Category: Sports

GALLE, Sri Lanka, Dec 19, 2007 (AFP) – Skipper Mahela Jayawardene became Sri Lanka’s leading century-maker on Wednesday to dampen England’s hopes of a series-levelling win in the third and final Test here. Jayawardene was unbeaten on 149 as Sri Lanka, taking advantage of a butter-fingered English display, carried their overnight score of 147-4 to […]

GALLE, Sri Lanka, Dec 18, 2007 (AFP) – Wet ground conditions prevented play before lunch on the opening day of the third and final cricket Test between England and Sri Lanka here on Tuesday.England are seeking a series-levelling win after losing the first Test in Kandy.The second Test in Colombo was drawn last week. Match […]

GALLE, Sri Lanka, Dec 18, 2007 (AFP) – England captain Michael Vaughan won the toss and sent Sri Lanka in to bat in the third and final cricket Test at the Galle International Stadium here on Tuesday. The tourists, trailing 1-0 in the series, left out off-spinner Graeme Swann from the 12 announced on Monday […]

GALLE, Sri Lanka, Dec 16, 2007 (AFP) – England and Sri Lanka will mark one of cricket’s most poignant moments when they contest the third Test at the previously tsunami-ravaged Galle International Stadium from Tuesday. The stadium, situated close to the Indian Ocean in the country’s coastal south, was destroyed by the Asian tsunami in […]

GALLE, Sri Lanka, Dec 15, 2007 (AFP) – Mahela Jayawardene’s Sri Lanka will leapfrog from world number five to second behind Australia if they win the third and final Test against England starting here on Tuesday. A win would give the hosts a 2-0 series success and lift Jayawardene’s men past India, South Africa and […]

COLOMBO, Dec 13, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga is tipped to head the country’s cricket administration, government sources told AFP on Thursday.Ranatunga, 44, who is a ruling party legislator, could take over as early as Friday when parliament meets for a crucial vote on President Mahinda Rajapakse’s budget for […]

Dec 13, 2007 (AFP) – England’s batsmen saw off Sri Lanka’s early challenge on the fifth and final day as the second Test headed towards a draw on Thursday. The tourists, needing to bat out the day after trailing by 197 runs on the first innings, carried their overnight score of 48-0 to 152-1 at […]

Dec 12, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene missed a double century by five runs as England fought back on the fourth morning of the second Test here on Wednesday. Sri Lanka, replying to England’s first innings total of 351, crashed from their overnight score of 379-4 to 439-7 by lunch, a lead […]

Dec 12, 2007 (AFP) – The Sri Lankan venue where Muttiah Muralitharan shattered the world bowling record could be re-named after the prolific off-spinner, the country’s sports minister said on Wednesday.Gamini Lokuge said he will ask the authorities that control Kandy’s Asgiriya stadium to re-name the ground after Sri Lanka’s most famous cricketer. “Asgiriya belongs […]

Dec 12, 2007 (AFP) – England, trailing by 197 runs in the first innings, were 48-0 in their second knock at stumps on the fourth day of the second cricket Test here on Wednesday.Alastair Cook was unbeaten on 19 and captain Michael Vaughan was on 28 when bad light stopped play 16 overs early at […]

COLOMBO, Dec 11, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene and Michael Vandort put on 178 for the unbroken third wicket to keep England at bay in the second cricket Test here on Tuesday. Sri Lanka, replying to England’s first innings total of 351, emerged unscathed from the morning session on the third day […]

COLOMBO, Dec 10, 2007 (AFP) – England’s eight-wicket pair of Matthew Prior and Ryan Sidebottom put on 55 undefeated runs to keep Sri Lanka at bay in the second cricket Test here on Monday.England, looking for a series-levelling win after losing the first Test in Kandy last week, took their first innings to 327-7 by […]