The third and final Test match between Sri Lanka and India got underway this morning at the historic Brabourne stadium in Mumbai.

India leads the series 1-0 and a win here will put them at the top of the ICC Test match rankings.

Sri Lanka made a strong start to the Test match in the morning session. Although the Indian bowlers made inroads in the afternoon, they could not stop Sri Lanka from achieving a healthy position of 366 for 8, at close of play on the first day.

For Sri Lanka, that man Tillekaratne Dilshan was in fine form again, reaching 109. He was well supported by Angelo Mathews who was unbeaten on an entertaining knock of 86.

For India, Harbhajan Singh picked up 4 key wickets. And then, turned up at the press conference to say that his team mates “looked tired”.

He is nothing, if refreshingly honest, calling it the way he sees it, but I wonder if this will get him into any further controversy. Hopefully not and all the focus will be on the cricket, with 4 engrossing days to go.

Morning Session

Sri Lanka made a strong start to the Test Match, posting 117 for the loss of just one wicket at lunch.

The wicket to fall was that of Tharanga Paranavitana, whose fell to Harbhajan Singh, getting an edge.

Both Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha extracted turn and bounce from the wicket & it promises to be a testing time for batsmen on either side for the next few days.

Tags: Cricket News, India Cricket News, Sri Lanka Cricket, Test Cricket News

Kumar Sangakkara scored a patient, but valuable century as Sri Lanka edged ahead on day 2 of the third Test match versus India at Colombo. In reply to India’s first innings score of 249 all out, at close of play Sri Lanka were 251 for the loss of 6 wickets.

Nightwatchman Chaminda Vaas played a valuable hand of 47 runs, before being dismissed by Harbhajan Singh, who took two quick wickets. Zaheer Khan took two wickets, those of Michael Vandort for 14 and Thilan Samaraweera for 35.

Anil Kumble dismissed Dilshan for 23.

It has also been an injury prone Test match for the Indians. Yesterday, VVS Laxman twisted his ankle, whilst Sachin Tendulkar jarred his left elbow whilst fielding. Then wicket keeper Parthiv Patel was hit in the face by the ball off an edge from Sangakkara’s bat. Ishant Sharma had also limped off the field with an injury, although it was not serious.

The day’s play has been absorbing and tomorrow’s events could decide the course of this series.

Tags: Cricket News, India Cricket News, Sri Lanka Cricket, Test Cricket News

In one of the most thrilling matches at the World Cup this year, Sri Lanka beat England in a crucial Super Eights match by two runs.

With this win Sri Lanka are now very close to making the semi finals of the World Cup, while England are probably on their way out. They have to play Australia next and given the current form of the Australians it is hard to see them getting through.

Kevin Pietersen scored 58 for England, chasing down Sri Lanka’s score of 235. He was outfoxed by Muttiah Muralitharan. Jayasuriya and Dilshan further restricted England during the middle overs.

Michael Vaughan’s batting slump continued, getting out cheaply at the top of the order.

A quick-fire seventh-wicket partnership of 87 between Ravi Bopara and Paul Nixon gave England an unexpected chance.

Nixon was eventually out for 42 in the penultimate over and England needed three off the last ball.

Bopara was dismissed off the last ball of the match for a gallant 52, leaving Sri Lanka the victors by 2 runs.

Sri Lanka have now joined co-leaders Australia and New Zealand on six points in the Super Eights standings, while England are behind fourth-placed South Africa on two.

Tags: Cricket News, English Cricket News, One Day Internationals News, Sri Lanka Cricket, World Cup Cricket 2007

Well, India are almost out of the Cricket World Cup 2007 now, after losing to Sri Lanka by 69 runs in a crucial match today. The only chance that they have is to have Bermuda beat Bangladesh on Sunday, which does look a very, very remote possibility.

So in all likelihood, India will become the second fancied team from the sub continent, to bow out from the tournament in the first round itself.

At the start of the day, Indian captain Rahul Dravid won the toss and elected to put Sri Lanka in. The Indian bowlers started well, extracting pace and bounce off the wicket. Danger man Sanath Jayasuriya was snaffled by Zaheer Khan early, to leave Sri Lanka 33 for 1 off 7 overs.

At one stage Sri Lanka were 133 for 4 (off 32.2 overs), but Chamara Silva and Dilshan combined well to preserve wickets and put together a crucial partnership of 83 runs.

Sri Lanka finished on 254 for 6 off their alloted 50 overs.

The Indian reply never really got off to a good start, losing 3 wickets for 44 runs in 12 overs, including the prized wickets of Sachin Tendulkar for zero and Sourav Ganguly for 7.

Captain Rahul Dravid scored a brave 60 and Virender Sehwag put up a fight with 48 runs off 46 balls. However Sehwag’s dismissal, followed quickly by the run out of Yuvraj Singh and then Dhoni LBW to Murali sealed India’s fate.

