Sports
Sri Lanka Under-19 look beyond victory in Worcester
Rex Clementine in Worcester
After coming off with flying colours in the two match Test series, Sri Lanka Under-19 will be looking to build on that momentum in the ODI series that gets underway today in the beautiful countryside of Worcester. Head Coach Jehan Mubarak said that he will be looking beyond victory in the three match series where development of younger players will be given priority.
The tourists had won the first Test in Chelmsford in stunning style chasing a stiff target of 273 in 58 overs and they surprised a few people when they did two changes for the second Test in Derby. Explaining the reason, Mubarak said that he wanted to give all 18 players on tour at least one game to show their potential. Going by that theory, those players who didn’t feature in the Tests are likely to get a game in the limited over matches. Worcester will host back to back games today and Thursday followed by the last game in Leicester on Saturday.
Ideally, Sri Lanka wanted a warm-up game before the ODIs but weren’t able to get one due to logistical reasons.Several players impressed during the Tests and the standout performer has been Trinity’s Ranuda Somaratne, who flicks and hooks like Aravinda and drives and cuts like Mahela.
There was nothing flashy about St. Anthony’s Asitha Wanninayake and he looks a player ideally suited for the longer format of the game. Both boys are from Kurunegala and were picked up by Kandy schools on cricket scholarships.St. Joseph’s Shevon Daniel hails from a cricketing family with brother Jehan and uncle Ian very well known to the cricketing public and he’s got all the shots and the time to play them.
Fast bowler Duvindu Ranatunga is no relation of the nation’s famous cricketing family, as he hails from Ratnapura and not Gampaha. He landed at Mahanama College having passed the Grade Five Scholarship. He impressed by bowling long accurate spells and smashed a quick half-century in the second Test.
Sahan Mihira from St. John’s Panadura had played little cricket on turf but adapted well hitting a few Englishmen on the head. Both quicks have come out of Sri Lanka for the first time and look promising players.Worcester is famous for two things, the traditional Worcestershire sauce and the Cathedral built in 1084 and has been dedicated blessed virgin Mary.
It’s no strange place for Sri Lankans as Chaminda Vaas was the County’s overseas signing for several seasons. In 2005, then Board President Jayantha Dharmadasa successfully negotiated with Worcester county officials for the early release of Head Coach Tom Moody and deputy Trevor Penny to be signed up by Sri Lanka as part of the coaching staff.
The county ground has its English charms and the cakes that come out from the Ladies’ Pavilion during tea time is something that players and fans eagerly look forward to.Graeme Hick, Tom Graveney, Basil D’Oliveira and Moeen Ali are some of the prominent cricketers to come out of this county. The venue used to host international games but has stopped doing so since 1999. Sri Lanka were the last team to play an international game here, a game that they won by four wickets.
Sri Lanka survived an early onslaught to qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup Super Eights, leaving Australia right at the exit door and hoping for a miracle.
The returning captain Mitchell Marsh and the returning-to-runs Travis Head were brutal in taking Australia to 104 in the first 50 legal deliveries, but some spectacular fielding and spin bowling helped Sri Lanka take 10 for 77 off the last 70 balls.
In front of a partying full house in Pallekele, Sri Lanka’s two most prolific batters, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis, brought out both the axe and paper cuts to slice through the chase. Nissanka, who had earlier dropped Glenn Maxwell and then dismissed him with a stunner, went on to score an unbeaten hundred and take Sri Lanka home with two overs to spare.
In the absence of Matheesha Pathirana, who walked off with a calf injury in his first over, their spinners contributed six wickets to go with excellent closing from Dushmantha Chameera. Australia’s lead spinner Adam Zampa, among the best T20 spinners of all time, took no wicket and was lucky to go for only 41 in his four overs.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 184/2 in 18 overs [Pathum Nissanka 100*, Kusal Mendis 51, Pavan Rathnayake 2*; Marcus Stoinis 2-41] beat Australia 181/10 in 20 overs [Mitchell Marsh 54, Travis Head 56, Josh Inglis 27, Glenn Maxwell 22; Dushmantha Chameera 2-56, Maheesh Theekshana 1-37, Dushan Hemantha 3-37, Dunith Wellalage 1-33, Kamindu Mendis 1-19] by eight wickets
[Cricinfo]
A win against Canada in their first T20I against them on Tuesday will firm up New Zealand’s spot in the Super Eight. This result will also knock out Canada; South Africa have already qualified for the next round from Group D with three wins in as many games.
