Sri Lanka

Articles about Sri Lanka`s current defence status. See also: Non-Test teams to have played ODI matches. Statistics on Civilians Affected by War in Northeast 1974-2004 A Full Report in 11 pages. The lowermost rung consists of the Affiliate Member nations. A cease-fire was declared in 2002, but renewed violence in late 2005 led to fears of a renewed civil war. A rung lower are the Associate Member nations. It is estimated that the war has left 65,000 people dead since 1983 and caused great harm to the population and economy of the country. They qualify automatically for the quadrennial World Cup matches.

Since 1983, there has been on-and-off civil war, mostly between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or the LTTE, who want to create an independent Tamil Eelam state in the northeast of the island. At the highest level are the Test-playing nations. The ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka is an ongoing conflict between the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils on the island-nation of Sri Lanka. Nations playing cricket are separated into three tiers depending on the level of cricket infrastructure in that country. See Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. The cricket board also selects the national squad and organises home and away tours for the national team. While Islam and Christianity (including 6% Catholics and 1% Protestants) represent 8% and 7% of the population respectively. Each nation has a national cricket board which regulates cricket matches played in their country.

Buddhism (69%) and Hinduism (15.5%) are the dominant religions. It is headquartered in Dubai and includes representatives of each of the ten Test-playing nations, as well as an elected panel representing non-Test-playing nations. Smaller minorities include (mostly Sunni) Muslims (7%), mostly of mixed Arab, Persian, Tamil and Sinhalese origins and Malay descent, Burghers of mixed European descent (1%) and the Wanniyala-Aetto or Veddahs, the few remaining descendants of earlier cultures. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the international governing body for cricket. All three languages are used in education and administration. Indoor cricket is a variant of the game that can be played in a netted, indoor arena. English, the link language in the present constitution, is spoken competently by about 10% of the population, and is widely understood. Kwik cricket is a form of the sport where the bowler does not have to wait for the batsman to be ready before a delivery, leading to a faster, more exhausting game which is often used in school PE lessons.

Both Sinhala and Tamil are official languages. Some popular rule variations are:. Tamils comprise two communities: Native Tamils and more recent immigrants from India called as Indian Origin Tamils. This is known as gully cricket in the subcontinent. Tamils constitute 18%, are predominantly Hindu, and live mostly in the north, east and central provinces. Families and teenages may play backyard cricket in suburban yards or driveways, typically with an improvised set of rules. About 74% of Sri Lankans are Sinhalese, most of them Buddhist, mostly following the Theravada tradition. Other variants of the sport exist and are played in areas as diverse as on sandy beaches or on ice.

Assimilation and intermixing has produced a group of people who are marginaly different from each other irrespective of current racial claims. These matches are not recognised by the ICC as official matches. Racial identities in Sri Lanka do not represent the genetic heritage. The 'Twenty20' rule can be an example of cricket rule modification, since this particular modification enforces a limit of 20 overs per innings, which makes the game rather shorter in order to maximise the attention of the fans. In December 2005, Sri Lanka received its first international credit rating with Fitch Ratings assigning it a BB- (a rating held by Brazil and Indonesia among others). The game of cricket has also spawned a set of matches with modified rules to attract more fans. A September 2005 IMF report called for an end to 'fiscal domination' of monetary policy and more independence for the Central Bank so that inflation could be contained. At lower levels, club cricket is usually played over one to two days, either as a two innings or one innings limited overs match.

The tsunami helped stabilize the deterioration of macro-economic fundamentals as foreign debt relief and assistance from the International Monetary Fund strengthened both the external sector and fiscal operations. The point of origin of first-class cricket is an ongoing controversy that is described in the main article. But GDP growth, which had climbed to 6.4% by the first quarter of 2004 had fallen to 4.8% by the first quarter of 2005. A Test match is also considered to be a first-class match, but one-day internationals are not due to the two innings per side rule. The December 26th Tsunami brought aidflows, and support from the IMF helped improve sentiment in the foreign exchange market. Thus, a match between two Test nations, between two domestic teams in full members of the ICC, or between a Test nation and another Test nation's domestic team, may be considered first class. By December 2004, the country was heading for a balance of payments crisis, as the currency depreciated and reserves dwindled. As a benchmark, a match can be considered first-class only if both teams have first-class status.

The expansionary fiscal policy, coupled with loose monetary policy eventually drove inflation up to 18% by January 2005, as measured by the Sri Lanka Consumer Price Index. Matches of Kenya, one of the foremost non-Test-playing nations, with other first class teams are adjudged first class, but its domestic matches are not. To finance the expanded budget deficit arising from a range of subsidies and a public sector recruitment drive, the government eventually had to print Rs 65 bn (US$ 650 mn) or around 3% of GDP. All Test-playing nations are allowed to play first-class matches, as are their regional, state, provincial or county teams. In 2004 alone Sri Lanka spent approximately US$ 180 mn on a fuel subsidy, as fixing fuel prices was an election promise. The status of a match depends on the status of the teams contesting it. But this policy of subsidizing imported commodities like fuel, fertilizer and wheat, soon unravelled the fiscal sector. A significant feature of first-class cricket is that games must have two innings per side, in contrast with games where the teams have one innings each (including limited overs matches played by teams that are normally recognised as first-class).

Its main theme to support the rural and suburban SMEs and protect the domestic economy from external influences, such as oil prices, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. A first-class match is generally defined as a high-level international or domestic match that takes place over at least three days on natural (as opposed to artificial) turf. The new government stopped the privatization of state enterprises, reforms of state utilities such as power and petroleum and embarked on an unprecedented subsidy program called the Rata Perata economic program. Strategies such as quick scoring, gravity-defying fielding and accurate bowling make this form more invigorating as compared to the Test matches. In April 2004, there was a sharp reversal in economic policy after the government headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe from the United National Party was defeated by a coalition made up of Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the left-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna called the United People's Freedom Alliance. Innovations such as coloured clothing, frequent tournaments and result oriented-games often resulting in nail-biting finishes have seen ODI cricket gain many supporters. The Colombo stock exchange reported the highest growth in Asia for 2003, and today Sri Lanka has the highest per capita income in South Asia. Day and night matches are also played which extend into the night.

