World cricket boss Percy Sonn said on Sunday he was disappointed at South Africa’s decision to abandon the tour of Sri Lanka for security reasons, but declined to impose sanctions on the Proteas. ”I am deeply disappointed at their decision to go home,” Sonn told a media conference in the Sri Lankan capital.
The peace agency of Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger rebels said on Saturday that at least 141 ethnic Tamil civilians have been killed by government bombs and shelling since August 8, in what it called the deadliest period since a 2002 ceasefire was signed. The agency said the civilians were killed in air-force strikes and shelling in the north and east.
South Africa’s cricketers have struck back at suggestions made in Sri Lanka that senior players bullied lower-profile colleagues into agreeing to abandon the tour on security grounds. Local newspapers lambasted the tourists on Thursday in a series of articles, which called captain Mark Boucher and his team ”chickens”.
Sri Lanka’s cricket chiefs and media slammed South Africa on Thursday for pulling out of the tri-series as India looked forward to playing three matches against the hosts. The Proteas abandoned the tri-series on Wednesday, saying ”the current risk to the team is at an unacceptable level” following a blast near their hotel on Monday.
South Africa have pulled out of the limited-overs tri-series against India and hosts Sri Lanka due to security concerns after a deadly bombing, a Sri Lankan cricket official said on Wednesday. ”South Africa have told us they want to pull out. It is unfortunate but true,” Sri Lanka Cricket media manager Samantha Algama said.
The United Nations children’s agency and Nordic truce monitors on Tuesday rejected Sri Lankan claims that dozens of children killed in an air force bombing raid were child soldiers. A team from the UN children’s fund visited the bombed site and said they had found no evidence to support claims the rebels had been using the facility as a military training centre.
Sri Lanka cricket officials announced on Tuesday that the first one-day international of the triangular series with South Africa and India has been postponed. South Africa are on the verge of pulling out of the series over heightened security fears following a bomb blast in Colombo on Monday.
Sri Lankan cricket officials said security concerns following Monday’s bombing in the capital won’t stop the cricket tri-series, but South Africa indicated they may pull out of the tour. At least seven people, including four army commandos, were killed and several others were wounded when a rickshaw packed with explosives blew up.
South Africa’s cricket team on Sunday ridiculed suggestions they had nicknamed Muslim teammate Hashim Amla a ”terrorist”, a jibe that cost Dean Jones his television job. Jones, a former Australian Test star, was sacked as a commentator last week after being heard on air saying ”the terrorist has got another wicket”.
South Africa hope several of their key players recover from injuries before the triangular series with Sri Lanka and India begins next Monday. The South Africans, keen to make amends after their 2-0 Test series defeat by Sri Lanka, have concerns over the fitness of pace bowler Makhaya Ntini, all-rounder Shaun Pollock and captain Mark Boucher.
Sri Lankans can’t wait to welcome back a fit-again Sachin Tendulkar as India arrive in Colombo on Thursday night to play a tri-series also featuring South Africa. Tendulkar, arguably the most prolific batsman in history, returns to the Indian team after being out of action since March due to shoulder surgery.
Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene stroked a superb 123 to guide his team to a dramatic one-wicket victory against South Africa on the final day of the second Test on Tuesday, taking the series 2-0. Sri Lanka, resuming the day on 262-5 and needing 90 more runs, appeared to be on the brink of victory at lunch needing just 19.
Sri Lanka’s captain Mahela Jayawardene hit an unbeaten 117 to leave the hosts on the doorstep of victory in the second and final cricket Test against South Africa in Colombo on Tuesday. Sri Lanka, facing a stiff victory target of 352, reached 333-6 by lunch on the final day, needing just 19 runs more with four wickets in hand.
Skipper Mahela Jayawardene and veteran Sanath Jayasuriya hit aggressive half-centuries to push Sri Lanka closer to a remarkable victory in the second Test against South Africa in Colombo on Monday. Jayasuriya smashed 73 off 74 balls and Jayawardene was unbeaten on 77 as Sri Lanka ended a tense fourth day’s play on 262-5.
Muttiah Muralitharan equalled his own world record of four consecutive 10-wicket hauls as Sri Lanka were set 352 to win the second cricket Test against South Africa in Colombo on Monday. The prolific off-spinner, who claimed five wickets in the first innings, finished with 7-97 in the second as South Africa were bowled out for 311 in the first hour of the fourth day’s play at the Sara Oval.
South Africa opener Herschelle Gibbs scored 92 to put his team in a commanding position against Sri Lanka on the third day of the second Test on Sunday. South Africa, who hit 361 in the first innings and bowled Sri Lanka out for 321, reached tea on 161-4 to pad their lead to 201 runs.
