Lankan Lions

Lankan Lions Let's break the mould and chat cricket with a fresh twist, where facts reign supreme over fleeting feelings.
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07/06/2026

Can you identify the cricketer in this video?

In Auckland during the 1990-91 season, he walked in at No. 9 against New Zealand and produced a remarkable counterattack. In just 89 minutes, he raced to 70 not out, with 60 of those runs coming in boundaries.

As if that wasn’t enough, he also claimed seven wickets in the match. Yet despite such an all-round performance, he was never selected again to play Test cricket for Sri Lanka.

Who was this cricketer, and why did his Test career end after such an extraordinary display?

He celebrates his 62nd birthday today.

On this day in cricket history, Graham Gooch scored two memorable Test centuries, five years apart, with each innings pr...
07/06/2026

On this day in cricket history, Graham Gooch scored two memorable Test centuries, five years apart, with each innings producing a very different outcome for England.

The first came at Trent Bridge in 1988. England were looking to avoid the prospect of a third successive series whitewash against the formidable West Indies after suffering back-to-back blackwashes in the previous encounters. In the opening Test, Gooch played a crucial role with an unbeaten 146, helping England secure a draw and preventing the tourists from taking an immediate step towards another clean sweep.

It was an excellent innings under pressure, although it did little to change the course of the series. West Indies went on to win comfortably 4-0, and by the end of a turbulent summer, Gooch had become England’s fourth captain of the campaign.

Five years later, another first Test saw Gooch once again at the heart of an England fightback. His innings of 133 looked set to help his side earn a draw against Australia, but it ended in one of the game’s more unusual dismissals.

When a delivery from Merv Hughes bounced awkwardly above the stumps, Gooch instinctively reached out and knocked the ball away with his hand. Under the laws of the game at the time, he was given out handled the ball, becoming the first England player to be dismissed in that manner.

It brought an abrupt end to a fine innings and dealt a significant blow to England’s hopes of saving the match. Two Gooch centuries, both vital to England’s cause, but remembered for very different reasons.

07/06/2026

On this day in 1996, at Edgbaston, Nasser Hussain received a slice of luck that helped shape an important chapter in his England career.

Playing his first Test in three years, Hussain appeared to glove a delivery from India’s Javagal Srinath down the leg side when he was on 14. The appeal went unanswered, and the batsman was given a lifeline.

Hussain made the most of it. Settling in at the crease, he went on to score 128, his maiden Test century, helping England secure a memorable victory.

The hundred was particularly significant given his journey to that point. Between his Test debut in the West Indies in 1989-90 and this match, England had played 66 Tests, but Hussain had featured in only seven of them. Opportunities had been limited, and his place in the side was far from secure.

That innings at Edgbaston proved to be an important turning point. Hussain went on to score more than 5,000 Test runs and 14 centuries, while also becoming England captain. During his time in charge, he played a key role in guiding the team through a difficult period and helping lay the foundations for better days ahead.

Looking back, that missed chance on 14 became a memorable footnote to the innings that delivered Hussain’s first Test hundred and helped launch a long and successful England career.

On this day in 1975, two opening batsmen carried their bats through the entire innings in World Cup matches, but the out...
07/06/2026

On this day in 1975, two opening batsmen carried their bats through the entire innings in World Cup matches, but the outcomes could hardly have been more different.

While much of the attention over the years has focused on Sunil Gavaskar’s unbeaten 36 against England, another opener was quietly making history elsewhere. Playing for New Zealand against East Africa, Glenn Turner produced a superb innings of 171 not out, remaining at the crease from start to finish.

In doing so, Turner became the first batsman in One-Day International cricket to score more than 150 runs in an innings. His unbeaten 171 was also the highest individual score in ODI history at the time, setting a new benchmark for the format.

The record would stand for eight years before India’s Kapil Dev surpassed it with his famous unbeaten 175 during the 1983 World Cup. But on this day 51 years ago, it was Glenn Turner who occupied the top spot, producing one of the defining innings of the tournament’s inaugural edition.

07/06/2026

Some cricketers are remembered for what they achieved, while others are remembered for what they might have achieved with a little more luck. Shane Bond is often spoken about in that second group.

