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South Africa made heavy weather of chasing down Sri Lanka’s disappointing total of 109 for 9 in their final warm-up match at Lord’s ahead of next week’s ICC World Twenty20, but they eventually eased home with five balls and six wickets to spare.

Naveed Nawaz, the former Sri Lankan batsman, and consultant coach to the women’s national cricket team, has come to the conclusion that if the women’s game is to make any headway in Sri Lanka, it must be taught at the grass-roots level and not at the ages of 19 or 20 as is the case [...]

India and Pakistan’s eagerly anticipation clash at The Oval tomorrow has been designated as a “Catch the Spirit” match by the ICC, a fundraiser to help support families of the victims of the attack on the Sri Lanka team and officials in Lahore in March.

Chamari Polgampola feels her team will adapt better to Twenty20 than the ODI format.

Sri Lanka women’s coach Chitral Mendis was optimistic about the team’s chances, despite concerns.

Kumar Sangakkara, on Tuesday, did what every good captain should by offering unqualified support to a team-mate down on his luck. But, at some level, Sri Lanka must harbour concern for Sanath Jayasuriya, the one-time Howitzer of international limited-overs cricket, whose firepower has been notably subdued in recent months.

Sri Lanka threatened to squander what appeared an easy chase against a charged-up Bangladesh attack, but came through by four wickets with two balls to spare at Trent Bridge. Mahela Jayawardene, with a classy 43, kept his cool after Sri Lanka’s openers failed to ignite but it was left to Chamara Silva and Angelo Mathews [...]

Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara believes his team is now mentally prepared to return to international cricket following the Lahore bus attack on March 3, but admitted that some apprehensions still remain, as shown by the recent decision to withdraw from a speaking engagement in Oxford due to security fears.

Less than three months after their team bus came under terrorist gunfire in Lahore, members of the Sri Lankan cricket team have withdrawn from a scheduled visit to Oxford due to security concerns.

Sangakkara feels T20 cricket presents less pressure than Tests and One-day cricket. .

The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka ordered the state to pay Arjuna Ranatunga, the former Sri Lanka interim committee chairman, SLR 100,000 (US$ 869) in compensation after he was sacked by sports minister Gamini Lokuge last year.

The World Cup 2011, to be held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, is expected to cost the ICC between US$40 million to $50 million according to reports.

The Sri Lankan team have signed a whopping US$4.85 million sponsorship deal with the country’s mobile service provider Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel for the next four years. The sponsorship will take effect from the ICC World Twenty20 in England next month.

The domestic Twenty20 winners of West Indies, Sri Lanka and New Zealand, as well as Delhi Daredevils, will also get an opportunity to participate in the inaugural Champions Twenty20 League, to be held from October 8-23 in India, just after the Champions Trophy.

Confusion continues over the next staging of the Afro- Asia Cup after it emerged that it was being touted it would be held in Nairobi between July 19 and 25.

Pakistan has put forward two options as it strives to retrieve what benefits it still can from the 2011 World Cup. In a meeting with Sri Lanka board counterparts, Ijaz Butt, the Pakistan board chairman, suggested a swap for World Cups or for the subcontinent boards to jointly ask the ICC to reconsider stripping Pakistan [...]

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has decided to give a three-month cooling off period to its ICL contracted players before they can be accepted into the system, provided they cut off all ties with the unofficial Twenty20 league.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) will be sending its security consultant Lawrence Fernando to England on May 17 to assess and report on the security measures in place for next month’s World Twenty20.

Cricket has become an Asian Games sport after it was approved by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on Wednesday. It will make its debut in Guangzhou in 2010 with India and Pakistan pledging to send their best available teams.

Batsman Indika de Saram has forced his way into the Sri Lanka ICC World Twenty20 squad and is going to do whatever he can to keep himself at the top.

Bangladesh Under-19 won the dead rubber as well, thus sending their Sri Lankan counterparts home with a 4-1 series defeat. Starring with the first century of the five-match series was Amit Majumder, whose 109 was a key component of Bangladesh’s successful chase of 228.

The SLC will hold an important interim committee meeting on Thursday to decide on the future of ICL-contracted players.

Sri Lanka selectors have suspended the country’s top three top run-getters in the ICC Women’s World Cup in Australia, as they named a 14-member squad for next month’s Women’s World Twenty20 in England.

A dramatic ninth-wicket stand of 55 between Abul Hasan and Shaker Ahmed helped Bangladesh Under-19 hold on for a nervy victory over Sri Lanka Under-19 with two balls to spare in the fourth ODI at the Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium
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Buoyant after their win yesterday, Bangladesh Under-19 continued strongly to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match encounter. A quick fifty from Saikat Ali coupled with another superb bowling display from Sabbir Rahman saw them assert their supremacy yet again at the Shamsul Huda Stadium.

A stellar effort from the bowlers, coupled with a breezy fifty from wicketkeeper Anamul Haque helped Bangladesh Under-19 draw level in the youth ODI series against Sri Lanka Under-19 at the Shamsul Huda Stadium.

Sri Lanka have included an uncapped 21-year old allrounder, Isuru Udana, and 35-year old batsman Indika de Saram in their 15-man squad for the World Twenty20.

Dinesh Chandimal’s brisk 95 and solid contributions from two other top-order batsmen helped Sri Lanka Under-19 reach a match-winning total in the first youth ODI against Bangladesh Under-19.

Marvan Atapattu is aiming to build a new career as international coach if Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) lifts its sanctions on the country’s ICL players on the lines of the BCCI’s amnesty offer. SLC has said it is yet to discuss the ICL issue, but is keen to welcome the cricketers back into the system.