Signs of recovery appeared after the government and the LTTE signed the 2002 ceasefire. Despite its name, a one-day match may go into a second day if play is interrupted by rain. 2001 saw the first economic contraction in the country's history, due to a combination of power shortages, budgetary problems, the global slowdown, and continuing civil strife. In one-day cricket, each team bats for only one innings, and it is limited to a number of overs, usually 50 in international matches. The economy rebounded in 1997-2000, with average growth of 5.3%. The abbreviations ODI or sometimes LOI (for Limited Overs International) are used for international matches of this type. The GDP grew at an average annual rate of 5.5% during the early 1990s, until a drought and a deteriorating security situation lowered growth to 3.8% in 1996. The inaugural World Cup in 1975 did much to hasten this.

By 1996, plantation crops made up only 20% of exports (compared with 93% in 1970), while textiles and garments 63%. The idea was taken up in the international arena in 1971, during an England team tour of Australia, when a Test match was rained off, and the one-day game has since swollen to become a crowd-pleaser and TV-audience-generator across the globe. While tea and rubber are still important, the most dynamic sectors are now food processing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages, telecommunications, insurance, and banking. One-day matches, also known as limited overs or instant cricket, were introduced in English domestic cricket in the 1960s due to the growing demands for a shorter and more dramatic form of cricket to stem the decline in attendances. From independence, till 1977, it was a strongly socialist economy but since then it has been increasingly pursuing privatization, market-oriented policies and export-oriented trade. Tests that are not finished by five days are considered a draw and neither teams gets credit for a win. Sri Lanka is historically famous for its cinnamon and tea (introduced by the British in the 19th century). Test matches are two innings games that must be finished within a five day time period.

See Endemic Birds of the Indian Subcontinent for more information. Since then, over 1,700 Test matches have been played and the number of Test playing nations has increased to ten with Bangladesh, the most recent nation elevated to Test status, making its debut in 2000. Sri Lanka is a centre of bird endemism. The Test Cricket Series between England and Australia is called The Ashes, with the trophy being a tiny fragile urn, reputed to hold the ashes of a bail or cricket ball used during the second Test series between the two countries, which was presented to the English Cricket Captain, Ivo Bligh, by a group of Melbourne women, following the Test Series win by the England Cricket Team, during the England Cricket Team's Tour of Australia in 1882/83. The island has three biosphere reserves, Hurulu (established 1977), Sinharaja (established 1978), and Kanneliya-Dediyagala-Nakiyadeniya (KDN) (established 2004). It ended on 19 March 1877 with Australia winning by 45 runs. Several preserves have been established to protect some of Sri Lanka's remaining natural areas. The first Test match began on 15 March 1877 and had a timeless format with four balls per over.

These forests have been largely cleared for agriculture, timber or grazing, and many of the dry evergreen forests have been degraded to thorn scrub, savanna, or thickets. Test cricket is a form of international cricket started in 1877 during the 1876/77 English cricket team's tour of Australia. The Sri Lanka dry-zone dry evergreen forests are a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion, which, like the neighboring East Deccan dry evergreen forests of India's Coromandel Coast, is characterized by evergreen trees, rather than the dry-season deciduous trees that predominate in most other tropical dry broadleaf forests. As of the early 2000s, however, the longer form of cricket is experiencing a growing resurgence in popularity. The north and east are considerably drier, lying in the rain shadow of the central highlands. Since then, ODI matches have gained mass spectatorship, at the expense of the longer form of the game and to the consternation of fans who prefer the longer form of the game. Both these tropical moist forest ecoregions are very similar to those of India's Western Ghats. The governing International Cricket Council quickly adopted the new form and held the first ODI Cricket World Cup in 1975.

At higher elevations they transition to the Sri Lanka montane rain forests. This gained widespread popularity and resulted in the birth of one-day international (ODI) matches in 1971. The southwest, where the influence of the moisture-bearing southwest monsoon is strongest, is home to the Sri Lanka lowland rain forests. Cricket entered an epochal era in 1963, when English counties modified the rules to provide a variant match form that produced an expedited result: games with a restricted number of overs per side. Its forests are among the most floristically rich in Asia and for some faunal groups, it has the world's highest density of species diversity. Olympic cricket lasted only two days and Great Britain is the current Olympic champion. Sri Lanka is one of the world's bio-diversity hot-spots. Cricket appeared at one Olympic Games, at Paris in 1900.

Other major cities include Jaffna, Galle, and Kandy. In 1859, a team of England players went on the first overseas tour (to North America) and 18 years later another England team took part in the first-ever Test Match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia. The commercial capital is Colombo, but the administrative and legislative capital is at nearby Sri Jayewardanapura (Kotte). County clubs appeared from 1836 and ultimately formed a County Championship. The lowest gravitational field on Earth lies just off the coast of Sri Lanka. Both developments were accompanied by major controversy. The climate is tropical, characterized by monsoons: the northeast monsoon lasts from December to March, the southwest June to October. The 19th Century saw underarm replaced by first roundarm and then overarm bowling.

