• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Colombo Crusade - The Sri Lankan Story

chaminda_00

Hall of Fame Member
I got a new computer and lost my old ICC files, so I thought I start playing a new game and start a story about it. Couldn't think of catchy name so I settled for Colombo Crusade, lame but meh.

We start off with a tour of England, more to follow....
 

chaminda_00

Hall of Fame Member
Sri Lanka Squad for England Tour

M Jayawardene (c), K Sangakkara (vc/wk), M Atapattu, S Jayasuriya, U Tharanga, T Samarawerra, H Tillakaratne, M Vandort, T Dilshan, R Arnold, L Silva, M Warnapura, W Ramyakumara, K Lokuarachchi, K Fernando, C Vaas, M Laka(s)hita, M Muralitharan

The big talking point about the squad selected to tour England was the recall of former captain Hashan Tillakaratne and non selection of Chamara Kapugudera. The selectors felt that Kapu' wasn't ready yet to play International cricket and needed some more time playing domestic cricket. Fellow Sri Lanka A batsmen Warnapura and Silva were also preferred to young batting senstation.

The other big news was the non selection of seamers Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando and Maharoof. With all rounder Ramyakumara (Wijekoon) and K (Hanstha) Fernando perferred, as well as Lak(s)hita (C Gamage). Lokuarachchi won the battle for the 2nd spinners spot.

Mahela Jayawardene also took over the captaincy after Marvan Atapattu stood down prior to the tour.
 

chaminda_00

Hall of Fame Member
Side to play Combined Universities:
Atapattu, Tharanga, Sangakkara (wk), Jayawardene (c), Samarawerra, Tillakarante, Vandort, Fernando, Vaas, Laka(s)itha, Muralitharan

SL 536 All Out
Atapattu 164, Vandort 123, Radley 4/139

CU 123 All Out
Bowen 44, Fernando 6/18

CU 66 All Out (f/o)
Vaas 5/19

Micheal Vandort and Marvan Atapattu set up a comfortable innings win for SL in their tour match with Combined Unis with centuries in Sri Lanka first innings total of 536. But the real story of the match was the bowling performance of the Sri Lanka seamers with the trio of Vaas, Laka(s)hita and Fernando taking 19 out of 20 wickets to fall in the match and helping Sri Lanka bowl out the Unis under 200 runs in both innings.
 

chaminda_00

Hall of Fame Member
Team to play Derbyshire:

Atapattu, Tharanga, Sangakkara (wk), Jayawardene (c), Samarawerra, Tillakarante, Vandort, Fernando, Vaas, Laka(s)itha, Muralitharan

Derby 294 All Out
Birt 83, Fernando 3/59, Muralitharan 3/99

SL 6d/375
Sangakkara 112, Jayawardene 111, Wagg 3/113

Deby 241 All Out
Di Venuto 73, Vaas 4/82

SL 5/73

Match Drawn

After a convincing win over the Students, the selectors went for an unchanged XI for the match against county side Derbyshire in an attempt to build combinations. Lead by Tasmanian opener Travis Birt and Micheal Di Venuto the Derbyshire batsmen made the Sri Lanka bowlers work a lot harder for their wickets then they had to in their previous tour match. But some good all round team bowling saw them knock over Derbyshire for under 300 in both innings.

Lead by their captain (Jayawardene) and vice captain (Sangakkara) who both score hundred, the Sri Lanka scored 375 runs before declaring. With all batsmen getting some time in the middle.

The story of the match was the injury to keeper batsmen Sangakkara in the 2nd innings when he got hit by a bouncer from seamer Lundley. The resulting injury meant that Sangakkara is likely to miss the 1st Test and maybe even 2nd Test. A major blow for Sri Lanka ahead of the Test Series. It is expected that either Dilshan or Tharanga will take the gloves in the next couple matches.
 

chaminda_00

Hall of Fame Member
Team to play Durham

Atapattu, Jayasuriya, Tharanga(wk), Jayawardene (c), Samarawerra, Tillakarante, Vandort, Fernando, Vaas, Laka(s)itha, Muralitharan


Durham 326
J Lewis 72, Bresse 76, Vaas 4/91

SL 216
Tillakarante 50, Lewis 5/69

Durham 7d/126
Fernando 3/38

SL 6/114
Collingwood 3/54

With the injury to Kumar Sangakkara the Sri Lankans called up experienced opener Sanath Jayasuriya to replace him, with Upul Tharanga getting the gloves. Surprising the selectors choice not to make any other changes to squad for their last tour match. Once again deciding to build combinations over giving squad players exposure on English conditions.

Things started poorly for the vistors with the bat with Mick Lewis running through the Sri Lanka top order with ease taking a 5-fer. Only Tillakarante offered any major resilence with a classy 50.

Once the again the Sri Lankan bowlers took regular wickets like they did against Derby, but like against Derby they lacked the final punch with their star bowler Muralitharan well below par. Thanks large to 50s from Jon Lewis and Breese, Durham passed 300. Sri Lanka ended up being rolled for a below par 216.

On a pitch that started to stay low the batsmen from both sides were finding it hard to score runs with Sri Lanka reducing Durham to 7 for 126, before Collingwood made a surprise declaration. Many fell he declared to give himself a chance to bowl on this pitch and increase his chances of selection in the England side. Collingwood made the most of his chance taking three wickets as Sri Lanka stumbled towards stumps and a draw.

With questions coming from this match then questions being answered the Sri Lankans have a lot of work to do from now until the First Test if they want to come away with their first series win in England. Sangakkara lost from the batting seems to have effected the rest of the batsmen dramatically and their bowling seems to lack punch to take 20 wickets against a decent side. A lot of pressure will be on Muralitharan to stand up who will below par in all three tour matches.
 

chaminda_00

Hall of Fame Member
1st Test XIs

Sri Lanka Atapattu, Jayasuriya, Tharanga(wk), Jayawardene(c), Samarawerra, Tillakarante, Vandort, Fernando, Vaas, Laka(s)itha, Muralitharan

England Trescothick, Strauss, Pietersen, Bell, Vaughan(c), Cook, Prior, Giles, Jones, Hamison, Hoggard

Even after a below par performance in their tour match against Durham, Sri Lanka have gone with the same XI that played that tour match with Sangakkara failing to be fit for the match.

But the big surprise was the non selection of Andrew Flintoff in the England XI with youngster Cook preferred to both him Collingwood. Gerient Jones was also dropped as keeper with Matt Prior being given the nod.

There was still another surprise from the English selectors with Kevin Pietersen choosen to bat at three and Micheal Vaughan moving down to five. The talk around the English camp is Pietersen wants to play a more commanding role with the bat this series. But the Sri Lanka believe they are just shielding him from starting his innings against Murali.
 

Top