Sports

Hodge, Athanaze leave England thunderstruck as Wood shoots to thrill

Published

2 years ago

2024/07/20

Priyan

Kavem Hodge salutes the crowd after his maiden Test century [Cricinfo]

In AC/DC’s iconic hit Thunderstruck, chants of “Thunder” burst through the opening thrum, building the excitement before that unmistakeable high-pitched lead vocal kicks in.

On the most picture-perfect day for cricket at Trent Bridge, Mark Wood interrupted the gentle murmur of the first nine overs, in which West Indies openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Mikyle Louis had eased their side to 32 for nought, with a barrage of fire that had the batters rocking and the packed stands audibly in awe.

Four overs in which his speed never dipped below 92mph went unrewarded – as did Wood all day – but what a curtain-raiser it was to the main performance of the day, Kaveem Hodge’s maiden international century. Had Hodge screamed “I was caught… In the middle of a railroad track” as he punched a Ben Stokes inswinger for four through long-off to bring up his ton, it wouldn’t have sounded out of place, such was the tone as he screeched in sheer joy.

By the end of the day he had fallen for 120, lbw to Chris Woakes in a decision upheld on umpire’s call during the evening session.

By the end of the day, England and their supporters were willing Wood to take a wicket, just one, feeling he deserved it for all his gut-busting effort through his first 14 overs. Instead, he left the field one ball into his 15th, seemingly as a precaution after feeling his hamstring, some 35 minutes before the close.

Hodge formed half of a hugely exciting partnership alongside Alick Athanaze, worth 175 for the fourth wicket, with Athanaze falling for 82, also in the evening session, but not before playing his part in driving West Indies to within 65 runs of England’s first-innings 416. Between them, they have only played 10 Tests, but they played defiantly to put their side in a much better place after an innings defeat in the first Test at Lord’s.

Hodge should have been gone for 16 – to Wood, no less – but Joe Root put down the catch at slip. He and Athanaze both went to tea with half-centuries to their name, having added 123 runs while England went wicketless in the middle session.

Athanaze’s ears would have been ringing when, on 48, he was struck flush on the helmet, right next to the badge, by a Wood short ball at 91mph. Hodge’s reaction at the other end was a mirror image of his batting partner’s as he reeled back in shock. Wood was first to ask, “are you ok?” and England’s fielders also approached to check on him before the medics arrived to conduct official tests. But he was passed fit to continue and reached his maiden Test fifty just two balls later, with a nudge off the hip for two in Gus Atkinson’s next over.

Athanaze went on to unfurl some lovely cover drives, and his slog-sweep for six over midwicket off Shoaib Bashir in the penultimate over before tea was glorious. Ben Stokes, however, prised him out with a century looming in the evening session, as he chased a wider delivery on 82 and sliced to Harry Brook at gully.

Although the rest of his evening’s stay would prove to be a bit of an ordeal, Jason Holder got his runs flowing immediately, guiding his first ball for four through the slips cordon and, two balls later, clearing cover where the diminutive figure of Ben Duckett leapt somewhat belatedly and in vain as the ball sailed over his reaching hands and to the boundary.

Wood returned to the attack and beat Hodge’s outside edge with a fantastic outswinging yorker on 92, before giving in to a wry grin when the last ball of the same over swung away again for another near-miss. Hodge forged on, past his century – reached with that punchy drive off Stokes – and put on 46 runs with Holder before he departed.

Stokes took the second new ball with just one over left in the day. He handed it to Atkinson, who conceded five, Joshua Da Silva pulling four through midwicket to finish the day not out 32 with Holder on 23.

Brathwaite and Louis weathered Wood’s earlier onslaught and after the first hour, West Indies were 48 without loss.

But wickets to Bashir and Atkinson had them 89 for 3 at lunch with the innings of Athanaze and Hodge in their infancy.

Wood came on in the 10th over and managed to produce some swing, which had been non-existent to that point on Friday. But it was his unbridled pace that had everyone transfixed as he twice nudged the 96mph mark and hit 95 twice more in the over.