Youngsters Chamara Kapugedera and Prasanna Jayawardene sparked a Sri Lankan batting revival after South Africa threatened to run away with the second cricket Test in Colombo on Saturday. The duo put on 105 for the sixth wicket after a four-wicket haul by South Africa’s Makhaya Ntini reduced the hosts to 86-5 before lunch.
South Africa’s pace spearhead Makhaya Ntini destroyed Sri Lanka’s top order with a four-wicket haul on the second morning of the second cricket Test in Colombo on Saturday. Sri Lanka, who bowled South Africa out for 361 off the penultimate over of the first day, went to lunch on the second day at the Sara Oval struggling at 98-5.
Stand-in captain Ashwell Prince and AB de Villiers scored undefeated fifties to guide South Africa to a healthy 231 for four wickets at tea on the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka on Friday. Coming together with their side in trouble on 70-4, the pair dominated the afternoon with an aggressive unbroken 161-run partnership.
Sri Lanka pace bowler Lasith Malinga starred with the new ball as South Africa struggled to 113 for four at lunch on the opening day of the second Test on Friday. Malinga dismissed opener Andrew Hall for a duck and left-hander Jacques Rudolph (13) during a fiery seven-over burst with the new ball at P Saravanamuttu Oval.
South Africa are set for another agonising battle when the second and final Test against Sri Lanka starts on Friday at off-spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan’s home club. The Sara Oval at the Tamil Union Club, where Muralitharan plays his domestic cricket, is regarded as a spinners’ haven tailor-made for the prolific star.
South Africa’s veteran all-rounder Shaun Pollock returns for the second Test against Sri Lanka on Friday with a war cry to teammates to rise from despair and defeat. The 33-year-old missed the first Test, which Sri Lanka won by an innings and 153 runs, to be by wife Trish’s side for the birth of their second daughter.
South Africa on Tuesday tried to unravel the mystery that has confounded the cricket world for years — how to stop Muttiah Muralitharan from taking wickets. The search drew a blank although Proteas coach Mickey Arthur insisted his batsmen had started to play the Sri Lankan spin wizard ”better and better”.
South Africa’s cricket selectors on Monday named wicket-keeper Mark Boucher as captain for the limited-overs tri-series against India and hosts Sri Lanka next month. Boucher will lead a 14-man squad for the August 14 to 29 event, replacing Ashwell Prince who is captain for the ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka in place of the injured Graeme Smith.
At least nine soldiers and 35 Tamil rebels were killed on Monday in a major battle for control of a disputed waterway in north-eastern Sri Lanka, defence officials said. Nine troopers, including an officer, were killed in mortar bombs attacks while another 15 soldiers were wounded, officials said.
Muttiah Muralitharan took six second-innings wickets and 10 in the match to propel Sri Lanka to a crushing innings and 153-run win over South Africa in the first cricket Test. Resuming Monday on 311-4, South Africa were dismissed for 434 in the middle session of the final day.
Seam-bowler Dilhara Fernando and Muttiah Muralitharan took two wickets a piece on Sunday to boost Sri Lanka’s chances of a win in the first cricket Test against South Africa. Resuming day four at 43 without loss in its second innings, South Africa progressed to 311 for four wickets at stumps on the fourth day.
Mahela Jayawardene smashed the fourth-highest Test score of 374 and shared a world record stand of 624 with Kumar Sangakkara as Sri Lanka battered South Africa in the first Test on Saturday. The batting feast at the Sinhalese Sports Club saw Sri Lanka pile up a mammoth 756-5 declared in reply to South Africa’s modest 169 to gain a match-winning lead of 587 runs.
Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene pulverised South Africa’s bowling with double centuries during a 471-run unbroken stand in the first Test on Friday. The overnight pair batted through the entire second day’s play as Sri Lanka amassed 485-2 in their first innings by stumps, a lead of 316 over South Africa’s meagre first innings total of 169.
Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene flogged the South African attack on the second morning to put Sri Lanka in command of the first cricket Test in Colombo on Friday. The left-handed Sangakkara scored his 10th Test century and captain Jayawardene was one run away from his 15th as Sri Lanka piled up 227-2 by lunch on the second day in reply to South Africa’s 169.
Muttiah Muralitharan and Dilhara Fernando combined to bowl out South Africa for 169, their lowest total against Sri Lanka, on the opening day of the first cricket Test on Thursday. The pace-spin duo claimed four wickets each as the depleted South Africans were shot out at the stroke of tea on an even-paced wicket at the Sinhalese Sports Club.
Injury-hit South Africa received unexpected support for the first Test against Sri Lanka starting in Colombo on Thursday from the man likely to cause them the biggest headache. Sri Lanka’s prolific spinner Muttiah Muralitharan said the Proteas will be tough to beat in the two-match series despite being crippled by the absence of three key players, including captain Graeme Smith.