Kushal Janith Perera made merry on the third day at the Khulna Divisional Stadium as the second Youth Test between Bangladesh Under-19 and Sri Lanka Under-19 ended in a stalemate.

Kings XI Punjab have called up Sri Lankan fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara as an emergency replacement for the injured Australian batsman Shaun Marsh.

A 91-run partnership between Taibur Rahman and Noor Hossain kept Bangladesh Under-19s hopes alive on the second day at the Khulna Divisional Stadium. The unbeaten eighth-wicket partnership buoyed the side after the Sri Lanka U-19 bolwers looked to have given the visitors firm control of the match.

Angelo Perera, Sri Lanka Under-19’s middle-order batsman, rescued his team after a top-order collapse on the first day of the second youth Test against Bangladesh Under-19 in Khulna.

The Sri Lanka Cricket interim committee has decided to increase its number of contracted players to 76 after a meeting on Friday.

Duleep Mendis, the chief executive of Sri Lanka Cricket, does not believe New Zealand need to resort to “Haliburton” measures to ensure the security of their cricket team on the forthcoming tour of the island.

The Lahore attack still weighs heavy on Mahela Jayawardene’s mind, to the extent that he finds it difficult even now to board the team bus while on duty for Kings XI Punjab in the IPL. He considers this part of his recovery process, though even with counseling it hasn’t been an easy experience.

A century from Amit Majumder set Sri Lanka Under-19s a stiff 262-run chase, but openers Dinesh Chandimal and Udara Jayasundera, despite hitting fifties, could manage only 113 in the remaining 28 overs as the first Test at Fatuallah ended in a draw.

Captain Dinesh Chandimal made an unbeaten century to lead Sri Lanka Under-19s resistance against their Bangladesh counterparts on the second day in Fatullah.

Anamul Haque half-century steered Bangladesh Under-19s to a competitive total against on the first day of the first Test against their Sri Lankan counterparts in Fatullah.

Dinesh Chandimal and Banuka Rajapaksha scored brilliant hundreds but Sri Lanka had to be content with a draw in their opening game on the the tour of Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka Under-19 kicked off their tour of Bangladesh with a strong performance on the opening day of their two-day match in Savar.

With the Sri Lankan team having begun their planning for the world Twenty20 almost a month ago, new captain Kumar Sangakkara will be quietly confident of success when they face West Indies and Australia in Group C of the tournament to be held in June.

Meher Mohammad Khalil, the Pakistani driver of the Sri Lankan team bus that came under fire from terrorists in Lahore last month, was honoured at a ceremony in Colombo today.

Isuru Udana, the 21-year old left-arm fast bowler, was the toast of Wayamba after he bowled them to a five-wicket win over Basnahira South in the final of the Inter-Provincial Twenty20 tournament at the SSC.

Batsman Indika de Saram has forced his way into the Sri Lanka ICC World Twenty20 squad with some outstanding performances for Ruhuna in the ongoing Inter-Provincial Twenty20 tournament.

Basnahira South, Wayamba, Kandurata and Ruhuna have qualified for the semi-finals of the Inter-Provincial Twenty20 tournament following the completion of the round robin stage of matches on Tuesday.

Basnahira South, led by Sri Lanka’s stand-in Twenty20 captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, maintained their winning streak in the Inter-Provincial Twenty20 tournament with victories over Basnahira North and Schools Invitation XI over the weekend.

The contracts of Sri Lankan coach Trevor Bayliss and his assistant Paul Farbrace have been extended until the next World Cup in 2011, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) authorities announced on Sunday
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Sri Lankan batsman Angelo Mathews is keen to make most of the opportunity after being selected to represent the Kolkata Knight Riders in the second season of the IPL, which gets underway in South Africa on April 18. .

Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara believes John Buchanan’s idea of having multiple captains in a team is an interesting concept that opens endless possibilities for the game’s future.

The healing continues. After a painful month of reflection and rehabilitation, Sri Lanka’s cricketers are excitedly awaiting the commencement of the IPL, and the opportunity to restore a degree of normalcy to lives upturned by the Lahore terror attacks.

Ruhuna and Basnahira South became the early leaders in the Inter-provincial Twenty20 tournament which began with back-to-back matches on Wednesday.
Ruhuna took the top spot by grabbing an extra bonus point in each of their matches against Schools Invitation XI and Basnahira North.

In-form batsman Angelo Mathews and allrounder Muthumudalige Pushpakumara fashioned a comprehensive three-day victory for Basnahira North in the four-day final against Wayamba played at the R Premadasa Stadium.

Dinesh Chandimal will lead a 15-man under-19 team on a tour of Bangladesh from April 17 to May 10. Sri Lanka will play two Test matches and five limited-over games against the hosts.

The eight teams that participated in the 2009 women’s World Cup will not only play in the World Twenty20 later this year in England but also the 2010 World Twenty20 in West Indies. The ICC confirmed to Cricinfo that the women’s committee had taken the decision at their meeting in Sydney on Friday and Saturday.

Thilan Samaraweera talks about being shot in Lahore, his days in hospital and his determination to return to cricket - and even to Pakistan if needed.

Sri Lanka Cricket has said it will wait for a security report from the IPL before releasing the contracted players to play in the second season which is scheduled to kick off next month.

Nuwan Kulasekara, the Sri Lanka medium-pacer, has moved to the top of the ICC ODI bowler rankings, ahead of Australia’s Nathan Bracken and New Zealand’s Kyle Mills.

A round-up of the fifth round of matches of the 2008-09 Inter-Provincial tournament.

Royal College failed to capitalise on an excellent opening day and the 130th Battle of the Blues at the SSC ended in a draw.