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Joined August 2018
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Nuwan is an upcoming sports writer who has written for several online publications. He started with The Substitute in 2012, afterwards he wrote for The Sporting Journal in 2013. In June 2012, Nuwan began his YouTube channel named Off The Mark, producing videos that shared a comical and witty perspective on cricket. Nuwan interviewed high profile international cricketers, his most notable guest being Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara in January 2013. Nuwan joined RealSport in 2017, a new fan-based website that covered range of different sports. Nuwan conducted podcasts and skype interviews with RealSport’s editors, giving his insight and analysis on cricket. Nuwan joined The Roar in August 2018 to further his sports writing ambitions. His goal is to become a respected television or radio cricket commentator in the future. Through accumulating further experience and opportunities Nuwan is hopeful that he can make it into the commentary box one day.
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On most occasions, a visit to the MCG would imply viewing a spectacle of a sporting nature, ideally cricket or Australian rules football.
Haven’t we just had this? Australia will once again take on the world number one team, but this time on their own turf.
Match result: A late collapse from the Melbourne Stars has seen the Melbourne Renegades snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and win over the crosstown rivals to claim their first ever BBL title win.
Match result: A Kurtis Patterson maiden century was the highlight of Day 2 at Manuka Oval, and after declaring Australia were able to take three Sri Lankan wickets before stumps.
The Melbourne Renegades will hope to get their first ever win in Western Australia when they travel to face the Perth Scorchers on Monday night. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match, starting from 9:15pm AEDT.
It’s another balmy, hot and humid day here in Brisbane.
Hope is a beautiful thing. In a lacklustre Test match that ended in just over two and a half days, both Australia and Sri Lanka were playing with this feeling burgeoned deeply inside them.
Match result: Ten wickets to Pat Cummins delivered victory for Australia in the first Test against Sri Lanka, with the win only taking three days to achieve.
As Australia lick their wounds after a hurtful examination from Virat Kohli’s all-conquering India, it’s time to refocus for the next assignment: a two-Test series against lower-ranked Sri Lanka.
Match result: A spectacular knock of 70 off 65 balls from Marcus Stoinis has seen the Melbourne Stars go 2-0 against their hometown rivals in BBL08.
Both the Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Renegades have had middling starts to their BBL campaigns, and after eight matches both teams remain in a sudden death position at eight points apiece. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:15pm (AEDT).
There’s been a lot of talk about India’s maiden Test series victory in Australia riding on the back Cheteshwar Pujara’s stellar performance with the willow and Jasprit Bumrah creating mayhem with the ball, but there’s more to the win than that.
Virat Kohli is not the first Indian or Asian cricketer to perfect the art of a well-delivered sledge on an Australian tour.
After both teams secured convincing wins in their opening games, the Adelaide Strikers will go head-to-head with the red-hot Melbourne Renegades on Sunday 23rd December at the Adelaide Oval.
Before this series began, much of the hype surrounded India’s talismanic captain and superstar batsman, Virat Kohli.
When non-cricket lovers ask the ardent fan why on earth they would want to watch a seemingly boring game that meanders for five long days, one only needs to look at how this first Test match between Australia and India has unfolded.
The world’s No.1 Test team needed a flying start to assert themselves in this Adelaide Test, yet their irresponsible, overconfident and brash stroke play suggested otherwise.
Cricket commentary is a special talent that comes in many flavours and only a few have accomplished successfully.
Recently, I was having an intense discussion with a colleague over who they thought was the greatest modern batsman of all time.
Interesting find there Brainstrust! I think it is a bit more than 10% to be honest, especially if we look at how much the likes of Elyse Perry, Mithali Raj and other more high profile womens cricketers are earning through sponsorship deals and whatnot.
But yes in the past they earned next to peanuts. Even smaller cricketing nations like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were quite poor before the 2000s.
Did you know that prior to the 1996 World Cup final, Aravinda De Silva, Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana would often share a bedroom together at Arjuna Ranatunga’s house when they weren’t training? Or that the sum of the total assets of the Sri Lankan Cricket Board prior to winning that 1996 World Cup came to just under $6,000 USD?
Cricket was not just backwards towards women, but even more so towards cricketers of colour and non-English speaking backgrounds. Thankfully things have now changed for the better.
Why cricket is Australia’s most feminist sport
Wow that is so unfortunate to hear! I’m so sorry you had to go through that. Sledging of that nature is borderline bullying. I hope you had better experiences of playing cricket regardless. It looks like we still have a long way to go.
Why cricket is Australia’s most feminist sport
That is amazing to hear Downsey, and so they should. Hopefully we see more exciting young female cricketers from WA make it to the big leagues soon!
Why cricket is Australia’s most feminist sport
JimboJones I’m pretty sure I was. I cited a number of articles and almost all agree that it was a woman who most definitely birthed the idea of bowling overarm, albeit unknowingly.