Amongst these are Sri Pada and the highest point Pidurutalagala (also known as Mt Pedro), at 2,524 m. MCC quickly became the sport's premier club and the custodian of the Laws of Cricket. The pear-shaped island consists mostly of flat-to-rolling coastal plains, with mountains rising only in the south-central part. For the next 30 years until the formation of MCC and the opening of Lord's in 1787, Hambledon was the game's greatest club and its focal point. According to temple records, this natural causeway was formerly complete, but was breached by a violent storm (probably a cyclone) in 1480. The Hambledon Club was founded sometime before 1750 and started playing first-class matches in 1756. Often referred to as Adam's Bridge, it is now mostly submerged, with only a chain of limestone shoals remaining above sea level. Cricket was prominent in London as early as 1707 and large crowds flocked to matches on the Artillery Ground in Finsbury.

According to Hindu mythology, a land bridge to the Indian mainland, known as Rama's Bridge, was constructed during the time of Rama. Betting played a major part in that development and rich patrons began forming their own "select XIs". It is separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. The game underwent major development in the 18th Century and had become the national sport of England by the end of the century. The island of Sri Lanka lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal. We know that a great cricket match with eleven players a side was played for high stakes in Sussex in 1697 and this is the earliest reference we have to cricket in terms of such importance.
. By the end of the century, it had become an organised activity being played for high stakes and it is possible that the first professionals appeared about that time.

Sri Lanka consists of 8 provinces:. During the 17th century, numerous references indicate the growth of cricket in the south-east of England. See also: Sri Lankan parliamentary election, 2004. (The latter is problematic, since Old English 'cc' was palatal in pronunciation in the south and the west midlands, roughly ch, which is how crycc leads to crych and thence crutch; the 'k' sound would be possible in the north, however.) Alternatively, the French criquet apparently derives from the Flemish word krickstoel, which is a long low stool on which one kneels in church and which resembles the long low wicket with two stumps used in early cricket. At the close of 2005, deep political unease and suspicion remained between the two factions. The name may derive from a term for the cricket bat: old French criquet (meaning a kind of club) or Flemish krick(e) (meaning a stick) or in Old English crycc (meaning a crutch or staff). But these hopes were dashed by almost immediate accusations of bias and favouritism on the part of international aid agencies from both sides. A number of words are thought to be possible sources for the term cricket.

There were high hopes that the devastating Tsunami of December 2004 would force the government and Tamil rebels into a new, lasting dialogue to address the serious effects of the disaster on Sri Lanka as a whole. The Oxford English Dictionary gives this as the first recorded instance of cricket in the English language. The LTTE boycotted the election, thereby preventing thousands of Tamils from voting, and so Wickremasinghe from taking power, whose election promises included a Federal state to the North and East. In 1598, a court case referred to a sport called Creckett being played at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford around 1550. His narrow victory was engineered by the the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who want Tamil Eelam to be an independent country. Written evidence exists of a sport known as creag being played by Prince Edward, the son of Edward I (Longshanks), at Newenden, Kent in 1300. Rajapaksa offers less autonomy than Wickremasinghe to the northeast, home to most of Sri Lanka's 3.2 million ethnic Tamils. The game seems to have originated among shepherds and farm workers in the Weald between Kent and Sussex.

He was previously Prime Minister in 2000. A basic form of the sport can be traced back to the 13th century, but it may have existed even earlier than that. Ratnasiri Wickremanayake was appointed the 22nd Prime Minister on November 21, 2005, to fill the post vacated by Rajapaksa. Here the substitute is a temporary role and leaves the field once the injured player is fit to return. Rajapaksa took oath as President on November 19, 2005. In all forms of cricket, if a player gets injured or becomes ill during a match, a substitute is allowed to field instead of him; though he cannot bowl, bat, or act as a captain or wicket-keeper. The Election was held on November 17, 2005, and Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected the fifth Executive President of Sri Lanka with a 50.29% of valid votes, compared to Ranil Wickremesinghe's 48.43%. This kind of substitute is known as Super Sub, and was introduced in 2005.

Mahinda Rajapaksa was nominated the SLFP candidate and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe UNP candidate. A player who is replaced cannot return to the game. In August 2005, the Supreme Court ruled that Presidential Elections would be held in November 2005, resolving a long-running dispute on the length of President Kumaratunga's term. In one-day international (ODI) cricket and some other limited overs competitions, a single substitution is allowed during the game. Elections were held on April 02 and the new Parliament convened on April 23 and elected Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister. After a batsman hits the ball, the runner's only task is to run between the wickets in place of the injured batsman. Parliament was dissolved on February 07, 2004 by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. The runner chosen must, if possible, be a player who has already been given out.

Since its independence in 1948, Sri Lanka has remained a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. In the event of a batsman being fit to bat but too injured to run, he may ask the umpire and the fielding captain for a runner. Parliament reserves the power to make all laws. The burden of the captain's duties can interfere with his quality of play considerably, slightly, or not at all, depending on how well he deals with the stress of his position. The president may summon, suspend, or end a legislative session and dissolve parliament any time after it has served for one year. However, it is considered an honour to be in such a privileged position and much praise is given to the captain when his team wins. The primary modification is that the party that receives the largest number of valid votes in each constituency gains a unique "bonus seat" (see Hickman, 1999). Much blame is placed on a captain when his team loses.

Members are elected by universal (adult) suffrage based on a modified proportional representation system by district to a six-year term. The captain's job on the team is very important but can be rather stressful at times. The Sri Lankan Parliament is a unicameral 225-member legislature. The captain makes a number of important decisions, including setting field positions, alternating the bowlers and taking the toss. The President's deputy is the Prime Minister, who leads the ruling party in Parliament. The captain's acumen in deciding the strategy is crucial to the team's success. The President appoints and heads a Cabinet of Ministers responsible to Parliament. The wicket-keeper is also the only person who can get a batsman out stumped.

