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Chamari Atapattu, Eshani Lokusuriyage and Dilani Manodara return to Sri Lanka’s T20I squad for the five-match series against India, starting September 19

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Sep-2018The inclusion of 17-year-old allrounder Kavisha Dilhari, and the returns of Eshani Lokusuriyage and Dilani Manodara, are among seven changes Sri Lanka have made to the squad that will face India for the five-match T20I series starting on September 19. Chamari Atapattu, who had missed the Asia Cup T20 – Sri Lanka’s last T20 assignment – with dengue, but captained the ODI series last week, will lead the side in the T20Is as well.

Sri Lanka squad for T20I series

Chamari Attapattu (captain), Yasoda Mendis, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Eshani Lokusuriyage, Hasini Perera, Dilani Manodara (wk), Shashikala Siriwardena, Nilakshi De Silva, Imalka Mendis, Sripalee Weerakkodi, Sugandika Kumari, Rebeca Vandort, Udeshika Prabodhini, Ama Kanchana, Kavisha Dilhari
Out: Oshadi Ranasinghe, Nipuni Hansika, Malsha Shehani, Achini Kulasooriya, Harshitha Madavi, Inoshi Fernando, and Inoka Ranaweera

Dilhari, who has long been dubbed by the Sri Lanka management as future star, made her international debut against Pakistan in March this year. On Sunday, in the third ODI against India, she picked Harmanpreet Kaur’s wicket and scored a vital 12 not-out in Sri Lanka’s successful chase of 254 – their highest in ODIs – off the penultimate ball of the game. The winning hit came off Dilhari’s bat.The inclusions of Lokusuriyage and Manodara, however, come as a surprise. Lokusuriyage, 34, last played for Sri Lanka in the the 2017 World Cup and hasn’t played in the shortest format since 2016, while 35-year old wicketkeeper-batsman Manodara played all the ODIs against India but scored just 21 runs across the three games. She didn’t keep wickets in any of those matches.Allrounder Ama Kanchana, who had also been ruled out with dengue alongside her captain for the Asia Cup, returned to the side, while 24-year-old batsman Imalka Mendis has also found a place. Mendis’ inexperience had cost her a spot during the Asia Cup, but her cause has been aided by the management deciding to take a long-term view. Sripali Weerakkody also returns on the back of some promising displays in the ODIs against India. The 32-year old allrounder last played a T20I in October 2017.Katunayake will host the first T20I on September 19, before the action moves to Colombo for the next three games on September 21, 22 and 24. The teams will return to Katunayake for the tour ender on September 25.

All three ODIs will take place in Dambulla and will count for the ICC Women’s Championship. The T20 series will shift the action to Colombo for the three matches

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2018The Sri Lanka women’s team will host their Pakistan counterparts in three ODIs and three T20Is from March 20 to 31, Sri Lanka Cricket has announced.The tour will be Sri Lanka’s first bilateral series since their drubbing in the West Indies last October when they were whitewashed across three ODIs and T20Is. It will also be their first match against Pakistan since the World Cup in England last year.That match saw Sri Lanka come out on top in a 15-run thrilling win to give them their only win of the tournament, a result that also saw Pakistan condemned to a 14th straight defeat in World Cups.Pakistan will be keen to reverse that performance and as such the upcoming series is likely to be a close-fought affair. For Sri Lanka, meanwhile, it will be a chance for the women’s team to get back to winning in the midst of renewed focus on the women’s game by SLC.All three ODIs will take place in Dambulla on March 20, 22, and 24, and will count for the ICC Women’s Championship. The T20 series will shift the action to Colombo with the first match taking place at the SSC on the 28th, the second at the NCC on 30th, and the final game back at the SSC on the 31st.All eight teams have played three ODIs each in the 2017-21 cycle of the Women’s Championship. Sri Lanka are placed at the bottom – the only team without a win yet – while Pakistan are sixth with one win to their name.

