St. Joseph’s College produced a thrilling performance to defeat their arch rivals St. Peter’s College by three wickets in the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ cricket quarter-final at Kuruvita on Tuesday.

‎The victory was built around a superb bowling display by Sri Lanka Under-19 spinner Vigneswaran Akash, who ripped through the Peterite batting line-up with a sensational eight-wicket haul in the second innings. The Josephians took the bowling honours in the keenly contested encounter where Akash was joined by Vishwa Peiris, who finished with a match bag of eight wickets, to trouble Petes.

‎Chasing a modest target of 97 runs for victory, St. Joseph’s began the final day in trouble at two wickets for three runs. Batting on a difficult surface, wickets continued to fall at regular intervals, putting the favourites under pressure.

‎However, two aggressive knocks turned the tide in favour of the Josephians. Aveesha Samash launched a brisk counter-attack, smashing five fours and a six in a rapid 32 off just 18 balls, while Senuja Wakunegoda added a valuable 24 at better than a run-a-ball pace. Their contributions ensured St. Joseph’s reached the target within 15 overs during the morning session.

‎For St. Peter’s, Janith Panditharathna and Sadeesha Silva shared all seven wickets to fall.

‎Earlier in the match, St. Peter’s posted 204 in their first innings. St. Joseph’s replied with 187, conceding a slender 17-run first-innings lead.

‎But the match turned dramatically when Akash spun a web around the Peterites in their second innings. The Jaffna-born spinner produced a devastating spell to bowl them out for just 79 runs, returning outstanding figures of 8 for 21 in 9.1 overs and finishing with a remarkable match haul of 11 wickets.

‎Peiris, who claimed six wickets in the first innings, added two more in the second to complete an impressive match return of eight wickets.

‎The victory sends St. Joseph’s into the semi-finals after overcoming a spirited challenge from their traditional rivals in a match dominated by spin bowling. (RF)

15TH STAFFORD MOTORS – MCA G DIVISION T20 LEAGUE CRICKET TOURNAMENT

Five wicket hauls by WSO2’s Osanda Herath [5-22], Union Bank’s George Bhanushanth [5-10] and Maliban Biscuit’s Chathuranga Dewapriya [5-19] were the highlights of Saturday’s matches of the 15th Stafford Motors – MCA ‘G’ Division T20 league cricket tournament as MAS Active Kreeda, DSI Group, Mobitel, JF&I Packaging, Faiirfirst Insurance, Alaris Lanka, WSO2, Amana Bank, Wiley Global and Maliban Biscuits registered wins.

Scores:

At Dharmapala College grounds:

MAS Active Kreeda by five wickets

Sri Lanka Telecom

107/10 in 18.5 overs [Asela Ekanayake 23, Kavindu Senarathne 16, Thaveesha Gunawardena 17; Anju Amaradasa 3-12, Suventhiran Subikaran 1-10, Sivakumar Partheepan 1-21, Kanesh Piratheepan 2-19]

MAS Active Kreeda

108/5 in 18.2 overs [Jineetha Malith 27, Adeesha Miyusara 12, Suventhiran Subikaran 12, Thanuja de Zoysa 16, Akila Silva 26, Sivakumar Partheepan 10*; Malinda Perera 3-27, Sudam Jayawardena 1-16, Rasika Damith 1-04]

JF&I Packaging by three wickets

AIA

140/10 in 17.4 overs [Madhura de Silva 78, Nuwan de Silva 17; Dishan Darshan 1-18, Dinesh Wishwajith 2-14, Chamod Sulakshana 1-35, Gayan Hasanka 4-22, Chamath Yatawara 2-19]

JF&I Packaging

144/7 in 19.2 overs [Dhanushka Kevitiyagala 18, Sarinda Malavige 17, Tiran Dharmapala 13, Chamod Sulakshana 23, Gayan Hasanka 2*, Isanka Lakshan 18*; Avindu Fernando 2-22, Malindu Kavishka 3-18, Madhura de Silva 2-33]

At Thurstan grounds:

DSI Group by three wickets

Allianz Insurance 118/9 in 20 overs [Charinda Fernando 15, Dulan Avishka 37, Naveen Vaas 11; Thilina Danushka 2-23, Sachin Chathuranga 2-11, Pradeep Kumaranayaka 1-17, Nilinda Maddumage 1-23, Asitha Wijesekera 3-07]

DSI Group

119/7 in 20 overs [Nilinda Maddumage 12, Thilina Danushka 20, Pradeep Kumaranayake 19, Udith Indunil 22*, Yasas Weerasekera 12; Ikram Abdeen 1-12, Dulan Avishka 1-26, Ranga Dias 2-25, Charinda Fernando 1-16]

Sachin Indrarathne stars in Mobitel’s 103 run win

Mobitel

182/6 in 20 overs [Krishan Santhusha 61, Sachin Indrarathe 55, Sachin Bulathsinghala 29; Rajitha Dihan 1-17,Kavinda Sudashka 1-25, Lawrence Jebachelvan 2-34, Kasun Wijerathne 1-28]

IPD Colombo

79/9 [all out] in 15.1 overs [Pasindu Perera 13, Lawrence Jebachelvan 14; Sachin Indrarathne 4-14, Dinidu Samodana 3-15, Damith Rangana 1-17, Budhdika Hewa 1-04]

At de Mazenod College grounds:

