While India-Sri Lanka have often been high-scoring run fests, the Under-19 World Cup semi-final between the two sides will be determined by their bowling

The Preview by Mohammad Isam08-Feb-2016

Match facts

Tuesday, February 9, 2016Start time 0900 local (0300 GMT)India Under-19s will look to Avesh Khan to provide early breakthroughs•International Cricket Council

Big picture

India-Sri Lanka contests, at all levels, have often been about their batsmen and one team outscoring the other in run fests. This time however, the clash between the India Under-19s and the Sri Lanka Under-19s could come down to their respective bowling attacks and India’s pace or Sri Lanka’s spin could well end up determining the outcome of the 2016 Under-19 World Cup’s first semi-final.The ability of India quick bowler Avesh Khan to bring his side an early breakthrough could make or break this game. If the Sri Lankan opening batsmen can withstand Avesh’s barrage of short balls or make their way past his full deliveries, the contest will be quite open. The game will also be about how the Indian batsmen take on Sri Lanka’s own barrage of spinners.Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka has said that India can expect to face a lot of spin bowling, and Sri Lanka will stick to spin which is their strength. India can handle spin bowling well but it will be interesting to see how they smother the likes of legspinner Wanidu Hasaranga and the left-arm spinner Damith Silva.The spotlight will also be on the captains, Asalanka and Ishan Kishan, particularly the latter who hasn’t made as many runs as he would have liked. Kishan, however, can rely on Sarfaraz Khan or Rishabh Pant to give his team the batting platform. India’s familiarity with the tracks in Mirpur – they played all four league games here, while Sri Lanka have played two – will also work in their favour.Sri Lanka will be India’s second Full Member opposition in the tournament so far and Asalanka has already said his team have an edge having beaten an opposition England in the quarter-final.

Form guide

India: WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka: WLWWL

Strengths

India have shown the ability to score quickly. They have so far put up scores at run rates of 5.36, 5.16, 9.63 and 6.98 in their four matches respectively. Even if they lose wickets early, India haven’t held back their stroke-play. Of the players who have batted for them, six have a strike rate of over 100, while four have batted at a strike rate of more than 90.Sri Lanka’s bowling depth has shown the potential to keep them in contests for long. After a bit of medium-pace from Asitha Fernando, Asalanka brings out his full catalogue of spinners – offspin, legspin and slow left-arm orthodox. For most of the innings, whether in the Powerplays or in the death overs, they have had spinners in operation and, so far, it has been effective.Charith Asalanka has led Sri Lanka Under-19s from the front, with consistent knocks•International Cricket Council

Star performers

While Rishabh Pant has been Man of the Match in India’s last two games, Sarfaraz Khan has been the most prolific batsman for the side in the tournament so far. He walked in during two tight situations against New Zealand and Ireland, and scored 74 each time. He is the team’s second-highest scorer so far with 245 runs, only seven behind Pant’s tally of 252.Charith Asalanka has led from the front with his runs in the middle-order and tight off-breaks. He has, however, fallen twice in the seventies, a statistic he would like to correct against India. Ahead of the tournament, he had said he held the responsibility of bringing the trophy back home and is two wins away from realizing that dream.

Key player

Avesh Khan has been India’s best bowler on show. He has mostly clocked over 130 kph and has found movement whenever he has pitched it up to the batsmen. He also bowled a few short deliveries at the batsmen’s bodies, to get them to play awkward pulls. Having already taken nine wickets, India will now hope that he can remove the Sri Lankan top order cheaply.The leg-spinner Wanidu Hasaranga has taken a wicket every 30 balls for Sri Lanka, and is their joint highest-wicket taker with seven wickets at a bowling average of 15.71. He has bowled with freedom, either giving the ball some air or bowling it slightly fuller and flatter. He took 3 for 34 against England in the quarter-final, and Sri Lanka will hope that he can get the legbreaks to grip on the Mirpur pitch.

