Cricket

Sri Lanka Dominate New Zealand in Second ODI, Sealing Convincing VictoryIn a rain-affected second ODI at Pallekele, Sri Lanka emerged victorious, extending their lead in the three-match series. Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka won the toss and elected to field first, a decision that proved advantageous.The New Zealand innings got off to a shaky start as they lost early wickets. Will Young and Tim Robinson were dismissed cheaply, leaving the visitors reeling at 20/2. Henry Nicholls and Mark Chapman attempted to rebuild the innings, but their efforts were cut short by the Sri Lankan bowlers.Sri Lanka's spinners, Maheesh Theekshana and Jeffrey Vandersay, played a crucial role in restricting New Zealand's scoring. Theekshana claimed three wickets, while Vandersay picked up two. Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips provided some resistance, but the New Zealand innings eventually folded for a modest 185 runs in 43.1 overs.In response, Sri Lanka's openers, Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando, gave their team a solid start. Nissanka scored a fluent 55, while Fernando contributed 32. Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama also made valuable contributions, helping Sri Lanka reach their target with ease.Sri Lanka chased down the total in just 34.3 overs, losing only three wickets. Charith Asalanka remained unbeaten on 38, while Kamindu Mendis chipped in with 27.The victory gives Sri Lanka a 2-0 lead in the series, with the final ODI scheduled to be played on August 1.

Sri Lanka's Charith Asalanka played a pivotal role in their hard-fought four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the opening T20I match in Dambulla. Chasing a modest target of 136, Sri Lanka's batsmen faced a stern test against New Zealand's second-string team.Asalanka's crucial 38-run partnership with Wanindu Hasaranga for the sixth wicket proved decisive in guiding Sri Lanka to victory. Asalanka remained unbeaten on a well-crafted 35 off 28 deliveries, while Hasaranga contributed 22 before being dismissed.Earlier, New Zealand's below-par total of 135 all out provided Sri Lanka with some breathing room. Kusal Perera etched his name in the record books by surpassing Tillakaratne Dilshan as Sri Lanka's highest run-scorer in T20s with a quickfire 23 off 17 balls.New Zealand's innings was anchored by Michael Bracewell's 27 off 24, while Ish Sodhi and Zakary Foulkes added a valuable 39 runs for the ninth wicket. However, Sri Lanka's bowlers, led by Dunith Wellalage's three wickets, kept the visitors in check.Wellalage sealed Sri Lanka's victory in style, pulling Jacob Duffy for a six over mid-wicket. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner acknowledged the challenge of adjusting to the conditions and the impact of the dew on their bowling.Despite missing several key players, New Zealand showed resilience, particularly in their lower order. The second and final match of the series will be played at the same venue on Sunday, where Sri Lanka will aim to secure a series victory.

Sri Lanka's men's cricket team, led by Charith Asalanka, is aiming to recapture the glory days of the 2007-2014 era, when the team reached five World Cup finals and won the 2014 T20 title. After a string of limited overs series wins against India and West Indies, Asalanka believes the team has the potential to climb back into the top three of the ICC rankings."Our goal is to climb to the top three in the rankings," said Asalanka. "If we've consistently been winning, when we go to the ICC tournaments, we won't get exposed."Sri Lanka's recent resurgence has been built on the back of strong performances from new players such as Janith Liyanage and Nishan Madushka. Asalanka believes that the team's bench strength is improving, which will help them compete with the best teams in the world."We're hoping to play our best XI all the time," said Asalanka. "That's how our bench strength improves as well, because they then know how well you have to play to get a spot in that XI. And the players in the XI also fight for their own places."Sri Lanka's next challenge will be a series against New Zealand, which begins with a T20I on August 29. Asalanka is confident that his team can continue their winning ways and move up the ICC rankings."We are hoping to come back to that level," said Asalanka. "It's important to play really well from tour to tour."

Sri Lanka's resurgence in limited-overs cricket has given captain Charith Asalanka a "good headache" as he faces a wealth of batting talent vying for spots in the top order. The team's recent 2-1 ODI series victory over the West Indies marked their third consecutive white-ball series triumph, following wins against the Windies in T20Is and India in ODIs.Nishan Madushka's impressive form has been a revelation for Sri Lanka. The opener scored 38 and 69 in the two ODIs he played, replacing the injured Pathum Nissanka. Nissanka returned to the side in the final ODI and struck a half-century.With Madushka, Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Avishka Fernando, and Kusal Perera all in solid form, there is intense competition for the top three batting positions. Asalanka believes this will make it difficult for the team management to select the squad for upcoming matches."I'm very happy about Nishan Madushka's form. If we have a player in that kind of form on the bench, that's a big win for us. Now when we go into a selection meeting, we've got good headaches. The selectors, coach, and I have a tough time choosing a team," Asalanka said.The captain also praised the National Super League (NSL) for helping him regain his form. "In the last series, against India, I wasn't in form. But I played the NSL tournament and got an excellent result out of that. We've got to thank the board for holding the NSL. It's a tournament that has a competitive level of cricket," he said.Sri Lanka will next face New Zealand in two T20Is and three ODIs, starting on November 9 in Dambulla. After that, the team will travel to South Africa for two Tests from November 27.

