Sports
Nayana top scorer of the tournament as Moratuwa win Governor’s Trophy
Paceman Thevin Eriyagama and spinners Dilshan Mendis and Savindu Peiris took three wickets apiece to lead Moratuwa SC to 64 runs victory over Old Dharmapalians SC in the Governor’s Trophy tournament final at the Colts Cricket Ground on Sunday.
After their skipper Nayana Fernando top scored with 75 runs for them to post 240 runs in their allotted 50 overs, Moratuwa SC restricted their opponents to 176 runs.
Chasing a target of 241 runs to win, half of the battling line up of Old Dharmapalians was back in the pavilion by the eighth over with just 26 runs on the scoreboard. They continued to lose wickets at regular intervals and were 76 for eight wickets in the 19th over before Ayesh Harshana and Shanaka Sampath produced some rearguard action to delay the inevitable.
The duo put on 101 runs for the ninth wicket before Harshana was bowled by Yohan Perera for 59 runs (96 balls, 6x4s). Number nine batsman Sampath remained unbeaten on 51.
Batting first Moratuwa had their batting opener Sithara Hapuhinna making 38 and number four batsman Yohan Perera contributing with 45 runs to make the top order look formidable.
However, it was the half century scored by their skipper Nayana Fernando that set the stage for the victory. Batting at number six, Fernando anchored the late order and was the last man out. Fernando scored seven fours and two sixes in his innings.
With his 75 runs in the final Nayana concluded the tournament as the highest run scorer with an aggregate of 377 runs.
The final victory was a huge achievement for Moratuwa compared to their performance at the last edition. According to team manager Chinthaka Munasinghe the team were out in the first round at the last tournament. The team coached by Chinthaka Fernando competed in group ‘B’ alongside Old Dharmapalians, Digamadulla, Unichella, Ratnapura and Crusaders. Incidentally, Old Dhamapalians were the champions in their group.
Kandurata, Ambepussa Sinha, Old Dharmapalians, Rajarata, Leo’s, Moratuwa, Kandy YCC and Old Servatius were the teams to advance to the quarter-finals of the 24-team competition.
While Old Dharmapalians edged out Rajarata in the quarter-finals, Moratuwa beat Leo’s.
In the semi-finals, Moratuwa beat Ambepussa Sinha, while Old Dharmapalians beat Old Servatius’.
The members of the Moratuwa Sc who played in the final were: Sithara Hapuhinna, Shalin de Mel, Lasith Warnakulasooriya, Yohan Perera, Madushika Sandaruwan, Nayana Fernando (Captain), Rasindu Fernando, Savindu Peiris, Dilshan Mendis, Thevin Eriyagama and Chathura Vithana.
Scores:
Moratuwa SC
240 for 8 in 50 overs (Sithara Hapuhinna 38, Yohan Perera 45, Nayana Fernando 75; Shanaka Sampath 3/48)
Old Dharmapalians SC
176 all out in 42.2 overs (Rajitha Weerasinghe 22, Ayesh Harshana 59, Shanaka Sampath 51n.o.; Dilshan Mendis 3/27, Thevin Eriyagama 3/19, Savindu Peiris 3/40)
(RF)
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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