Are you also going to label me claiming the first women’s world cup in 1973 as a ‘creative feminism’ too?
Why cricket is Australia’s most feminist sport
No dramas at all there mate. I don’t like golf, be it male or female, I even despise lawn bowls, curling, American football (way too slow in my opinion), baseball, badminton and even Olympic handball.
Guess we can’t please everyone hey?
Why cricket is Australia’s most feminist sport
yeah brilliant final that was! I was only two years old when Sri Lanka announced themselves so emphatically on that fateful day, the 17th March 1996. Aravinda De Silva’s match-winning hundred was a beauty and it is still one of the all-time great world cup centuries.
Why cricket is Australia’s most feminist sport
It’s fantastic that you support your daughters in their sporting aspirations, nothing wrong with that at all.
Going by your first comment Aligee you simply said ‘men are bad, women are good’ which kind of shows your inner resentment and lack of understanding to what I’m saying.
My point was not to paint us males as the bad guys. I just want simply want cricket to be a level playing field where the spirit of cricket is upheld always. The fact that we see it so prevalently in women’s cricket doesn’t mean there is suddenly this big divide between men and women, or that women are suddenly ‘better’ than men. If there was something important lacking in women’s cricket which we were seeing more of in men’s cricket I would happily call that out too.
You may question the article as much as you want my friend and voice your opinion but I’ve also got a right to question why hold that particular opinion if that is the train of thought you want to adopt.
Why cricket is Australia’s most feminist sport
Propaganda? Pretty sure I supported each argument and claim with valid and accurate evidence. I do not know you personally but evaluating you purely on your comment I am disappointed that as a potentially ardent cricket fan that you may be, you’ve seen this piece as a direct attack on all of us males.
My purpose for writing this article was not to offend or annoy, but rather to inspire, educate and encourage us all to reflect and appreciate what women have done for the game over the years.
Yes, there have also been numerous accounts of incredible acts of sportsmanship, bravery and camaraderie in men’s cricket. Graeme Smith walking out to bat with a broken hand to save that Test match against Australia in 2008 is one such incident that comes to mind. Despite Mitchell Johnson bowling absolute heat in that spell to poor Graeme Smith, the great Aussie quick later congratulated and paid his respects to the Proteas captain, hailing it as one of the greatest acts of bravery seen on a cricket field.
So JimboJones please do not think that I am oblivious to the amazing acts of humanity and sportsmanship we have witnessed in the men’s game too. It’s just compared to women’s cricket it is few and far between. I’m often impressed and delighted to see how clean and corruption-free the women’s game is, and it is not something we ought to feel threatened or dishevelled by at all. We should in fact, as cricket fans and players, aspire to achieve the levels of sportsmanship and honesty that is so commonly prevalent within the women’s game.
No gender is better or superior to another gender. Cricket is for everyone. However if one group or organisation of players within this institution is displaying a fundamental facet of this game at a higher level than another, then that group ought to look at them for guidance and support. That way we can make the game better for everyone, no matter what level we play.
Why cricket is Australia’s most feminist sport
I’m pretty sure I kept a balanced argument. Cricket still has a long way to go on many socio-economic and political factors, not just in the women’s game. To explain that would require me to go into detail that may turn this into a phD report. I thought it was appropriate to highlight this aspect though simply because cricket has done a lot to tackle these issues, and also because I was quite inspired and uplifted by the International womens day event I attended at the MCG.
Why cricket is Australia’s most feminist sport
and you know what Aligee, I’ll be honest and transparent with you. Even I initially thought women’s cricket was a bit of a funny and weird concept. Even I held very sexist and patronising attitudes towards it.
No one cares about women’s cricket, I said. It lacks intensity, I mocked. Nobody wants to watch girls play the gentleman’s game, it’s not competitive enough, I jeered.
But how wrong, naive and insensitive I was. After digging deep and doing a bit of research I realised we ought to elevate and promote the women’s game almost at the same level as the guys. Cricket was initially seen as a women’s game did you know that? and you know what’s even more incredible? They often played at an intensity and excitement that matched the guys.
Here’s an excerpt from the British newspaper The Mercury that reported on that women’s cricket match back in 1745. They literally said
“The greatest cricket match that was played in this part of England was on Friday, the 26th of last month, on Gosden Common, near Guildford, between eleven maids of Bramley and eleven maids of Hambledon, all dressed in white. The girls bowled, batted, ran and catches as well as most men could do in that game.”
What this shows is that our women always had the capacity, tenacity and the skill levels to play an attractive, exciting and entertaining brand of cricket right throughout history. We just simply haven’t given them a decent chance to flourish. And thankfully now, it has been realised. The biggest thanks must in fact go to Australia who have gone to great lengths to promote the women’s game more than most other cricket playing nations.
Why cricket is Australia’s most feminist sport
Glad to hear it mate. Education and awareness is what I’m all about
Why cricket is Australia’s most feminist sport
Thanks for your support JD! Yeah disappointing to see so much negativity in the comments when I was trying to showcase a positive and enlightening aspect of our summer game. It is what it is though.
