Sports
Jaffna Kings back in the hunt with six wickets win
Things had been drifting away from defending champions Jaffna Kings as they suffered three defeats in five games in the Lanka Premier League, but they moved out of Kandy with a six wicket win over Colombo Strikers on Tuesday.
Jaffna are now placed third in the points table with six points. B-Love Kandy and Dambulla Aura also have six points each but have better Net Run Rates than the three times champions. Colombo Strikers and Galle Titans are bottom of the table, but all the other four teams have played one game less than Jaffna.
Colombo Strikers openers Pathum Nissanka and Babar Azam continued to impress adding 57 runs for the first wicket in 42 balls. Babar was leading the side in the absence of the injured Niroshan Dickwella. Lahiru Udara at number three chipped in with a useful 29, but their middle order failed to cash in after the top order had given them a solid start; a trend seen throughout the competition.
One major problem that Colombo are facing in the competition is that they have not got enough batters and are depending too much on all-rounders. As the Sri Lankan team found out not so long ago, depending on too many all-rounders in white ball cricket could be counterproductive, especially when those all-rounders are not in the class of Mitchell Marsh, Ben Stokes or Wanindu Hasaranga.
Mohammad Nawaz with 27 off 20 balls and Chamika Karunaratne with 21 off 17 balls provided a decent total for Colombo to defend but that was going to be below par against such a power packed side.
Dunith Wellalage’s figures of two for nine runs earned him the Man of the Match award.
The opening wicket stand produced 58 runs in 32 balls as Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Nishan Madushka provided an electric start as Jaffna began the run chase.
The middle order chipped in with useful contributions to reverse Jaffna’s losing trend.
Naseem Shah bowled superbly generating good pace and swinging the ball to deadly effect, but the team didn’t have enough runs to defend. Naseem finished with two wickets.
The tournament now moves back to Colombo with the race to find the four semi-finalists heating up. Jaffna Kings had cruised in all earlier tournaments without much trouble, but their domination has been challenged this time.
However, Jaffna has got enough resources to see them through to the title once again although Dambulla Aura seem to have a found formula to beat them. Those teams have met on two occasions in the competition and both games have been won by Dambulla.
B-Love Kandy also gained momentum during the Kandy leg of the tournament. Wanindu Hasaranga’s side started off the campaign having suffered two heavy defeats in their first two games in Colombo but once they were in Kandy they were unstoppable and won all three games played there and that too by big margins.
Hasaranga has had a massive impact in the competition. Not only is he this year LPL’s joint leading wicket taker, but the fourth highest run getter as well having notched up back-to-back half-centuries in the last two games.
Brief Scores:
Colombo Strikers
146-8 (20)
(Pathum Nissanka 36, Babar Azam 24, Lahiru Udara 29, Dunith Wellalage 2-9, Dilshan Madushanka 2-23)
Jaffna Kings
150-4 (14.3)
Nishan Madushka 46, Rahmanullah Gurbaz 39, Naseem Shah 2-22)
Result:
Jaffna Kings won by six wickets
An animal rights group is urging Crystal Palace to retire their live bald eagle mascot with immediate effect, saying a “bright stadium filled with boisterous fans is no place for animals”.
In a letter to Palace CEO Sharon Lacey, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) asked the Premier League club to stop using the eagle, named Phoenix, in pre-match displays at Selhurst Park and to never use live animal mascots again.
The London team, known as the Eagles since 1973, introduced a live eagle to matchdays in 2010. Kayla, who died in 2020, performed the role for 10 years and her replacement Phoenix made her debut against West Ham in August 2024.
Peta says birds can become “frightened, disoriented and panicked” in stadium environments, putting themselves and fans at risk.
Using them for displays and entertainment also denies the animals, who “would naturally avoid humans”, the opportunity to engage with their natural instincts, leading to “frustration and stress”, the group said.
The organisation has “detailed records” of incidents involving live mascots, including birds, being injured or killed in collisions with walls, windows and match balls, as well as a falcon embedding its talons in a spectator’s scalp after landing on his head.
In 2017, a Charlton Athletic fan was found guilty of trying to punch Kayla the eagle at a League Cup fixture two years earlier.
“Many professional sports teams use only willing humans as mascots and the club already has Pete the Eagle to excite the crowd,” said Dr Carys Bennett, Peta’s senior corporate projects manager.
“Bald eagles are widely recognised as symbols of freedom. They deserve better than to be used as an entertainment prop to amuse the Eagles’ fans.
[BBC]
Without Mark Chapman and Rachin Ravindra, the hosts have a top-three spot for Devon Conway. They have as many as six seamers in the squad to pick from, with Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell offering part-time spin in a fairly stacked bowling attack.
[Cricbuzz]
Latest News
Bangladesh and Nepal to host Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup from January 21 to February 6
Four venues in Bangladesh and Nepal will host the 2027 Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup, which is set to run from January 21 to February 6. Chattogram, Sylhet, Kirtipur and Mulpani are the four venues, with Chattogram set to host the two semi-finals on February 4 as well as the final on February 6.
The 16-team event will feature four groups of four teams each, with the group stage set to be followed by a two-group Super Six stage, and then the semi-finals and final.
This is the third edition of the tournament, with India having won the first two back-to-back in 2023 and 2025. The defending champions have been drawn in group A alongside Ireland, West Indies and Nepal. Group B has 2025 runners-up South Africa as well as New Zealand, Pakistan and Samoa.
Australia, Bangladesh, Nigeria and UAE make up Group C, while England, Sri Lanka, USA and Scotland have been drawn in Group D.
The tournament will kick off with four matches on January 21, with Sylhet hosting Bangladesh vs UAE and Australia vs Nigeria, and Mulpani hosting Sri Lanka vs Scotland and England vs USA. The other two venues and other eight teams will be involved on January 22: New Zealand vs Samoa and South Africa vs Pakistan in Chattogram, and Nepal vs Ireland and India vs West Indies in Kirtipur.
All 41 games of the tournament will be played during the day. Morning matches will begin at 9.30am local time, and afternoon games at 1.30pm local time.
“The ICC U19 World Cup is the stage that showcases the future of our sport and serves as the ultimate platform for young players to make the leap towards elite careers representing their countries,” ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said. “These future stars representing 16 teams will garner the world’s attention and become relatable role models for many young girls playing the sport, serving inspiration for their continued cricket journeys.
“The choice of our hosts – Bangladesh and Nepal – is also reflective of the ICC’s belief and investment in the future of the cricket ecosystem. With deep passion for cricket and nearly 40% of the two countries’ populations below the age of 20, they serve as the ideal hosts for one of the world’s biggest youth sporting events.”
(Cricinfo)
Crystal Palace urged to retire bald eagle mascot
Little time to unpack as India open in Christchurch
Senior England players to miss Sri Lanka T20Is for WPL 2027
Bangladesh and Nepal to host Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup from January 21 to February 6
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