Sanath Jayasuriya is poised to have his contract as the head coach of the Sri Lanka men’s cricket team extended for another year, following a successful interim period marked by notable victories. Since taking over in early July, Jayasuriya has led the team to a series win against India in ODIs, a Test victory at The Oval, and another Test win in Galle against New Zealand. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had advertised for a permanent head coach following Chris Silverwood’s departure in late June.

However, with the significant improvements observed under Jayasuriya’s leadership, the board is now moving towards securing him on a long-term basis.

“We are in the final stages of negotiating the contract with him,” said SLC CEO Ashley de Silva to ESPNcricinfo.

“Probably in the next two or three days you will hear more,” he added, as per quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Initially appointed as a cricket consultant in December last year, Jayasuriya’s role was primarily focused on working with the High Performance Centre. His involvement with the national team increased when he travelled with them to the T20 World Cup and subsequently took on the interim head coach role.

Despite a T20I series loss to India and two Test defeats in England, Jayasuriya’s tenure has been marked by more successes than setbacks.

Under his guidance, Sri Lanka is now contending for a place in the World Test Championship final, and his potential new contract will see the team through the current championship cycle.

According to ESPNcricinfo, players’ feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with veteran Angelo Mathews describing Jayasuriya’s impact as a “turning point” for the team.

“Sanath Jayasuriya was superb as cricket director and now as coach,” Mathews said, as per quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

“He communicates well and has given us a lot of freedom. We are all working towards one goal, and now everyone is on the same page. He’s also done a superb job grooming the players. He has been amazing. I wish him all the very best,” he added.

Previously serving as chief selector in two separate stints over the past decade, Jayasuriya’s earlier tenures were marked by mixed results.

However, his current assignment has brought more stability and progress to the Sri Lankan team.

Anton Roux, currently serving as Sri Lanka’s national fielding coach, announced on Wednesday that he is stepping down from the role. Roux, who played first-class cricket for South Africa and coached the Netherlands, became Sri Lanka’s national fielding coach in March 2022. “On the 14th of August 2024, I decided to step down from my role as the National Fielding Coach for Sri Lanka Cricket. This week will be my last with SLC as I finish my handover. It has been an immense honour and a truly humbling experience to serve the Sri Lankan national cricket team. I will forever cherish the memories and experiences that came with this journey.”

“Witnessing the resilience and unity of the Sri Lankan people during times of crisis, especially during the incredible series win against Australia on home soil, was a testament to what this nation, and team, can achieve when it comes together. The electric atmosphere, the passion of the fans, and the triumphs on the field will remain etched in my memory,” wrote Roux in a post on LinkedIn.

It means the third and final Test at the Oval, where Sri Lanka beat England by eight wickets at the Oval, as the visitors’ claimed their maiden win in the longer format over the hosts’ in a decade, was Roux’s final international game in the national fielding coach role.

He further talked about being witness to what all Sri Lanka achieved in his tenure as a fielding coach. “Reaching two Asia Cup finals, and ultimately winning the 2022 Asia T20 Cup, was a spectacular achievement that demonstrated the true potential of this team. Bringing that trophy back to Sri Lanka and seeing the joy it brought to the fans is something I will cherish for a long time.

“I also had the privilege of spending a short period of time with the Sri Lanka Women’s Cricket Team, and I was deeply impressed by their hunger to learn, passion to play and compete, and their athletic ability in the field.

“They have grown from strength to strength and have become a beacon of hope and inspiration for women in Sri Lanka. Their progress has been remarkable, and I have no doubt that they will continue to achieve great things in the future.”

Roux also expressed gratitude to the people who made his life in Sri Lanka unforgettable. “Sri Lanka has also become a part of my family’s story. It is the country of birth for my second son, Aiden, and the love and care we received at Joseph Fraser Hospital in Colombo will always be a fond memory and a lasting connection to this beautiful country.

“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Mahela Jayawardene, Tom Moody, Tim McCaskill, and Chris Silverwood for entrusting me with the responsibility of overseeing the fielding duties for the national team and SLC.

