Sports
Adair rips through Afghanistan to give Ireland opening-day honours
A Test match had never been played at Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi before, so the conditions were a bit of an unknown for both Afghanistan and Ireland. Even then, neither side could have expected so much sharp, conventional swing, until a stage when reverse swing became a bigger factor. There was movement on offer off the pitch, too. Add to that the accuracy of Ireland’s quick bowlers, led by Mark Adair saw all ten Afghanistan wickets fell inside 55 overs.
Hashmatullah Shahidi had opted to bat under a bright and sunny sky, hoping for spin to play a part when they would bowl in the fourth innings of the Test. But, by the end of day one, Afghanistan were only 55 ahead, with six Ireland wickets remaining.
Ireland’s third-wicket pair of Curtis Campher and Harry Tector added 60 after they were 32 for 2 in the tenth over.
Afghanistan themselves were 11 for 2 after seven overs. Ibrahim Zadran and Shahidi had repaired their innings with a 55-run stand, which was broken when Shahidi tickled one down leg off one of Ireland’s three debutants, Brian McCarthy. Ibrahim and Afghanistan’s only debutant, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, then added 22 more. But at 86 for 3 just after lunch, the wheels started to come off for Afghanistan. And the trigger was pressed by Adair, who had already picked up two out of the three wickets until then. The first of those had come in the third ball of the seventh over when Adair had Noor Ali Zadran nicking to second slip.
Two deliveries later, Ireland reviewed when an lbw shout by Adair against Rahmat Shah went against them, only for replays to show the ball missing leg. But next ball, Adair cleaned Rahmat up for a duck, when a length ball angled in and straightened to find the gap between bat and pad. Adair also struck in the second over after lunch, having Gurbaz bottom edge one to the wicketkeeper.
Two of Adair’s other victims were Zia-ur-Rehman, who flashed one to second slip to end a stay of more misses than hits, and Zahir Khan, for whom Adair perhaps reserved his best of the lot. Coming from around the wicket to the left-hander, Adair landed one on a length around off, and got the ball to straighten to hit the top of off.
Adair’s five-for aside, debutant Craig Young and Campher picked up two wickets each. The most important of those was that of Ibrahim, who, like his captain Shahidi, ended up clipping down the leg side for a catch to the wicketkeeper. Until then, he had scored 53 of the 90 runs on the board. His departure gave Young his second wicket after he had bowled Nasir Jamal for a duck.
Campher, meanwhile, helped clean the tail up, striking twice in the 50th over after Naveed Zadran had frustrated Ireland for 42 balls.
Andy Balbirnie got a life in the second over when Rahmat dropped a simple catch off Naveed at gully. But Naveed ended his stay in his next over, pinning him in front. Balbirnie’s review proved to be futile as ball-tracking confirmed that the ball would have hit the middle of leg. Campher came in at No. 3 after that early blow and had a big role to play in how the day panned out.
More luck was due for Ireland except that they couldn’t capitalise. Peter Moor, Ireland’s other opening batter, was playing only his second Test for his adopted country. He had managed only 10 and 11 in his first, and when on 10 in the sixth over, he was cleaned up by Naveed by one that came back in sharply from outside off. But halfway to the pavilion, he was called back because Naveed’s front foot had crossed the line.
And off the final legal delivery of the sixth over, Moor – still on 10 – was ruled out lbw but he used the DRS to reverse the decision. But he couldn’t make it count as he chopped Naveen on to his stumps for 12 in the tenth over.
That is when Campher and Tector joined hands. Runs came at a steady pace for Ireland, with Campher leading the way. He hit 25 off his first 17 balls, including five boundaries. Tector was calmer at the other end, ticking off singles.
But in a late twist to the day, left-arm spinner Zia got Campher to nick behind to Gurbaz for 49. Two overs later, nightwatcher and the third of Ireland’s first-timers, Theo van Woerkom, was bowled for 1 with what was a classical delivery that drifted in and turned away.
