- Angie’s farewell test
- Tharindu Rathnayake debuts for SL
Visiting Bangladesh put on a splendid batting effort on day-1 of the opening Test against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium yesterday (17). The series is scheduled to run a good one month in the island nation comprising 2 Tests, 3 ODI’s and 3 T20I’s spanning across multiple venues. Bangladesh won the toss and elected to take the first lease of the wicket in a batting friendly wicket.
The visitors did not have the best of starts as they were reeling 45/3 before skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim started the hunt for glory. Shanto-Rahim duo steadied the ship as they went into tea with a commanding 182/3.
Sri Lanka’s senior-most player and former captain Angelo Mathews 38 a proud product of St. Joseph’s College Colombo, will bid goodbye to the world of white-ball cricket after 16 long years, having played 118 matches since making his debut in July, 2009 against Pakistan at Galle. Angie has scored 8,167 runs and has also claimed 33 test wickets. The public will be allowed free entry through the Gate No. 4 of the Galle Stadium to witness the farewell test of this legendary player.
Tharindu Rathnayake, an old boy of S. Thomas’ College Mt. Lavinia made his debut for Sri Lanka bagging the Test Cap No. 169. He became the 7th Thomian to play Test Cricket following Duleep Mendis, Saliya Ahangama, Guy De Alwis, Kapila Wijegunawardene, Kaushik Amalean and Kaushal Silva. Rathnayake is an Ambidextrous Bowler who is also a power hitter, leading the Thomian bowling unit as the highest wicket taker in both 2014/2015, and was also a key member in the recently concluded Hong Kong 6's Championship winning Lankan team.
Today (18) is day-2 of the game which awaits a much improved Lankan bowling performance in the midst of a fiery Bangladeshi onslaught.
Scorecard
Bangladesh Batting (day 1)
Shadman Islam c de Silva b Ratnayake 14
Anamul Haque c †BKG Mendis b Fernando 0
Mominul Haque c de Silva b Ratnayake 29
Najmul Hossain Shanto (c) not out 136
Mushfiqur Rahim not out 105
Extras (b 4, lb 1, nb 2, w 1) 8
Total 90 Ov (RR: 3.24) 292/3
Yet to bat: Litton Das †, Jaker Ali, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana
Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Anamul Haque, 4.3 ov), 2-39 (Shadman Islam, 14.6 ov), 3-45 (Mominul Haque, 16.1 ov)
Bowling : Tharindu Rathnayake (32-3-124-2), Asitha Fernando (14-2-51-1)