Sports

Gaud makes her Lord’s mark as India surge into dominant position

Published

2 months ago

2026/07/12

Priyan

Kranti Gaud ripped through England's batting for a famous five-for at Lord's [Cricinfo]

As the ball popped out of Sneh Rana’s hands and looped over her shoulder at second slip, a place in history hung in the air. Shafali Verma’s attention and agility snatched it, centimetres above the Lord’s turf, and now Kranti Gaud is the first woman’s name inked on the revered Test honours board.

Gaud had removed retiring England opener Tammy Beaumont on the first evening of this maiden women’s Test at Lord’s and picked up on Saturday where she’d left off, as India’s quicks condemned their hosts to a rough start on the second day. By stumps, Gaud had taken 5 for 37 and India were well on course for a famous win in a famous match.

Resuming on 21 for 1 in reply to India’s 285, England lost three wickets inside the first seven overs of the day, then their last six for 39 runs as they were bowled out for 170. Amy Jones’ second fifty in the format – she scored her first on Test debut in 2019 – went largely in vain as England faced a first-innings deficit of 115 runs.

Smriti Mandhana raised her second half-century of the match in front of 15,243 people at Lord’s, a world-record attendance for a single day at a women’s Test, to consolidate India’s control over the match.

Having scored 83 in the first innings, Mandhana was unbeaten on 69 at the close alongside Yastika Bhatia, who was not out on 39, the pair having shared an unbroken 66-run stand for the second wicket to put India 269 runs ahead and looking well beyond England’s reach. The highest successful run-chase in women’s Tests is 198 by Australia against England in Sydney in 2011.

Gaud struck in the third over of the day as Maia Bouchier fenced at one outside off and sent a thick outside edge to Bhatia behind the stumps.

Heather Knight fell three balls later, failing to overturn an lbw decision to a Sayali Satghare fuller ball that bent past the outside edge and rapped Knight’s front pad in line with middle stump. Ball-tracking upheld the dismissal on umpire’s call with the ball shown to be clipping leg stump.

But Gaud’s removal of Alice Capsey was the highlight. The ball pitched on a full length and angled in before swinging away to flatten off stump, giving Gaud two wickets for five runs in the space of 13 balls.

Jones brought up her half-century off 49 balls, steering Rana through deep third and running three before Nat Sciver Brunt sent a glorious slog-sweep over the rope off Shree Charani. But Rana’s riposte broke their 84-run stand for the fifth wicket as Jones jabbed her bat down and sent an inside-edge ballooning straight to Richa Ghosh at short leg.

Gaud had just started her second spell when she removed Sciver-Brunt with the ninth ball after the lunch break, lbw for 44. Satghare and Rana then dispensed with Sophie Ecclestone and Mady Villiers in the space of seven deliveries and, after a brief change of ends to bowl down the slope for an over, Gaud switched back to going uphill and, two balls later, she had her historic five-for.

As Lauren Bell attempted to drive outside off stump, the ball shot straight at Rana’s throat and she parried it into the air, spinning in confusion while Verma swooped at first slip to save the catch. The moment Rana realised Verma had held the ball in her right hand diving forward at full stretch, she did an about-face, thrust her index finger in the air and ran to join the mob enveloping Gaud.

One day shy of a year since making her T20I debut in England during India’s tour last summer – during which she also took a six-wicket haul in just her fourth ODI appearance – Gaud could lay claim not just to a significant personal achievement but to putting her side in a winning position even before the halfway point of this match.

Bell and Issy Wong sent down three maidens between them to start the evening session after India went to the tea break at 30 without loss, but it was a short-lived break to India’s progress. Shafali struck back-to-back fours off Wong and Mandhana helped herself to three fours in a row off Wong’s fourth over, clearing point, piercing the gap to the right of gully and driving through the covers as the India pair combined for an 88-run opening stand.

Ecclestone re-entered the attack after drinks and, when Mandhana skipped down the pitch and launched one down the ground for six, she replied with the wicket of Verma, picking out sub fielder Emma Lamb at mid-on to depart for 33. Aside from a missed leg-side stumping as Bhatia toppled out of her crease to Ecclestone, it was the only real opportunity England could create.

Scores:
India Women 285 in 74.5 overs [Smriti Mandhana 83, Harmanpreet Kaur 58, Deepti Sharma 57; Sophie Ecclestone 3-68] and 154 for 1 in 42 overs (Smriti Mandhana 69*, Yastia Bhatia 39*; Sophie Ecclestone 1-46) lead England Women 170 in 59.1 overs (Nat Sciver Brunt 44, Amy Jones 52; Kranti Gaud 5-37) by 269 runs

[Crricinfo]

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UAE keep semi-final hopes alive after convincing win over Indonesia

Published

8 hours ago

2026/09/5

Priyan

Five different UAE bowlers took wickets on Friday evening (Asian Cricket Council)

A complete performance from UAE’s bowling unit kept their semi-final hopes alive at the 2026 Women’s T20 Asia Cup, skittling Indonesia for 73 and then completing the chase with six wickets to spare. They now have to beat Bangladesh on September 8 and also hope other results go their way.

UAE were on top right from the first ball courtesy offspinner Suraksha Kotte, who starred with 3 for 16. Kotte struck with the first two balls of the innings, dismissing Indonesia opener Maria Corazon and No. 3 Ni Luh Dewi for first-ball ducks. UAE captain Esha Oza (2 for 11) then dismissed the other opener Rahmawati Pangestuti in the fourth over.

