Sports
Bandara plans for Commonwealth Youth Games medal
Ayomal secures fourth place in Word Youth top list
by Reemus Fernando
Ambagamuwa Central hurdle prodigy Ayomal Akalanka, who won a bronze medal at the just concluded Asian Youth Championships in Uzbekistan has secured fourth place in the World Athletics top list in the Youth category for his massive personal best achieved at the regional event.
The athlete trained by veteran coach Anura Bandara clocked a blistering 51.40 seconds to clinch the bronze medal in the 400 metres hurdles in Uzbekistan on Sunday.
According to World Athletics Youth World top lists published on Monday, Ayomal’s 51.40 is the fourth fastest performance in the world this year in a list where a number of Jamaican, South African and Australian hurdlers are trailing behind him.
What makes Ayomal and his coach Bandara happier is the medal prospects he carries to the upcoming Commonwealth Youth Games.
From the time Ayomal achieved the qualifying standards for the regional event in February, Bandara was planning for things beyond the Asian level.
“Athletes should be going for international competitions to win not to enjoy the trip. Akalanka has the potential to win medals at both the Asian Youth Championships and the Commonwealth Youth Games,” Bandara told The Island in February.
With one of his predictions coming true over the weekend, Bandara is planning for the next challenge ahead.
Ayomal Akalanka is ranked fourth in the World Athletics top list for Under 18 boys’ hurdlers for year 2023.
“We will plan for Commonwealth Youth Games now as he has the potential to win a podium place in Port of Spain,” Bandara told The Island on Monday.
With the current form he is in, the meet record in the Under 18 boys’ 400 metres hurdles at next week’s Junior National Championship is at serious threat.
Sri Lanka Athletics has made the Junior National Championship the final selection trial for the Commonwealth Youth Games. Bandara said that despite the busy schedule his charge will compete at the four-day championships starting on Sunday(7).
“We will not skip the Junior National Championships. The meet is compulsory for those aspiring to qualify for the Commonwealth Youth Games,” he said.
Bandara who is well known for training Sugath Thilakaratne to win medals at Asian Games and beyond has produced a number of hurdlers in recent years. The first Asian Youth Games gold medallist Yamani Dulanjali, who was also from Ambagamuwa was another product of Bandara. She gave up the sport before she reached her peak.
It is incumbent upon authorities to make sure that the likes of Ayomal do not follow in the footsteps of Dulanjali.
South Africa successfully defended 136 in an 18-over game against Ireland in the Women’s T20 World Cup warm-up fixture in Loughborough . The experienced Marizanne Kapp led the way with the ball, her 4 for 24 helping South Africa dismiss Ireland for 120 in 17.4 overs. Shabnim Ismail, who had recently reversed her retirement, picked up 1 for 25 in her four overs.
Leah Paul was the only Ireland batter to pass 20 in their chase. Apart from Paul, only four Ireland batters got to double figures.
After South Africa were asked to bat first, they posted 136 for 8 on the back of captain Laura Wolvaardt’s 65 off 37 balls, including seven fours and three sixes.
SCORES:
South Africa Women 136 for 8 in 18 overs (Sune Luus 17, Laura Wolvaardt 65, Annerie Dercksen 26, Nadine de Klerk 11, Aimee Maguire 1-13, Arlene Kelly 3-29, Cara Murray 2-13, Ava Canning 2-08) beat Ireland Women 120 in 17.4 overs (Rebecca Stockel 19, Leah Paul 29, Alice Tector 17, Louise Little 13, Arlene Kelly 15; Marizanne Kapp 4-24, Shabnim Ismail 1-25, Tumi Sekhukhune 2-18, Nadine de Klerk 1-16, Nonkululeko Mlaba 1-25) by 16 runs
(Crickinfo)
In the 11th over, KL Rahul edged a cut to the keeper off Ziaur Ahmed when he was on 16. Afghanistan did not review the not-out decision. In the 61st over, Rahul flicked a full ball off his pads, bringing up a gritty century – his 12th in Test cricket. Afghanistan’s bowling attack had been worn down in the intervening period. They could not cash in on their half-chances aplenty, in their first Test against India since their format debut in 2018. Instead, Rahul – alongside a regal Shubman Gill – headlined India’s march to 368 for 3 on day one in New Chandigarh.
The city was hosting a men’s Test for the first time. Temperatures soared up to 40 degrees Celsius, and India captain Gill opted to bat first, expecting the pitch to worsen as time wore on in the match. However, Afghanistan’s new-ball bowlers – Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohamed Saleem – extracted uneven bounce off the pitch right away. They kept bowling back-of-a-length deliveries to Jaiswal and Rahul, moving the ball away from the openers.
Rahul reached for deliveries far from his body early in the day, often mistiming his shots. He ambled away to 16 off 34 by the end of the 10th over. At the other end, Jaiswal pounced on fuller deliveries with more regularity to race to 20 off 26.
Then, in the 11th over off Ziaur, Rahul slashed at a wide delivery and both bowler and keeper went up with a big appeal. However, they opted out of the review. Replays later showed Rahul had edged the delivery. Rahul rode his luck thereafter, leaving balls outside off, and dead-batting fuller ones that gripped in the pitch.