Wood’s second over was equally rapid, clocked at 94mph five times and 95 once, with testing lines as he twice beat Brathwaite’s outside edge.

The Trent Bridge crowd gasped in unison as the scoreboard flashed up the speed of Wood’s fifth delivery in his third over – a staggering 97.1mph. That was understandably a maiden and after three overs, his figures read 3-1-5-0.

Brathwaite managed to find the boundary, guiding the ball fine off his ribs, in Wood’s fourth over, which still contained some lightning speed.

It was Bashir who made the breakthrough in the 15th over, shortly after the drinks break, as Brook took a nerveless catch running a long way to his right from mid-on to remove Louis for 21. It was Bashir’s first Test wicket from two matches at home after not bowling in the first game of this series.

Bashir could have had his second in his next over when he rapped Kirk McKenzie – on nought at the time – on the pad and appealed but the umpire was unmoved, as were England who didn’t seem interested in deferring to the DRS, although replays later showed the ball would have hit the top of leg stump.

Atkinson returned for his second spell to replace Wood and he soon removed Brathwaite for 48 trying to turn a short, straight delivery down the leg side but looping it off the shoulder of the bat straight to Ollie Pope at short leg.

Bashir did take his second wicket shortly before lunch, McKenzie serving up a simple catch to Stokes at mid-on.

But, hours later, you couldn’t help feeling that it was England who trudged off just a little bit Thunderstruck.

Brief scores: [stumps day 2]
West Indies 351 for 5 in 84 overs (Kraigg Brathwaite 48, Mikyle Louis 21, Kaveem Hodge 120, Alick Athanaze 82, Jason Holder23*, Joshua da Silva 32*; Shoaib Basheer 2-100) trail England 416 in 88.3 overs (Ollie Pope 121, Ben Duckett 71, Ben Stokes 69, Harry Brook 36, Chris Woakes 37; Alzarri Joseph 3-98, Jayden Seales 2-90, Kevin Sinclair 2-73, Kaveem Hodge 2-44 ) by 65 runs

[Cricinfo]

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Harshitha’s composed knock seals Sri Lanka’s semi-final berth

Published

1 hour ago

2026/09/7

Priyan

Harshitha Samarawickrama took Sri Lanka home with her unbeaten 48 [ACC]

Harshitha Samarawickrema’s splendid 48 not out off 37 balls took Sri Lanka over the line in a low-scoring thriller against Bangladesh. The defending champions secured a semi-final berth with a four-wicket win, and by virtue of topping Group B, will play the side that finishes second in Group A on Friday.

An excellent opening spell of 2 for 17 from Marufa Akter put Bangladesh in firm control of the match after they posted a below-par target of 115, thanks to Chamudi Prabodha’s career-best figures of 3 for 21.

Sri Lanka found themselves behind the required run rate for much of the chase after losing their top order inside the powerplay and slipping to five down by the tenth over. But a resolute Samarawickrama brought Sri Lanka back into the contest by absorbing the pressure throughout the middle overs before landing the final punches to seal the win. This was Sri Lanka’s seventh consecutive win over Bangladesh.

Praboda strangles Bangladesh

This was only the sixth international match the 17-year-old left-arm spinner had played after making her debut against Pakistan in a three-match T20I series last month, and she doubled her tally of wickets on Sunday.

As Bangladesh looked to rebuild after Juairiya Ferdous fell in the fifth over, Praboda struck in her first over, the seventh of the match, to send the dangerous-looking Dilara Akter back to the hut two balls after being hit for a boundary by her. Dilara made a run-a-ball 26 after adjusting to the slow surface. She made her attacking intent known in the third over when she dispatched three consecutive balls from Sri Lanka pacer Chethana Vimukthi for boundaries.

Praboda and the other Sri Lankan spinners bowled with great discipline and used their variations with great guile to put a stranglehold on the Bangladesh batters, who managed just 114 for 8.