Being the “sole nominee” put forth by the board, there was no need for a subsequent election process

Nagraj Gollapudi15-May-2018Shashank Manohar will continue as the ICC chairman until 2020 after he was elected unopposed for a second two-year term. In a media release, the ICC stated that Manohar was the “sole nominee” put forth by the board. As a result, there was no need for an election process, which originally would have been scheduled during the annual conference in June.In 2016, Manohar had vacated his position as BCCI president to be elected unanimously as the ICC’s inaugural independent chairman. Six months in, Manohar said he would step down for personal reasons, but was persuaded by several ICC board members to stay on in the job. Manohar subsequently said he would leave by the end of the first year, halfway into his term. After the same group asked Manohar to reconsider his decision again, he opted to carry on till June this year.During Manohar’s tenure, the ICC has taken significant strides in overhauling its structure and constitution by becoming a more democratic body. Despite stiff resistance, Manohar managed to persuade bigger boards like the BCCI to adopt the new ICC governance structure as well as a new finance distribution model, which would ensure revenue from commercial deals would be shared evenly by both the major and minor members.Manohar also pushed for reforms in the ICC’s constitution including having an independent woman director. Pepsico chairperson Indra Nooyi was appointed as the ICC’s first independent woman director earlier this year, and will assume the role formally when she attends the ICC annual conference in Dublin.On being re-elected, Manohar said he was happy to continue having “fulfilled” the promise he had made when he took over the job two years ago, and was looking forward to the road ahead. “Over the next two years, we can look forward to launching a global strategy for the sport in partnership with our Members so we can grow the game and ensure more of the world can enjoy cricket,” Manohar said. “The sport is in good health but we are the guardians of the game and we must continue to work hard to maintain that.”

Fast bowler desperate for another crack at international cricket after wash-out in Malahide

Matt Roller20-Sep-2025Nobody at Malahide was more disappointed than Sonny Baker when rain ruined the second of England’s three matches in Ireland on Friday. Two-and-a-half weeks on from a chastening ODI debut against South Africa, Baker was in line to win his first T20I cap and was “desperate” for a second crack at international cricket. Instead, he is crossing his fingers for sunshine on Sunday.At 22, Baker has emerged as a serious prospect this year, fast-tracked onto an England development contract after impressing for the Lions in Australia. He starred in the Hundred, with sharp new-ball spells to David Warner and Jonny Bairstow, and was widely considered a potential Ashes bolter had he made a positive first impression in an England shirt.Instead, what should have been the highlight of his young career quickly turned into a day to forget. With just 131 on the board after a dramatic batting collapse – Baker was last man out, bowled first-ball – he was asked to bowl the first over, running up the hill at Headingley. Aiden Markram duly hit three of the first five balls of his England career to the boundary.His second over went no better, with Markram crunching him for six on either side of the ground. Harry Brook kept him on, hoping a wicket would change things, but had to relent after his first four overs cost 56 runs. Baker’s second spell, after an end change, went slightly better, but 0 for 76 in seven overs were still the worst figures for an England ODI debutant.Baker receives his England cap from Jos Buttler•ECB via Getty Images

“It was obviously not exactly how I’d planned my debut going,” Baker said on Saturday, with a healthy dose of perspective. “Not all good experiences are enjoyable experiences… At the time, I was thinking, ’15 an over for my first three or four overs is not what I had in mind!’ But in the long run, it’ll be a good thing… The next one will definitely be better than that – or hopefully!”Jof [Jofra Archer] came over from cover to mid-off and was like, ‘How’s your heart rate, bud?’ But from an emotional management point of view, I actually felt okay at the time, all things considered. There was so much going on that I didn’t really have time to register, ‘Oh no, this is really not going how I wanted it to.’ It was like, ‘Well, I’ve just got to get on with it and deal with it.'”Overall, I was obviously a little bit disappointed after the series, because it’s not how you want your first game to go. I had a bit of time to reflect, but bounced back fairly quickly after that because I knew I was obviously in for this [tour].”Baker has quickly developed a reputation as a meticulous note-taker, who takes analysis very seriously and plans for each game in great detail. He was not too disheartened reviewing his debut, recounting one delivery to Markram at 89mph – “a little bit over the top of leg stump” – which disappeared over square leg for six.”Brooky was chatting to me after, and said, ‘What did you write down in your notebook after that game?’ I just said, ‘Shit happens,'” he recounted. “It was not the best I’ve bowled, but there’s days where I’ve bowled a lot worse than that and got four [wickets] for not very many. It’s just one of those games: you can score quickly at that ground.”Related

