simultaneously and hosting 20 international teams is a herculean task. Upali Dharmadasa’s committee met to decide on a Tournament Director. There were other accomplished men in both cricket and ...

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