Fairfirst Insurance ‘B’ beat LOLC Insurance by nine wickets:

LOLC Insurance

102/10 in 18.2 overs [M Z Osman 12, Denneth Nissanka 10, Chamara Thennakon 28; Dulip Silva 2-21, Lahiru Madusankha 1-11, Sajitha Samarasinghe 1-16, Kasun Liyanage 2-09, Lahiru Perera 1-10, Azeem Mohomad 1-20]

Fairfirst Insurance ‘B’

103/1 in 9.3 overs [Dulip Silva 50*, Lakshan Perera 36, Prashein Fernando 13*; Neranjaya Madushanka 1-15]

Alaris Lanka by six wickets

99X

149/6 in 20 overs [Yasith Fernando 13, Kirulu Samarakoon 33, Ishrath Raji 51, Saranga Liyanage 17; Lakshintha Peiris 1-27, Champika Ranaweer 2-16, Vismitha Silva 1-30, Ashan Chathuranga 1-31]

Alaris Lanka

151/4 in 13.3 overs [Vishmitha Silva 39, Srihan Anuruddhika 30, Lakshintha Peiris 25*, Dhammika Perusinghe 39; Ishrath Raji 1-37,Prasanna Lakmal 1-30, Saranga Liyanage 1-08, Raqeeb Riyaz 1-07]

At Nalanda College grounds:

WSO2 by 60 runs

WSO2

180/7 in 20 overs [Devin Jayasinghe 54, Isuru Ruhunage 41, Osanda Herath 18, Dev Wijewardena 20, Rakitha Rupasinghe 24*, Dimuthu Madushan 10*; Gevin Batuwangala 1-29, Bhagya Dissanayaka 1-29, Kishokanth Kumar 1-34, Dasith Samarasinghe 3-34, Sithira Abayawardhana 1-09]

Sysco Labs

120/10 in 18.1 overs [Akash Harishanth 33, Chathura Hennanayaka35*; Oshanda Yomal 2-16, Osanda Herath 5-22, Brian Benett 2-16, Rakitha Rupasinghe 1-10]

Rikas, bowlers star in Amana Bank’s six wicket win

Future Life Holdings

128/9 in 20 overs [Sonal Dilmith 22, Praveen Wanniarachchi 27, Lasal Lakshitha 17, Manula Gimhana 16*; Ishrath Zarook 3-29, Rikasa Jawfer 3-23, Waseem Sinnen 3-25]

Amana Bank

132/4 in 17 overs [Ramesh Fernando 35, Rikas Jawfer 50, Waseem Sinnen 12*, Shamsul Muneer 17; Manula Gimhana 1-12, Sahan Ranasinghe 1-19, Prabath Wijesinghe 2-21]

At D S Senanayaka grounds

Wiley Global won by 26 runs

Wiley Global

144/10 in 17.5 overs [Jayaruwan Bandara 10, Thushara Peiris 53, Lilan Kularathna 23; George Banushanth 5-10, Noel Madushanka 1-17, Kasun Dilshan 2-36, Sasika Chathuranga 1-19, Nishan Maduranga 1-18]

Union Bank

118/9 in 20 overs [Isanka Rathnayake 53*, Kasun Dilshan 22; Sayuru Wanasinghe 4-14, Lilan Kularathna 3-11, Pradeep Sanjeewa 1-34]

Maliban Biscuits ‘B’ beat Hayleys Group ‘C’ by 9 wickets

Hayleys Group ‘C’

88/9 in 20 overs [Pasindu Adithya 40, Dilan Suraweera 14; Dilip Sandaruwan 2-18, Mohomad Shilmi 1-09, Tharindu Siriwardena 1-16, Chathuranga Dewapriya 5-19]

Maliban Biscuit ‘B’

92/1 in 11.5 overs [Gihan Ranasinghe 14, Mohomed Shilmi 48*, Sameera Lakmal 25*; Nishan Anuradha 1-27]

Lahore Qualandars have fined Shaheen Shah Afridi PKR 1 million (approx. USD 3600) following the incident that saw the Punjab police accuse him of violating security protocols at the team hotel. In a statement, Qalandars said they had imposed the fine on their captain to “maintain discipline and impose accountability”.

There will be no action taken against Qalandars player Sikandar Raza,  who was also accused by the police of violating the same protocols. At a press conference yesterday, Raza said he took responsibility for the incident and attempted to exonerate Afridi from blame.

News of the incident emerged after a letter from the Punjab police to PSL CEO Salman Naseer was made widely available on social media. It accused Qalandars, Afridi and Raza’s team, of violating security protocols, alleging that, despite being refused permission to receive visitors in Raza’s room by both the PCB’s security and anti-corruption manager as well as Naseer, Afridi and Raza took people up to the player’s room. Despite Raza saying they stayed in his room for 40 minutes, the letterclaims they spent approximately three hours there.

Qalandars accepted the broader details of the incident, but the statement said it had been “overstated in public discourse, amplified beyond its original context”, and was “unnecessarily escalated”.

“While underscoring that the matter arose from a misunderstanding rather than any deliberate attempt to violate established procedures, Lahore Qalandars reiterated its full respect for all security protocols,” the statement said.

“The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to strict adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs) and emphasised the importance of continued clarity and alignment in the communication of protocols to prevent similar situations in the future.”

[Cricinfo]