When he arrived on the international stage, it was clear that New Zealand had found something special. Blessed with genuine pace and accuracy, Bond had the ability to trouble the very best batters in the world. Despite a career that was frequently interrupted by injuries, he still finished with impressive figures—147 ODI wickets at an average of 20.88, 87 Test wickets at 22.09, and 20 T20I wickets at 21.72.

The early 2000s featured some of the fastest bowlers the game has ever seen, with Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee often grabbing the headlines. Bond belonged comfortably in that company. Whenever he had the ball in hand, he brought pace, aggression, and the ability to change a match in a matter of overs.

His record still stands up well today. He remains among the bowlers with the best strike rates in Test cricket history, and for a time he was the fastest to reach 100 ODI wickets. Those achievements offer a glimpse of what he was capable of when fully fit.

Unfortunately, injuries were a constant challenge throughout his career, limiting both his appearances and the opportunity to build even greater numbers. It’s one of the reasons many cricket fans still wonder what he might have achieved had he enjoyed a longer run of uninterrupted cricket.

Today, as Shane Bond celebrates his 51st birthday, it’s a good time to look back on a fast bowler who brought excitement whenever he took the field. The two dismissals featured in this video, both against two of India’s finest batters, serve as a reminder of the skill, pace, and quality that made him such a memorable player.

As we continue to look back at the memories of the inaugural 1975 World Cup, this day 51 years ago produced a landmark m...
07/06/2026

As we continue to look back at the memories of the inaugural 1975 World Cup, this day 51 years ago produced a landmark moment in one-day cricket history.

Australia’s victory over Pakistan at Headingley was driven by the brilliance of Dennis Lillee, who claimed 5 for 34 to record the first five-wicket haul ever taken in One-Day International cricket.

Pakistan’s chase of 278 in the 60-over contest was progressing steadily. At 181 for 4, captain Asif Iqbal and Wasim Raja appeared to have the innings under control, putting together a valuable 77-run partnership and keeping their side firmly in the hunt.

But then Lillee struck.

When he bowled Iqbal for a well-made 65, the momentum shifted dramatically. What had looked like a competitive chase quickly turned into a collapse. Pakistan lost their final six wickets for just 24 runs, as Lillee and the Australian attack tore through the lower order to secure a convincing 73-run victory.

Earlier, Australia’s innings had been anchored by Ross Edwards, whose composed unbeaten 80 from 94 deliveries provided the foundation for the winning total and ultimately proved decisive in one of the tournament’s most memorable matches.

Fifty-one years ago, India began its first-ever World Cup campaign. It was a landmark moment for Indian cricket, but the...
07/06/2026

Fifty-one years ago, India began its first-ever World Cup campaign. It was a landmark moment for Indian cricket, but the match is remembered today less for the result and more for one of the most unusual innings in the history of the game.

Chasing a formidable target of 335 against England, India never really got close to the required rate. Yet the innings that followed left many scratching their heads. Sunil Gavaskar, already established as one of the world’s leading batsmen, remained at the crease throughout the entire 60 overs.

When the innings ended, India had reached 132 for 3, falling 202 runs short. Gavaskar finished unbeaten on 36 from 174 deliveries — a scorecard that still looks remarkable even decades later.

For modern cricket fans, it’s difficult to imagine an innings of that nature in a World Cup chase. While limited-overs cricket was still finding its identity in the mid-1970s, Gavaskar’s approach stood out even then.

Why he batted that way remains a topic of debate. Some believe it reflected the era, when players were still adjusting to the demands of one-day cricket. Others have suggested there may have been frustrations behind the scenes, while some feel Gavaskar simply viewed the target as out of reach and chose to bat through the innings.

Whatever the reason, the innings has become one of cricket’s most enduring talking points. More than five decades later, it remains a fascinating reminder of how different the game was in its early one-day years — and why certain scorecards continue to spark conversation long after the final ball has been bowled.

Maybe it’s time for some shut eye.
06/06/2026

Maybe it’s time for some shut eye.

😐
06/06/2026

😐

So we will not hear “Nissanka…….” during the Test series.
06/06/2026

So we will not hear “Nissanka…….” during the Test series.

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