Underperformers

Ishan Kishan has made only 62 runs in four innings, including a half-century. Three low scores don’t necessarily suggest a batsman out of form but the India captain has given it away at times and would like to remedy that in the semi-final.Allrounder Shammu Ashan made 74 in Sri Lanka’s first game against Canada Under-19s but since made 3, 1 and 5 not out. In October last year, he made a century and an unbeaten 75 against Pakistan Under-19s and much is expected from him. His offspin has rarely been used, but he took 1 for 20 in six overs against England in the quarter-final.

Pitch and conditions

The Mirpur pitches during this tournament have often played slow but there has been bounce. The tracks have not worn out too quickly, so chasing can still be a choice for the captain who wins the toss. In the six matches of the World Cup held at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, so far, three teams have won batting first.

Quotes

“It doesn’t matter what’s the name or the man. We just play the ball. It is like playing another big game for us. We will play our cricket.”

“Pressure is there for everyone because this is not an easy level for cricketers. It is the Under-19 World Cup.”

Defending champions Sri Lanka exited the World T20 with defeat in their final appearance, meaning South Africa left with a consolation win in a contest that lacked intensity

The Report by Firdose Moonda28-Mar-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details 3:13

Jayawardene: SL’s youngsters no more an excuse

Defending champions Sri Lanka exited the World T20 with defeat in their final appearance. Instead, it was South Africa who left with a consolation win in a contest that lacked intensity as they eased past their opponents, first by restricting Sri Lanka to a small score, and then by clinically chasing it down.For the first time in this World T20, South Africa’s attack had enough slow-bowling options – the two specialist spinners Aaron Phangiso and Imran Tahir, as well as the part-timer Farhaan Behardien – to strangle Sri Lanka’s spin-proficient line-up, minus the injured captain Angelo Mathews. South Africa’s bowlers left their batsmen a target of 121 and, with the ever-calm Hashim Amla as anchor, they had few problems reaching it.But the victory will not gloss over the bigger picture and South Africa will still have questions to answer about their performances in earlier matches. Sri Lanka will face the same scrutiny and have the added worry of a new niggle. Lahiru Thirimanne was helped off the field in the 11th over with what seemed like a hamstring strain. Dale Steyn, who spent much of South Africa’s summer on the sidelines, may sympathise with him.After sitting out the last two matches, Steyn was back to lead South Africa’s attack. He found early movement, but strayed down the leg side in his first over and came under attack in his second. Dilshan brought out his signature scoop to send Steyn to the boundary before Chandimal hooked and drove with power. With Kyle Abbott doing a decent job at the other end, Faf du Plessis’ only choice was to take Steyn out of the attack.He brought on Aaron Phangiso and at first, it seemed a strange decision. Dilshan would not be tied down by the left-arm spinner, as the batsman slog-swept and charged Phangiso. Chandimal aimed to do the same, but the stand-in Sri Lanka captain’s attempt failed when he played for turn to one that stayed straight and Phangiso snuck through the bat-pad gap and onto the stumps.Phangiso’s next delivery did not turn either but Thirimanne, who has been in wretched form, was drawn into the drive and missed. In the space of two balls, Sri Lanka’s innings was derailed, South Africa were in control and Phangiso was on a hat-trick.Having seen success through spin, South Africa continued with it and Tahir was brought on in the Powerplay. Dilshan and Milinda Siriwardana were forced to be more watchful. In frustration, Siriwardana tried to force a single off Phangiso but chanced the arm of du Plessis to his peril. South Africa dragged Sri Lanka back from a speedy start – after 45 runs came off the first five overs, only 32 came off the next five.To strangle them further, Behardien was asked to bowl and his pace off the ball drew Shehan Jayasuriya into a uppish drive to gift du Plessis a catch in the covers. Behardien proved his shrewdness when he had Dilshan trapped lbw and Tahir followed up by bowling Chamara Kapugedera with a googly in a four-over period during which South Africa conceded just 14 runs.Sri Lanka enjoyed some reprieve when Steyn returned but even not at his best, he had some joy. Steyn was doing his best to get the ball to stick in the pitch and when he did, Thisara Perera was drawn into a stroke early and offered a catch to cover. Sri Lanka were seven down and had yet to reach 100 with four overs left. Dasun Shanaka tried to accelerate, but he ran out of partners before the innings was up.If Sri Lanka suspected they did not have enough runs, South Africa’s start, even against spin, would have confirmed that. Quinton de Kock threw his bat at two of the first three deliveries, bowled by Jayasuriya, and found the boundary both times. But his haste was short-lived. In the next over, de Kock wanted a single that Amla had no interest in, and was run out.The early breakthrough gave Sri Lanka some hope and Chandimal played his hand early. Rangana Herath bowled the third over and Amla and du Plessis treated him with requisite respect, but where they could, they scored. Amla used his wrists to whip Herath off his toes and to the boundary, easing the pressure on du Plessis, who took his time to settle.Three overs went by without a boundary before du Plessis swept Herath and then Vandersay to keep South Africa on track. South Africa’s slow-burn was only ignited when du Plessis was given out lbw off Lakmal and the batsman showed some irritation to indicate he thought the ball had met the toe-end of the bat. However, the Feroz Shah Kotla crowd did not mind seeing the end of him, as the wicket brought AB de Villiers to the crease.”AB, AB,” resonated around the stadium, even though their favourite player operated largely in a supporting role. De Villiers was a spectator as Amla brought up 1000 T20I runs and his second fifty of the tournament, but there was still a bit for him to do. De Villiers struck a six off Shanaka before hitting the winning runs in similar style off Lakmal, with 2.2 overs to spare.