With Sobhana Mostary (34 off 41) and Shorna Akter (9 off 14) stretching their steady 41-run stand into the death overs, the Bangladesh dugout must have anticipated a much bigger total than what they eventually managed. Their hopes were bulldozed by Praboda in her last over as she accounted for both batters inside three balls. The left-arm spinner bamboozled Mostary with flight to have her stumped before drawing Dilara into chipping a tossed-up delivery back to her.

An unlucky outing for Athapaththu

Nilakshi Silva and Vimukthi dropped sitters off Chamari Athapaththu’s bowling, with the former putting down Mostary in the 14th over. Athapaththu eventually got a wicket in her last over, but missed out on a second when on-field umpire Humaira Farah turned down a clear caught-behind appeal off the last ball of her spell.

During the chase, her stay at the crease lasted only two balls, as Fahima Khatun took a sharp catch at first slip when she advanced down the pitch to smash Marufa over the top of her head. That shot, on any other day, would have landed in the stands, as is often the case when Athapaththu charges at the bowlers.

Marufa turns a straightforward chase into a contest

Bangladesh needed early wickets to make a contest of what many expected to be a cakewalk for Sri Lanka, with the required rate below a run-a-ball at the start of the chase. Marufa delivered exactly what was needed, accounting for both Sri Lankan openers.

Marufa had Athapaththu caught at first slip off the last ball of the first over before bowling a jaffa in her next over, rattling Imesha Dulani’s stumps with one that ripped through the gate. Her three powerplay overs yielded 2 for 17.

Sri Lanka’s middle order crumbled under pressure as Sanjana Kavindi was bowled by Sultana Khatun off the last ball of the powerplay. They were soon five down for 44 in the tenth over, but a gutsy 38-run stand between Samarawickrama and Nilakshika Silva brought them back into the contest and threatened to take the game away from Bangladesh.

Desperate for a breakthrough, Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana returned to her trump card in the 17th over, and Marufa obliged with a perfect over to shift the momentum back in her side’s favour. The seamer bowled Silva and conceded only four runs to finish with career-best T20I figures of 3 for 21. It was the fourth time in her 48-match T20I career that she had taken three wickets in the format.

Samarawickrama finishes the job

Ritu Moni had been immaculate in her first three overs, but Samarawickrama plundered 16 runs off her last over – the most conceded in an over in the match – to swing the game in Sri Lanka’s favour.

A lucky inside edge off the second ball raced to the fine-leg boundary as Moni followed Samarawickrama after she backed away to make room on the off side. The next ball landed straight into the advertising cushion at midwicket as the batter swept the medium pacer for six. She then danced down the wicket to launch Nahida Akter for a towering six down the ground, reducing the equation to two off the final over.

The win came off the second ball of the final over, with the ball trickling past the keeper after brushing her pad.

Scores:
Sri Lanka Women 115 for 6 in 19.2 overs (Imesha Dulani 12, Harshitha Samarawickrama 48*, Nilakshika Silva 18, Kaushini Nuthyangana 11*; Marufa Akter 3-21, Sultana Khatun 1-14, Ritu Moni 1-29) beat Bangladesh Women 114 for 8 in 20 overs (Dilara Akter 26, Juairia Ferdous 14, Solbhana Mostary 34, Fahima Khatun 14; Sugandika Kumari 2-22, Chamari Athapaththu 1-20, Chamudi Praboda 3-21, Kavisha Dilhari 1-17) by four wickets

[Cricinfo]

Sports

Pathum rejoins Sri Lankan team after surgery

Published

2 hours ago

2026/09/7

Thilina Walpola

Prolific top order batter Pathum Nissanka taking part in religious observances before heading off to London on Saturday

by Rex Clementine

Prolific top order batter Pathum Nissanka has rejoined the Sri Lankan squad after three months on the sidelines following wrist surgery.