However, Tector and Paul Stirling took Ireland to the end of the day without further damage.
Brief scores:
Afghanistan 155 in 54.5 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 53, Hashmatullah Shahidi 20, Karim Janat 41*; Mark Adair 5-39, Craig Young 2-31, Curtis Campher 2-13) lead Ireland 100/4 in 31 overs (Curtis Campher 49, Harry Tector 32*, Naveen Zadran 2-32, Zia-ur-Rehman 2-13) by 55 runs
(Cricinfo)
The India and Zimbabwe women’s teams are all set to play an international fixture against each other for the first time when Zimbabwe tour India for white-ball fixtures this October.
The tour comprises three T20Is and three ODIs and will be Zimbabwe’s first visit to India; India are yet to tour Zimbabwe for bilateral fixtures.
The three T20Is will be played in Raipur on October 16, 18 and 20, and the ODIs are on October 23, 25 and 28 in Baroda.
The fixtures were announced by the BCCI on Wednesday, along with two home series for the India A women’s side against Australia A in September and England A in December. Both those series comprise three T20s, three List A games and one multi-day fixture.
The India Under-19 women’s team will also host Sri Lanka U-19 in June and July for three T20s and three 50-over games, and England U-19 in November and December for five T20 fixtures.
The Australia A men’s side will tour India for two multi-day fixtures and three one-dayers in September and October, while the Australia U-19 side will visit India for two multi-day fixtures and three one-dayers also in September and October.
[Cricinfo]
Sports
Fast bowlers to get more opportunities as new format introduced for Under-15 Division I tourney
The Inter-Schools Under-15 Division I cricket tournament will be conducted under a revamped format this year, with organisers shifting the focus back to limited-overs cricket while introducing new rules aimed at promoting fast bowling.
The tournament, organised by the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA), will see only the top-tier Division I competition played in a 50-over format. Meanwhile, Division II and Division III matches will continue under the one-day, four-innings structure.
SLSCA Secretary Saman Hettiarachchi said the changes were made following consultations with experts from Sri Lanka Cricket, with a clear objective of providing greater opportunities for pace bowlers.
”We opted for the limited-overs format for Division I in consultation with Sri Lanka Cricket. The lower divisions will copete in the innings format as we have observed matches ending early without utilizing the full quota of overs,” Hettiarachchi told ‘The Island’.
A key feature of the revised rules is the compulsory allocation of overs for fast bowlers. In a full 50-over innings, a minimum of 20 overs must be bowled by pacemen. Additionally, during the first 10 overs, at least eight overs must be delivered by fast bowlers. If an innings is reduced to 30 overs or fewer, at least six of the first eight overs must be bowled by pace.
”It was made mandatory to give more opportunities to pacemen,” Hettiarachchi explained.
Meanwhile, the official draw for the Division I tournament has been released, featuring 70 teams divided into 16 groups from Group A to Group P for the preliminary round. Each team is guaranteed multiple matches during the opening stage.
Defending champions St. Joseph’s College headline Group A, where they will meet Nalanda College, Dharmapala College, St. John’s College, Lumbini College and De La Salle College.
With traditional cricketing powerhouses spread across the groups, it will be interesting to see how the first round pans out in the new-look tournament.