At the mid-point of this, their first home game of the campaign, Kent look well set for their first victory against their winless opposition

ECB Reporters Network02-May-2016
ScorecardDarren Stevens was one of four Kent players to pass 50 (file photo)•Getty Images

Dogged by bad weather and unplayable conditions that wiped out six of their first eight days action in this summer’s County Championship, Kent have seemingly decided to take their frustrations out on Glamorgan. At the mid-point of this, their first home game of the campaign, Kent look well set for their first victory against their winless opposition.After banking a 224-run first innings lead and five batting bonus points, Kent picked up the wicket of Jacques Rudolph for a duck in the final half-hour of the day leaving the visitors on 16 for 1 at stumps and facing a mountain to climb simply to save the game.Resuming on their overnight score of 124 without loss, Kent batted on throughout the majority of a cloudy and chilly Bank Holiday Monday, with Tom Latham, Joe Denly, Darren Stevens and Mitch Claydon adding half-centuries to the one Daniel Bell-Drummond scored on Sunday.After an opening stand of 131, their best for three seasons, Kent lost overseas player Latham and top-scorer Bell-Drummond in quick succession and to near-identical dismissals. Both will have been disappointed by hard-handed, leaden-footed, back-foot pokes that resulted in catches behind the wicket.Two down at lunch, Kent lost 3 for 6 inside six overs after the resumption as Glamorgan’s seamers took advantage of the cloudy overhead conditions. But with the floodlights on, Kent’s middle order began to shine in the form of an enterprising sixth-wicket stand of 78 between Stevens and understudy keeper Adam Rouse.Stevens broke the stranglehold of Michael Hogan, the pick of Glamorgan’s attack with 4 for 91, and Craig Meschede, with some belligerent hitting on his way to a 58-ball fifty. Stevens hit three sixes, including a mammoth pull shot that landed in the construction site near the Old Dover Road that will become retirement flats by next June. A new ball was needed.Rouse and Stevens fell in quick succession with their side almost 100 ahead, but Kent were by no means finished as Claydon and Matt Coles joined forces to take up Stevens’ mantle.Though he was dropped on 5, Claydon’s lusty back-foot smears resulted in a fourth first-class fifty from 47 balls, while Coles also cleared the ropes in his cameo 29 only to perish to the very next delivery. Swinging his not inconsiderable weight off his own feet, he was almost fully prone by the time his middle stump went cartwheeling.In the day’s final exchanges and with drizzle in the air, Rudolph pushed hesitantly inside the line of a Stevens’ legcutter to feather a catch to the keeper and depart without scoring. The rain strengthened forcing an early finish to spare Glamorgan from further punishment.