Sri Lanka's Charith Asalanka led his team to a convincing five-wicket victory over the West Indies in the second ODI at Pallekele, securing an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.Chasing a revised target of 190 in 44 overs due to rain, Sri Lanka lost early wickets but recovered through a 62-run partnership between Nishan Madushka and Sadeera Samarawickrama. Asalanka then took charge, anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 62 off 61 deliveries, including seven fours and a six. He shared a crucial 55-run stand with Janith Liyanage to guide Sri Lanka home with 34 balls to spare.Earlier, the West Indies were in dire straits at 58-8 after being put in to bat. However, a record-breaking ninth-wicket partnership between Sherfane Rutherford and Gudakesh Motie rescued them. Rutherford, dropped twice, smashed 80 off 82 balls, while Motie contributed an unbeaten 50. Their 119-run stand eclipsed the previous highest ninth-wicket partnership for the West Indies in ODIs.Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers, claiming 4-40 on a challenging pitch.Asalanka's match-winning knock marked his second consecutive half-century in the series, following his 77 in the first ODI. The victory extended Sri Lanka's impressive home record, with this being their tenth consecutive home series win.The third and final ODI will be played at the same venue on Saturday, with Sri Lanka aiming to complete a clean sweep.

Sri Lanka's dominance continued as they secured a resounding five-wicket victory in the rain-affected first ODI against the West Indies in Pallekele. Captain Charith Asalanka and debutant Nishan Madushka played pivotal roles with impressive half-centuries.Chasing a revised target of 232 in 37 overs, Sri Lanka faced an early setback, losing three wickets for 45 runs. However, Asalanka's arrival at the crease sparked a remarkable turnaround. He forged a formidable partnership with Madushka, amassing 137 runs for the fourth wicket at a rapid pace.Both Asalanka and Madushka reached their half-centuries in just 44 balls, showcasing their exceptional batting prowess. Madushka, who has previously played 10 Test matches, seized the opportunity to replace injured opener Pathum Nissanka, the leading run-scorer in ODIs in 2024."I am glad that he has grabbed the opportunity with both hands," Asalanka said. "It is good to have healthy competition in the side."The West Indies had posted a respectable 183 for four in 38.3 overs before rain interrupted their innings. However, their spinners struggled to grip the wet ball, giving Sri Lanka an advantage."We were really tested by the conditions," West Indies skipper Shai Hope said. "Particularly for the spinners, the wet ball was quite challenging."Gudakesh Motie eventually broke the Asalanka-Madushka partnership, with Brandon King taking a sharp catch at slip. But by then, Sri Lanka had gained a significant advantage.Madushka departed for 69 off 54 balls, while Asalanka fell for a brilliant 77 off 71 balls, both victims of Motie's bowling. Despite Motie's three wickets, the challenging conditions hindered his impact.Kamindu Mendis and Janith Liyanage guided Sri Lanka to victory with ease.Earlier, the West Indies faced challenges against Sri Lanka's spinners. However, Sherfane Rutherford's career-best 74 not out, supported by Roston Chase, helped the visitors recover with an unbroken 85-run partnership for the fifth wicket.Sri Lanka's victory gives them a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series. They had previously come from behind to win the T20 series 2-1, marking their first series win over the West Indies in the shortest format.

Sri Lanka, seeking to level the three-match T20I series against West Indies, won the toss and opted to bat first in the second game at Dambulla. The hosts trail 1-0 after losing the series opener by five wickets.Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka expressed hope for more spin-friendly conditions than in the first match, estimating a par score of around 170. West Indies skipper Rovman Powell, on the other hand, indicated his team's preference for chasing, despite the different surface from the previous game.Sri Lanka made two changes to their lineup, bringing in spin-bowling allrounder Dunith Wellalage for Chamindu Wickramasinghe and slinger Nuwan Thushara for Asitha Fernando. West Indies made a single change, with Andre Fletcher replacing the injured Shai Hope as wicketkeeper.The weather conditions remained favorable, with no rain interruptions expected throughout the evening.

Sri Lanka, led by Charith Asalanka, has opted to bat first in the decisive third ODI against India in Colombo. The hosts, who lead the series 1-0, are aiming to secure their first bilateral ODI series victory over India since 1997.Asalanka expressed confidence in his decision to bat, citing the success of this strategy in the previous matches. Sri Lanka has made one change to their lineup, with Maheesh Theekshana replacing Akila Dhananjaya.India, on the other hand, has made two changes. Riyan Parag, who impressed in the T20Is, makes his ODI debut in place of Arshdeep Singh, bolstering India's batting and adding an extra spinner. Rishabh Pant, who has recovered from a car crash, replaces KL Rahul as wicketkeeper.India's lineup now features two seam bowlers and four spinners, while Sri Lanka will rely on a single seamer, Janith Liyanage, and five spinners. The dry pitch is expected to favor spin bowling as the match progresses.Both teams have struggled to convert starts into substantial scores, and Asalanka hopes to see a century on this pitch. The weather forecast predicts clear skies at the start of the game, with a possibility of rain later in the afternoon.

Sri Lanka's captain, Charith Asalanka, has announced that his team will bat first in the upcoming ODI against India at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Asalanka cited the dry pitch conditions as the reason for their decision.The match marks the debut of Mohamed Shiraz for Sri Lanka, who will join a lineup featuring six batters and five bowlers. Asalanka acknowledged the need for improvement in his team's mental fortitude, particularly after their recent loss. He emphasized the importance of focusing on the present and playing well.Injuries remain a concern for Asalanka as a captain, but he expressed confidence in his team's ability to overcome these challenges and perform well with their second lineup.The toss result gives Sri Lanka the advantage of batting first, a decision that could prove crucial in the match. Virat Kohli, India's star batsman, has an impressive record at the R Premadasa Stadium, having scored 644 runs in 10 innings with an average of 107.33, including four centuries.The three-match ODI series between India and Sri Lanka will be held on August 2, 4, and 7, with all matches taking place at the R Premadasa Stadium. This marks India's first ODI of 2024.