Sports

Roar by ‘Kandy Lions’ deafens Sri Lions

Published

2 years ago

2024/12/18

Sahan Weerasooriya

Kandy SC went on the rampage on Sunday to down Sri Lions SC 61-14 at Nittawela.

By A Special Sports Correspondent

Kandy Sport Club started the season with a bang by beating Sri Lions SC, a new entrant to division 1 rugby, in a keenly contested encounter of the 2024/24 inter-club league tournament played on Sunday at Nittawela. The result was a thumping 61-14 win for Kandy SC which ran down eight glorious tries, out of which six were converted by that ever reliable place kicker and attacking back division player Tharinda Ratwatte.

This win was a morale booster for Kandy; give that the side is in a team building process. Also the Nittawela side underscored that there cannot be two ‘lion kings’ in one rugby jungle. In a more raw term ‘Kandy SC put the ‘decorated’ visiting team in their place’.

Sri Lions SC came for the game with medals pinned on their profile; the latest feat being the victory gained in the ‘Mens’ International Open’ of the Dubai Rugby Sevens which they won quite convincingly. Sri Lions SC, for that overseas tournament, was reinforced with the skills of foreign players. This side also has in their ranks some of the most promising Sri Lankan players who learned the rudiments of rugby here in the island; especially at their schools. Sri Lions SC, while playing in Dubai, had the opportunity to borrow muscle power from players who came from Australia, South Africa, Tonga, Fiji and USA. But that facility of propping the side with foreigners was not afforded to them when contesting the domestic league tournament here because tournament rules restricts all teams to fielding only locals. May be if the tournament allowed teams to field foreigners, then the outcome of the game played in Nittawela would have been quite different. But then such hypothetical thought would only land us all in a rugby fantasy. The reality is that Sri Lanka has to face the outside world in terms of playing in the Asian circuit with players who are eligible to represent Sri Lanka. Hence the rugby authorities here not allowing foreigners to represent domestic clubs in the league tournament and work their way towards earning national representation at rugby. Sri Lanka’s rugby selectors select the national pool taking into account the performances of the players in the Inter-club league tournament. Players born overseas can also represent clubs and make themselves eligible for national team selection if they could prove that at least one of their immediate ancestors (father/mother/grandparents) was born in Sri Lanka.

But Sri Lions SC cannot be taken lightly. They have the backing of sponsors and foreign exposure. The side is backed by a think-tank, Dr. Kelum Sujith Perera, the brainchild behind this team and the founder president of Sri Lions SC. Their next game is against Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club (CR) scheduled for next Sunday in Colombo under floodlights. Sri Lions SC is led by former Peterite and ‘stepper’ Kevin Dixon.

Kandy SC would not let any side just walk in and take their place. The side from Nittawela are smarting from last season’s defeats at the hands of CR (Kandy SC were beaten twice in the league). Kandy under the leadership of utility player Srinath Sooriyabandara resembled a bullet train; speed and power written in all their moves in the season’s opener against Sri Lions SC. Their forwards were like hungry wolves and displayed the power to ‘bite’ and wound the opposition. A set of forwards which has the weight, speed and some of them having the intelligence to know what mauls and rucks to contest is dangerous and a treat to watch. That seems to be the stuff Kandy SC is made of this season. Mention must be made here about fly half Ratwatte who contributed 19 points through his kicking boots and chipped in with a try as well. He could easily stake a claim as being the best player Sri Lanka possesses at the moment.

Havies, like Kandy SC, had a wonderful outing in the first week of domestic rugby demolishing Navy SC by 43 points to 25 at Welisara. The Park Club players, donning the pink and chocolate jerseys, came to dominate the second half and ran down six tries out of which five were converted. Navy responded with three tries, but the best of the Sailors was seen in the first half. Navy even enjoyed taking the lead for a brief period in the first session, but Havies quickly took grip of the game.

