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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Could we see two separate captains for Test cricket from Pakistan? One for the home games & Babar for away games 😉
09/08/2026

Could we see two separate captains for Test cricket from Pakistan?
One for the home games & Babar for away games 😉

On this day in 1992, David Gower played his final Test for England at The Oval.It wasn’t the farewell he would have want...
09/08/2026

On this day in 1992, David Gower played his final Test for England at The Oval.

It wasn’t the farewell he would have wanted. Gower was bowled for just one by Waqar Younis in the second innings, as Pakistan won by 10 wickets to take the series 2–1.

Gower had, however, gone into the match in reasonable form, scoring 73 and an unbeaten 31 in the previous two Tests. His omission from England’s tour of India that winter was therefore a decision that raised some questions, especially as England struggled on that tour.

Gower ended his Test career with 8,231 runs, built on his naturally elegant and fluent strokeplay. It was an England record at the time, although it didn’t last very long.

The player who eventually surpassed him? Graham Gooch.

09/08/2026

Six balls. 26 runs. Then, Chaminda Vaas struck.

Relive the explosive eight-ball passage from the 2005 Indian Oil Cup final, when Virender Sehwag tore into Dilhara Lokuhettige before Vaas hit back in the very next over. 🔥🏏

On this day in 2014, during the first Test against Pakistan in Galle, Kumar Sangakkara added another milestone to his re...
09/08/2026

On this day in 2014, during the first Test against Pakistan in Galle, Kumar Sangakkara added another milestone to his remarkable Test career.

Batting beautifully, Sangakkara scored 221, becoming only the second batsman in Test history to reach 10 double centuries.

He would finish his career with 11 Test double centuries, just one behind the great Sir Don Bradman.

It was another memorable achievement in a career filled with them, and a reminder of Sangakkara’s remarkable consistency at the highest level.

It’s a final & looks like we have got our old R. Premadasa pitch back. Bowling figures are what all you need to know tha...
08/08/2026

It’s a final & looks like we have got our old R. Premadasa pitch back. Bowling figures are what all you need to know that.

On this day in 1940, Dilip Sardesai was born — a batsman whose patience, resilience and sheer stubbornness became a defi...
08/08/2026

On this day in 1940, Dilip Sardesai was born — a batsman whose patience, resilience and sheer stubbornness became a defining part of India’s historic success in the Caribbean.

His finest hour came during India’s tour of the West Indies in 1970–71. Sardesai scored three centuries in the series, including a magnificent career-best 212 in Kingston. He finished the series averaging an extraordinary 80.25 as India secured a famous 1–0 series victory.

Later that same year, Sardesai played another crucial role in England. At The Oval, he made a vital 54 and 40, giving Bhagwath Chandrasekhar the opportunity to run through England’s batting and seal India’s historic series win.

Sardesai was known for being almost impossible to dislodge. He could occupy the crease for hours, defending stubbornly and frustrating bowlers. But there was another side to him too. When the situation demanded it, he could attack — as he showed when he struck one of India’s fastest Test centuries against New Zealand in Delhi during the 1964–65 season.

Dilip Sardesai passed away in Mumbai in 2007, leaving behind a career remembered not just for the runs he scored, but for the moments when his determination helped India make history.

08/08/2026

Angus Fraser turns 61 today, so we look back at one of the most unlikely important moments of his England career.

In the 1998 Old Trafford Test against South Africa, Fraser walked in as England’s last man with his side still two runs short of avoiding an innings defeat — with the fearsome Allan Donald waiting for him.

Fraser survived, stayed unbeaten, and helped England avoid the defeat. That tiny contribution proved crucial as the momentum of the series shifted, with Fraser going on to take three five-wicket hauls in the next two Tests as England completed an unlikely series victory.

Sometimes, the most important innings aren’t about runs. Sometimes, simply surviving can change everything.

On this day in 1909, Bill Voce was born — the left-arm partner to Harold Larwood during England’s infamous 1932–33 Bodyl...
08/08/2026

On this day in 1909, Bill Voce was born — the left-arm partner to Harold Larwood during England’s infamous 1932–33 Bodyline series.

Voce was somewhat slower than Larwood, but he was still a difficult bowler to face. Bowling left-arm over the wicket, his height helped him generate steep bounce, while his consistent line kept the Australian batsmen under pressure. His role in the series was to maintain that pressure from the other end, and he did it well, taking 15 wickets in four matches.

Voce was also an important part of England’s attack during the 1936–37 Ashes. He took 17 wickets in the first two Tests as England went 2–0 up, before Don Bradman led Australia to a remarkable turnaround and a 3–2 series win.

Voce returned to Australia again in 1946–47, but by then he was past his best. In his final two Tests, he went wicketless and conceded 161 runs.

Even so, Bill Voce remained an important figure from one of the most talked-about periods in Ashes history.

08/08/2026

On this day in 2011, Australia looked well on course for victory in the second T20I against Sri Lanka.

Chasing 158, they got off to an excellent start, reaching 71 without loss after just 5.4 overs. With another 87 runs needed from 86 deliveries, Australia were in a very strong position.

But the game began to change when Ajantha Mendis dismissed Shane Watson, who had been batting brilliantly, scoring 57 from just 24 balls.

A few overs later, Mahela Jayawardena and Angelo Mathews combined for an excellent relay catch on the boundary to dismiss David Warner.

From there, Australia’s chase lost its momentum. Wickets followed, the required runs became harder to find, and they eventually fell eight runs short.

Sri Lanka won the match and completed a 2-0 series victory, with Mendis playing the leading role. His remarkable figures of 6 for 16 set a new world record for the best bowling figures in a T20I at the time.

It was a remarkable turnaround from 71 without loss to an eight-run defeat.

For the first time in 16 years, he celebrates his birthday as a non international cricketer. The former New Zealand capt...
08/08/2026

For the first time in 16 years, he celebrates his birthday as a non international cricketer. The former New Zealand captain and one of the finest batsmen of the modern era, Williamson turns 36 today.

Wishing Kane a very happy birthday and celebrating a remarkable international career.

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