Sports

Under 19 Division II Tier ‘A’ Cricket Final :Holy Cross encounter formidable Lyceum

Published

3 years ago

2022/12/15

Formidable Lyceum International, Wattala will meet Holy Cross College, Kalutara in the final of the Under 19 Division II Tier ‘A’ cricket tournament at BRC ground today.

Holy Cross, a former Division I team were at the receiving end when these two teams met during the first round. Holy Cross captained by Sasindu Kaushan will be looking forward to turning tables on Lyceum who suffered just a solitary defeat this season in the limited-overs format.

Skippered by Yugath Premathilaka, Lyceum have in their ranks one of the brightest prospects in the junior circuit in Garuka Sanketh who earned accolades at the recently held Inter-Provincial tournament.

Sanketh who has over 30 wickets against his name will spearhead the bowling attack with Mohammed Rifnaz. The duo played key roles for Lyceum to restrict their opponents to low scores this season.

Lyceum beat Karandeniya Central, Vidyartha College, Kandy, St. Peter’s College, Negombo, Dharmaloka College, Kelaniya, Holy Cross, St. John’s College, Panadura and Tissa Central, Kalutara in the first round. Their blemish against Sri Sumangala College, Panadura placed them second in the points table.

During the knockout stage, they edged out Piliyandala Central (quarter-final) and St. Sebastian’s College, Katuneriya to book a well-deserving spot in the final. While Nethmal de Zoysa ( over 300 runs), Lakshitha Udesh and Jayathu Chathuranga are their leading batsmen, Premathilaka, Chathumal Nimansa and Vihanga Theekshana also featured prominently in the batting department during the knockout phase.

For Holy Cross, Rashen Kethaka with over 200 runs and Sanuka Cheran are the leading batsmen, while Pasindu Wimansa, Hansaja Brian and Aakash Dewmina are the players to watch in the bowling department.

During the first round, the team from Kalutara beat St. John’s College, Panadura, St. Peter’s College, Negombo, Dharmaloka College, Kelaniya, Sri Sumangala, Panadura, Tissa Central, Kalutara and Karandeniya Central while going down to Vidyartha and Lyceum. During the knockout stage they beat Galahitiyawa Central (quarter-final) and Sri Sumangala, Panadura (semi-final).

Both schools have experienced the agony of not being able to earn the deserving promotion to the top division since the Covid 19 pandemic altered the dimensions of schools cricket tournaments in 2020. With normalcy returning this season the two teams will look forward to climbing up the ranks when the league tournament of the innings format commences shortly.

Teams:

Holy Cross (from):

Sasindu Kaushan (Captain), Deshan Perera (Vice Captain), Hansaja Brian, Kethaka Silva, Pasindu Wimansa, Sonal Perera, Hiven Kenula, Dewmina Fernando, Hansaka Fernando, Cheran Silva, Gimhan Fernando, Nethru Silva, Sathsara Gamage, Abhishek Samaraweera, Steeve Roshaka, Gayantha Nadeesha, Deshan de Silva, Tharuksha Silva, Patrik Thisera, Vishmitha Fernando.

Officials:

K.D.S.P. Samantha (Master in Charge), Nimal Dabare (Head Coach), Lakshitha Ranasinghe (Asst. Coach)

Lyceum International (from):

Yugath Premathilaka (Captain), Rayan Perera, Sanujan Baskaran, Nethman de Soysa, Laksitha Udesh, Jayathu Chathuranga, Garuka Sanketh, Mohammed Rifnaz, Madhuka Perera, Kevin Perera, Shahila Prabhashwara, Shavindu Silva, Vidusha Wijerathne, Bimsara Weerasinghe, Travin Nishanthan, Sadeesha Silva, Thushan Fernando, Omalka Hapuarachchi, Malinda Mulgama, Danidu Nawarathne.

Officials:

Manjula Prasanna (Master in Charge), Lal Senarathne (Head Coach), Dishan Saminda (Coach), Sanjeewa Mendis (Coach).

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Maharoof expects ‘some hard decisions’ after Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup exit

Published

2 hours ago

2026/02/26

Priyan

Matt Henry got rid of Pathum Nissanka with a beauty first up [Cricinfo]

“I’m going to put it very simple: it’s hurtful, it’s painful and it’s shameful,” Farveez Mahroof, the former Sri Lanka allrounder, said, pretty much summing up the mood among cricket fans in the island after their abject failure against New Zealand on Wednesday in Colombo. That it came after being bowled out for 95 by England and meant Sri Lanka’s T 20 World Cup 2026 was over just added to the sense of dejection.

“It’s not a pitch that you can play through the line, I get it. But the way some of the batters just gifted their wickets away, apart from Pathum Nissanka’s delivery [from Matt Henry], every other dismissal was a soft dismissal, giving the wickets away, just like the England game, where all ten were soft dismissals,” Maharoof said on ESPN Cricinfo TimeOut after the match. “Continuing the same trend into another game, a must-win game, shows Sri Lanka were not up to the mark with the bat.”

