Sonal Dinusha  was fighting a lone battle unbeaten on 85 as play came to a close on day three, Sri Lanka still 238 runs behind India’s 503 for 9 declared, with just two wickets in hand. At the crease alongside him was Lahiru Kumara, who had done well to hold his own during a 50-ball vigil for eight runs.

Dinusha’s fifty was his third such score in this series as he showcased the resolve that had been sorely lacking across Sri Lanka’s innings – he was one of only five batters to face at least than 50 deliveries in the innings, of which two of them were certified tailenders in Kumara and Keshara Nuwantha.

[Cricinfo]

Prabath Jayasuriya has been handed an official reprimand and had a demerit point added to his disciplinary record for smacking “the boundary wedges with his bat” on his way back after being dismissed on the second day of Sri Lanka’s ongoing second Test against India in Colombo. The demerit point is Jayasuriya’s first in a 24-month period.

The offence is a breach of Level 1 of the ICC’s code of conduct for players and player support personnel, which relates to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match”.

The incident took place when Jayasuriya, the nightwatcher batting at No. 3, was headed back for the pavilion after being dismissed lbw by Manav Suthar off what turned out to be the last ball of the day’s play – the broadcast also showed him throwing his gloves in the dressing room.

Representatives of the World Food Programme (WFP) met with the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, on Monday [24 August] at Temple Trees.

During the meeting, the WFP representatives expressed their readiness to continue their partnership with the Government of Sri Lanka and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting government efforts to strengthen school nutrition programmes.

The WFP representatives noted the positive changes already taking place and expressed their interest in working closely with the Government and relevant stakeholders to further strengthen and advance nutrition interventions within the school system.

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya emphasised that nutrition remains a major concern and highlighted the importance of promoting healthier eating habits alongside strengthening primary and preventive healthcare.

She noted that the Government’s school nutrition programme is currently being implemented in targeted schools and among identified families, while nutrition interventions have also been introduced at the early childhood level.

The Prime Minister also highlighted the growing concern over non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and stressed the need to examine the underlying factors contributing to their continued prevalence.

She emphasised that the Government’s approach to school nutrition should extend beyond providing free meals to targeted communities. It should also promote healthier eating habits, improved nutritional awareness and better dietary practices across the school system as a whole.

The WFP delegation emphasised the importance of strengthening collaboration among universities, the Ministry of Education, United Nations agencies and other relevant stakeholders to improve the effectiveness and impact of nutrition-related interventions.

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya underscored the importance of research- and evidence-based decision-making, stressing that policies and programmes relating to nutrition and health should be informed by reliable evidence, research and a clear understanding of the underlying causes of nutritional challenges and NCDs.

The meeting was attended by WFP Representative and Country Director Philip Ward; Deputy Country Director and Head of Programmes Robert Oliver; Professor Jayashree Arcot, Professor of Food Science and Nutrition at the School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney; representatives of the WFP; and officials from the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]