Sports
Tharupathi, Sadeesha dazzle after returning from World Cup
Tharupathi takes nine wickets, Sadeesha scores double century
by Reemus Fernando
Sri Lanka Under 19 spinner Malsha Tharupathi and batsman Sadeesha Jayawardena who were sparingly used by the team at the recently concluded ICC Youth World Cup came out all guns blazing for their respective schools when they returned to commence the Under 19 schools cricket season yesterday.
While the former Madampa Central spinner Malsha Tharupathi made a memorable First XI debut for Richmond College taking nine wickets in an innings, open batsman Sadeesha Jayawardena hammered an unbeaten double century for St. Joseph’s College to post 352 for four wickets declared against Maliyadeva.
Tharupathi who represented Sri Lanka at the recently held ICC Under 19 World Cup in West Indies was playing his first match for Richmond after joining the premier cricket playing school in Galle from Madampa Central. He took nine wickets to restrict Prince of Wales to 213 runs on day one of the Under 19 encounter at De Soysa Stadium on Monday.
Bowling the bulk of overs for Richmond, Tharupathi took nine wickets for 67 runs (23.4-4-67-9).
Jayawardena scored an unbeaten 207 (in 234 balls) inclusive of 24 fours and two sixes and put on 163 runs for the first wicket with Hirun Matheesha before combining Hiran Jayasundara to post a partnership of 134 runs for the fourth wicket.
Incidentally, Jayawardena and Tharupathi did not play a single match during the Under 19 World Cup. Jayawardena’s teammate Dunith Wellalage was the captain of the Sri Lanka Under 19 team.
On a spinners’ day Maris Stella’s Hasindu Perera claimed an innings haul of seven wickets to restrict St. Aloysius’ to 235 runs in their match at Bandaragama.
Tharupathi shines at Moratuwa
Scores:
Prince of Wales
213 all out in 64.4 overs (Tharindu Amarasinghe 35, Omesh Mendis 46, Thanuja Kavishan 44, Chanuka Mandiv 27; Malsha Tharupathi 9/67)
Richmond
74 for 2 in 30 overs (Tharinda Nirmal 31n.o., Bhanuka Manohara 18n.o.)
Hasindu takes seven wicket at Bandaragama
Scores:
St. Aloysius’
235 all out in 77.2 overs (Vidura Lakshan 24, Kavindu Kesara 26, Charya Yasara 81, Dineth Nimsara 22, Hasitha Suranga 27; Hasindu Perera 7/74)
Maris Stella
17 for no loss in 7 overs
Sadeesha scores double century at Darley Road
Scores:
St. Joseph’s
352 for 4decl. in 73 overs (Sadeesha Jayawardena 207n.o., Hirun Matheesha 59, Hiran Jayasundara 55; Nemsith Chanul 2/53)
Maliyadeva
65 for 2 in 21 overs (Jayamin Muthukumarana 21, Matheesha Weerasinghe 28n.o.)
Gurnoor Brar did his burgeoning reputation a lot of good as he ran through Sri Lanka A to set up a simple 33-run chase for India A, who completed the formalities without fuss to win the two-match series of unofficial Test matches 1-0 in Galle. Brar picked up six wickets – to go with four in the first innings – as Sri Lanka A, starting their second innings on Sunday morning 177 in arrears, folded for 209. The 10 for 145 was by far Brar’s best in his short first-class career.
The day began with India A at 541 for 8 in their first innings after B Sai Sudarshan’s 168 and half-centuries from Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel and Saransh Jain, who was in the middle alongside Yash Thakur. The innings ended soon after when Thakur became left-arm spinner Keshara Nuwantha’s fifth victim – Ruturaj Gaikwad didn’t come back out to bat after retiring hurt on the third day.
Then the Brar show began, though there was help for him up top with Aaqib Nabi and Thakur picking up a wicket each to Brar’s two, as Sri Lanka A were 49 for 4 at the start of the 11th over, captain Sahan Arachchige, their century-maker from the first innings, among the wickets to fall.
The fightback for Sri Lanka A was a solo effort, courtesy Ashen Bandara, a white-ball international between 2021 and 2023, as he smashed the bowlers around for 87 in 86 balls, with 11 fours and two sixes. His partnership with the other Bandara, Anjala, was worth 70 runs, with Anjala contributing 17 of those.
The resistance ended when Brar returned to send back Anjala Bandara and followed it up with the wicket of Ashen Bandara to leave Sri Lanka A at 141 for 6, still well behind. Contributions from lower-order batters Nuwantha (26), Dilum Sudeera (21) and Asanka Manoj (12 not out) did help Sri Lanka A wipe out the deficit and get a lead, but only just. Brar completed his five-for when he sent back Sudeera, and then the six-for when he finished the innings with Dulaj Samuditha’s wicket. Jain, meanwhile, picked up two wickets.
Sai Sudharsan and Aman Mokhade knocked off the required runs in just 6.2 overs to complete the win, India A adding to their win in the 50-overs tri-series, with Afghanistan A the third team, earlier on the tour.
Scores:
India A 543 for 9 decl in 143.3 overs (B Sai Sudharsan 168, Devdutt Padikkal 94, Dhruv Jurel 53, Saransh Jain 70*; Keshara Nuwantha 5-159, Dilum Sudeera 3-102) and 36 for no loss in 6.2 overs (B Sai Sudharsan 25*, Aman Mokhade 11*) beat Sri Lanka A 366 in 110 overs (Sahan Arachchige 127; Gurnoor Brar 4-77, Saransh Jain 4-92) and 209 in 48.3 overs (Ashen Bandara 87; Gurnoor Brar 6-68, Saransh Jain 2-66) by ten wickets
[Cricinfo]
There are a lot of similarities between Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka.
Both have won four Grand Slam titles, been top of the world rankings and built their legacies on hard courts.
The big-hitting pair broke through on the WTA Tour around the same time, but their journeys have been very different.
While one peaked early, the other had a longer wait for success.
After they first met at the 2018 US Open – with Osaka going on to win her maiden major – they did not face each other again until 2026.
The pair have now faced each other three times in the space of three months – and today ( Sunday) they will go head-to-head again in a blockbuster fourth-round clash at Wimbledon.
(BBC)
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to introduce a DRS certification system and explore the possibility of accrediting more vendors capable of supplying cost-effective Decision Review System (DRS) technology. The proposal is among the agenda items for the Annual Conference in Edinburgh, where the world governing body is also expected to grant Associate Membership to Mauritius. The Annual Conference is scheduled to be held from July 8 to 11.
“The ICC needs to ensure that DRS implementation undergoes a comprehensive assessment and testing process for both current DRS suppliers and potential suppliers. A DRS certification system will also be explored with a view to making cost-effective DRS options available that can serve the global game,” a source in the know explained.
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China and Russia to hold annual joint naval drills
A rivalry renewed – Sabalenka and Osaka meet again
Iran’s China envoy vows ‘special’ Hormuz treatment for ‘friendly’ countries
ICC plans to widen DRS supplier base
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