Sports
Avishka delivers knockout punch to Dambulla Giants
By Roscoe Thattil from Suriyawewa
A stunning Avishka Fernando century delivered the knockout punch to Dambulla Giants, as they went down by 24 runs to the Jaffna Kings in Hambanthota on Tuesday.
Giants skipper Niroshan Dickwella played into the hands of the Kings when he opted to field first after winning the toss. Batting first and posting big totals has been a strength of Jaffna throughout the tournament.
A couple of early dropped catches by the Giants proved to be very costly as the opening duo of Fernando and Rahmanullah Gurbaz posted 122 for the first wicket. Gurbaz pulled up a hamstring just after reaching his half-century before he was eventually dismissed for 70 runs which came off just 40 balls.
Fernando wasn’t done though as he continued on his merry way before reaching his century off his 63rd ball as the Kings went past the magical 200-run mark. His knock included ten fours and four towering sixes as Jaffna finished on 210/4 in their twenty overs.
The Dambulla Giants’ bowlers had no answers to the onslaught by the Kings batters with Chamika Karunaratne conceding 53 off his four overs while only Nuwan Pradeep and Imran Tahir had economy rates of under ten.
The Giants had no option but to come out swinging from ball one and got to a brisk start as Niroshan Dickwella and Phil Salt put on 39 for the opening wicket in just over three overs but both of them were dismissed in the space of two overs as the Giants found it hard to keep up with the required run rate.
Maheesh Theekshana was the chief destroyer bowling out his quota of four overs in the first half of the innings returning impressive figures of 2/23. The lanky West Indian quick Jayden Seales’ pace and bounce were too hot to handle for the Giants middle order as he accounted for Sandun Weerakkody and Ramesh Mendis in quick succession.
The Dambulla Giants never really recovered from losing the top half of their batting and were eventually defeated by the all-round disciplined Jaffna Kings unit. Karunaratne though fought till the end with an entertaining half-century but could not prevent his team from going down by 24 runs.
The boys from up north will now meet the Galle Gladiators in the final of the LPL 2021 in Hambantota today (23). Interestingly Jaffna Kings have lost the three games they played against Galle Gladiators in the 2021edition. It will also be the repeat of the 2020 LPL final.
The Rose Bowl, which has been awarded to the winner of ODI series between the women’s teams of Australia and New Zealand since 1985, has now been expanded to include T20Is as well.
New Zealand’s three match T20I tour of Australia, which begins on Sunday at the North Sydney Oval, will be the first T20I edition of the Rose Bowl. The teams will get to face off again for the trophy in March 2027 when they meet again for three ODIs, also in Australia.
For Rose Bowl series that include matches in both white-ball formats, the trophy will go to the team with the most wins overall. In case of a drawn series, the current holder will retain the trophy.
“The Rose Bowl is a prestigious trophy that holds a lot of meaning to current and past players, and it’s a series we’ve always taken a lot of pride in competing in,”Catherine Campbell, NZC’s chief cricket operations officer and a former New Zealand player, said. “With so much T20I cricket now being played, this is a brilliant opportunity to keep the Rose Bowl relevant and to build on the history between us and our Australian rivals.”
New Zealand captain Melie Kerr was excited by the broadening of opportunities to compete for the Rose Bowl.
“We’re all aware of what the Rose Bowl represents and the importance it holds in the White Ferns whakapapa [genealogy],” said Kerr. “Great players and teams have fought for it over the years and we’d love the opportunity to claim our own piece of that history.”
Australia have held the Rose Bowl continuously since wresting it back from New Zealand in 2000. Since that 3-0 win, Australia have won 18 times with one series – in 2008-09 – shared 2-2. Overall, Australia have won 26 of the 31 ODI series played for the Rose Bowl, with New Zealand winning three times and three series drawn.
North Sydney will host all three T20Is of the upcoming Rose Bowl series, on October 18, 20 and 22.
[Cricinfo]
The inaugural Sastralian Premier League (SPL), a T10 cricket tournament aimed at strengthening the cricketing fortunes of Ananda Shasthralaya National School, Matugama, will get underway next month, bringing together eight teams.
Organised by the Old Sastralians Cricket Association in collaboration with the school, the tournament is designed to provide a platform for emerging talent while generating much needed financial support for the school’s cricket development programme.
Each franchise will be required to assemble a squad of 16 players, excluding the captain, with the competition featuring a unique set of regulations aimed at encouraging participation across different age groups.
Cricketers from other schools in the Matugama area will also have an opportunity to showcase their skills under the ‘Guest Players’ category. Each team can recruit up to six guest players, with four required to feature in the playing XI.
In a move designed to nurture the next generation, every team must include two current school cricketers in its squad, with at least one guaranteed a place in the playing XI.
The tournament will also accommodate experienced campaigners, with teams permitted to select five players over the age of 20 and three over 40. The provision to use an ‘Impact Player’ is another feature of the competition.
The eight teams have been divided into two groups. Group A comprises JSD Challengers, Jagath Express, Liveka Power Lions and Rexhill Warriors, while JPI Royals, Five Star Heroes, Marine Titans and Finnk Falcons make up Group B.
A total of 16 matches will be played across November 7, 8 and 15, with November 16 set aside as a reserve day.
Beyond the action on the field, organisers hope the tournament will provide a financial boost to school cricket while forging stronger ties between past and present cricketers.
Squad for the first three ODIs: Shubman Gill [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer [VC], KL Rahul [WK], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna*, Kuldeep Yadav
Squad for fourth and fifth ODIs: Shreyas Iyer [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan [WK, VC], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav
[Cricbuzz]
Review of progress in reforms and modernisation of key state revenue-collecting institutions
Rose Bowl expanded to include Australia vs New Zealand T20Is
Trump claims US Navy blockade stops Iranian ships in Hormuz
Showers above 75 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-central provinces and in Trincomalee and Mullaitivu districts
Cut power bills by 3-5%, don’t hike them, consumers demand
Asgiri Mahanayake calls for immediate release of Gnanasara Thera
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
News6 days agoSri Lanka escalates anti-graft drive with Shiranthi’s jailing
-
Latest News5 days agoFarhan and Sadaqat help Pakistan seal series in style
-
News6 days agoIranian ships stranded, Lanka fears US sanctions
-
Latest News4 days agoNissanka’s return headlines Sri Lanka’s Test squad against Pakistan
-
Features5 days agoIntake 16: 45 years of duty and honour
-
News5 days agoMalwathu Chapter issues statement on talks with President over Gnanasara Thera’s robes
-
News6 days agoNavi Pillay’s Lankan affairs in focus as she wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize
-
News5 days agoCP alleges NPP has taken the blame for illegal US sanctions on Iranian vessels