Why cricket is Australia’s most feminist sport
Absolute Duncan Smith I am totally on board with you. Both genders can be just as evil as each other. Yet why aren’t we seeing it in women’s cricket?
Why cricket is Australia’s most feminist sport
Duncan Smith you clearly haven’t heard my Sri Lankan mother talking shit to her friends on the phone. My mother sledges everyone hahaha! Women can be just as ruthless as men my friend, they just choose less public avenues to display it.
Why cricket is Australia’s most feminist sport
It goes both ways Aligee. We could be here all day on a fact-finding mission trying to outdo each other aggressively arguing as to whether which gender has it worse. The point of this article is simply to highlight the good things women’s cricket has done for the game and that all of us, regardless of male or female, should celebrate and embrace it.
Don’t you think it’s kind of cool and slightly dumbfounding that a woman invented the art of over-arm bowling? or that the first cricket world cup was a women’s one? If you’re a true cricket lover you would be amazed by this.
A strong masculine man should never feel threatened or shocked by a woman’s achievements. We should in fact laud and encourage them to prosper more. I suggest you watch a movie called ‘Hidden Figures’ to see just how badly women have been marginalised in the past even though they worked in industries where their intellect, work experience and education background was far superior to the male colleagues who worked with them.
Why cricket is Australia’s most feminist sport
I was wondering when we would see an uneducated comment or two doused in fragile masculinity. That wasn’t the main point of the article at all mate. If women were as ‘bad’ as the men on the cricket field I would be the first to call it out. ‘Unfortunately’ (lol) it hasn’t been the case at all.
Last time I checked it was three blokes who decided to tamper with a cricket ball in South Africa. Three blokes that a lot of young kids in this great land of ours looked up to as role models and heroes. Let that sink in for a minute.
Why cricket is Australia’s most feminist sport
Didn’t know we had to be biased towards social inclusion and embracing women’s cricket. Strange world we live in, isn’t it?
Why cricket is Australia’s most feminist sport
Wouldn’t have a clue mate, perhaps you could publish an eloquent article on that one?
Why cricket is Australia’s most feminist sport
haha that’s all we got these days unfortunately!
A day in the life of a Sri Lankan cricket fan
Cheers Trevine hope you enjoyed the read!
A day in the life of a Sri Lankan cricket fan
Cheers Spanner! Hopefully Lankan cricket will be on the upward curve soon! I can only imagine McGrath would be seething with rage at such nonchalance by Jayasuriya.
A day in the life of a Sri Lankan cricket fan
Spot on Carl! Hope you enjoyed the read haha
A day in the life of a Sri Lankan cricket fan
G’day Aligee, it’s the author of the article here speaking. I’m still amused that you see this write-up as an attack on men. Wasn’t my intention at all. If you read carefully I wasn’t playing down men. I was just expressing my disappointment at the lack of honesty and sportsmanship in the men’s game. If it was the other way around I would still say the same thing. Hence no irony.
Also deaf, blind and wheelchair cricket has predominantly been played by men which I highlighted as well in my article so not sure why you think I’m attacking men lol. Don’t forget I am a heterosexual male too.
If both genders displayed equal amounts of genuine sportsmanship then I would again be the first to highlight this. Sadly, it hasn’t been the case, hence that excerpt you eloquently cited from my article stays true.
Remember when Shane Warne grabbed Marlon Samuel’s shirt in that 2013 BBL? Or when Ramnaresh Sarwan almost got into a fistfight with Glenn McGrath? Or when Sunil Gavaskar once refused to walk after being given out LBW in a Test match? BALL TAMPERING? I can rattle off heaps more examples.
I actually researched a fair bit to see if there were any occurrences of women displaying unsportsmanlike behaviour on the cricket field. ‘Unfortunately’ for you there has been none. Therefore, that excerpt you quoted remains factual and is a statement devoid of my opinion. I was just stating facts lol.
Does that mean I think all women are angels who are immune to human error? Absolutely NOT. To appease you maybe I’ll write an article on how much I dislike Serena Williams arrogant and childish behaviour on the tennis field, or how evil and cunning Hilary Clinton truly was as a politican. There are also women who use feminism to their advantage to marginalise innocent men as well. So I’m well aware of both sides of the issue here mate.
History is rife with horrible females too, but thankfully on the cricket field we have not seen that. And that should be celebrated, acknowledged and applauded.
As for criticism of my writing style, I’ll definitely take it as constructive feedback and ensure that next time I write I’ll use fewer buzzwords and include more basic vocabulary to appeal to Neanderthals like yourself.
Perhaps the only irony I can think of is the fact that I forgot to include readers who share the same viewpoints and opinions such as yourself, and this article was supposed to be about social inclusion. You got me good there mate. Have a great day.
Why cricket is Australia’s most feminist sport