Nissanka has been Sri Lanka’s best batter in the tournament, and the main man in their win over Australia, when he slammed a 52-ball 100 not out. On Wednesday, Henry produced a peach to Nissanka first ball, and “whatever hopes that Sri Lanka had just vanished”.

At the T20 World Cup, which Sri Lanka came to after losing 3-0 to England in a series at home, they beat Oman and Ireland, teams ranked lower than them, and then Australia in the group stage, but since then, it has all been downhill. Zimbabwe, England and now New Zealand have beaten Sri Lanka, and the last two have come after poor batting performances.

“It’s becoming a bad habit to have. I have been doing this analysis for seven-eight years, I keep saying the same old thing: once in a while, a good game, and our hopes are high; all of a sudden, come crashing down to the earth,” Maharoof said, referring to the Australia game. “It’s not the first time. I just hope something down the line, this has to come to an end, some hard decisions have to be made.

“I think after the next game, before the next series starts, Sri Lanka’s selectors and the think tank should really think of the future, what are the capabilities of the players, who should stick and who should not stick, and move on. I expect probably in the next couple of weeks, some hard decisions are going to be made. If not, I will be very surprised.”

Sri Lanka end their campaign with a game against Pakistan, in Pallekele on February 28.

[Cricinfo]

Sports

Matthews’ century leads West Indies to six-wicket victory

Published

3 hours ago

2026/02/26

Priyan

[File photo] Hayley Matthews was her dominant best in the chase

Hayley Matthew’s tenth ODI century led West Indies to a six-wicket victory in the final match of the series against Sri Lanka and gave them their first points in the new Women’s Championship cycle.

Sri Lanka had already secured the series but couldn’t clinch a whitewash as Matthews dominated: she started the match by removing opposite number Chamari Athapaththu in the first over of the contest and then compiled an 118-ball hundred, which took West Indies most of the way in their chase.

“I felt like I was in a pretty good space batting-wise and probably just [in the] first game got pretty unlucky with how I got out and then in the second match gave my own hand away,” Matthews said. “So I certainly felt like I was in a space where I wasn’t exactly being too threatened at the crease and I knew I just had to lock in and try to take it a bit deeper.”

The home side was in early trouble in St George’s against a target of 218 with Qiana Joseph and Shemaine Campbelle falling to Malki Madara to leave West Indies 12 for 2. But after taking 12 balls to find her first boundary, Matthews did not look back as she took charge of the innings, adding 124 for the third wicket with Stefanie Taylor, who moved second on the all time run scorers list in ODIs.

Matthews’ fifty came from 48 balls before she slowed a little in the second half of her innings, but the asking rate was never a threat for West Indies. She did give a chance on 70 when Nilakshika Silva was unable to hold a return catch. The ball after reaching the century, though, Matthews picked out deep midwicket but a stand of 49 between Deandra Dottin and Chinelle Henry finished the job.

Following the early loss of Athapaththu, Sri Lanka’s innings was anchored by Harshitha Samarawickrema’s 70 off 112 balls. She added 78 for the third wicket with Vishmi Gunaratne, but the visitors struggled to lift the scoring rate in the latter stages as West Indies chipped away, with Karishma Ramharack removing Gunaratne and Samarawickrama in the space of four overs.

Brief scores:
West Indies Women 218 for 4 in 46 overs (Hayley Matthews 100, Stefanie Taylor 38, Chinelle Henry 32*; Malki Madara 2-33) beat Sri Lanka Women 217 for 7 in 50 overs (Hasini Perera 27, Harshitha Samarawickrama 70, Kavish Dilhari 45*, Hayley Matthews 2-33, Karishma Ramharack 2-39) by six wickets

[Cricinfo]

Sports

Trinity take first innings honours against S. Thomas’

Published

11 hours ago

2026/02/26

Sahan Weerasooriya

Pulisha Thilakarathne top scored with 89 runs and held the top order batting together as Trinity scored first innings points and took major honours in the Ranil Abeynayake Memorial Trophy cricket encounter at BRC ground on Wednesday.

‎Trinity took a first innings lead of over 50 runs and declared their innings with two wickets in hand to find Thomians doing better in the second essay.

‎Jayden Amaraweera was in the forefront of the Thomian revival in the second innings as he scored his second half century of the match. Aaron Kodituwakku missed a second half century by five runs.

‎For Trinity, Mahendra Abeysinghe and Dinal Fernando were the others to make contributions with over 40 runs, while Aadham Hilmy made 32.

‎Scores:

‎S. Thomas’ 189 all out in 77.4 overs

‎(Aaron Kodituwakku 72, Jaden Amaraweera 50, Shanil Perera 37n.o.; ‎Kanika Anthony 5/66, Dinal Fernando 3/34) and 182 for 5 in 53 overs (Jaden Amarawera 68, Aaron Kodituwakku 45;

‎Chaniru Senarathne 2/44)

‎Trinity 54 for 1 overnight 246 for 8 decl. in 58.2 overs (Pulisha Thilakarathne 89, Mahendra Abeysinghe 44, Dinal Fernando 45, Adam Hilmy 32; Abheeth Paranawidana 4/95, Gimhan Mendis 3/41) (RF)