Sports
Asalanka’s heroics power Sri Lanka to 49-run win over Australia

by Rex Clementine
Sri Lanka pulled off a stunning comeback against world champions Australia, clinching a 49-run victory at RPS yesterday. Defending a modest target of 215, the hosts bowled out the visitors for just 165 inside 34 overs, sealing a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
At the heart of Sri Lanka’s triumph was their talismanic captain Charith Asalanka, who played a captain’s knock for the ages, smashing a career-best 127 before chipping in with the crucial wicket of Alex Carey. It was a masterclass in leading from the front, an innings that turned the tide when his side was staring down the barrel.
Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka found themselves in dire straits at 133 for eight in the 33rd over, with Australia’s four-pronged pace attack running riot. The innings was in freefall and the hosts looked set to fold well below a par score. But Asalanka, cool as a cucumber under pressure, put on a match-defining 79-run partnership for the ninth wicket with Eshan Malinga, dragging Sri Lanka to a respectable 214 all out in 46 overs.
That partnership is a record for the ninth wicket at R. Premadasa Stadium, and how vital it turned out to be! Malinga may have contributed just one run, but his 26-ball vigil was priceless – he was the perfect foil, holding up an end while Asalanka farmed the strike, dictated terms, and took calculated risks.
Asalanka’s knock was a gem – full of grit, flair, and controlled aggression. He found the boundary at crucial moments, striking 14 fours and five sixes in his 127 off 126 balls. His ability to shield the tail and counterattack under pressure justified why he was named captain of the ICC ODI Team of the Year for 2024. His innings finally ended when he misread a Sean Abbott slower ball and holed out to deep midwicket, walking off to a standing ovation.
Chasing 215, Australia never really got going. Asitha Fernando set the tone early, dismissing both openers cheaply, before Sri Lanka’s spinners tightened the noose.
A pivotal moment came when Dunith Wellalage struck with his very first ball, cleaning up Steve Smith, the Australian skipper who had tormented Sri Lanka with back-to-back centuries in the Test series. This time, Smith misjudged a slog sweep and was castled before he had settled in – a huge breakthrough that sent the crowd into raptures.
From there, Sri Lanka’s bowlers kept applying the squeeze. Mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana was the pick of the lot, bamboozling the Aussie batters and finishing with four wickets. The visitors, missing key players Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head, and Josh Inglis, lacked the firepower to mount a serious challenge and folded meekly.
This victory was a shot in the arm for Sri Lanka, who had been mauled in the preceding Test series in Galle, including a crushing innings-and-242-run defeat – their heaviest in Test cricket. To bounce back so emphatically against the world champions was a statement performance, one that will inject confidence.
For Australia, this series is a crucial tune-up ahead of their Champions Trophy campaign in Pakistan next week, but they will be concerned by the way their batting collapsed under pressure.
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Delhi Capitals hope to be third time lucky as they eye first WPL title

Is it 2023 again ? Mumbai Indians [MI] and Delhi Capitals [DC], two consistently good teams with all-star line-ups, meet again in the WPL final. While DC have breezed into the final this season, MI are coming in battle-hardened, having had to take the circuitous route by playing three matches in four days to get there.
DC have been strong in most departments, and have got their selection calls right throughout the season. Their captain Meg Lanning hit form late in the tournament, Shafali Verma has continued to churn out the runs at the top of the other, and the move to promote Jess Jonassen to No. 3 has paid off. But for DC to look more threatening, they’d want their middle order to step up further. Their middle order (Nos. 4 to 7) collectively averages 17.50, the lowest this season, and have struck at 116.66, which is the second-lowest among all teams.
MI’s line-up also drips with power and strength. Powerplay bowling has been one of DC’s strongest suits, but only MI have bettered that. DC’s bowlers have taken 50 wickets at 23.84 in this phase, while MI have 61 wickets at 22.68.
For MI,Nat Sciver-Brunt has been at her brutal best, Hayley Matthews has delivered with both bat and ball, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur has hit high tempo. The rest of the line-up, though, has blown hot and cold.
But MI will be playing at their home ground – a venue where they’ve lost just once in seven games – and that tilts the scales in their favour. DC, though, have had a good seven days break, and will be coming in without the pressure of having had to scramble for a place in the final. Two heartbreaking finals later, will third time be the charm for them?
MI had promoted Amelia Kerr to the opening slot, and pushed Yastika Bhatia down the order for a couple of games. While Yastika was able to make quick runs from her new position, Kerr, who hasn’t been in the best of form with the bat, wasn’t able to capitalise on her starts. The order went back to what it was in the Eliminator against Gujarat Giants (GG), but neither player made an impact. Will MI switch their positions again to get the best out of Yastika?
MI had also brought in left-arm spinner Saika Ishaque in place of Parunika Sisodia for the Eliminator. Will they pick Ishaque again for the final after she bowled just one over against GG?
DC, who were last in action on March 7, are unlikely to make any changes to their line-up.
Mumbai Indians (probable): Hayley Matthews, Amelia Kerr, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Amanjot Kaur, Yastika Bhatia (wk), S Sajana, G Kamalini, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail, Saika Ishaque
Delhi Capitals (probable): Meg Lanning (capt), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Jess Jonassen, Sarah Bryce (wk), Niki Prasad, Minnu Mani, Shikha Pandey, Titas Sadhu
[Cricinfo]
Sports
Dinara continues impressive run