Indonesia captainN8 Puu Ayu Nanda Sakarini top-scored with a lone hand of 39 off 52 balls, with four fours and a six, accounting for 53.4% of Indonesia’s runs. But with little support, they could not find a way back in and were bowled out for 73.

Slow left-arm spinner Heena Hotchandani (2 for 6) and seamer Samaira Dharnidharka (1 for 12) also got among the wickets. Legspinner Vaishnave Mahesh struck twice in the 20th over to clean up the tail.

UAE openers Theertha Satish and Oza put on 17 for the first wicket. After losing Theertha in the fifth over, Oza hit two boundaries in each of the sixth and eighth overs. No. 3 Rinitha Rajith then hit three fours off Sofia Velic in the ninth over.

A brief wobble followed for UAE as they slid from 62 for 1 to 68 for 4. Oza fell for a 29-ball 30 at the start of the 11th over to Ni Ariani and Velic grabbed two wickets in the 12th. However, with only six runs needed, UAE wrapped up the chase at the start of the 14th over, the tournament hosts securing two points with 41 balls to spare. This was also Indonesia’s final match of the campaign, bowing out with losses in all three games.

Scores:

UAE Women 75 for 4 8n 13.1 overs (Esha Oza 30, Rinitha Rajith 22; Ni Riani 1-10, Sang Maypriani 1-17, Sofia Velic 2-25) beat IndonesiaWomen 73 in 19.4 overs (N8 Putu Ayu Nanda Sakarini 39, Desi Wulandari 12; Suraksha Kotte 3-16, Heena Hotchandani 2-06, Esha Oza 2-11, Samira Dharnidarkha 1-12 ) by six wickets

(Cricinfo)

Sports

Rasara, Puvitharan rewrite meet records as National Athletics Championship begins

Published

13 hours ago

2026/09/5

Thilina Walpola

Rasara Wijesuriya

The 104th National Athletics Championship got off to an impressive start at the Diyagama Stadium, with Rasara Wijesuriya and Arunthavarasa Puvitharan producing record-breaking performances on an action-packed opening day.

‎Rasara dominated the women’s 10,000m to win the gold medal in 33:32.77 seconds, setting a new meet record in the process. G. W. O. N. Fonseka finished second in 38:25.55, while H. I. S. Fernando took the bronze in 39:00.69.

‎Puvitharan provided another record-breaking highlight in the men’s pole vault, clearing 5.10m to establish a new meet record. H. S. Eranga Janith followed with 5.00m for silver, while M. H. I. Sandaruwan secured bronze with 4.90m.

‎The men’s 10,000m produced a closely contested battle, with M. Kobinathan claiming the national title in 30:58.50. M. S. A. Fernando was second in 31:10.08, while D. P. S. S. Senanayaka completed the podium in 31:22.72.

‎As expected Madushani Herath secured the women’s triple jump title with a best effort of 13.60m, finishing ahead of I. S. W. Arachchi, who recorded 13.13m. G. I. S. Lankathilaka took third with 13.00m.

‎In the men’s shot put, Suseenthirakumar Mithunraj produced a winning throw of 16.41m to take gold. W. J. R. Alwis was second with 14.91m, while R. S. Jayawardana secured bronze with 14.47m.

‎Ovini Chandrasekara completed the women’s shot put podium-topping performance, winning gold with a throw of 12.82m. V. D. V. Gimhani took silver with 12.29m and A. D. W. Mendis won bronze with 11.84m.

‎With two new meet records already providing the opening-day highlights in thr morning, the championship has begun on a high note, setting the stage for further strong performances as Sri Lanka’s leading athletes battle for national honours.

Sports

Kusal Mendis, Binura Fernando ruled out of T20I series in England

Published

13 hours ago

2026/09/5

Thilina Walpola

Charith Asalanka is currently playing for St Lucia Kings in the CPL (Cricinfo)

Kusal Mendis and Binura Fernando have been ruled out of Sri Lanka’s upcoming T20I series against England with the SLC saying that the two were “still undergoing rehabilitation” after injuries picked up at the 2026 Lanka Premier League.

The update came just over a day after the two were named in the 16-member squad, with Kusal retained as captain of both the T20I and the ODI sides.Charith Asalanka, who had returned to the vice-captain’s position for the series, will now lead the side in the T20Is. Though Kusal hasn’t been ruled out of the ODIs just yet, were he to miss out, Asalanka, as the designated vice-captain, might step in there too.

Kusal has been out of action since July 19 with a right hamstring injury, while Binura hasn’t played since August 5, SLC putting his absence down to a back injury.

Pavan Rathnayake, the 24-year-old top-order batter, has replaced Kusal in the T20I touring party, while Dilshan Madushanka, the fast bowler who was in the squad for the Tests against India recently but didn’t get to play, has come in for Binura.

Asalanka returned to the leadership group three months after being deposed as ODI captain and six months after being sidelined from the T20I unit. He last played a T20I in February this year, but is currently part of St Lucia Kings’ line-up at CPL 2026. His returns have been mediocre, though: 93 runs at a strike rate of 124 from six innings.

The T20Is will be played on September 15 (Southampton), September 17 (Cardiff) and September 19 (Manchester), while the ODIs will take place on September 22 (Chester-le-Street), September 24 (Leeds) and September 27 (The Oval).

Sri Lanka T20I squad for the tour of England

Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara (wk), Lahiru Udara (wk), Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka (capt), Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Tharindu Rathnayake, Dushmantha Chameera, Eshan Malinga, Nuwan Thushara, Dilshan Madushanka

(Cricinfo)