When Colin Graves drew opprobrium in the shires for describing the T20 Blast as ‘mediocre’, this is surely the T20 Blast he had in mind

Will Macpherson at Merchant Taylors' School02-Jun-2016
ScorecardChris Dent put Gloucestershire on course before a tight finish•Getty Images

When Colin Graves drew opprobrium in the shires for describing the T20 Blast as ‘mediocre’, this is surely the T20 Blast he had in mind.In some ways, Graves was just oh so depressingly right. As hard as Middlesex toiled to make this fixture work, the weather was so cold that umpire Neil Mallender wore gloves, the light so terrible that it seemed a miracle that the game was completed and, consequently, a crowd of a tick over 2,100 – in the circumstances, a success – showed up.As with this competition as a whole, just too much was left to the chance of a sunny evening to be an adequate spectator experience. And, given not a soul was able to watch on TV (the broadcasters’ sole contribution was sending a single camera), the spectator experience is all that matters. When a sluggish pitch and a Neil Shipperley-paced outfield were thrown in, as pretty and quaint as all this was, it did not really feel like T20 cricket at all; one senses that this is not quite what Stuart Robertson had in mind when he founded the format 13 years ago. The Big Bash was not looking north green-eyed.Such are the perils of a 135-game season. Yet take a look at the talent on display, particularly in Middlesex’s top order but also in Gloucestershire’s workmanlike side, and it is clear how much the Blast had going for it. Brendon McCullum, making his debut for the club, Dawid Malan and Eoin Morgan all failed, yet – having, inevitably, given the light, elected to bat – still cobbled together a score good enough to take the game to the penultimate ball thanks to half-centuries from Paul Stirling and Adam Voges.The hardy folk who came to see McCullum bat got five balls worth of value. He nudged the first two – with the crowd utterly silent – into the offside, defended the third, then smashed the fourth against a strong wind over cow for six; just as the party had started, though, he toed into the legside – losing his bat in the process – and Graeme van Buuren ran round to take a return catch. Three balls later, Michael Klinger, back-peddling from slip, took a fine diving catch to dismiss Malan.Stirling immediately found his flow, pulling Andrew Tye’s first ball for six and cutting powerfully, but Morgan was more watchful. After a series of hard-run singles, Morgan hoicked Tom Smith for six, but tamely clothed the excellent Benny Howell to long-off next ball. Stirling and Voges got to work, with the former hitting van Buuren for a straight six, then cover driving Howell. He became the third Middlesex batsman to get out a ball after clearing the ropes, skying Howell to the wicketkeeper.Voges, who finished unbeaten on 52, manned a rather chaotic ending, joined briefly by some lusty slogger Toby Roland-Jones, who was twice dropped at cover by Klinger, before becoming Tye’s second victim, caught at third man. The next two balls, the last of the innings, saw James Fuller and Harry Podmore run out. As Stirling said after, 159 seemed par, but nothing more.Roland-Jones ensured Middlesex’s defence got off to the perfect start, bowling Klinger in his first over and having Hamish Marshall caught at point in his second. Iain Cockbain and Chris Dent settled in, however, to share 65 and appeared to be breezing home. Cockbain was strong through midwicket, particularly to Ravi Patel’s spin, while Dent twice turned the seamers through square leg for four.When Cockbain sent Franklin straight down long-on’s throat, Dent charged on in the sprightly company of Howell, before being brilliantly stumped by John Simpson off Stirling. From there, with Howell skying to Patel off his own bowling and Jack Taylor superbly worked by the rather wild and ragged Fuller, who let a beamer slip, fell in consecutive overs to keep Middlesex, whose fielding had become ragged, interested.So to the final over, with barely any light remaining, and nine required. Podmore found three perfect deliveries, but Gareth Roderick then sliced past a diving point and clipped sweetly to leg for a handsome six to seal Gloucestershire’s eighth consecutive T20 win over Middlesex. The finish, for those who could see it through the gloom, was not so mediocre at all.

Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha has said that playing in England will be a steep learning experience for left-arm quick Mustafizur Rahman to develop as a bowler

Mohammad Isam02-Jun-2016Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha has said that playing in England will be a steep learning experience for left-arm quick Mustafizur Rahman to develop as a bowler.Last month it was learned that Mustafizur had expressed reluctance to those close to him of going to England to play for Sussex soon after completing the IPL season. He also suffered a low-grade right hamstring injury towards the end of the tournament in India but it is not being considered a big problem. Sussex too have been keen on having him over, albeit a little later.”If you want to improve the performance, you have to play in those conditions,” Hathurusingha said. “[If] you don’t go there, you don’t know. Bangladesh cricket will be benefited. Mustafiz will develop quickly and perform well. So if it is not going to harm his health, I think it is a good thing for him to go and play. It is a rare opportunity for Bangladeshi players to play there [in England]. If I can send four players I will send them all. It is the best way to do it.”Hathurusingha’s statement is by far the strongest push for Mustafizur to honour his contract with Sussex, who signed him in March this year, to play in the NatWest T20 Blast and the Royal London One Day Cup this season.Hathurusingha, who arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday evening after his vacation at home in Melbourne, said that while Mustafizur’s next challenge would be to do well in Tests, he would also have to be taken care of, now that many batsmen around the world are seeing more of his bowling.”He has played two Test matches and became Man of the Match in one with four wickets,” Hathurusingha said. “At the start it is impressive but as you said it is going to be a challenge. He has to be fit, we have to look after him.”We all know that his mystery is going to be found out very soon, so at the same time I am looking forward to his cricketing intelligence. So we will find ways for him to be competitive. Our challenge is look after him and develop him and keep him in the pack to play for Bangladesh.”

Birmingham Bears maintained their progress towards a home quarter-final with a comfortable victory against the Leicestershire Foxes

ECB Reporters Network24-Jun-2016
ScorecardKevin O’Brien’s run out was a blow for Leicestershire [file picture]•Getty Images

Birmingham Bears maintained their progress towards a home quarter-final with a comfortable victory against the Leicestershire Foxes.Put in by Ian Bell after the Bears’ skipper won the toss, the Foxes struggled to come to terms with the pitch from the start of their innings. Captain Mark Pettini was first to, skying an attempted forcing shot high over extra cover. Sam Hain turned and, running back towards the boundary, held a well-judged running catch.Mark Cosgrove went in the next over, playing too soon at a well-pitched up delivery from Rikki Clarke and chipping a simple catch to midwicket, and the home team could ill-afford Kevin O’Brien running himself soon afterwards. Cameron Delport dug out a yorker from Mark Adair, and looked up to see O’Brien charging towards him. The startled South African sent the Irishman back, but having gone at least three-quarters of the way down the wicket, O’Brien had no chance of beating Adair’s throw when the young seamer picked up the ball, turned, and hit middle stump.A 20 minute rain break gave Delport and Umar Akmal time to think about their approach, but soon after the re-start the left-handed Delport drove at Adair without any conviction and gave Clarke a straightforward low catch at extra cover.With the score 25 for 4 the Foxes were in deep trouble, and it looked to have worsened when Akmal swept Jeetan Patel to deep midwicket where Hain, running in from the boundary, looked to have held a low catch. Akmal waited for the decision though, and to the Bears dismay, umpires David Millns and Billy Taylor decided they could not be sure the catch had been held before the ball had touched the ground.Lewis Hill slog swept Recordo Gordon high over midwicket for six, and with Akmal, had compiled a partnership of 53 for Leicestershire’s fifth wicket when he tried a scoop Adair down to fine third man – a shot he had played successful two balls earlier – and succeeded only in lifting the ball straight into the gloves of Luke Ronchi behind the stumps.Akmal quickly followed, a leading edge off Jeetan Patel flying high towards backward point where Ateeq Javid held the catch to leave the Foxes on 80 for 6 in the fifteenth over. Tom Wells and Neil Dexter took the score on to 116, including 18 from a Gordon over, before Dexter holed out off the same bowler, and though Wells continued to hit hard, with the ball not coming on to the bat, could only take the Foxes up to a total of 125 for 7.Captain Bell then lead the way for the Bears, compiling an opening partnership of 51 in under six overs with Sam Hain to give his side an outstanding start to their reply.Hain lost nothing in comparison, hitting four beautifully timed boundaries before cutting O’Brien chest-high to Akmal at point. When Will Porterfield was bowled by Ben Raine soon afterwards, a delivery which seamed past the outside edge to hit off-stump, the Foxes might have thought they were back in the game, and they might have been so had Laurie Evans not survived a caught behind shout off Raine before he had scored.With time in hand, however, Evans could afford to play himself in, and having done so, the hard-hitting right-hander accelerated impressively, catching his captain and then taking the Bears home by hitting O’Brien for consecutive boundaries and then a straight six, going to his half-century in the process.

