Sports
Jaden’s century confirms draw Thomians yearned for
The 147th edition of the historic Battle of the Blues ended in a draw, with Jaden Amaraweera producing the only century of the Big Match to give fans a rare highlight after three days of largely uneventful cricket.
Amaraweera’s unbeaten hundred in the final stages of the match provided an individual milestone for spectators who had otherwise endured a contest dominated by cautious batting and slow scoring.
From the outset it appeared that S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia had approached the game with the intention of batting for a draw. Their first innings progressed at a snail’s pace, raising questions among critics about whether the Mount Lavinia side had come prepared to merely occupy the crease rather than push for a result.
The Thomians batted for a massive 124 overs but managed only 302 runs, a modest return for more than 500 minutes of batting. Openers Jaden Amaraweera and Avinash Fernando set the tone with an extremely cautious approach, adding 110 runs for the first wicket in 40 overs. Even their consistent batsman, Reshon Solomon, consumed 147 deliveries for his 66 runs.
In contrast, Royal College Colombo scored at a comparatively brisker rate in their first innings. Skipper Rehan Peiris and Ramiru Perera struck half centuries to guide Royal’s reply. The Reid Avenue school eventually declared their innings in 86 overs with nine wickets down, still trailing by 41 runs.
However, the declaration had little impact on the outcome, as the final day offered limited opportunity for a decisive result.
With the match drifting towards an inevitable draw, the stage was set for individual achievements. Amaraweera seized the moment, crafting the only century of the 2026 encounter. His composed unbeaten 100 came off 162 deliveries and included nine fours and three sixes, ensuring that the match would at least be remembered for a notable batting effort.
Jaden Amaraweera scored an unbeaten century in the second innings
Royal entered the contest as favourites, yet the Thomians once again managed to deny their arch rivals victory, settling for a draw in another chapter of Sri Lanka’s most celebrated school cricket rivalry
The inaugural Sastralian Premier League (SPL), a T10 cricket tournament aimed at strengthening the cricketing fortunes of Ananda Shasthralaya National School, Matugama, will get underway next month, bringing together eight teams.
Organised by the Old Sastralians Cricket Association in collaboration with the school, the tournament is designed to provide a platform for emerging talent while generating much needed financial support for the school’s cricket development programme.
Each franchise will be required to assemble a squad of 16 players, excluding the captain, with the competition featuring a unique set of regulations aimed at encouraging participation across different age groups.
Cricketers from other schools in the Matugama area will also have an opportunity to showcase their skills under the ‘Guest Players’ category. Each team can recruit up to six guest players, with four required to feature in the playing XI.
In a move designed to nurture the next generation, every team must include two current school cricketers in its squad, with at least one guaranteed a place in the playing XI.
The tournament will also accommodate experienced campaigners, with teams permitted to select five players over the age of 20 and three over 40. The provision to use an ‘Impact Player’ is another feature of the competition.
The eight teams have been divided into two groups. Group A comprises JSD Challengers, Jagath Express, Liveka Power Lions and Rexhill Warriors, while JPI Royals, Five Star Heroes, Marine Titans and Finnk Falcons make up Group B.
A total of 16 matches will be played across November 7, 8 and 15, with November 16 set aside as a reserve day.
Beyond the action on the field, organisers hope the tournament will provide a financial boost to school cricket while forging stronger ties between past and present cricketers.
Squad for the first three ODIs: Shubman Gill [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer [VC], KL Rahul [WK], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna*, Kuldeep Yadav
Squad for fourth and fifth ODIs: Shreyas Iyer [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan [WK, VC], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav
[Cricbuzz]
Football’s Asian Cup, hosted by Saudi Arabia, could be moved back a year to 2028 following a series of attacks on the country by Yemen’s Houthis.
The continental tournament will be rescheduled “if we need to” but the organisers are in “no hurry” to make a decision, Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said on Thursday.
The 2027 Asian Cup is supposed to kick off on January 7 in the Saudi cities of Jeddah, Riyadh and al-Khobar.
The kingdom has in recent days come under sustained attack in a dramatic escalation from the Houthis.
“We can wait until the end of November,” Al Khalifa told reporters in Zurich on Wednesday about a decision on the fate of the Asian Cup.
“Things can change very quickly for better or worse in the region, and it is a question of seeing what happens,” he added.
“If we need to make a decision then we will, but we could move back a year to 2028 if we need to.
“But at the moment we are monitoring the situation and everything is on schedule.”
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr saw their Asian Champions League match delayed by an hour on Monday after Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence said it had intercepted a missile fired towards Riyadh.
Three matches in Saudi domestic football, including one involving Al-Nassr, were postponed this week.
(Aljazeera)
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