• Brook backs butchered Baker after chastising ODI debut

• Abject England still searching for one-day identity

• Summer arrives late for Ireland in slender window of opportunity

• Dublin downpour leads to Ireland-England washout

His main takeaway was how little room for error there is at international level: “It’s just the execution. I knew what I was trying to bowl [to Markram], just cramping him for room at the top of leg stump. If you miss fractionally short or you miss fractionally full, it’s tough. Basically, your margins are just smaller… Batters are allowed to play good shots.”He hopes to be involved in next month’s white-ball tour to New Zealand and will then head to Australia in some capacity, most likely with the Lions. After only seven first-class appearances – all of them this year, including an unusual debut for the Lions – Baker is still an unknown commodity as a red-ball bowler: “That’s one of the exciting things about being young, isn’t it?”Brendon McCullum singled him out for his “infectious enthusiasm” after the series, and his debut does not appear to have affected him too negatively. He was back bowling for Hampshire on Blast Finals Day last weekend, where his personal highlight was an inswinging yorker to clean up Tom Kohler-Cadmore, and is now hoping to make his T20I debut in front of his parents and his girlfriend in Ireland.Baker was “very nervous” on the morning of his debut at Headingley, but hopes that he will be able to channel his emotions in Malahide – a more low-key setting, even with tickets sold out for Sunday’s match – and prove himself in an England shirt: “I’m desperate to get out there again… Hopefully, [Sunday] will be a good opportunity to get one under my belt.”

Queues of “1600-1700 people” caused some fans to miss the start of Pakistan-West Indies game

ESPNcricinfo staff31-May-2019The ICC has encouraged fans who have not yet received their tickets for World Cup games over the weekend to print them out in advance, as issues with its systems led to the offer of full refunds for those delayed getting into Trent Bridge for West Indies’ win over Pakistan on Friday.Steve Elworthy, the tournament’s managing director, said that a combination of late sales and people needing to collect tickets that had not been delivered led to “1600, 1700 people standing in a queue”, forcing the ICC to consult with Ticketmaster about offering the facility to print tickets at home.In the lead-up to the tournament, a number of fans had taken to Twitter to complain about not receiving tickets despite purchasing them up to a year ago. While the ICC has overseen the delivery of more than 700,000 tickets, Elworthy said there had been problems with some getting through.”What’s happened is that we’ve got these tickets that weren’t delivered and then we’ve also got people wanting to collect at venues from late sales,” he said. “So it’s 400 or 500 people to collect on a day – which is not unusual at some of the Test match grounds. But you bring four or five people with you that you’ve got tickets for, suddenly there’s like 1600, 1700 people standing in a queue trying to get tickets. So it looks like there’s a whole load of people there.”Obviously we need to fulfil that, so we’ve got to try and find a way. We had all these people wanting their tickets, reprinting them and handing over the collections and there was just a delay because of the volume of people there to get their tickets. That’s the nub of the matter and we’re working to resolve that now.”The problems at Trent Bridge were exacerbated by the fact that Pakistan collapsed to 105 all out in 21.4 overs, with the whole match over before the scheduled interval – meaning anyone that was delayed getting into the ground may have ended up missing a significant proportion of the action.”Anybody whose tickets were printed after half past 10 at the ticket box office, because the delay was there, we’re going to refund 100% of their ticket value,” Elworthy said.”The perfect storm was the fact that Pakistan got bowled out for 100. If the score was 200 for 3, these people would be seeing cricket until 6 o’clock. I probably still would have thought about a refund of some sort because they missed some of it, but it might not have been a 100% refund.”Elworthy said that Ticketmaster would allow ticket-holders to log into their accounts and print off tickets for games over the “next couple of days”, but he indicated it could be extended throughout the tournament if problems persisted.In a statement released after the conclusion of the match, the governing body said: “The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup would like to apologise to any fans caught up in queues here at Trent Bridge today. We be offering a full refund to anyone who was impacted by the delays because of the high volume of ticket collections. This will happen automatically based on data from our ticket scanners along with time of ticket issue from the box office.”We are currently working with Ticketmaster to resolve all outstanding issues and have put in place a number of measures to ensure fans don’t suffer this inconvenience at future games. This includes the introduction of a print at home ticket and improved distribution methods at the venues.”

