Good morning!
I’ve gotta say, I didn’t realise the game that everyone in the cricket media had. Two days out from Valentine’s Day, and they’re all still in bed. But, their romantic getaways have had a negative effect on us all; I couldn’t find a single piece about the ridiculously fun SL-AUS game last night!
(Or well, pretty much any story about anything. Clearly I need a better social life.)
So, figured I touch on something that I am probably very late to – Pathum Nissanka’s unbelievable brilliance. That isn’t hyperbole. I’m not entirely sure how to believe the numbers around his career since 2024.
He’s averaged 36 at a strike rate of 144.4 in the last ~26 months (and is getting better across the board). Those numbers don’t really come down if you break it down by matchup; leggies are mildly tricky for him (25 at 138.9 this year), while off-spin can slow him down a bit (34.2 at 131.7 since 2024). But, this is the most nit picky nonsense. Those numbers are ridiculous for his “weaknesses.”
He also hits it…everywhere. He’s a proper 360° player, with high strike rates in every zone. Just look at his wagon wheel from yesterday. How the hell are you supposed to stop a player who scores 100 from 52 balls (that’s a 192 SR!) at a control rate of 83%?
The Aussie bowlers aren’t the best – there’s too many all-rounders chucked in there screwing with their XI. If you have to pick Marcus Stoinis, and Cameron Green, and Glenn Maxwell to give yourself options in case the first-choice bowlers have an off day – it’s not a surprise they can only fit one of Tim David (at No.4?!), Matt Renshaw and Steve Smith. They probably picked the wrong middle order bat yesterday.
But, none of that takes away from Nissanka’s elevation in a tough game. This is Australia after all. They’re never dead. Theoretically, after 14 overs, Australia had scored 15 runs more than Sri Lanka. SL still needed 61 runs from 30 balls. The 181-run total looked possible, but they had never chased a score that big at home.
Then, Nissanka faced Stoinis. The all-rounder had arguably been Australia’s best bowler on the night, conceding 26-2 in 3 overs at that point. Not the best economy, but he was the only Aussie who’d taken a wicket all innings.
Nissanka mercilessly tonked him around the ground for 20 runs, and never once looked out of control. A tough 61 off 30 became a favourable 41 off 24, and SL didn’t look back. They completed the chase in 18 balls.
And, another note – after Stoinis’ over, Nissanka was sitting on 72 off 42. Brilliant innings, but no shot at a century. Despite his stated goal post-game of hitting that milestone, he didn’t hog the strike. He kept the scoreboard ticking with quick runs – Nissanka faced just 3 of SL’s next 9 balls and didn’t score a boundary. On the other end, Pavan Rathnayake scored 10 off 6 to gallop SL closer to the finish line.
Then, Nissanka hit two 6s and two 4s in the next 7 balls to reach 99. He duly ran a single, and let Rathnayake score the winning runs off another boundary. It was extraordinary to watch. He wasn’t pushing anything. It was high intent (and impossibly perfect execution) against bad balls, but happy to nudge and run singles against good ones.
Pathum Nissanka is one of the most complete players in the tournament – and in a format where one innings can have an outsized impact on a team’s fortunes in any given game, the co-hosts maybe on to something special here.
If you’ve got a rant like this that you want to get off your chest, reach out to me via DMs (or via WA below). I’m sure I can accommodate your articulate ramblings!
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🏏 Cricket Roundup: SL beat AUS, ITA’s pioneers, & AFG’s culture-first locker room.
SL beat AUS by 8 wickets, ENG beat ITA by 24 runs, & AFG beat UAE by 5 runs.
That’s it for today!
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