Dilhara Fernando

Congenige Randhi Dilhara Fernando (born 19 July 1979) is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer playing for Tests, ODIs and T20Is in international arena. He is a right-handed pace bowler. He was a key member for 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup and 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup runner-up teams.
Fernando is best known for his rare technique when bowling the slower ball by splitting the fingers on the ball as it is releases.

Fernando 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 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.

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.

During 2007 Cricket World Cup against England, he guided the team into winning margin by just 2 runs. England required just 2 runs in the last ball of the match, where Ravi Bopara in batting. Fernando delivers a good ball and Bopara was bowled by 2 runs short.

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).

After 3 years, Fernando have picked for the T20I series against India. He played his first international games after 4 years, on 14 February 2016 against India. Due to few runs posted by Sri Lanka, he was not able to get wickets and Sri Lanka lost the match by 9 wickets as well.

Dilhara Fernando has 3 Tests and 1 ODI five-wicket hauls.

Test Five Wicket hauls

#	Figures	Match	Opponent	Venue	City	Country	Year
1	5/98	2	South Africa	Kingsmead	Durban	South Africa	2000
2	5/42	7	India	Galle International Stadium	Galle	Sri Lanka	2001
3	5/60	18	Bangladesh	P Sara Oval	Colombo	Sri Lanka	2005

ODI Five Wicket hauls

#	Figures	Match	Opponent	Venue	City	Country	Year
1	6/27	123	England	R. Premadasa Stadium	Colombo	Sri Lanka	2007

One Day International awards

Man of the Match awards

S No	Opponent	Venue	Date	Match Performance	Result
1	Bangladesh	SSC Ground, Colombo	5 August 2002	6–1–21–2 ; 1 ct. ; DNB	Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets.
2	Bangladesh	R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo	4 September 2005	8–1–19–3 ; DNB	Sri Lanka won by 6 wickets (D/L).
3	Pakistan	Sheikh Zayed Stadium, UAE	22 May 2007	DNB ; 7-1-20-3 ; 1 ct.	Sri Lanka won by 115 runs.
4	Africa XI	MA Chidambaram Stadium, Bangalore	9 June 2007	DNB ; 10-0-36-4	Sri Lanka won by 31 runs (D/L).
5	Bangladesh	P Sara Oval, Colombo	20 July 2007	DNB ; 9–1–24–4	Sri Lanka won by 70 runs.
6	England	R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo	13 October 2007	12 (13 balls: 1x4) ; 8–0–27–6	Sri Lanka won by 107 runs.

Twenty20 International cricket

Man of the Match awards

#	Series	Date	Opponent	Match Performance	Result
1	2007 ICC World Twenty20	18 September 2007	Bangladesh	DNB ; 3–1–21–2	Sri Lanka won by 64 runs.

Dilhara was educated at De Mazenod College in Kandana, a suburb of Colombo. He started off his school career as a basketball player but was recruited to play cricket because of his build and height.

Dilhara is Roman Catholic.