The incumbent may be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of Parliament, with the agreement by the Supreme Court. Due to his position directly behind the striker, the wicket-keeper has a good chance of getting a batsman out caught off a fine edge from the bat; thicker edges are typically handled by the "slips" fieldsmen. The President is responsible to Parliament for the exercise of duties in accordance with the Constitution and laws. To this end, he wears special gloves (he is the only fielder allowed to do so) and pads to cover his lower legs. The President of the Republic is directly elected for a six-year term and serves as Head of State, Head of Government and Commander in Chief of the armed forces. His primary job is to gather deliveries that the batsman fails to hit, to prevent them running into the outfield, which would enable batsmen to score byes. It was rumored that the LTTE themselves did the killing. The wicket-keeper is a specialist fielder who stands behind the batsman's wicket throughout the game.

In December 2005, following a brutal gang rape and murder of a Tamil woman (Ilayathambi Tharsini)(such incidents have happened before, including Krishanti Kumaraswamy), restive civilian groups likely encouraged and controlled by the LTTE carried out a series of attacks against Government forces in the North and East, and some unknown forces assassinated a pro-LTTE Tamil politician on Christmas eve in a Catholic church. They do this in two ways: by taking catches to dismiss a batsman, and by intercepting hit balls and returning them to the pitch to attempt run-outs to restrict the scoring of runs. It has been alleged that only 17% of the relief aid has been spent on what it was intended for. Fielders assist the bowlers to prevent batsmen from scoring too many runs. Several Sinhala nationalist groups in the South challenged this pact and the Supreme Court declared that some articles of the pact were unconstitutional. Obstructing the field, Handled the ball, Timed Out and Hit the ball twice dismissals are extremely rare. On June 24, 2005, the Government signed the Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS), a legal instrument for the Government to share aid with the LTTE. With all other modes of dismissal, only one batsman can be dismissed per ball bowled.

Over 40,000 people died on the island and many more are still missing. Timed out by its nature is a dismissal without a delivery. On December 26, 2004, an earthquake off the western coast of Sumatra created tsunamis that washed over the Eastern and Southern coasts of Sri Lanka. The batsman who is not on strike may be run out by the bowler if he leaves his crease before the bowler bowls, and a batsman can be out obstructing the field or retired out at any time. In April 2004, the Government of Ranil Wickramasinghe was ousted from Parliament and a coalition including several Sinhala nationalist groups opposed to negotiations with LTTE came to power. Some of these modes of dismissal can take place without the bowler bowling a delivery. No significant progress has been made to date. He cannot be out — 'bowled', 'caught', 'leg before wicket', or 'hit the ball twice' off a wide.

LTTE negotiators proposed an Interim Self Governing Authority, but the Government's response did not satisfy LTTE, and the peace process paused in late 2003. An individual cannot be out — 'bowled', 'caught', 'leg before wicket', 'stumped', or 'hit wicket' off a no ball. 6 rounds of direct talks were held in several locations around the world, but no substantial steps were taken towards a political settlement to the conflict. Also, an unimpaired batsman may retire, in which case he is treated as being dismissed retired out; no player is credited with the dismissal. In early 2002 both the LTTE and the Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding and entered into a joint ceasefire. The batsman is not out; he may return to bat later in the same innings if sufficiently recovered. At the end of 2001 a new Parliament was elected and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe declared a ceasefire, responding to the LTTE which had declared a ceasefire in December 2001. For instance, if he is ill or injured, this is known as retired hurt or retired ill.

During her re-election rally, a suicide bomber killed 10 people, missing Kumaratunge. Additionally, a batsman may leave the field undismissed. In December 2000 President Kumaratunge was re-elected for her second term. Briefly, the ten modes are:. This was the first time the country's cricket team had won the Cricket World Cup tournament. Of the following ten modes of dismissal, the first six are common, while the last four are technicalities which rarely occur. In 1996 Sri Lanka became world champions in Cricket. The wicket is put down if a bail is dislodged from the top of the stumps or a stump is struck out of the ground either with the ball, or by a fielder with the ball in his hand.

Both the Sri Lanka Army and LTTE stood accused of gross human rights vioaltions including abduction, torture and extrajudicial executions during the conflict. Many modes of dismissal require the wicket to be "put down". By the mid 1990s, LTTE controlled much of the North and had set up a de facto state. If the batsman is dismissed, another player from the batting team replaces him until ten batsmen are out and the innings is over. Her initial attempts to negotiate with the LTTE failed and the war in the north and east continued with heavy casualties to sides. There are ten ways of being dismissed, some of which are credited as wickets to the bowler, some of which are not credited to any player. In 1994 Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, daughter of two previous Prime Ministers, was elected President. A batsman is allowed to bat as long as he does not get out (also known as being dismissed).

In 1993 Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa was killed in a similar manner during a May Day celebration in Colombo. There are two main kinds of bowlers : pace bowlers and spin bowlers. In 1991 a LTTE suicide bomber killed former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in retaliation for the IPKF and the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord. If a bowler gets a batsman out, he is credited for this achievement. Thousands of Muslims who had lived there for generations started a mass exodus to southern parts of the island. This is known as the Economy rate. In 1990 the LTTE ordered all Muslims in the north to leave their homes. Their next task is to limit the numbers of runs scored per over they bowl.

Many also believe that the Indian army lost support because of acts of rape and extreme misconduct by Indian soldiers. If a bowler can dismiss the more accomplished batsmen on the opposing team he reduces the opportunity for them to score, as it exposes the less skilful batsmen. It is speculated that for this brief moment the LTTE was aided in a fight against the IPKF which drove out India. The bowler's primary goal is to take wickets; that is, to get a batsman out or dismissed. It is alleged that the IPKF attempted to setup a longterm base of operations in Sri Lanka's north which frightened the Sri Lankan Government. A wide or no-ball results in a run to the batting team score, and the ball to be rebowled. They had lost over 1,500 men. A wide cannot be called if the batsman hits the ball.

