An impressive century by opener Kaveen Deneth and a five-wicket haul from Mevindu Kumarasiri highlighted an absorbing first day in the Under 19 Division I Tier B quarter-final between Sri Dharmaloka College, Kelaniya and Sri Sumangala College, Panadura played at Kuruvita on Wednesday.

‎After winning the toss and electing to bowl first, Sri Sumangala kept the pressure on by striking at regular intervals. However, Deneth produced a determined innings to anchor the Sri Dharmaloka batting line-up and keep his team in the contest.

‎Sri Sumangala made the early breakthrough in only the second over when paceman Sihas Nethdinu dismissed Mewan Randeepana without scoring. Deneth then shared a brief partnership with Tharusha Mihiranga, whose 24-ball stay produced just seven runs.

‎With Sri Dharmaloka struggling at 30 for 2 in the 10th over, Deneth steadied the innings and received useful support from the middle order. Senuka Pehesara contributed 29 runs, while Chanul Nethsitha (17) and Koshitha Adithya (19) also chipped in with valuable runs.

‎Deneth’s patient knock of 106 off 161 balls, which included 12 fours and two sixes, proved crucial in holding the innings together as Sri Dharmaloka were eventually bowled out for 211 in 76.3 overs.

‎Sri Sumangala’s bowling honours went to Mevindu Kumarasiri, who delivered a tireless spell and finished with impressive figures of 5 for 82 in 32.3 overs, emerging as the standout bowler of the day.

‎In reply, Sri Sumangala encountered early trouble as spinner Sathindu Prabodha struck in successive overs to put the Panadura side under pressure.

‎At stumps on day one, Sri Sumangala were struggling at 11 for 2, setting up an intriguing second day in this closely contested quarter-final encounter.

South Africa won their first away T20I series under Shukri Conrad, and second successive bilateral series, with a convincing performance over New Zealand in Christchurch. Put in to bat, they posted the highest total of the series of 187 for 4- and defended it with a six-player attack to seal the series 3-2.

After poor batting performances in the second and third T20Is,2 South Africa went from good to better in the next two. Three of South Africa’s four highest partnerships of the series came in this match, and they have unearthed a potential future star in Connor  Esterhuizen.  He scored back-to-back fifties in matches four and five and anchored their efforts in the decider. While Zak Foulkes and Josh Clarkson were economical, the rest of their attack conceded at over nine runs an over. Offspinner Cole McConchie’s 0 for 48 was the most expensive.

New Zealand were without their first choice top five and also had to do without Tom Latham, who was due to lead them but fractured his thumb in the third T20I. They were never really in the chase against a disciplined South African effort. None of their batters scored more than Bevan Jacobs’ 36 and they only had one partnership which threatened: 52 between Jimmy Neesham and Jacobs for the fifth wicket.

Overall it was a messy affair on both sides, with nine dropped catches in the game, the most for any men’s T20I as per ESPNCricinfo’s ball-by-ball data logs since June 2018

Rubin Hermann has been involved in half of South Africa’s top stands and looked set for a big one today. Early in his innings, Hermann took down Ben Sears no matter what length he bowled and took 14 runs off four balls. Later, he showed his strength against spin when he joined Esterhuizen in targeting McConchie. But then Hermann did not hit a boundary for 12 balls and needed to take it on. When Sears went hard length, Hermann pulled but got his timing wrong and skied the ball towards mid-off. Nick Kelly ran from mid-on, made his ground and then stuck out one hand to take a superman catch, flying low to the ground. Hermann was out for 39, and the second-wicket partnership was broken on 59.

While Hermann’s promise only peeped through, Esterhuizen went from excellent to exceptional and topped up his maiden international half-century from game four with a new career-best: 75 off 33 balls in the finale. His on-side dominance was on display, as he scored 52 runs in that half of the ground, including five of his six sixes. The biggest ones came off McConchie who he hit back over his head, then over midwicket and over square leg. In total, Esterhuizen scored 21 runs off 8 balls but wasn’t shy to show what he could do against the quicks either. In the last two overs, he took 25 runs off Kyle Jamieson and Sears. His innings ended when he tried to send a Sears full toss to Neesham with two balls to go and he ended the series with a total of 200 runs, 100 more than his nearest competitor, Devon Conway.