Jerome Taylor, the West Indies fast bowler, had retired from Test cricket, according to the WICB

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jul-2016Jerome Taylor, the West Indies fast bowler, has retired from Test cricket, according to the WICB. Taylor, who took 130 wickets in 46 Tests over 13 years, will continue to be available for selection in the ODI and T20I formats.He will play for St Lucia Zouks in the remainder of the 2016 Caribbean Premier League and is expected to be available for their match on July 17.Taylor, 32, played his last Test in Sydney at the start of the year and was left out of the squad to play India after giving “formal notification” of his decision to retire, the board said in a release.Rapid and with a natural outswinger, Taylor made his international debut as an 18-year-old against Sri Lanka in 2003, having impressed in domestic cricket for Jamaica. Injuries prevented him reaching his full potential, however, and he spent almost five years out of the Test side between 2009 and 2014.His finest hour came on his home ground, when he took 5 for 11 to help dismiss England for 51 on the way to an innings victory in 2009. His best innings figures – 6 for 47 against Australia in 2015 – and match haul – 9 for 95 against India in 2006 – also came at at Sabina Park. He was dangerous enough as a batsman to thrash a hundred from No. 10 against New Zealand in 2008.Despite injury problems that at one point meant he played two domestic T20s in a 32-month period, Taylor returned to good effect in 2014, playing another 17 Tests. He took six wickets against England in Barbados last year to help West Indies win the match and secure a 1-1 draw.That was his last involvement in a Test victory, however, and after taking two wickets in three Tests against Australia on West Indies’ 2015-16 tour, he has decided to focus on limited-overs cricket.

Leicestershire have confirmed that Graeme Welch is joining the club as assistant coach at the end of the 2016 season.

George Dobell05-Sep-2016Leicestershire have confirmed that Graeme Welch is joining the club as assistant coach at the end of the 2016 season.Welch will work alongside Pierre de Bruyn, who was recently confirmed as the club’s new head coach, replacing Andrew McDonald who is returning to Australia.After a long career in the county game as an allrounder with Warwickshire and Derbyshire, Welch had spells as bowling coach at Essex and Warwickshire before becoming the head coach at Derbyshire ahead of the 2014 season. He quit that post in June of this year after what is believed to have been a disagreement over interference into team selection from outside the dressing room.He has a particularly strong reputation as a bowling coach and worked with England Lions ahead of their series against Pakistan A in Dubai at the start of the year.”Graeme will be a fantastic assistant for Pierre with his tremendous experience of county cricket as both a player and coach,” Wasim Khan, the Leicestershire chief executive, said.Leicestershire have also announced the signings of batsman Harry Dearden and seamer Gavin Griffiths, both of whom emerged through the Lancashire system, and seam-bowling allrounder Will Fazakerley, who graduates from the club’s academy having previously impressed with Guernsey and in the Sussex youth system. Cameron Delport has also been re-signed for the 2017 white ball season.