The 60,000-strong Indian force soon lost the support of both sides of the conflict and began a phased withdrawal, ending in 1990. The ball must also be delivered so it is within the batsman's reach, otherwise it is termed a wide. India, which had helped create and nurture the Tamil militant groups in the north had changed its stance, and in 1987 signed the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord and sent the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to the Jaffna peninsula. Some part of the bowler's front foot in the delivery stride (that is, the stride when the ball is released) must be behind the popping crease to avoid a no-ball (although the bowler's front foot does not have to be grounded). While the Government dealt with the JVP rebellion, it enlisted the help of the Indian government to quell the Tamil separatist movement. Usually, the bowler pitches the ball so that it bounces before reaching the batsman. 60,000 people vanished in the south during this period. This new law came in to prevent injury to bowlers.

His death ended the rebellion. Under new cricketing law, after consultation with health experts, the bowler is allowed to sraighten his arm 15 degrees or less, if the bowler straightens his or her arm more than 15 degrees it is called a "no ball". At the end of 1989, JVP leader Rohana Wijeweera was arrested and days later shot while allegedly trying to escape. If the elbow straightens, it is an illegal throw and the delivery is called a no-ball. Both JVP and the Government engaged in the abduction, torture and murder of thousands of people. A bowler delivers the ball toward the batsmen, using what is known as a bowling action: the elbow may be held at any angle and may bend further, but may not straighten out during the action. By 1988 it was a full-scale guerilla war. A team need not be batting in order to receive penalty extras.

In 1986, the JVP (banned in 1983), started their second struggle in the south for state power. Five penalty runs are also awarded if a fielder uses anything other than his body to field the ball, or if the ball hits a protective helmet left on the field by the fielding team. One Tamil militant group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), fought other groups, assassinated their leaders and assimilated their cadres into their ranks, and soon became the main group fighting the Army in the north and east. For serious infractions such as tampering with the ball, deliberate time-wasting, and damaging the pitch, the umpires may award penalty extras to the opposition; in each case five runs. A 1985, round of peace talks in Thimphu, Bhutan failed, and the conflict intensified. The former two are runs that can be scored if the batsman misses making contact with bat and ball, and the latter two are types of fouls committed by the bowler. Clashes between Tamil militants and the Government increased. Extras consist of byes, leg byes, no balls, wides and penalty runs.

Many thousands were forced to move from their homes in Colombo to the north and east. These runs are known as extras, apart from in Australia where they are also called sundries. In July 1983, called Black July, in response to the killing of 13 army soldiers in Jaffna, the Government instigated a week-long pogrom against the Tamil community in the south, killing thousands. A team's total also includes a number of runs which are unaccredited to any batsmen. The Government sent the military to the Jaffna peninsula, increasing tensions. Every run scored by the batsmen contributes to the team's total. They called this homeland Tamil Eelam. If the ball goes over the boundary, then four runs are scored, or six if the ball has not bounced.

By early 1980s, calls for a separate Tamil state had grown to the point where Tamil militants engaged in guerrilla attacks against the Government. If a fielder knocks the bails off the stumps with the ball while no batsman is grounded behind the nearest popping crease, the nearest batsman is run out. Jayewardene came to power and released imprisoned JVP members. If the batsmen score an odd number of runs, then they will have swapped ends and their roles as striker and non-striker will be reversed for the next ball, unless the most recent ball marks the end of an over. R. But there is no tip and run rule, so the batsmen are not required to attempt a run when the ball is hit. In 1977, J. This is known as running between wickets.

The insurrection was quelled by the government of Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike and JVP leaders were jailed for treason. If the striker hits the ball well enough, the batsmen may double back to score two or more runs. In 1971, the Marxist group Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) launched an insurrection in the south to gain state power. Both runners must touch the ground behind the popping crease with either his bat or his body to register a run. Initially many of these were supported by the Indian Government which sought to appease Tamils in South India. To score a run, a striker must hit the ball and run to the opposite end of the pitch, while his non-striking partner runs to his end. Calls for a separate Tamil state in the north and east grew, and eventually several Tamil militant groups formed, particularly in the northern Jaffna peninsula. This order may be changed at any time during the course of the game for strategic reasons.

Decades of tension between Tamils living primarily in the north and east, and the Sinhala majority in the south, led to widespread communal riots in the 1950s to 1970s targeting Tamil communities and economic interests in many parts of the island. After them the all-rounders follow and finally the bowlers (who are usually not known for their batting abilities). This led to unrest among Tamils, whose cultural identity was threatened. After that, the team typically bats in descending order of batting skill, the first five or six batsmen usually being the best in the team. The 1956 Sinhala Only Act made Sinhala the sole official language, forcing Tamil-speakers to learn it. The first two positions, known as "openers", are generally a specialised position, as they face the most hostile bowling (the opposing team's fast bowlers are at their freshest and the ball is new). Post-independence governments implemented a series of pro-Sinhala measures, supporting the Sinhala majority. Batsmen come in to bat in a batting order, which is decided by the team captain.

Independent Sri Lanka is famed for it's remarkable increase in human development, notably life expectency, infant mortality, and literacy, which lead the country to be seen as somewhat of a model for third world development. Depending on the team's strategy, he may be required to bat defensively in an effort to not get out, or to bat aggressively to score runs quickly. In 1982, the legislative and judicial capital was moved from Colombo to nearby Sri Jayewardanapura Kotte. Shots are named according to the style of swing and the direction in the field to which the batsman desires to hit the ball. In 1972, the country became a republic, free of the last vestiges of colonial domination; the name was changed to Sri Lanka. If the ball brushes the side of the bat it is called an edge or snick. The flag of the last king of Kandy was proclaimed the National Flag with few minor changes (added orange and green vertical bars to represent the Tamils and Muslims). If the batsman hits the ball with his bat, it is called a shot (or stroke).