Eventually India were bowled out for 185 in 43.3 runs. Muralitharan was the man of the match taking 3 wickets for 41 runs.

With the Indian batting failing to fire, when it was most needed, it seems that the hopes of a billion people now vanish with it.

Read the full story of the match here.

Tags: Cricket News, India Cricket News, One Day Internationals News, Sri Lanka Cricket, World Cup Cricket 2007

For all accounts, the ‘real’ part of the Champions Trophy got underway last night, with Sri Lanka taking on West Indies. Both team were vying for the top spot in the qualifying round.

At stake – national pride, plus an opportunity to avoid Australia in the next round.

The match was played at Brabourne stadium in Mumbai, where one day internationals returned after a gap of 11 years.

Sri Lanka thrashed the West Indies – there is no other way to describe it.

On a wicket where stroke making was difficult, the West Indies were bowled out for only 80 runs.

Chaminda Vaas started the slide getting Chris Gayle out in the fourth bowl of the innings. He followed up shortly with a beautiful inswinger that caught Sarwan plumb in front of this stumps.

However the real star of the day for Sri Lanka was all rounder Farveez Maharoof. He took 6 wickets for 14 runs as the West Indies batting floundered.

Sri Lanka knocked off the required runs losing just one wicket in 13.2 overs.

The much anticipated game was over four hours before the scheduled time.

England face hosts India in a crucial game tonight. Should be fascinating to watch.

Click below to read the full story of the Sri Lanka – West Indies game.

Cricinfo – Maharoof sizzles in thumping win

Tags: Cricket News, One Day Internationals News, Sri Lanka Cricket, West Indies Cricket News

Kevin Pietersen scored his third century in consecutive Test innings at home to put England on top in the second Test against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston on Friday.

Pietersen cracked 142, including a reverse sweep for six, as England scored 295 on the second day after losing their last five wickets for five runs in reply to Sri Lanka’s 141. Off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan finished with six for 86.

England then reduced Sri Lanka to 86 for four in their second innings to lead by 68 runs at the close.

Swing bowler Matthew Hoggard and left-arm spinner Monty Panesar collected two wickets each. Upul Tharanga departed first, caught behind to Hoggard’s fourth ball of the innings, collecting a pair in the match.

Kumar Sangakkara clipped Panesar’s fifth ball to Paul Collingwood at midwicket for 18 and Mahela Jayawardene was lbw to a Hoggard ball that kept low.

Panesar then had Thilan Samaraweera stumped for eight as play went on into the evening to compensate for the 80 minutes lost at the start of play due to overnight rain.

Samaraweera was dropped on two by Geraint Jones off Panesar. Opener Vandort was unbeaten at the close on 30 and Tilleratne Dilshan was on 21.

Read more about Pietersen’s innings from The Guardian below:

Guardian Unlimited Sport | Cricket | Pietersen’s audacious century takes breath away

Tags: Cricket News, English Cricket News, Sri Lanka Cricket, Test Cricket News

A brilliant century by Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene, helped Sri Lanka to survive the fourth day and push the first Cricket Test Match into the final day.

Jayawardene scored 119 and appeared unlucky to be given out, caught behind off the leg side. He had a good partnership with Fervez Maharoof. At the end of the day, Sri Lanka were effectively 22 runs ahead of England, with four wickets remaining.

England are the favourites to win the Test match, however bad weather has delayed the start of the match on day 5.

Sri Lanka extend first Test into final day

Tags: English Cricket News, Sri Lanka Cricket, Test Cricket News

Sajid Mahmood celebrated his Test debut with three wickets in nine balls on Friday to put England into a winning position on day 2 of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s.

Mahmood bowled with genuine with pace and fire after declared their innings closed at 551 for six.

England’s highest total against Sri Lanka was anchored by Kevin Pietersen, who equalled his best score of 158 after resuming on 54.

The other batsmen who scored heavily in England’s innings were Marcus Trescothick 106, Cook 89 and Paul Collingwood 57.

Mahmood and Pietersen leave Sri Lanka reeling

Tags: English Cricket News, Sri Lanka Cricket, Test Cricket News

Yorkshire have again repeated that there has been no specific date set for the return of England captain Michael Vaughan. Given that the first Test against Sri Lanka is just a few days away, it is as yet unknown whether Vaughan will be able to take part in the Test series.

No comeback date yet for Vaughan
Yorkshire again repeat that England captain Michael Vaughan will not rush his comeback following a knee injury.

Tags: English Cricket News, Sri Lanka Cricket, Test Cricket News

In a sensational claim, newly appointed chief selector and former Sri Lankan fast bowler Asantha De Mel claimed that the island’s most famous cricketer was handed an ultimatum and ‘forced’ to resign from Test cricket.

De Mel blamed his predecessor Lalith Kaluperuma for not allowing Jayasuriya to leave the game with diginty, basically forcing his hand to resign.

News – Jayasuriya was forced to quit: Asantha De Mel

Tags: Sri Lanka Cricket, Test Cricket News