Sports
Finch:Australia’s ‘fate out of our ownhands toapoint’ followingheavydefeat toNewZealand
Aaron Finch conceded that Australia’s hopes of defending their men’s T20 World Cup title may already be out of their hands because of the huge margin of the loss to New Zealand and its impact on their net run-rate.Although the table is in its most embryonic stage after the first day of the Super 12s, Australia’s NRR is -4.450 following the 89-run hammering at the SCG, where they were bundled for 111.They had one huge blowout on their way to the title last year in the UAE when they were beaten heavily by England, but by then they had two wins on the board and had just two group matches left. So it was a shorter sprint to the line than they potentially face this time, starting with the match against Sri Lanka in Perth on Tuesday.
“That’s a big loss in the context of the tournament,” Finch said. “We were just totally outplayed in all three facets. It hurts our net run-rate… but we’re still going to be positive. I think we still back ourselves that we can win four, and you need a little bit of luck along the way in such a brutal tournament.”
Australia had little choice but to bat aggressively in their chase when faced with a target of 201, but both Finch and Mitchell Marsh fell trying to target the short boundary, which New Zealand had done to good effect, after David Warner was unlucky to be bowled via his pad and the back of the bat.
This was Australia’s fifth defeat in their last nine T20Is but Finch said there would not be a reassessment of how they go about their game. “You can’t go into a shell in T20 cricket,” he said. “You have to be able to transfer pressure back on the opposition as quick as you can, and at times that comes with risk. So you have to be prepared to wear the consequences of taking risks at times.
“We haven’t got it totally right. We’ve got to look at ourselves in that regard. But I’m still committed to playing the same way that won us the last World Cup and has given us a bit of a setback here. We’ve taken the fate out of our own hands I think, to a point. We need to be ultra-positive, ultra-aggressive, and I’m sure that we’ll all do that.”
One of the talking points when Australia were in the field was the absence of Glenn Maxwell from the attack just two days after Andrew McDonald pinpointed him as a key part of the bowling unit. Finch indicated the absence had largely been down to an unfavourable match-up with Devon Conway, who batted through the innings, which meant Marcus Stoinis bowled his full quota of four overs.
“We felt that Marcus Stoinis bowling quite a bit of pace off was working really well,” Finch said. “Devon Conway is a really good player at spin. So while he was in and he’d faced 25, 30 balls, it can be hard to stop any batter hitting to that short side. And there wasn’t any spin in the wicket in that first half of the game, so it felt it would be a little bit of a bigger risk with Devon being able to access that side. We felt as though Stoinis would be able to defend himself a little bit better.”However, Adam Zampa suggested Australia may have been slow to take pace off the ball when New Zealand were away to a flying start from Finn Allen.
“Making the right decisions earlier, it’s probably ‘do we take the pace off the second, third or fourth over just to change it up a bit’. Probably in hindsight we could have,” Zampa said. “Maxi’s a great option for us as well, think we made some poor decisions, took us a little longer to assess the conditions. You saw Tim Southee, Trent Boult in their powerplay… they just used the pitch, Tim Southee bowled off-pace really well and made it hard for us to score.” (ESPN)
by Reemus Fernando
Two formidable teams Mahinda and Thurstan are set to produce a thrilling contest when they meet in the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘B’ cricket tournament final commencing at Sooriyawewa today.
After having recorded a remarkable Big Match victory over the weekend, Thurstan skippered by Thanuga Palihawadana will be looking to conclude the tournament with the coveted title. They had a minor set back on Tuesday when they were beaten by St. Anthony’s Wattala in a limited overs tournament match. Spinner Sethru Fernando who was rested for that match is expected to return for the decisive three-day final.
Mahinda are a team continuing to peak. The team captained by Kaveen Rukshan reached the final displaying a thoroughly dominant performance against St. Thomas’ Matara in the semi-final. The innings and 69 runs victory is their biggest win this season.
They also posted their highest innings total, 373 runs in that match with opening batsman Dulsith Darshana scoring a sensible knock of 96 runs and Senuka Damgamuwa hammering 200 runs in 153 balls.