Lancashire have outside chance of victory after enterprising counterattack

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay31-Jul-2025Lancashire 137 and 226 for 5 (Wells 102) need another 247 runs to beat Glamorgan 261 and 348 for 7 dec (Northeast 132, Carlson 108) Two sessions of dominance by promotion-chasing Glamorgan will see them go into the final day of this Rothesay County Championship Division Two clash with Lancashire as favourites despite the hosts giving themselves a sniff of an unlikely victory with a thrilling counterattack.Both skipper Sam Northeast and Kiran Carlson scored centuries as the visitors took their overnight score from 95 for 2 to 348 for 7 by the time they declared just before tea with a lead of 472 and a minimum of 147 overs in which to dismiss Lancashire.In contrast to the first two days, where spin dominated, the Red Rose bowlers toiled, with Northeast and Carlson able to build a huge third-wicket partnership of 215.Although Chris Green finished with three wickets and match figures of nine for 175 the writing looked to be on the wall by the time Northeast stuck Lancashire in, only for Luke Wells to score a century of his own and leave the home side requiring 247 runs with five wickets in hand.Glamorgan set about things at a measured pace with Carlson reaching his second half-century of the game in the third over of the day.When captain James Anderson turned to Green, Northeast and Carlson ensured the Australian did not repeat his first-innings heroics by attacking both him and the left arm spin of Tom Hartley.Carlson progressed to his century off 120 balls and it took the introduction of Wells’ leg-spin to break the third wicket partnership when he trapped the Welshman in front for 106.The incoming Colin Ingram joined Northeast and immediately attacked, hitting 34 off 29 balls before he was stumped by Salt to give Wells his second wicket.Meanwhile, the experienced skipper was playing the sort of innings he has been for years with the 35-year-old bringing up his 35th first-class century off 183 balls before Ingram’s dismissal.Northeast eventually departed for 132 caught on the leg side boundary by sub Jack Blatherwick off Green prompting Glamorgan to have a dash in the pursuit of quick runs resulting in the wickets of Ben Kellaway (19) lbw to Green and Crane by the same bowler for one.Tea was followed by Lancashire beginning their reply with the attack-minded Salt joining Wells in the middle and soon returning to the dressing room after he edged James Harris to Ingram at first slip for one.Nevertheless Salt’s introduction showed some intent and that’s exactly what Lancashire displayed from then on with Wells leading the way.The former Sussex man and Keaton Jennings put on 72 for the second wicket before Lancashire’s ex-captain was caught smartly by Asa Tribe at short leg off a big turner from Crane for 33.Josh Bohannon then joined Wells and the third wicket pair began to give the hosts a glimmer of hope as they targeted Crane and injected some energy into the innings.82 runs were hit off 10.2 overs with extravagant shots combining with frantic running to suddenly put Glamorgan on the back foot for virtually the first time in the match.Order was restored when Bohannon edged Asitha Fernando behind for 29 but with Wells reaching his century with a booming six off Kellaway before he was brilliantly caught and bowled by James Harris for 102, leaving the dangerous Marcus Harris and the in-form Matty Hurst at the crease, hope still sprung eternal for the watching home crowd.Some of that hope dissipated when Hurst was bowled by a sharply turning delivery from Kellaway for 11 but with the likes of George Balderson, Green and Hartley still to come after Tom Bailey’s elevation to nightwatchman, an unlikely and record breaking run chase could still be on the cards.

