Dilhara Fernando

Full Name           : Congenige Randhi Dilhara Fernando 

Date of Birth       : 19th July 1979

Place of Birth      : Colombo, Sri Lanka 

Height              : 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 

Batting Style       : Right-Handed 

Bowling Style       : Right Arm Fast-Medium 

Role                : Bowler 

Test Debut (cap 82) : 14th June 2000 v Pakistan 

ODI Debut (cap 106) : 9th January 2001 v South Africa 

Congenige Randhi Dilhara Fernando  is a cricketer who plays for Sri Lanka.  Dilhara Fernando  is a right-handed pace bowler. Dilhara studied at De Mazenod College Kandana.  Dilhara Fernando  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.  Dilhara Fernando  bowled at 93.40 mph vs Bangladesh at India.  Dilhara Fernando  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 150 kilometres per hour (93 mph).

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.

Dilhara Fernando 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 wickets in an ODI innings, and his feat placed him 5th in the list of best ODI bowling by a Sri Lankan.

Fernando completed the series with 158 career ODI wickets. As of 17 June 2011, only Chaminda Vaas, Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan have taken more ODI wickets for Sri Lanka (and all three have taken over 300 ODI wickets).