Sports
Amaraweera cracks quickfire century
Under 19 Cricket
During a weekend where no team went allout for an outright victory, Jaden Amaraweera’s unbeaten century and Abheeth Paranawidana’s six wicket haul were the individual highlights in the traditional Under 19 cricket matches worked off.
The Thomian players’ individual efforts came in their match aganst Wesley. With the match heading for a no decision, Amaraweera hammered an unbeaten 102 runs in just 78 balls. His knock included ten fours and seven sixes as the home team posted 144 for one at close. In the first innings, Paranawidana’s six wicket haul helped Thomians take a healthy first innings lead.
At Reid Avenue, Aveesha Samash missed a century by two runs as he became one of the five victims of Ramiru Perera in the first innings. Incidentally, the Joes stopped their first innings three runs behind the Royal total with three wickets remaining. But a result remained a distant reality.
There was no result at Ananda Mawatha as well despite thirtyone wickets falling.
Kithma Widanapathirana with ball and bat was the standout player for Ananda, while Dinul Wijesinghe and Ryan Gregory excelled for St. Anthony’s.
Match Results
Amaraweera scores century at Mount Lavinia
Scores
S. Thomas’ 292 in 79.6 overs (Jaden Amaraweera 39, Ludeesha Matarage 73, Aaron Kodituwakku 28, Reshon Soloman 56, Shanil Perera 33; Rashmika Amararatne 4/58, Rasheed Nahyan 2/54, Methnula Mayadunna 2/46) and 144 for 1 in 23.1 overs (Jaden Amaraweera 102n.o., Avinash Fernando 39)
Wesley 205 all out in 77.2 overs (Sehandu Athauda 55, Charana Malinbada 21, Lithum Senuja 31, Shamma Fernando 29, Kavindu Hettiarachachi 34; Abheeth Paranawidana 6/56, Reshon Soloman 2/20)
Royal 265, Joes 262/7 at Reid Avenue
Scores
Royal 265 all out in 78 overs (Hirun Liyanarachchi 28, Rehan Peiris 82, Yasindu Dissanayake 24, Manuth Dasanayaka 25, Shehandu Sooriyaarachchi 20n.o.; Nushan Perera 3/100, Vishwa Peiris 5/60) and 163 for 3 in 32 overs (Hirun Liyanarachchi 28, Udantha Gangewatta 36, Ramiru Perera 53n.o., Yasindu Dissanayake 37n.o.)
St. Joseph’s
262 for 7 decl. in 80 overs
overs (Yenula Dantanarayana 30, Aveesha Samash 98, Dilpa Ruwanaka 55, Chamath Perera 21, Nushan Perera 29n.o.; Ramiru Perera 5/72)
St. Anthony’s 163, Ananda 151 at Ananda Mawatha
Scores
St. Anthony’s 163 all out in 68.2 overs (Praveen Gamage 21, Dinul Wijesinghe 65n.o., Ryan Gregory 21; Pasan Batugahage 2/22, Kithma Widanapathirana 3/58, Sharada Jayarathna 3/29) and 161 all out in 59 overs (Sanuka Kalpana 24, Sisal Hemaka 20, Sadew Amarakoon 28, Chamalka Gunathilake 28n.o.; Himira Kudagama 4/53, Kithma Widanapathirana 2/36, Sharada Jayarathna 2/35)
Ananda 151 all out in 40.2 overs (Kithma Widanapathirana 74; Ryan Gregory 4/52) and 14 for 1 in 3.3 overs
South Africa successfully defended 136 in an 18-over game against Ireland in the Women’s T20 World Cup warm-up fixture in Loughborough . The experienced Marizanne Kapp led the way with the ball, her 4 for 24 helping South Africa dismiss Ireland for 120 in 17.4 overs. Shabnim Ismail, who had recently reversed her retirement, picked up 1 for 25 in her four overs.
Leah Paul was the only Ireland batter to pass 20 in their chase. Apart from Paul, only four Ireland batters got to double figures.
After South Africa were asked to bat first, they posted 136 for 8 on the back of captain Laura Wolvaardt’s 65 off 37 balls, including seven fours and three sixes.
SCORES:
South Africa Women 136 for 8 in 18 overs (Sune Luus 17, Laura Wolvaardt 65, Annerie Dercksen 26, Nadine de Klerk 11, Aimee Maguire 1-13, Arlene Kelly 3-29, Cara Murray 2-13, Ava Canning 2-08) beat Ireland Women 120 in 17.4 overs (Rebecca Stockel 19, Leah Paul 29, Alice Tector 17, Louise Little 13, Arlene Kelly 15; Marizanne Kapp 4-24, Shabnim Ismail 1-25, Tumi Sekhukhune 2-18, Nadine de Klerk 1-16, Nonkululeko Mlaba 1-25) by 16 runs
(Crickinfo)
In the 11th over, KL Rahul edged a cut to the keeper off Ziaur Ahmed when he was on 16. Afghanistan did not review the not-out decision. In the 61st over, Rahul flicked a full ball off his pads, bringing up a gritty century – his 12th in Test cricket. Afghanistan’s bowling attack had been worn down in the intervening period. They could not cash in on their half-chances aplenty, in their first Test against India since their format debut in 2018. Instead, Rahul – alongside a regal Shubman Gill – headlined India’s march to 368 for 3 on day one in New Chandigarh.