The first prime minister was Don Stephen Senanayake, while Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore became Governor-General, the Queen's nominal representative. The wooden bat that a batsman uses consists of a long handle and a flat surface on one side. As Ceylon [1], it became a dominion in the British Commonwealth in 1948. Batsmen stand waiting for the ball at the batting crease. The British used Sri Lanka as a base for operations in the Pacific. See also: Scoring. A month later, a Sri Lankan garrison on the Cocos Islands mutinied, but the rebellion was put down. In these countries the hurricane and cyclone season coincides with their summers.

Extensive damage was caused to shipping and the Royal Navy lost two cruisers, an aircraft carrier and an Australian destroyer. In the West Indies, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh games are played in the winter. Japan bombed Sri Lanka, but there were few casualties. These requirements mean that in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Zimbabwe the game is usually played in the summer. During World War II pro-independence leaders were jailed. Professional cricket is usually played outdoors. The struggle for independence started in the 1930s, when the Youth Leagues opposed the 'Ministers' Memorandum' which asked the colonial authority to increase the powers of the board of ministers, rather than seeking independence. Some one-day games are now played under floodlights, but, apart from few experimental games in Australia, floodlights are not used in longer games.

After the fall of Kandy kingdom in 1815, the British unified it with the 'low country' Kingdoms on the island under one rule for administrative purposes in 1818. Play is therefore halted during rain (but not usually drizzle) and when there is bad light. Great Britain replaced the Dutch in 1796, and the coastal areas became a crown colony in 1802. Additionally, as in professional cricket it is common for balls to be bowled at over 90 mph (144 km/h), the game needs to be played in daylight that is good enough for a batsman to be able to see the ball. During Portuguese and Dutch rule of coastal areas, the interior, hilly region of the island remained independent, with its capital at Kandy city. The game is only played in dry weather. The Dutch followed in the 17th century. There is also a short interval between innings.

They defeated both coastal kingdoms (Yarlpanam and Kotte) in the 16th century. There are formal intervals on each day for lunch and tea, and shorter breaks for drinks, where necessary. In 1517, the Portuguese established the fort and trading post Colombo. One innings matches are usually played over one day for six hours or more. When the Portuguese arrived, the island consisted of several autonomous kingdoms under the nominal suzerainty of the king at Kotte, such as those of Yarlpanam (Anglicised Jaffna) in the north and Kandy in the central hills. Typically, two innings matches are played over three to five days with at least six hours of cricket being played each day. It was also invaded and ruled by Kings of Kalinga (present-day Indian state Orissa) and Malay Straights. An innings is completed if:.

South Indian kingdoms invaded Sri Lanka on a number of occasions and so the island was ruled for extended periods by Tamil dynasties such as the Cholas, Pandyas, Cheras and Pallavas. The umpires swap so the umpire at the bowler's end moves to square leg, and the umpire at square leg moves to the new bowler's end. Parakramabahu IV, who ruled from Kotte, was the last Sri Lankan king to rule over the entire island, although the other kingdoms remained under the nominal suzerainty of the High King at Kotte. After every over, the batting and bowling ends are swapped, and the field positions are adjusted. After the Polonnaruwa era, the capital moved often, and the island was rarely unified. After the completion of an over, the bowler takes up a fielding position, while another player takes over the bowling. 1070 to 1200). No bowler is allowed to bowl consecutive overs.

1000 AD) and Polonnaruwa (c. Each over consists of six consecutive legal (see "Extras" for details) deliveries bowled by the same bowler. 200 BC to c. Each innings is subdivided into overs. Buddhism and a sophisticated system of irrigation became the pillars of Sinhalese civilization (200 BC-1200 AD) that flourished in the north-central Sri Lanka, with capitals at Anuradhapura (from c. The captain winning the toss may choose either to bat or bowl first. Buddhism arrived from the Indian subcontinent in the 3rd century BC thanks to Arahath Mahinda Thero, missionary of Indian Emperor Ashoka, and spread rapidly. The two opposing captains then toss a coin.

Given the island's proximity to the Deccan Plateau, people of different ethnicities must have traveled to and from it throughout human history. On the day of the match, the captains inspect the pitch to determine the type of bowlers whose bowling would be suited for the offered pitch surface and select their eleven players. Its origins are not dated, but must post-date the arrival of the Dravidian language group in South India sometime in prehistory. Each position on the field has a unique label. Tamil presence is noted throughout the country's written history. Their placement may vary dramatically depending on strategy. However, archaic Sinhalese langauge is closer to Prakrits used in northwest India, indicating an origin in the present western coastal Indian state Gujarat. The captain of the fielding team spreads his remaining nine players — the fielders — around the ground to cover most of the area.

Legend states that king Vijaya came to Sri Lanka from Orissa in northeast India. The wicket-keeper, who generally acts in that role for the whole match, stands or crouches behind the wicket at the batting end. Archaeological excavations at Anuradhapura show a settlement from the 10th century BC. The player designated as bowler must change after every over. It also describes a minister of Vijaya, Anuradha, who established the village Anuradhagamma which later became Anuradhapura and became the capital of Sri Lanka centuries later. The fielding team has all eleven of its players on the ground, and at any particular time, one of these will be the bowler. This may refer to a specific group of Prakrit-speaking people, and not necessarily the first such group to arrive. His partner stands at the bowling end and is known as the non-striker.

