Dilhara Fernando

Congenige Randhi Dilhara Fernando (born 19 July 1979, Colombo) is a cricketer who plays for Sri Lanka. He is a right-handed pace bowler.Dilhara studied at De Mazenod College Kandana. He started off his school career as a basketball player but was spotted by the college cricket coach because of his build and height and has never looked back since.

Fernando is best known for his rare technique when bowling the slower ball by splitting the fingers on the ball as it is released from the hand.

Fernando first debuted for Sri Lanka in a Test Match against Pakistan at Colombo in June 2000. Six months later in a game at Durban he clocked 91.9 mph. He bowled at 93.40 mph vs Bangladesh at India. His international career however has been limited due to injury. In the period of a year he suffered two stress fracture of the back and as a result missed the their home series against Australia in 2004.

In the 2010 tour of Australia, in the 3rd and final ODI at The Gabba, he clocked speeds reaching .

In 2008 he appeared briefly in English county cricket, playing one County Championship and two Pro40 matches at the end of the season for Worcestershire.

He is a Christian (Catholic) and sometimes attends church with Chaminda Vaas.

ODI achievements

On 13 October 2007, in the 5th game of an ODI series with England, at Colombo, Fernando took career-best bowling figures of 6 for 27, as Sri Lanka thrashed England by 107 runs. This was the first time Fernando had taken more than 4...
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