“As I step away from this role, I carry with me a profound respect and appreciation for Sri Lanka and its people. The journey has been one of immense learning and unforgettable moments, and I will always hold Sri Lanka close to my heart.”

File image of Joe Root.© AFP

Michael Vaughan has warned England against “take the mick out of the game” after a careless batting display against Sri Lanka in the third Test at the Oval. England, well-placed at 221-3 come stumps on the opening day, were dismissed for 325 all out in their first innings as they lost all of their remaining seven wickets before lunch on Saturday’s second day in south London. Sri Lanka, already 2-0 down in this three-match series, then collapsed to 93-5 but reached stumps on 211-5 following an unbroken century partnership between captain Dhananjaya de Silva (64 not out) and Kamindu Mendis (54 not out).

England have become known for their aggressive ‘Bazball’ approach under the leadership of coach Brendon McCullum and currently injured captain Ben Stokes in recent years.

But Ashes-winning former England skipper Vaughan believes they got carried away on Saturday, citing a frenetic innings of 19 by Harry Brook as the worst example.

“I would ask England, ‘were you on it all day like you would be against India and Australia?’,” Vaughan told the BBC. “If they look themselves in the mirror and say they were I would say they are lying.

“There are cricketing gods up there and in a year’s time there are tougher challenges (ahead). Just be careful, Harry Brook. He is an incredible player but don’t take the mick out of the game (treat it lightly).

“England delight me a lot in the way they play, I like that they do things completely differently, but I sometimes watch and say be careful because this game has a way of biting you.”

Vaughan’s fellow ex-England captain Alastair Cook, a former opening batsman, was also unhappy with the way Brook approached batting when Sri Lanka set a defensive field.

“Sri Lanka bowled in the channel and he didn’t like, so he was moaning to the umpire in jest that it was a bit boring and went to bat on sixth stump,” said Cook. “He then hit one straight to cover.

“Rather than finding a method he was more about trying to talk about it than deal with it. England were complacent today.”

Sri Lanka coach Sanath Jayasuriya, one of the most outstandingly aggressive run-scorers of his generation, said there were occasions when batsmen had to change the tempo of their innings.

“He (Brook) was frustrated,” Jayasuriya said. “Sometimes you have to slow it down a bit. You can’t be in top gear all the time when you play this type of cricket.”

Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva and the in-form Kamindu Mendis frustrated England with a unbroken century partnership on the second day of the third Test at the Oval on Saturday. The tourists collapsed to 93-5 before tea, but had recovered to 211-5 when bad light forced an early close. That left Sri Lanka 114 runs adrift of an England first-innings total of 325 built on Ollie Pope’s 154 — his first century as England captain. De Silva was 64 not out and left-handed batsman Kamindu Mendis, again down the order at number seven, 54 not out in an undefeated stand of 118 as Sri Lanka looked to salvage some pride at 2-0 behind in a three-match series.

It was a fine end to the day for Sri Lanka, who took seven wickets before lunch on Saturday to end England’s innings.

For Mendis, currently boasting a staggeringly high Test batting average of over 85, this was the seventh time in six matches at this level the 25-year-old had passed 50 — a run that also includes three centuries.

De Silva, however, should have been out for 23 but Test debutant Josh Hull dropped a simple catch at mid-on, the ball bursting through the towering fast bowler’s giant hands following a miscued drive off spinner Shoaib Bashir.

England, 211-3 overnight, could have batted Sri Lanka out of the game.

But an improved Sri Lanka bowling display, allied to several England batsmen giving their wickets away, helped the tourists fight back.

‘Character’

“I think after what happened yesterday (Friday), we pulled ourselves back into the game,” Sri Lanka coach Sanath Jayasuriya told reporters after stumps.

“Getting seven wickets for about 100 runs was very good. The quicks and (off-spinner) De Silva bowled well.