The Mahavansa describes the Sinhalese kingdom started by king Vijaya and his followers. One batsman, known as the striker, faces and plays the balls bowled by the bowler. The theory of Mahavamsa is a contraversial subject and a debate continues as to whether some aspects of it are factual. The team batting always has two batsmen on the field. Archaeological evidence supplements the Mahavamsa as it places people (perhaps the indigenous Yakkas and Nagas of the chronicle) of indistinguishable racial origin living in the north-central Sri Lanka from the 10th century BC onwards with knowledge of agriculture, metallurgy, and livestock breeding. The infield, outfield, and the close-infield are used to enforce fielding restrictions. The Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa give a near-continuous written history of the island and is also the primary source for the early chronology of India, especially for the synchronity with Alexander the Great and the Greeks. Two circles of radius 15 yards (13.7 m), centred on each wicket and often marked by dots, define the close-infield.

Prior to 1972, Sri Lanka was known by a variety of names; the best known is Ceylon. This line, commonly known as the circle, divides the field into an infield and outfield. In 1978 it was changed to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. A painted oval is made by drawing a semicircle of 30 yards (27.4 m) radius from the centre of each wicket with respect to the breadth of the pitch and joining them with lines parallel, 30 yards (27.4 m) to the length of the pitch. In 1972, the official name of the nation that governs the island was changed to the Free, Sovereign and Independent Republic of Sri Lanka (ශ්‍රී ලංකා in Sinhala / இலங்கை in Tamil). For a one-innings match played over a set number of fair deliveries, there are two additional field markings. . Creases are used to adjudicate the dismissals of batsmen and to determine whether a delivery is fair.

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (ශ්රී ලංකා in Sinhala / Sri Lanka in Tamil) (known as Ceylon before 1972) is a tropical island nation off the southeast coast of the Indian subcontinent, about 30 km south of India. Lines drawn or painted on the pitch are known as creases. The chronology of early India depends upon that of the Mahawamsa. The area of the field on the side of the line joining the wickets where the batsman holds his bat (the right-hand side for a right-handed batsman, the left for a left-hander) is known as the off side, the other as the leg side or on side. The Buddhist scriptures were first committed to writing at Aluvihare in Sri Lanka. One end of the pitch is designated the batting end where the batsman stands and the other is designated the bowling end where the bowler runs in to bowl. Winner of the Cricket World Cup in 1996. Each set of three stumps and two bails is collectively known as a wicket.

First country to have a wildlife sanctuary [2]. Two wooden crosspieces, known as the bails, sit in grooves atop the stumps, linking each to its neighbour. World's leading exporter of cinnamon; exported to Egypt as early as 1400 BC. At each end of the pitch three upright wooden poles, called the stumps, are hammered into the ground. World's leading exporter of tea; Ceylon tea is of the finest quality in the world. The pitch measures 10 × 66 feet (3.05 × 20.12 m). Sri Lanka celebrated 80 years in Broadcasting on December 16th 2005. Most of the action takes place in the centre of this ground, on a rectangular clay strip usually with short grass called the pitch.

First country in South Asia to start radio broadcasting with Radio Ceylon. On most grounds, a rope demarcates the perimeter of the field and is known as the boundary. Longest period of continuous multi party democracy by a non western country (from 1931-present). There are no fixed dimensions for the field but its diameter usually varies between 450 feet (137 m) to 500 feet (150 m). First country in the World to have a female prime minister (Sirimavo Bandaranaike). The cricket field consists of a large circular or oval-shaped grassy ground. Western. The official scorers occasionally make mistakes, but unlike umpires' mistakes these can be corrected after the event.

Uva. In international and national cricket competitions the media often requires to be notified of records and statistics, so unofficial scorers often keep tally for the broadcast commentators and newspaper journalists. Southern. In practice scorers also keep track of other matters, such as bowlers' analyses, the rate at which the teams bowl their overs, and team statistics such as averages and records. Sabaragamuwa. They are to acknowledge signals from the umpire, and to check the accuracy of the score regularly both with each other and, at playing intervals, with the umpires. North Western. The laws of cricket specify that the official scorers are to record all runs scored, wickets taken and (where appropriate) overs bowled.

North Eastern. Two scorers are appointed, and most often one scorer is provided by each team. North Central. In international matches an off-field match referee ensures that play is within the laws of cricket and the spirit of the game. Central. In some professional matches, they may refer a decision to an off-field 'third' umpire, who has the assistance of television replays. Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. The other will stand near the fielding position called square leg, which offers a side view of the batsman, and assist on decisions for which he has a better view.

One umpire will stand behind the wicket at the end from which the ball is bowled, and adjudicate on most decisions. Two on-field umpires preside over a match. A player who excels in both batting and bowling (or occasionally in batting and keeping wicket) is known as an all-rounder. One player of the team that is bowling and fielding takes up the role of a wicket-keeper, which is a highly specialised fielding position.

A balanced team usually has five or six specialist batsmen and four or five specialist bowlers. Depending on his primary skills, a player may be classified as a specialist batsman or bowler. Each team consists of eleven players. In particular, there are a number of modifications to the playing structure and fielding position rules that apply to one innings games that are restricted to a set number of fair deliveries.

Other rules supplement the main laws and change them to deal with different circumstances. Teams may agree to alter some of the rules for particular games. The game is played in accordance with 42 laws of cricket, which have been developed by the Marylebone Cricket Club in discussion with the main cricketing nations. If such a match is abandoned without completion due to an impossibility of continuing the play, because of an extended period of bad weather, unruly crowd, or any such unlikely event or situation, the result is declared as No-Result if fewer than a previously agreed number of overs has been bowled by either team.

If the match has only a single innings per side, with a set number of deliveries, and the match is temporarily interrupted by bad weather, then a complex mathematical formula known as the Duckworth-Lewis method is often used to recalculate a new target score. they are one run short of their target (an extremely rare occurrence) the match is a tie. If the team batting last is dismissed with the scores exactly equal, i.e. If, in a two-innings match, the first team to bat is dismissed in their second innings with a combined first- and second-innings score less than the first-innings score of their opponents (a relatively rare occurrence), the match is concluded and they are said to have lost by an innings and n runs, where n is the difference in score between the teams.