Under 15 Division I Tournament First Round Groups
GROUP A
St. Joseph’s College, Colombo
Nalanda College, Colombo
Dharmapala College, Pannipitiya
St. John’s College, Nugegoda
Lumbini College, Colombo
De La Salle College, Colombo
GROUP B
D.S. Senanayake College, Colombo
S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia
Presidents’ College, Kotte
Wesley College, Colombo
Carey College, Colombo
Sri Dharmaloka College, Kelaniya
GROUP C
St. Anthony’s College, Wattala
St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa
Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Kottawa
St. Peter’s College, Colombo
C.W.W. Kannangara MV, Colombo
Ashoka College, Colombo
GROUP D
St. Benedict’s College, Colombo
Royal College, Colombo
Gurukula College, Kelaniya
Lyceum International School, Wattala
Bandaranayake MMV, Gampaha
St. John’s College, Panadura
GROUP E
De Mazenod College, Kandana
Isipathana College, Colombo
Christ King College, Ja-Ela
Thurstan College, Colombo
Ananda Shastralaya NS, Kotte
St. Joseph Vaz College, Vennappuwa
GROUP F
Mahanama College, Colombo
Piliyandala MMV, Piliyandala
Ananda College, Colombo
Sri Jayawardenapura NS, Kotte
Presidents College, Maharagama
St. Thomas’ College, Kotte
GROUP G
Wadduwa MMV, Wadduwa
Sri Sumangala College, Panadura
Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa
Moratu Vidyalaya, Moratuwa
Revatha College, Balapitiya
Royal College, Panadura
GROUP H
Dharmaraja College, Kandy
St. Mary’s College, Kegalle
Kegalu Vidyalaya, Kegalle
Kingswood College, Kandy
Vidyartha College, Kandy
Ibbagamuwa MMV, Ibbagamuwa
GROUP J
Maris Stella College, Negombo
Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala
Harischandra College, Negombo
Maliyadeva Adarsha MV, Kurunegala
Galahitiyawa MMV, Ganemulla
Sandalankawa MMV, Sandalankawa
GROUP K
St. Anthony’s College, Kandy
St. Sylvester’s College, Kandy
Trinity College, Kandy
Royal College, Polonnaruwa
St. Thomas’ College, Matale
Jaffna Hindu College, Jaffna
GROUP L
Sri Pangnananda MMV, Raddoluwa
St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala
St. Mary’s College, Chilaw
Sri Sumangala NS, Wariyapola
St. Peter’s College, Negombo
St. Xavier’s College, Marawila
GROUP M
Devapathiraja College, Rathgama
St. Aloysius College, Galle
Holy Cross College, Kalutara
Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda
Kalutara Vidyalaya, Kalutara
Vidyaloka College, Galle
GROUP N
Mahinda College, Galle
Tissa MV, Kalutara
Rahula College, Matara
Debarawewa NS, Debarawewa
St. Thomas’ College, Matara
Meepawala Amarasuriya MV
GROUP P
St. Servatius’ College, Matara
Richmond College, Galle
Sri Devananda College, Ambalangoda
Karandeniya MMV, Karandeniya
P. De S. Kularathna MV, Ambalangoda
President’s College, Embilipitiya.
by Reemus Fernando
With the success the seven MCA men’s cricket tournaments have achieved, the Executive Committee of Mercantile Cricket Association (MCA) have decided to give Women’s Cricket in Sri Lanka a boost by introducing a hard ball Women’s Cricket Tournament for the corporate sector.
With the international recognition women’s cricket has gained at present, it is no secret that there still are many talented lasses aspiring to reach the zenith of the game.
Even with the measures Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) the game’s governing body through the Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA) have taken to promote girls cricket in schools, a considerable number of talented players, specially in the provinces do not have an opportunity to be recognized.
It is the MCA’s belief that with the introduction of a MCA Women’s Cricket Tournament, the corporate sector will be encouraged to field teams, and in doing so will give a hand to talented lasses and school leavers by providing them with employment as well as the opportunity to realise their aspirations in the Women’s Cricket arena.
At present in addition to the seven major Men’s tournaments the MCA organise the
Mercantile Six-a-Side tournament, the Over-40 Sixes competition, the 20×20 league, and the esteemed MCA Inter Academy Invitational tournament,
As an initial step, the MCA will be conducting a Women’s six and side soft ball cricket tournament for the corporate sector teams on Saturday 23rd May 2026 at the Mercantile Cricket Association grounds.
For further information please contact Chamara on 0759592488 or Prasad 0759809777.
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