Jayasuriya, who scored a superb double century in Sri Lanka’s 1998 Test triumph at the Oval, also praised De Silva and Kamindu Mendis’s batting by saying: “These guys have shown character. They know that they are the last two recognised batters.”

Sri Lanka scored 69 runs without loss in 17 overs of all spin bowling after tea on Saturday, with England deciding against deploying their pacemen in case the umpires halted play for bad light even earlier than they eventually did.

England quick Olly Stone defended Pope’s tactics by telling Sky Sports: “It was too dark for our seamers but we tried to take the positive option.

“We thought we could take wickets with our spinners,” added Stone, who had 2-28 in five overs at stumps. “But Sri Lanka played well.”

Sri Lanka’s innings suffered an early setback when Dimuth Karunaratne (nine) was run out by Stone’s direct hit from short cover after Pathum Nissanka set off for a rash single.

Nissanka completed a fine fifty when he punched the 20-year-old Hull for four through mid-off. But the 6ft 7 inch (2 metres) tall Hull took his first Test wicket by removing Nissanka for 64 when the opener’s drive was well caught by a diving Chris Woakes at cover.

And 91-4 became 93-5 when Stone had Dinesh Chandimal lbw for a duck.

De Silva celebrated his reprieve by late-cutting Lawrence for four to complete an 81-ball fifty, while the stylish Kamindu Mendis reached the landmark in a mere 60 balls.

Joe Root was also given a couple of overs with his occasional off-breaks before, amid worsening natural light, play ended for the day.

Earlier, England lost their last six wickets for 35 runs after resuming on 221-3.

Pope was then 103 not out after managing a mere 30 runs in four innings since succeeding the injured Ben Stokes as skipper at the start of this series.

Sri Lanka’s wayward four-man pace attack had failed to make the most of overcast conditions and a green-tinged pitch after De Silva won the toss.

Their performance improved markedly on Saturday, although Pope contributed to his own downfall by hooking left-arm quick Vishwa Fernando to deep square leg to end a 156-ball innings including 19 fours and two sixes.

England, who whitewashed the West Indies 3-0 earlier this season, are chasing their first home Test clean sweep since 2004, when Michael Vaughan oversaw seven successive wins.

File image of Olly Stone.© X (Twitter)

India vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI© AFP

Fifteen years after England duo of Michael Vaughan and Andrew Flintoff ended their Test careers, their sons are likely to begin their journey in the traditional format at the age-group level in two Tests against Sri Lanka. Archie Vaughan, son of the former Ashes-winning England captain, was on Tuesday named in a 14-member squad that also includes 16-year-old Rocky Flintoff, who has already made his international debut in youth ODIs. Family connection runs deep in the squad that also features Farhan Ahmed, brother of current England leg-spinner Rehan and Jaydn Denly, the 17-year-old nephew of ex-England batter Joe Denly.

“They’ve helped me and given me more confidence in my leadership on and off the field, advising on bowling options and field placements,” skipper Hamza Shaikh told Warwickshire’s website.

“I like to think I’m a fairly calm guy and captaincy doesn’t faze me. I’m looking forward to the challenge and hopefully coming away with a series win.” A top-order batter and off-spinner, Archie, 18, represented Somerset in his first professional contract earlier this season. He had been been part of the county’s academy set-up at Taunton since 2020.

He is however yet to play for Somerset first-team. But at age-group level last week, he caught the attention with a 83-ball 85 for Young Lions Invitational XI in a warm-up match against the England U19 ODI squad, for whom Rocky, a right-handed allrounder, top-scored with 106.

Vaughan and Flintoff Sr had played 48 Tests together between 1999 and 2008.

England U19 side will take on Sri Lanka U19 in two Tests, at Wormsley from July 8-11, and Cheltenham from July 16-19.

England U19 Squad: Hamza Shaikh (c), Farhan Ahmed, Charlie Brand, Jack Carney, Jaydn Denly, Rocky Flintoff, Kesh Fonseka, Alex French, Alex Green, Eddie Jack, Freddie McCann, Harry Moore, Noah Thain and Archie Vaughan.