Concerns over talent pathways may lead to rejig of England’s Performance Programme

George Dobell03-Jul-2019The ECB have announced that David Parsons is to leave his role as England Cricket’s Performance Director in July.Parsons joined the ECB in 2000 as National Coach, was promoted to National Spin Bowling Coach in 2005 and was appointed to role of ECB Performance Director in 2007. Since then, he has overseen the development of the England men’s pathways, including the running of the National Performance Centre at Loughborough University.His departure may well signal the start of a significant restructure of the ECB’s ‘pathway’ programme. There has, for some time, been disquiet about the lack of relative lack of performance of the pathway in comparison to the investment made and, when Ashley Giles was employed was director of the England men’s teams, part of his remit was to both cut costs and improve the output of Loughborough.The development of fast and spin bowling is likely to focus much of his attention. The fast bowling programme has already been discontinued on the basis that it cost lots and delivered little, with recent graduates seemingly more likely to suffer injury than improve in pace or potency.Much the same could be said about the development of spin, with Kent’s decision to release Adam Riley – not so long ago thought of an off-spinner with Test potential – last week adding credence to the theory that Loughborough sometimes does more harm than good. Certainly the inference of comments from Paul Downton, the Kent director of cricket, was not flattering.”Adam has been with Kent for a long time,” Downton told the BBC. “We remember back to 2014 when he had a great summer with Kent, was being talked about in the press as a future England spinner and won a place on the England Lions tour.”Unfortunately, while on that tour working with the Lions coaches he tried to bowl a bit quicker and, in doing so, he lost his action. He’s now spent nearly five years trying to find his way back to that kind of form. But I think we got to a point where we just realised it wasn’t going to work from his point of view, or our point of view.”As a result, the futures of Kevin Shine, the ECB’s lead fast bowling coach, and Peter Such, the ECB’s lead spin bowling coach, would appear to be particularly uncertain.There may be change to the Lions programme, too. While there is an understanding that playing in such a team narrows the gap between the international and domestic games, the reluctance of counties to schedule fixtures during the English season – they play just one first-class game this season – has diminished the need for any sort of permanent restructure around it.That could lead to a change of role for Andy Flower, the former England coach. He is clearly a man with knowledge and experience that is an asset to the ECB, but it could be he has outgrown most of the roles available to him at the organisation. He has recently applied for a county job or two – he narrowly missed out on the Warwickshire role that went to Paul Farbrace – but it may be a job with a county or even another country now beckons.It is likely the ECB will announce more overseas placements for young players in future. Not only would this prove cheaper, it is thought likely to encourage independence and maturity among developing players. Some at the ECB are concerned that some young players have become just a little soft and just a little entitled by their early exposure to England age-group teams. A period fending for themselves, it is reasoned, may do them no harm.Either way, change is coming to Loughborough. A cut in the number in staff is likely, with those who remain asked to be a great deal more accountable.

Paul is uncapped at Test level but has an impressive first-class average of 17.35 across 14 appearances

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jun-2018West Indies have called up 20-year-old seam bowler Keemo Paul into the Test squad, to replace batsman Shimron Hetmyer, who leaves it due to illness.Paul has played four ODIs and four T20s, but is uncapped in Tests. He does, however, have an impressive first-class average of 17.35, across 14 appearances. Although West Indies are unlikely to upset their new-ball combination of Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel, Paul could potentially play in the third Test in Barbados ahead of Miguel Cummins, who went wicketless in the second Test.Cricket West Indies died not specify Hetmyer’s illness, but the board hoped he would be fit for West Indies’ next assignment: Bangladesh’s tour of the Caribbean in July. “Hetmyer will return home to Guyana to recover from a recent illness,” the board release said. “While there, he will continue his preparations to return for the two-day practice match against Bangladesh in Antigua.”Paul perhaps makes it into the team on the strength of his ODI performances for West Indies in the World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe, as well as his T20 figures against Pakistan. His most-recent international match was West Indies’ hurricane fundraiser against the World XI, at Lord’s, on May 31.