The other side to impress in week one of the tournament was Air Force Sports Club which demolished Colombo Hockey & Football Club (CH&FC) at Ratmalana. The ‘airmen’ grounded CH with a score of 36 points against 15 and ran down five tries. CH responded with two tries. Air Force finished last season as ‘Plate’ championship winners in the league tournament. This side has showed much improvement over the years. Air Force is a side that can go places this season and even upset some of the much fancied sides this season. The other two teams in the tournament are Police SC and Army SC. Their match last week was called off when poor weather conditions forced the game to be halted after an exciting first half. Army was leading 8-5 at the ‘breather’.

The tournament is conducted by Sri Lanka Rugby and sponsored by Mastercard.

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Sports

Chathura and Chamalka win schools half marathon titles

Published

10 hours ago

2026/10/12

Thilina Walpola

Winners of the boys race (front row from left) Sameesha Nimsath (2nd), Supun Chathura (first) and Suranga Lal Kumara pose with (back row from left), Upali Amarathunga, Additional Director of Education, Western Province, Rakmali Kariyawasam, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Education, Krishan Duminda, Director of Sports, Ministry of Education, Prabath Indika, Deputy Director of Education – Sports and Dilruk Jayawardena, Deputy Director of Education – Sports

by Reemus Fernando

‎Supun Chathura of Welimada Central and Tharindi Chamalka of Nuwara Eliya High School claimed the boys’ and girls’ titles at the All-Island Schools Games Half Marathon, held in Colombo on Sunday.

‎Chathura won the boys’ race in a notable 1:14.51. Sameesha Nimsath of St. Pope Paul the Sixth MV, Gampaha, took second in 1:16.40, while Suranga Lal Kumara of Pussadewa Secondary School, Batagolla, clinched third in 1:16.42.

‎In the girls’ category, Chamalka won in 1:28.56. D.M.S. Nimsarani of CWW Kannangara MMV, Matugama (1:31.09), and W.S.C. Priyadharshani of President’s College, Ambagasdowa (1:33.10), finished second and third respectively.

‎The 21.0975-kilometre race, sponsored by Nestomalt, started at the Ministry of Education in Battaramulla. It passed through Polduwa Junction, Parliament Road, Ape Gama Junction, Kimbulawala Junction, Thalawathugoda, Hokandara Junction, Arangala Junction, Koswatta and Battaramulla Palanthuna Junction before returning to the starting point.

Girls winners (from left)D.M.S. Nimsarani (2nd), Tharindi Chamalka (first) and W.S.C. Priyadharshani

Sports

Cummins, Lyon set Australia up for big lead

Published

10 hours ago

2026/10/12

Thilina Walpola

Steven Smith took a smart catch to punish what could have been a proactive reverse sweep from Temba Bavuma

Pat Cummins outfoxed a lacklustre South Africa batting-order on a relatively benign Durban surface, while Steven Smith continued to showcase his mastery in the slips as Australia eyed a big first innings lead in the opening Test.

‎Outstanding bowling and fielding suffocated South Africa, who appeared set to be bowled out before tea on day three until a rearguard from Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer halted Australia’s push.

‎Cummins has been at his best, consistently challenging the batters as he regularly hit speeds of 140kph and above. He had 3-54 from 15 overs by tea, with all four frontline bowlers having taken wickets.

‎Smith backed up the bowlers by claiming three sublime catches, which lifted him past Joe Root for the most Test catches by a non-wicketkeeper.

‎With great anticipation, Smith moved into position to snare skipper Temba Bavuma, who had unfurled a reverse-sweep off Nathan Lyon. Smith then pulled off a stunning catch to dismiss David Bedingham, diving across first slip – it was No. 221 of his Test career.

Latest News

Farhan and Sadaqat help Pakistan seal series in style

Published

12 hours ago

2026/10/12

Priyan

Maaz Sadaqat clobbered 96 off just 51 balls [Cricinfo]

Maaz Sadaqat crashed 96 off 51,Sahibzada Farhan clobbered 73 off 44, and Pakistan scorched their way through the last 12 overs of their innings to mount a fearsome total of 215 for 3. Pakistan reaped 156 runs just in the last 12 overs of their innings, as a 73-run stand between Sadaqat and Farhan was followed by a manic 72-run partnership between Sadaqat and Hasan Nawaz.