The city was hosting a men’s Test for the first time. Temperatures soared up to 40 degrees Celsius, and India captain Gill opted to bat first, expecting the pitch to worsen as time wore on in the match. However, Afghanistan’s new-ball bowlers – Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohamed Saleem – extracted uneven bounce off the pitch right away. They kept bowling back-of-a-length deliveries to Jaiswal and Rahul, moving the ball away from the openers.
Rahul reached for deliveries far from his body early in the day, often mistiming his shots. He ambled away to 16 off 34 by the end of the 10th over. At the other end, Jaiswal pounced on fuller deliveries with more regularity to race to 20 off 26.
Then, in the 11th over off Ziaur, Rahul slashed at a wide delivery and both bowler and keeper went up with a big appeal. However, they opted out of the review. Replays later showed Rahul had edged the delivery. Rahul rode his luck thereafter, leaving balls outside off, and dead-batting fuller ones that gripped in the pitch.
In the next over – the 12th – Jaiswal leaned into a front-foot drive off Mohammad Saleem. Then he jumped at an inswinger drifting down leg, and tried to flick it off his hips. He edged it to the keeper instead. Against the run of play, Jaiswal departed for a 32-ball 24, giving Saleem his maiden Test wicket.
Soon after, the new-ball swing dissipated and the bounce became less treacherous. B Sai Sudarshan made full use of this period of play at the back end of Saleem and Omarzai’s extended spells. He laced three fours in his first 15 deliveries.
In the 35th over off Ziaur, Sai Sudharsan stepped out of his crease for a tentative defense outside off. His edge dissected the wicketkeeper Afsar Zazai and first slip. Eight overs later, with Sai Sudharsan looking set for his maiden Test century, the batter played an expansive drive outside off against Saleem. Once more, the ball flew into the slip cordon, but was snared by Zazai with a one-handed stunner to his right. Sai Sudharsan was dismissed for 81. The second-wicket partnership was aborted at 131, with Rahul still steady at the other end.
As the day wore on, the New Chandigarh surface began gripping and turning more. Afghanistan’s captain Hashmatullah Shahidi was their most effective spinner. He bowled slowly, often keeping his speeds under 80 kph, and used drift to troublealla batters. Still, he never induced any real chances, with edges off him flying past short leg or the keeper.
From the other end, debutant Nangeyalia Kharote induced a thin edge off Sai Sudharsan with just his fourth delivery. Rahmanullah Gurbaz dropped the consequent one-hander, diving to his right at first slip. On his return spell, Kharote – as well as part-timer Abdul Malik – both strayed into leg-stump lines too often.
With Afghanistan’s fast bowlers erring in discipline too, Gill took full toll on them, especially after the tea break. If Rahul’s knock was a product of battling against the early swing and seam, Gill’s imperious century – his 11th in the format – was aided by a worn-down attack. Still, he pounced on good-length deliveries outside off as he unfurled his drives, and cut close to his body, in trademark fashion to rack up 11 fours and one six.
Gill had Rahul for company through the beginning of his knock, during a 67-run partnership for the third wicket. However, just one delivery after bringing up his century, Rahul perished for the third time in Test cricket on exactly a 100 – the joint-second most times in Test cricket, right behind England’s Len Hutton (4). Rahul had been out playing a loose waft away from his body, off Ziaur, straight to short extra cover.
Once Rishabh Pant walked out to join Gill, the brief was clear: by their standards, India had already shut up shop for the final hour of play. An unusually restrained Pant, also playing his 50th Test for India, batted within his means until his eyes lit up against offspinner Abdul Malik in the 68th over. He took advantage of half-trackers to flat-bat three sixes in trademark Pant style. Tellingly, these would also be Pant’s only sixes of the evening.
Gill brought up his century just a few minutes before close of play, off a flick to square leg, in the 83rd over off Saleem. Afghanistan had opted not to choose the new ball, bowling through till the close of play with a battered ball. Pant manipulated a thinly spread leg-side field in these final overs to bring up his own fifty off 70 balls, on the penultimate delivery of the day’s play.
SCORES:
India 368 for 3 in 85 overs (Shubman Gill 103*, KL Rahul 100, B Sai Sudharsan 81, Rishabh Pant 50*; MohaSaleem 2-67) vs Afghanistan
(Cricinfo)
West Indies won the toss and put Sri Lanka into bat, but that was the extent of the action from thesecod ODI at Sabina Park, as persistent rain put an end to proceedings before they had even begun.
The washout means West Indies’ hopes of winning the series are wiped out, but they can still draw level in the final game on Monday. Perhaps more importantly, a win there will give the hosts a much needed rankings boost, with qualification for next year’s World Cup hinging on their final position come March next year.
The toss itself had been delayed by 30 minutes following rain earlier in the day, and it was the possibility of rain intervening later on that had influenced Shai Hope’s decision to field first.
Both teams had also made changes, with Amir Jangoo due to get a game for the injured Matthew Forde, while Eshan Malinga had been drafted in for Asitha Fernando. Shai Hope, playing his 150th ODI for West Indies, received a special jersey before rain came along.
(Cricinfo)
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