Important stands with Matt Critchley and Simon Harmer prevent Hampshire taking control with ball

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 22-Jun-2025Charlie Allison made it back-to-back centuries as he steered Essex into a commanding position on the first day of the Rothesay County Championship match against Hampshire at Chelmsford.Before his 140 against Surrey last month, Allison’s highest first-class score was 28. But the 20-year-old right-hander followed up his Oval heroics with 101 when the Championship resumed after its break for the Vitality Blast.He was the senior partner in a 107-run seventh-wicket stand with Simon Harmer, 16 years older, that carried Essex towards 292 for 8 at the close after they chose to bat. He also put on 66 for the fifth wicket with Matt Critchley, whose 71 came from 104 balls and included nine fours and a six.Kyle Abbott took his season’s tally to 35 wickets with three Essex scalps, but Hampshire let slip their morning advantage as a blustery, overcast day gave way to bright evening sunshine.Initially, it looked as if Essex’s travails of late – one win across both formats this summer – were being lain bare on a green wicket that gave encouragement to Hampshire’s seam attack. By midday Essex had lost three of their top four. Paul Walter mistimed a flick off his legs low to a diving square leg, Dean Elgar was beaten for pace by James Fuller and Jordan Cox ducked into a short ball from Eddie Jack and spliced the ball high to third slip.The premature departures did not preclude Essex handing county caps to the latter pair during the lunch interval. Former captain Graham Gooch handed one to Elgar while Cox received his from Jason Gallian, previously his cricket master at Felsted School, now chairman of the cricket committee.Back in the middle, Critchley was putting behind him his struggles with the bat in the Vitality Blast. He contributed 38 of the 53-run fourth-wicket stand with Tom Westley that included a six over long leg off Liam Dawson and a well-timed sweep for four, also off the England white-ball spinner.Westley was more circumspect, though the four fours in his 77-ball 28 were venomous in their execution and included one from his first ball through midwicket off Abbott and an imperious pull against Fuller. However, he departed lbw to one from Abbott that might otherwise have just clipped the top of the stumps.Under gathering grey clouds, Critchley reached his half-century from 84 balls amid a flurry of boundaries, the milestone four pulled through midwicket off Felix Organ. Another time he went in tiptoes to late-cut Jack to the third-man rope.Allison kept pace with Critchley and he launched Dawson effortlessly over extra cover for a six that brought up the fifty partnership in 13 overs. Later he hit another straight over the same bowler’s head. However, the stand was worth 66 when the wily Dawson had Critchley playing over a shorter-pitched delivery that looked as if it might have missed leg stump.Abbott had figures of 3 for 12 from 13 overs when he had Michael Pepper edging to the wicketkeeper. But that just brought together Allison and Harmer for a patient partnership that steadied Essex and ultimately gave them a measure of control.Harmer brought up the hundred partnership in 33 overs when he swatted Jack to the midwicket boundary. But with Allison on 99, he turned the ball to square leg, the pair hesitated and Harmer sacrificed his wicket as Jack’s throw went to the bowler’s end.Allison duly reached his century from 188 balls with 11 fours and two sixes, but one run later he dragged on to Organ and was bowled off the last ball of the day.

Gets to the landmark in the third ODI between India and Sri Lanka at Khettarama

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Aug-2024Ranjan Madugalle has become the first match referee to officiate 400 ODIs, with his taking charge of the third ODI between India and Sri Lanka at Khettarama.Madugalle has been a match referee since 1993 and in that time has also officiated more than 200 Tests, also a record. He had, in addition, served as the ICC’s chief match referee until that position was removed.Simon Taufel, former elite-panel umpire and the former umpires performance and training manager for the ICC, paid tribute to Madugalle.”Ranjan’s longevity is remarkable,” Taufel said. “He was there at the beginning of my international umpiring career and the end. He has served Sri Lanka, the ICC and game of cricket with distinction and integrity. This milestone highlights his commitment and dedication to the sport he loves.”Madugalle, in a statement put out by the ICC, said getting to this landmark was “dreamlike”. “It has been a great honour and privilege to have officiated in international cricket for so many years and it’s almost dreamlike to be reaching this milestone.”I was pleased when I got the opportunity to be associated with the game after my time as a cricketer but never thought that it would stretch to over three decades!”During this period, I have had the chance to officiate all over the world and in several World Cups, relishing every moment.”I would like to take this opportunity to thank the ICC, Sri Lanka Cricket and my colleagues with whom I have worked over the years for their support and friendship, as well as my family and friends, without whose support it would not have been possible to have come this far.”Before turning his attentions towards officiating games, Madugalle had played 21 Tests and 63 ODIs for Sri Lanka as a batter.