New Zealand have faced Canada just three times in international cricket so far – each time in ODI World Cups. Their most recent meeting coming in the 2011 edition in Mumbai. They have won all three games and are poised to make it 4-0 against Canada in World Cups, despite the absence of Lockie Ferguson. The fast bowler has returned home for the birth of his first child and is expected to link up with the side ahead of the Super Eight. In Ferguson’s absence, Kyle Jamieson, who wasn’t even in the main squad in the first place, is set to make his T20 World Cup bow.
As for Canada, they had their moments against South Africa and UAE but they have failed to convert those into wins. On Friday in Delhi, they had UAE at 66 for 4 in the 13th over in a chase of 151, but they left the door ajar for Aryansh Sharma and Sohaib Khan to sneak home. Canada can’t afford such slip-ups against New Zealand – and then Afghanistan – if they are to notch up a win in this World Cup.
Kyle Jamieson doesn’t quite have Ferguson’s express pace, but can bang it away on a hard length and stifle the opposition batters. He also has some slower variations in his repertoire and his high-arm release could pose a big threat, especially to batters who are facing him for the first time.
Once known as “Vettori” in Canada’s club cricket circuit, Saad Bin Zafar will run into the team that was once captained by one of his heroes. The Canada left-arm spinner often attacks the stumps and keeps it tight, as his economy rate of 6.02 across 67 T20Is suggests. At 39, Saad knows he won’t be playing the game for long and will be eager to cause a few upsets on the big stage.
Jamieson is set to slot in for Ferguson unless New Zealand want to give veteran legspinner Ish Sodhi a game.
New Zealand (probable): Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (capt), Jimmy Neesham, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy
Canada are likely to play the same XI that lost to South Africa and UAE.
Canada (probable): Dilpreet Bajwa (capt), Yuvraj Samra, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva (wk), Harsh Thaker, Saad Bin Zafar, Jaskaran Singh, Dilon Heyliger, Kaleem Sana, Ansh Patel
[Cricinfo]
Sri Lanka fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana left the field four balls into his first over, after collapsing to the ground clutching his left calf, and did not return to the field during Sri Lanka’s bowling innings against Australia. Having briefly received treatment from the Sri Lanka physiotherapist immediately after sustaining the injury, Pathirana hobbled off the field with assistance from support staff.
He then spent the majority of the innings being treated in the dressing room. Sri Lanka will likely send him off for scans as soon as the match finishes.
“Matheesha Pathirana experienced discomfort in his left leg calf while bowling during the match and was unable to continue,” a statement read. “He will not bowl further in this game. A scan will be conducted tomorrow to determine the extent of the injury.”
Pathirana had begun well against Australia, bowling two dot balls and giving away three runs (including a wide) in those first four deliveries. The last two balls of the over were delivered by Dasun Shanaka, who gave away a four and bowled a dot.
Pathirana is the quickest bowler in Sri Lanka’s attack, and a key part of their death-bowling plans for the tournament in particular. He is also the second Sri Lanka bowler to come under an injury cloud, with Wanindu Hasaranga already having been ruled out of the World Cup with a hamstring injury of his own.
After this game against Australa, Sri Lanka have another group match to play, against Zimbabwe. They have not earned qualification for the Super Eights yet.
(Cricinfo)
Nissanka ton stuns Australia, puts Sri Lanka in Super Eights
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Pathirana under injury cloud as he leaves the field early
Raza: Win over Australia ‘will count for nothing if we slip up now’
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