Sports
Bens meet De Mazenod in semi-final
St. Benedict’s will meet De Mazenod Kandana in the semi final of the Under 19 Division I Tier B cricket tournament at Army Ground Kosgama Salawa today.
St. Benedict’s captained by Mewan Dissanayake are in the semi final after ousting Ananda in the quarter-final.
The Bens reached the knockout stage as the runners up of their group in the first round.
De Mazenod captained by Savinu Santhula eliminated St. Thomas’ Matara in the quarter final after reaching the knockout stage as the third best team from their group in the first round.
Teams:
St. Benedict’s (from):
Mewan Dissanayake (Captain), Mario Fernando, Manikya Deshapriya, Tehan Bitar, Trishen Silva, Ayesh Gajanayaka, Vihaga Rathnayake, Dumeen Liyanaarachchi, Lithika Jayasundara, Dinath Senila, Reyan Shehara, Yohan Edirisingha, Yowel Edirisingha, Rumen Peiris, Sithum Jayasingha, Nadun Fernando, Ruvindu Didulaka, Paranthaman Rohith.
Officials: Asanka Wanninayake (Master in Charge), Suranga Perera (Head Coach), Shanuka Jeewantha (Asst. coach)
De Mazenod (from):
Savinu Chanthula (Captain), Sharith Sudeena, Ushan Adithya, Chamika Fernando, Shanon Silva, Sineth Induwara, Binal Mendis, Danidu Ashel, Kaveen Nethmina, Bipun Alwis, Shanindu Nimalsha, Lahiru Mihiranga, Sandaru Siva, Avisha Sandaruwan, Danidu Sashmith, Chiran Yaneth.
Officials: Rev. Br. Dilshan Vimukthi (Master in Charge), Sameera Fernando (Master in Charge), Amith Eranda (Head Coach), Lahiru Lakshan (Asst. coach) (RF)
At least there is no danger of England peaking too early. This latest nervy win over Associate opposition – punctuated by a heavy defeat to West Indies – ensured their progress from Group C, but Harry Brook’s side will have to play far better than this to stand a chance of becoming the first team to win the men’s T20 World Cup three times.
Italy ran them far too close for comfort at Eden Gardens, eventually bowled out for 178 in pursuit of 203. They were 1 for 2 after Jofra Archer’s first over, but destructive innings from their Australian-born allrounders Ben Manenti and Grant Stewart – who hit 11 sixes between them – made England sweat throughout the second innings.
For the second time in four matches, England were indebted to a fine hand from Will Jacks at No. 7. Against Nepal, Jacks launched 38 not out off 19 balls – including three final-over sixes – in a four-run win; against Italy, he belted the fastest half-century by an England player at a T20 World Cup, an innings that proved vital in another tight defence.
They had stumbled to 105 for 5 when Jacks walked in, England’s top order again misfiring after Brook had won his fourth toss of the tournament and chosen to bat. But thanks to Jacks – and with help from Sam Curran and Jamie Overton – England thrashed 78 runs off the final five overs, leaving Italy with an imposing target to chase.
It looked miles off at 22 for 3, but Manenti and Justin Mosca added 92 for the fourth wicket to keep Italy in the hunt. Both men fell in quick succession during a collapse of 4 for 24 through the middle overs, but Stewart’s late blows – including consecutive sixes during a 21-run Adil Rashid over – took the game deep.
That left Italy needing 30 off the final two overs – an equation that looked possible if Stewart could land a few more blows off their seamers. But he sliced Curran to short third to end the game as a contest, before Overton struck twice in the final over to seal England’s passage to Sri Lanka for the second phase.