Keeping Dangamuwa under control will be vital for Thurstan as he has the ability to turn the complexion of a game.
Mahinda will open batting with Dulsith Dharshana and Thevindu Rashmika. Wicketkeeper batsman Randul Mabarana, Sehas Ashinsa, Dineth Pehesara, Manitha Rajapaksha and Dangamuwa will form the top order batting lineup.
The new ball duties are shared by left-arm paceman Sadew Nethmina and Sahanjith Samadith. Left-arm spinners Senuka Dangamuwa and Arosha Udayanga and skipper Rukshan form a strong spin attack.
Thurstan too possess a strong spin department with Sri Lanka Under 19 skipper Vihas Thewmika, captain Palihawadana and Sethru Fernando sharing most of the duties.
Rachintha de Silva who excelled in the Big Match, Yovun Silpa and Lasindu Punsara form the pace attack.
Like Mahinda, Thurstan’s batting line up too produced their best performance of the season (383/8) in the semi-final with Sri Lanka Under 19 batsman Thanuja Rajapakse and Rachintha scoring centuries against their arch rivals.
Dinal Induwara and Rajapakse will open batting for Thurstan. Sethru Fernando, Janitha Rukshan, Thewmika, Rachintha and Pathum Dananjaya will form the top top order batting lineup.
This is not the first time these two teams are meeting this season. When they met during the league stage Thurstan posted 274 to earn first innings points. Mahinda could muster only 205 runs. That was a early third term encounter. Both teams have grown by leaps and bounds. Hence a mouthwatering encounter is on the cards.
In a groundbreaking move to enhance school cricket, the Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), under the leadership of President Shammi Silva, has introduced three-day school matches in place of the traditional two-day encounters.
As part of this ambitious initiative, SLC has committed financial grants to 56 schools, enabling them to host their annual big matches as three-day contests. Until now, only three schools enjoyed this privilege, while the rest were restricted to two-day games. With this progressive shift, 28 big matches will now be played over three days, ushering in a new chapter for school cricket, effective from the ongoing season.
This transformation, executed in collaboration with the Sri Lanka School Cricket Association, is designed to provide young cricketers with extended match exposure, sharpen their skills, and ensure a seamless transition to first-class and international cricket.
Further strengthening this initiative, SLC has also revamped the U19 School Cricket competition by extending the three-day match format to the knockout stages of Division I and II (both Tier A and B), replacing the previous two-day structure.
Sri Lanka’s school cricket system is one of the most dynamic in the world, with over 6,800 matches played annually across U13, U15, U17, and U19 levels. SLC remains the primary financial pillar behind these tournaments, reaffirming its dedication to grooming the next generation of cricketing talent.
This initiative underscores SLC’s long-term vision for grassroots cricket, reinforcing the foundation that has historically produced Sri Lanka’s finest national players.
Dialog Axiata PLC proudly launches the 2025 Dialog Big Match Season, continuing its legacy of fostering school cricket and shaping future champions. As March arrives, the island will be swept by cricket fever as past and present students unite for this time-honoured tradition.
This year, Dialog sponsors seven iconic Big Matches, featuring 14 esteemed schools competing for pride and glory. The season’s crown jewel, the 146th Battle of the Blues, takes center stage at SSC on March 6th-8th, as Royal College and S. Thomas’ College renew their legendary rivalry. The Mustangs Trophy follows on March 15th.
Other marquee encounters include the 91st Battle of the Saints (April 3rd-5th) and One Day clash (April 26th), the 120th Lovers’ Quarrel (April 3rd-5th), and the 118th Battle of the Maroons in Kandy (April 4th-6th). Fans can also anticipate thrilling contests like the Battle of the Rocks and Battle of the Golds and more.
With its unwavering commitment to Powering the champions of tomorrow, Dialog invites fans to experience the excitement live at the grounds or via ThePapare TV and Dialog ViU. The 2025 season promises passion, tradition, and the birth of future cricketing stars.
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