A match is divided into innings^[1] during which one team bats and the other bowls. The objective of the game is to score more runs than the opposing team. Cricket is a bat and ball sport. .

It has even occasionally given rise to diplomatic outrage, the most infamous being the Bodyline series played between England and Australia. For its fans, the sport and the intense rivalries between top cricketing nations provide passionate entertainment and outstanding sporting achievements. The length of the game — a match can last six or more hours a day for up to five days in one form of the game — the numerous intervals for lunch and tea, and the rich terminology are notable aspects which can often confuse those not familiar with the sport. It is also a prominent minor sport in countries as diverse as the Netherlands, Israel, Nepal, and Argentina (see also: International Cricket Council).

Cricket is also a major sport in England and Wales, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the English-speaking countries of the Caribbean, which are known in cricketing parlance as the West Indies. In some countries in South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, cricket is by far the most popular sport. It originated in its modern form in England, and is popular mainly in the countries of the Commonwealth. Cricket has been an established team sport for several centuries.

This is sometimes surprising to those not familiar with the game, but it does add interest to one-sided games by giving the inferior team the incentive to try and achieve a draw even if they cannot win. However, the game may run out of time before it is finished, in which case it is a draw, even if one team is overwhelmingly winning at that point. At the end of the match, the winner is the team that has scored the most runs. Depending on the specific rules of the match, one or two innings may be played, possibly with a fixed number of legally-bowled balls defining the end of an innings rather than ten batsmen having been dismissed.

As there must always be two batsmen on the field, if and when the tenth batsman is out, the team's turn to bat or innings (always with a terminal "s" in cricket usage) is over, and the other team may bat while the first team takes the field. Once out, a batsman is replaced by the next batsman in the team. Batsmen can also be out by other means, such as failing to defend the bowled ball from hitting the wicket, or hitting a catch to a fielder. If the ball strikes a wicket while the nearest batsman is still running, the batsman is out.

The batting team attempts to score as many runs as it can, while members of the bowling team gather the ball and return it to either wicket. This scores a run. If the batsman hits the ball with his bat, he may run to the other wicket, exchanging places with the non-striker. Another batsman (the non-striker) stands in an inactive role near the bowler's wicket.

A player from the opposing team (the batsman) attempts to defend the wicket from the ball with a wooden cricket bat, traditionally made of willow. A player from one team (the bowler) propels a hard, fist-sized ball(made of cork which is then wrapped in leather.) from one wicket towards the other. At each end of the pitch stand a set of wooden poles called wickets (traditionally made from the wood of the ash tree). It is a bat-and-ball game played on a roughly elliptical grass field, in the centre of which is a hard, flat strip of ground 22 yards (20.12 m) long, called the pitch.

Cricket is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players each. If a batter hits the ball over the fence (scoring six runs) they are out and required to fetch the ball themselves by climbing into a neighbours yard. "Six and out". This rule is design to make sure all players spend some time batting.

If out on the first ball, the batter may continue to bat. "Can not get out first ball". (Law 31). (If the delay is even more protracted, the umpires may cause the match to be forfeited.) No player is credited with the dismissal.

Timed out — When a new batsman takes more than three minutes to take his position in the field to replace a dismissed batsman. (Law 37). No player is credited with the dismissal. Obstructing the field — When a batsman deliberately hinders a fielder from attempting to field the ball.

(Law 34). No player is credited with the dismissal. Hit the ball twice — When the batsman deliberately strikes the ball a second time, except for the sole purpose of guarding his wicket. (Law 33).

No player is credited with the dismissal. Handled the ball — When the batsman deliberately handles the ball without the permission of the fielding team. (Law 35). The bowler is credited with the dismissal.

Hit wicket — When the batsman accidentally knocks the stumps with either the body or the bat, causing one or both of the bails to be dislodged, either in playing a shot or in taking off for the first run. (Law 39). This generally requires the keeper to be standing within arm's length of the wicket, which is done mainly to spin bowling. The bowler and wicket-keeper are both credited.

Stumped — When the batsman leaves his crease in playing a delivery, voluntarily or involuntarily, but the ball goes to the wicket-keeper who uses it to remove one or both of the bails through hitting the bail(s) or the wicket before the batsman has remade his ground. Such a dismissal is not officially credited to any player, although the identities of the fielder or fielders involved is often noted in brackets on the scorecard. The ball can either hit the stumps directly or the fielder's hand with the ball inside it can be used to dislodge the bails. Run out — When a fielder, bowler or wicket-keeper removes one or both of the bails with the ball by hitting the stumps whilst a batsman is still running between the two ends.

The bowler is credited with the dismissal. The laws of cricket stipulate certain exceptions in favour of the batsman; for instance, a batsman should not be given out LBW if the place where the ball bounced on the pitch is to the leg-side of the area strictly between the two wickets. Leg before wicket (LBW) — When a delivered ball misses the bat and strikes the batsman's leg or pad, and the umpire judges that the ball would otherwise have struck the stumps. (Law 30).

The bowler is credited with the dismissal. This happens regardless of whether the batsman has edged the ball onto the stumps or not. Bowled — When a delivered ball hits the stumps at the batsman's end, and dislodges one or both of the bails. (Law 32).

The bowler and catcher are both credited. Caught — When a fielder catches the ball before the ball bounces and after the batsman has struck it with the bat or it has come into contact with the batsman's glove while it is in contact with the bat handle. A captain declares his innings closed (this does not apply to one-day limited over matches). The predetermined number of overs are bowled (in a one-day match only, usually 50 overs).

A team chasing a given target number of runs to win manages to do so. Ten out of eleven batsmen are 'out' (dismissed).