Brief scores:
England 202 for 7 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 28, Jacob Bethell 23, Will Jacks 53*, Tom Banton 30, Harry Brook 14, Sam Curran 25, Jamie Overton 15; JJ Smuts 1-24, Ali Hasan 1-37, Grant Stewart 2-51, Crishan Kalugamage 2-41, Ben Manenti 1-37 ) beat Italy 178 in 20 overs (Ben Manenti 60, Grant Stewart 45, Justin Mosca 43, Harry Manenti 12, Jaspreet Singh 12; Jofra Archer 2-35, Jamie Overton 3-18, Will Jacks 1-34, Adil Rashid 1-43, Sam Curran 3-22) by 24 runs
[Cricinfo]
Even as the smog grew thicker in the Delhi afternoon, Azmatullah Omarzai delivered an all-round performance of immense clarity to give Afghanistan their first win of this T20 World Cup. UAE had them on the mat, huffing and puffing, with 52 needed off the last five overs. The required rate, routinely achieved in the age of modern T20s, looked bigger on a pitch that had stayed slow and grippy throughout.
Omarzai eased the nerves of a close contest – Afghanistan had tied three of their previous six T20Is in India, after all – to seal the match with 6, 4, 4 off his final three balls. He finished on a 21-ball 40*, with a strike rate of 190.47 on a day when Darwish Rasooli’s 143 was their next best. Consequently, Afghanistan’s careful approach had dragged them into the final over of their chase. Two balls into it, Omarzai’s four over covers finished it off.
Despite scoring an under-par 160, UAE sensed a close contest brewing when Junaid Siddiaque had Rahmanullah Gurbaz mistiming a lofted drive to backward point on the second ball of the innings. Ibrahim Zadran’s consolidation was back to its best after a quiet start to this World Cup. He brought up a 37-ball fifty to keep them in the contest.
Brief scores:
Afghanistan 162 for 5 in 19.5 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 53, Gulbadin Naib 13, Sediqullah Atal 16, Darwish Rasooli 33, Azmatullah Omarzai 40*; Junaid Siddique 2-23, Muhammad Jawadullah 1-39, Muhamad Arfan 2-30) beat UAE 160 for 9 inn20 overs (Muhammad Waseem 10, Sohaib Khan 68, Alishan Sharafu 40, Syed Haider 13, Haider Ali 13; Azmatullah Omarzai 4-15, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 2-31, Raashid Khan 1-24) by 5 runs
[Cricinfo]
Allrounder Amelia Kerr has been appointed New Zealand captain for all formats, taking over from Sophie Devine who retired from ODIs following the 2025 World Cup and gave up the T20I captaincy.
Kerr’s first assignment is a home ODI and T20I series against Zimbabwe later this month.
“The captaincy doesn’t change who I am, I am still the same person and will give everything I can to lead this group and hopefully bring our country success,” Kerr said in a statement from New Zealand Cricket. “One of my favourite quotes is: ‘He aha te mea nui o te ao? He Tāngata, He Tāngata, He Tāngata. We are people first. As a group we look out for each other, we celebrate each other’s success and we represent our people.
“Encouraging others and building belief around us so we can all be the best we can be both as people and as cricketers.”
Kerr, 25, has played 84 ODIs and 88 T20Is since making her debut in 2016. She has 2304 ODI runs at an average of 41.14, and 106 wickets at an average of 30.61. In T20Is she’s scored 1453 runs at a strike rate of 109.74 and 95 wickets with an economy rate of 6.09. Kerr captained Wellington Blaze to back-to-back Super Smash titles in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
Ben Sawyer, the New Zealand coach, hailed Kerr’s leadership ability. “Melie has been an integral member of the squad for many years and deeply understands what it means to be a White Fern and represent New Zealand,” Sawyer said. “She’s an outstanding leader not only through her performances on the field, but also in the respect she has from the playing group off it.
“She has a sound understanding of the game and has strong leadership experience from the games she has captained the White Ferns [in] and her time leading the Wellington Blaze over the past three years.
“We believe leading the White Ferns can take Melie’s game to the next level and know she’s ready to step up and lead this team forward. Melie leading this team at this stage of her career ensures we have continuity and stability through the next cycle to 2029.”
The New Zealand squads for the series against Zimbabwe will be named on February 20. The three-match T20I series begins on February 25 in Hamilton.
[Cricinfo]
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