Category: Sports

August 30, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka clinched second spot behind South Africa in the official rankings as they swept aside New Zealand by 96 runs in the final Test on Sunday to sweep the series 2-0.Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath claimed five wickets as the Kiwis, set an improbable victory target of 494 runs, were […]

August 29, 2009 (AFP) – New Zealand were set a target of 494 runs to win the final Test after Sri Lanka declared their second innings at 311-5 in the post-lunch session on the fourth day on Saturday.The declaration came as soon as Mahela Jayawardene was dismissed for 96. Sri Lanka are looking for a […]

August 26, 2009 (AFP) – New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori became only the eighth player ever to achieve the double of 3,000 runs and 300 wickets as Sri Lanka groped for runs in the second Test on Wednesday. The left-arm spinner, who has scored 3,329 runs, claimed his 300th wicket when he had his Sri […]

August 24, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s top stars, including the world’s leading bowler Muttiah Muralitharan, want more Test matches to be played despite the growing popularity of Twenty20 cricket.The off-spinner, who has more Test (777) and one-day (511) wickets than any other bowler and will quit the five-day game at the end of 2010, […]

GALLE, August 22, 2009 (AFP) – An illness-ravaged New Zealand were bamboozled in the face of pace and spin as Sri Lanka cruised to a 202-run victory in the first Test on Saturday to lead the two-match series. The Kiwis, set an improbable target of 413 runs, collapsed to 210 all out in their second […]

GALLE, August 21, 2009 (AFP) – Bad weather appeared the main stumbling block in Sri Lanka’s bid to win the first Test after illness-hit New Zealand were boxed into a corner on Friday.The tourists, set an improbable target of 413 following an unbeaten century by Tillakaratne Dilshan, plodded to 30-1 in 13 overs by stumps […]

GALLE, August 20, 2009 (AFP) – Resolute batting by New Zealand’s eighth-wicket pair of Jesse Ryder and Daniel Vettori denied Sri Lanka a follow-on in the first Test here on Thursday.The duo, who came together with the Black Caps still needing 30 runs to avoid the follow-on in the rain-hit Test, put on a defiant […]

GALLE, August 18, 2009 (AFP) – Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan pulverised New Zealand’s bowlers to help Sri Lanka make a spectacular start in the first cricket Test on Tuesday. Jayawardene hit an unbeaten 108 and Dilshan smashed 92 off 72 balls in his new role as opener as Sri Lanka, sent in to bat […]

August 9, 2009 (AFP) – Skipper Younus Khan led the way as Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by 132 runs in the fifth and final one-day international here on Sunday.Younus top-scored with 76 and Misbah-ul Haq hit an unbeaten 73 to steer Pakistan to 279-8 after they won the toss and elected to bat in the […]

KARACHI, August 4, 2009 (AFP) – Former players Tuesday called for a major shake-up in Pakistani cricket after the national side lost the five-match one-day series against Sri Lanka 3-0. Sri Lanka, who won the preceding three-Test series 2-0 to post their first home series win against Pakistan, crushed Pakistan by six wickets on Monday […]

DAMBULLA, August 3, 2009 (AFP) – Mahela Jayawardene hit his first one-day century in two years as Sri Lanka thumped Pakistan by six wickets on Monday to grab a winning 3-0 lead in the five-match series. The former captain made 123 and shared an opening stand of 202 with Upul Tharanga (76) as the hosts […]

DAMBULLA, August 1, 2009 (AFP) – Chamara Kapugedera hit an unbeaten 67 as Sri Lanka overcame early shocks to defeat Pakistan by six wickets in the second one-day international here on Saturday. Thilan Thushara and Muttiah Muralitharan shared five wickets as Sri Lanka bowled out Pakistan for 168 runs and then surpassed the modest target […]