Pink ball cricket will mark its debut in Sri Lanka when the first unofficial Test between Sri Lanka A and West Indies A commences at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday

Sa'adi Thawfeeq03-Oct-2016Pink-ball cricket will mark its debut in Sri Lanka when the first unofficial Test between Sri Lanka A and West Indies A commences at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday.”We have been lagging behind other countries in experimenting with the pink ball, but a start had to be made somewhere,” Sri Lanka Cricket vice-president K Mathivanan said. “With the ICC planning to introduce day-night Test cricket in the near future we should be prepared to face the changes and not lag behind.”Sri Lanka currently use the Australian Kookaburra ball in their domestic tournaments. Mathivanan said the pink ball costed as much as the red ball, priced at LKR 16,000. SLC is also likely to use the pink ball in their forthcoming domestic competition.Sri Lanka A captain Dimuth Karunaratne felt the pink ball doesn’t differ drastically as compared to the red ball. “We have had few practice sessions with the pink ball and found it very much similar to the red ball,” he said. “But with use, pink ball gets a bit strange and the colour fades.”Shamarh Brooks, the West Indies A captain, said the experience of having played with the pink ball should help. “The balls we use in the Caribbean are a bit light in colour, these balls are brighter,” he observed.Pink ball trial aside, the series will also help Sri Lanka’s national selector identify players who can make the Test cut ahead of the tour of Zimbabwe in October-November.Among those fighting for the opening slot are Karunaratne, Roshen Silva and Lahiru Thirimanne. “I think we have a strong team with some drop outs from the national squad. So this is a great chance for all of them to regain their form and perform well for the country,” Karunaratne said, while sidestepping the question about competition for places.Sri Lanka A coach Avishka Gunawardene said the priority was to identify a battery of fast bowlers. “The Zimbabwe and South African tours are coming and we have to find more fast bowlers so we will focus more on the fast bowlers during this series as that is the national side’s need of the hour,” he said. “We have a good balanced side including Under-19 players who performed well at the last Under-19 World Cup.”West Indies will play three four-day matches and three one-dayers during their month-long stay.

Lewis Hatchett, the Sussex left-arm pace bowler, has announced his retirement on medical advice having defied the odds to have a professional career

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2016Lewis Hatchett, the Sussex left-arm pace bowler, has announced his retirement on medical advice after having defied the odds to have a professional career.Hatchett, 26, was born with Poland Syndrome, a condition which appears in only one in 100,000 births, and leads to problems down one side of the body. For Hatchett it meant he was missing his right pectoral muscle and two ribs, leading to a weak delivery arm and a right shoulder that sits higher than his left, causing sharp pain after a day’s play. Yet he overcame those obstacles to have a six-year career with Sussex.But his 2016 season was curtailed by a lower-back injury that forced to an end to his career.”It is with great sadness that I have to announce my retirement from professional cricket due to injury,” he said. “Following medical advice, my long-term health is most important to me and I have to listen to my body.”To have to end my career in this way has been devastating, but to play six years at my home county has been a dream come true.”I will forever be proud that I managed to realise my dream of playing for Sussex and considering the journey I have had, fills me with further pride.”I’ve met some incredible people throughout my career, especially at Sussex. I’ve made friends for life through this sport and it was a huge honour to wear the Martlets on my chest every time I played. I wish the team all the success in the future and will watch fondly.”Finally, I will forever be grateful to my parents for their support all throughout my career, from a young age even to this day. I could not have done it without them. And to my brother, Bradley, for not only his support but for all the fond memories from playing cricket in the garden as kids to playing together at club level.”Hatchett took 72 first-class wickets at 35.08 along with 19 in List A matches and 11 in T20s. In what would become his penultimate first-class match, against Derbyshire in May, he claimed 5 for 58.In an interview with the in July, where he spoke for the first time about his condition, Hatchett said: “Getting told I was getting a full-time contract was like my ultimate goal being achieved – I don’t think I have ever been happier than that day. There were times when I had doubts as to whether I was doing the right thing and injuries did, and still do, take a lot to come back from. But if my career ends tomorrow I will be happy with what I have achieved. I have made myself into a professional cricketer.”Sussex’s head coach Mark Davis said: “I would like to congratulate Hatch on everything he has achieved at Sussex. He is somebody that despite real challenges has made the most of himself as a county cricketer.”Lewis will be successful at whatever he chooses to do post-cricket, due to his extraordinary work ethic and drive. I wish him all the best for the future.”