Sports
Sri Lanka move up in World Test Championship after big win
A big 328-run win in the first Test against Bangladesh in Sylhet helped Sri Lanka to make steady progress in the World Test Championship. Sri Lanka were placed last in the points table before yesterday but moved up to number six having collected 12 points from the first Test that ended inside four days.
England have now slumped to last and a win in the second Test in Chittagong will see Sri Lanka move to fourth place in the World Test Championship behind India, Australia and New Zealand.
Sri Lanka owed the win to their middle order pair of Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis, who scored hundreds in each innings rescuing the side on both occasions after top order collapses. It was only the third occasion in a Test match batters from the same side had hit twin hundreds.
It was a remarkable performance by the bowlers too as the three quicks shared all 20 wickets to fall. Kasun Rajitha picked up career best figures of five for 54 in the second innings to finish the game with eight wickets.
Left-arm seamer Vishwa Fernando had seven wickets in the game while Lahiru Kumara, although down on pace, picked up five wickets. Prabath Jayasuriya failed to pick up a wicket in the game, something rare for the ever reliable left-arm spin bowler.
Bangladesh had prepared a grassy wicket with pace and bounce hoping their much-improved quicks will make an impact. But the ploy backfired as Sri Lanka’s batters – Dhananjaya and Kamindu – in particular did the hard work to provide their side decent totals.
With runs on the board, Sri Lanka’s quicks then had a field day bowling to attacking fields.
Bangladesh resumed day four on 47 for five and it was a matter of how long they can bat on the penultimate day. They were bowled out after lunch to hand Sri Lanka a 1-0 advantage in the two-match series.
Nightwatchman Taijul Islam was dismissed in the first ball he faced as Rajitha trapped him leg before wicket.
A 66 runs stand for the seventh wicket followed between Mehidy Hasan and Mominul Haque. Rajitha again found the breakthrough when he had got Mehidy to drive and the outside edge was snapped up by Dhananjaya de Silva at second slip.
Rajitha had a fourth wicket when he took a sharp return catch to dismiss Shoriful Islam. He picked up a second five wicket haul in Test cricket when Khaled Ahmed was caught behind.
Mominul was left stranded on 87 as Kumara picked up the last wicket to fall.
Dhananjaya was named Man of the Match.
by Rex Clementine
India are closing in on a big win at SSC after Sri Lanka slumped to 229 for six at stumps on day four of the second Test having been forced to follow on yesterday.
Sri Lanka lead by just 16 runs with four wickets in hand and with three sessions remaining, the tourists will be looking to wrap up victory and complete a 2-0 series sweep. India won the first Test in Galle by 165 runs.
Sonal Dinusha, who batted superbly for a hundred in the first innings, was unbeaten on seven when rain brought play to a premature end. With Sri Lanka now into the tail, Dinusha has his work cut out. He has been the hosts’ standout performer in the series, having also made 100 and 84 in Galle.
Sri Lanka resumed the day on 265 for eight, still needing 39 runs to avoid the follow on, but were bowled out for 290 and asked to bat again.
Although they lost both openers early, Kamindu Mendis and Pasindu Sooriyabandara gave Sri Lanka hope with a 115 run stand for the third wicket.
Sooriyabandara, who had made 80 in the first innings, once again played spin superbly, using clever footwork, while Mendis took on the fast bowlers.
But India had plenty of runs on the board and persisted with the short ball against Mendis, stationing three fielders on the boundary. Eventually, the plan paid off. Mendis took on Mohammed Siraj and perished for 55, with captain Shubman Gill running in from square leg to complete a fine catch.
That was the breakthrough India desperately wanted and the spinners quickly turned the screws. Three wickets fell for just nine runs as Sri Lanka surrendered the initiative and India regained control.
Sooriyabandara missed out on a well deserved hundred when he charged Manav Suthar. The left-arm spinner cleverly fired the ball wide, leaving the batter stranded as Rishabh Pant whipped off the bails in a flash. Sooriyabandara’s 92 came off 173 balls and contained ten fours and a six.
Having spent considerable time in the field, India’s bowlers were beginning to tire, evident from the number of loose deliveries they sent down. But Sri Lanka’s batters lacked the patience to drive home the advantage, with several throwing away their wickets just when the hosts appeared to be clawing their way back into the contest.
Sri Lanka Air Force emerged Overall Champions in both the Men’s and Women’s categories at the 14th Defence Services Badminton Championship concluded successfully on 21 August 2026 at the Sri Lanka Army Indoor Sports Complex, Panagoda.
The SLAF Men’s Team secured the Open Men’s Doubles and Men’s Team Championships, while the Women’s Team excelled by winning the Open Women’s Singles, Open Women’s Doubles and Women’s Team Championships.
In the Open Men’s Doubles, Leading Aircraftman Lochana De Silva and Aircraftman Achintha Imeshaqe secured the championship, while Aircraftwoman Praveena Wijesundara and Aircraftwoman Anurangi Masakorala claimed the Open Women’s Doubles title with Aircraftwoman Praveena Wijesundara winning the Open Women’s Singles Championship.
Major General Mohan Premaratne, President of the Sri Lanka Army Badminton Federation, was the Chief Guest at the awards ceremony while SLAF’s Director Sports Air Commodore Prabath Dissanayake, former Chairman Badminton Sri Lanka Air Force Air Commodore Poojana Gunathilake, Secretary Air Force Sports Council Group Captain Eranda Geeganage and Secretary Badminton Sri Lanka Air Force Wing Commander Thushara Wijeratne. were also present.
Malki Madara and Shashini Fernando shared nine wickets between them to help Sri Lanka Air Force Women beat Chilaw Marians Cricket Club Women by 169 runs and propel their team to the semi finals of the Major Club Womens Limited Over cricket tournament conducted by Sri Lanka Cricket.
In the game played at their home ground in Katunayake on Monday [24], Sri Lanka Air Force posted 276 runs for the loss of eight wickets with Ashani Kaushalya topping the score card with 57 runs off 81 balls with ten hits to the ropes.Sasini Alwis and Wethumya Wijesuriya captured three wickets each.
Chasing 277 to win Shashini Fernando captured five wickets while Malki Madara captured four wickets to restrict the Chilaw Marians Cricket Club Women to 107. Skipper Sanduni Nisansala scored 38 off 61 balls with four boundaries and a six.
Sri Lankan Air Force Women will meet Panadura Sports Club Women for the semi-final at the LRDC ground on Friday (28)
Scores:
Sri Lanka Air Force Women 276/8 in 50 overs [Ashani Kawshalya 57, Malsha Shehani 32, Savindi Cooray 34*; Sasini Alwis 2-48, Wethumya Wijesuriya 2-67]
Chilaw Marians Cricket Club Women 107/10 in 43.5 overs [Sanduni Nisansala 38; Malki Madara 4-14, Shashini Fernando 5-09]
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