Dinara de Silva secured a place in the singles semi-final and also booked a spot in the doubles final at the ITF Junior Circuit J30 Week 1 tournament continued at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association clay courts on Friday.
Dinara de Silva overcame a first set defeat to beat Gwen Emily Kurniawan of Indonesia 2-1 (4-6, 6-0, 6-1) in the quarter-final.
Dinara is set to meet Shivali Gurung of Nepal in the semi-final.
In the doubles semi-final Dinara joined China’s Yijia Zhao to beat Japan’s Sakino Miyazawa and Eyuyo Shida 6-4, 4-6, 10-5.
Sports
Debutant Madara, Athapaththu fashion Sri Lanka women’s first T20I win in New Zealand

Debutant Malki Madara’s three-for combined with two-fors from Kavisha Dilhari and Inoshi Priyadharshani set up a comfortable victory for Sri Lanka in the T20I series opener in Christchurch. Chamari Athapaththu’s unbeaten 64 off 48 balls then took the visitors home with seven wickets in hand. This was Sri Lanka’s first T20I win in New Zealand and second win overall against New Zealand in the format.
Emma McLeod (44) was New Zealand’s highest scorer but only two of her team-mates got into double figures, and there was only one partnership that stretched past 20 balls.
Despite Priyadharshani dismissing Georgia Plimmer early, the hosts got off to a decent start thanks to captain Suzie Bates’ 14-ball 21. Madara, Sri Lanka’s fourth bowling option, brought on in the fifth over, got the big wicket of Bates which dried up the scoring. The next two overs went for just five runs.
Dilhari, the seventh bowler, struck twice upon being introduced in the ninth over as New Zealand slipped from 39 for 1 to 52 for 4. Maddy Green being run out cheaply had New Zealand play with caution as illustrated by the next two partnerships which produced a combined 29 runs off 41 balls.
McLeod, who had three fours in her first five balls, finished without adding to that tally across her 46-ball innings. She was the last New Zealand batter to fall as Madara ended the innings in the penultimate over.
Athapaththu then hit seven fours and took Sri Lanka to 46 for 0 at the end of the powerplay. Jess Kerr removed Vishmi Gunaratne and Harshitha Samarawickrama in successive overs while Dilhari’s innings was cut short by a run out. Sri Lanka slipped to 66 for 3 but that didn’t stop their captain from attacking.
She hit Eden Carson for four immediately after Dilhari’s exit and smacked two sixes and a four off Bree Illing, the first of the sixes brought up her fifty off 43 balls. It left the hosts no room to make an unlikely comeback as Sri Lanka romped to a victory with 35 balls to spare.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka Women
102 for 3 in 14.1 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 64*, Kavisha Dilhari 12, Nilakshika Silva 12*; Jess Kerr 2-18) beat New Zealand 101 in 18.5 overs (Suzie Bates 21, Emma McLeod 44, Jess Kerr 10; Sugandika Kumari 1-18, Malki Madara 3-14, Kavisha Dilhari 2-18, Inoshi Priyadharshani 2-25, Chamari Athapaththu 1-10) by seven wickets
(Cricinfo)
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