Sri Lanka’s batting was woeful in response. They slumped to 64 for 5 by the 11th over, with none of their top seven managing to get to 30. They limped to 133 for 7, having had their hopes of leveling the series wrecked by quicks Mohammad Imran and Salman Mirza, who took five wickets between them.

Sadaqat propels Pakistan into the stratosphere

The openers had laid a decent platform with Pakistan having got to 55 for 1 by the end of the seventh over. But it was Sadaqat who injected the energy that truly set Pakistan on course to their mammoth total. Having gone at less than a run a ball in his first eight balls, Sadaqat unleashed a spectacular lofted square drive off Eshan Malinga to collect his first six, before pumping the same bowler down the ground later in the 10th over.

Sadaqat would go on to clobber six further sixes and five further fours. The big hits tended to come down the ground, while his fours were more square of the wicket. Of the 125 runs Pakistan plundered in the second half of their innings, 79 off 40 came from Sadaqat, who pummeled both pace and spin with equal relish. Off the sixteenth over, bowled by Maheesh Theekshana, Sadaqat thumped three sixes in the arc between long on and midwicket.

Sadaqat, whose previous top score in three T20Is had been 50, could have gone to triple figures off the last ball of the innings, but holed out to deep cover instead, unable to quite find the power to lift a Malinga slower ball over the ropes. He had utterly dominated the middle and late overs, however.

Farhan sets the tone

On another flat Rawalpindi deck, Farhan made the first big charge, although he waited until spin came on to really get into high gear. Theekshana was one of his main victims as well. Farhan’s first six came from a slog sweep off Theekshana in the seventh over, before he launched the same bowler over wide long on and cow corner off successive balls in the ninth over. Getting to his 12th T20I fifty off the 31st ball he faced, Farhan began to aim big blows off the seamers as well. He was caught at deep third off the bowling of Dasun Shanaka, in the 15th over.

Sri Lanka stumble in the powerplay

An excellent Salman Mirza bouncer took the glove of Lahiru Udara in the first over, ending the innings of one of Sri Lanka’s few form batters for a mere five runs. And although Sineth Jayawardena – playing his first international in a full-strength Sri Lanka side – hit three consecutive boundaries in the third over, Sri Lanka were unable to build up any momentum in the powerplay. By the end of the sixth over, they had laboured to 35 for 2.

Imran’s spell lights up the middle overs

A full house in Rawalpindi was treated to some excellent fast bowling by Imran, who finished with the game’s best figures of 3 for 11 from his four overs. Having got Jayawardena to top-edge a desperate pull shot at the end of his second over, Imran had Kusal Mendis caught behind off a slower delivery, before two balls later (a wide in between), he took Sahan Arachchige’s edge with a quick delivery angled across the left-hander. Wicketkeeper Khawaja Nafay made two diving grabs to convert these chances in the eighth over.

All through his unbroken spell, Sri Lanka’s batter struggled to so much as hit Imran off the square, despite the good batting conditions on offer. Imran mixed up his pace, frequently going to slower balls, but his line and length control were also excellent through the spell. When he finished his unbroken spell at the end of the 10th over, Sri Lanka’s required rate had climbed past 15.

Chamindu Wickramasinghe and Theekshana struck some late boundaries, but by the time they came to the crease, Sri Lanka did not have a realistic shot at levelling this series. They lost by 82 runs in the end.

Scores:
Pakistan 215 for 3 in 20 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 73, Fakhar Zaman 22, Maaz Sadaqat 96, Hasan Nawaz 19*; Maheesh Theekshana 1-55, Eshan Malinga 1-41,Dasun Shanaka 1-30) beat Sri Lanka 133 for 7 (Sineth Jayawardena 22, Kamnbdu Mendis 23, Chamindu Wickremasinghe 29, Maheesh Theekshana 32*; Salman Mirza 2=28, Mohammad Imran 3-11, Saim Ayub 1-19, Shadab Khan 1-19) by 82 runs

[Cricinfo]