Nissanka suffered the injury during Sri Lanka’s tour of the West Indies in June and subsequently flew to London for surgery. The setback ruled him out of the LPL, the Test series against India and the start of the domestic season.

He returned to action for NCC in the domestic T20 competition last week, using the outing to prove his fitness and earn a recall to the national side.

Nissanka travelled to London with the Sri Lankan team on Saturday. The tourists will hold several training sessions in the capital before heading to Southampton for the first T20I next week.

While Nissanka has cleared the fitness hurdle, white-ball skipper Kusal Mendis has not been so fortunate. Mendis, who has been nursing a hamstring injury, was withdrawn from the T20 squad along with left-arm seamer Binura Fernando, with both yet to prove their fitness.

Sri Lanka Cricket announced that Charith Asalanka will lead the side in Mendis’ absence, while Pavan Rathnayake and Dilshan Madushanka have been added to the squad.

There will be plenty of focus on Nissanka during the tour, not least because of the memories he created in England two years ago, when a stunning hundred at The Oval set up one of Sri Lanka’s most memorable overseas Test wins.

Chasing 219 under gloomy, overcast skies, with conditions tailor made for England’s seamers, Nissanka produced an innings of rare quality. Early on, his judgement outside off stump and ability to counter the moving ball drew admiration. Once his eye was in, however, caution gave way to command. Elegant drives flowed before the cuts and pulls came out, underlining that he was anything but a one dimensional player.

Wisden, reflecting on the innings, observed that there was a touch of Roy Dias in Nissanka early on before the Duleep Mendis in him emerged after he had passed fifty. It was an especially fitting comparison given that Roy had coached Nissanka at Sri Lanka Under-19 level.

Nissanka’s unbeaten 127 came from just 124 deliveries and proved instrumental in Sri Lanka securing their first Test victory in England in a decade.

Attention will also be firmly fixed on how Sri Lanka fare in the T20s, a format in which they have struggled in recent months. Their ODI fortunes, however, have been considerably brighter, with victories over Australia and India, two of the world’s leading sides, during the last 24 months.

Sports

Carey, Wadduwa Central clash in U17 Division II semi-final

Published

2 hours ago

2026/09/7

Thilina Walpola

Carey College Colombo will meet Wadduwa Central College in the semi-final of the Under-17 Division II Inter-Schools Limited Overs Cricket Tournament at Ananda Mawatha today.

‎The tournament, conducted by the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association, began with 65 teams divided into eight groups. The top four teams from each group advanced to the second round, where the competition switched to a knockout format.

‎Carey College entered the second round as group champions, while Wadduwa Central progressed as runners-up from their group. Carey then defeated St. Aloysius’ College, Ratnapura, St. Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya (B), and Trinity College, Kandy (B), in successive knockout rounds.

‎Wadduwa Central overcame Zahira College, Colombo, Anuradhapura Central College and S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia (B), to book their place in the last four.

‎Carey College will be led by Akid Ossen, while Anuja Gihan will captain Wadduwa Central in what promises to be a keenly contested semi-final.

Carey College (from):

Akid Ossen (Captain), Tuan Jappar, Omika Sanhiru, Irusha Vidarshana, Dinan Ekanayake, Thenula Ekanayake, Siluna Sandil, Dulina Nanayakkara, Sandila Nanayakkara, Nethum Peiris, Shenal Jayasekara, Oshada Bandara.

Officials:

Shehan Lasantha David (Master in Charge), Preethiraj Walpitagamage (Coach)

Wadduwa Central (from):

Anuja Gimhan (Captain), Dinith Newumal (Vice captain), Sumesh Malka, Imesh Chathuranga, Ishan Priyadarshana,Vikum Sathsara, Lesandu Sanhindu, Nadith Prabodha, Daham Didula, Yasiru Nethsara, Chamesh Mokshan, Praveen Theekshana, Kaveesha Sayuranga, Senuth Hesara, Binara Gimsara.

Officials:

Gayathri De Silva (Teacher in Charge), Dhanushka Ranmuthu (Head Coach)