In the next over – the 12th – Jaiswal leaned into a front-foot drive off Mohammad Saleem. Then he jumped at an inswinger drifting down leg, and tried to flick it off his hips. He edged it to the keeper instead. Against the run of play, Jaiswal departed for a 32-ball 24, giving Saleem his maiden Test wicket.
Soon after, the new-ball swing dissipated and the bounce became less treacherous. B Sai Sudarshan made full use of this period of play at the back end of Saleem and Omarzai’s extended spells. He laced three fours in his first 15 deliveries.
In the 35th over off Ziaur, Sai Sudharsan stepped out of his crease for a tentative defense outside off. His edge dissected the wicketkeeper Afsar Zazai and first slip. Eight overs later, with Sai Sudharsan looking set for his maiden Test century, the batter played an expansive drive outside off against Saleem. Once more, the ball flew into the slip cordon, but was snared by Zazai with a one-handed stunner to his right. Sai Sudharsan was dismissed for 81. The second-wicket partnership was aborted at 131, with Rahul still steady at the other end.
As the day wore on, the New Chandigarh surface began gripping and turning more. Afghanistan’s captain Hashmatullah Shahidi was their most effective spinner. He bowled slowly, often keeping his speeds under 80 kph, and used drift to troublealla batters. Still, he never induced any real chances, with edges off him flying past short leg or the keeper.
From the other end, debutant Nangeyalia Kharote induced a thin edge off Sai Sudharsan with just his fourth delivery. Rahmanullah Gurbaz dropped the consequent one-hander, diving to his right at first slip. On his return spell, Kharote – as well as part-timer Abdul Malik – both strayed into leg-stump lines too often.
With Afghanistan’s fast bowlers erring in discipline too, Gill took full toll on them, especially after the tea break. If Rahul’s knock was a product of battling against the early swing and seam, Gill’s imperious century – his 11th in the format – was aided by a worn-down attack. Still, he pounced on good-length deliveries outside off as he unfurled his drives, and cut close to his body, in trademark fashion to rack up 11 fours and one six.
Gill had Rahul for company through the beginning of his knock, during a 67-run partnership for the third wicket. However, just one delivery after bringing up his century, Rahul perished for the third time in Test cricket on exactly a 100 – the joint-second most times in Test cricket, right behind England’s Len Hutton (4). Rahul had been out playing a loose waft away from his body, off Ziaur, straight to short extra cover.
Once Rishabh Pant walked out to join Gill, the brief was clear: by their standards, India had already shut up shop for the final hour of play. An unusually restrained Pant, also playing his 50th Test for India, batted within his means until his eyes lit up against offspinner Abdul Malik in the 68th over. He took advantage of half-trackers to flat-bat three sixes in trademark Pant style. Tellingly, these would also be Pant’s only sixes of the evening.
Gill brought up his century just a few minutes before close of play, off a flick to square leg, in the 83rd over off Saleem. Afghanistan had opted not to choose the new ball, bowling through till the close of play with a battered ball. Pant manipulated a thinly spread leg-side field in these final overs to bring up his own fifty off 70 balls, on the penultimate delivery of the day’s play.
SCORES:
India 368 for 3 in 85 overs (Shubman Gill 103*, KL Rahul 100, B Sai Sudharsan 81, Rishabh Pant 50*; MohaSaleem 2-67) vs Afghanistan
(Cricinfo)
West Indies won the toss and put Sri Lanka into bat, but that was the extent of the action from thesecod ODI at Sabina Park, as persistent rain put an end to proceedings before they had even begun.
The washout means West Indies’ hopes of winning the series are wiped out, but they can still draw level in the final game on Monday. Perhaps more importantly, a win there will give the hosts a much needed rankings boost, with qualification for next year’s World Cup hinging on their final position come March next year.
The toss itself had been delayed by 30 minutes following rain earlier in the day, and it was the possibility of rain intervening later on that had influenced Shai Hope’s decision to field first.
Both teams had also made changes, with Amir Jangoo due to get a game for the injured Matthew Forde, while Eshan Malinga had been drafted in for Asitha Fernando. Shai Hope, playing his 150th ODI for West Indies, received a special jersey before rain came along.
(Cricinfo)
Huge crowds throng Madrid streets for Pope’s open-air mass
Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up: Kapp, Wolvaardt take SA past Ireland
Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up: Chamari Athapaththu’s 94 helps Sri Lanka beat Pakistan
Rahul, Gill hit centuries as India dominate Afghanistan on opening day
Persistent rain in Kingston washes out second ODI between West Indies and Sri Lanka
Heavy showers about 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
‘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 agoLankan duo emerge winners in Latin dance championship held in Blackpool, UK
-
Business7 days agoIMF’s unstated rate:Sri Lanka’s $695m loan costs about 5.33% per annum
-
Latest News4 days agoKusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, bowlers put Sri Lanka 1-0 up
-
News4 days agoNew US tariffs proposed on 60 countries, including Sri Lanka
-
Business7 days agoSri Lankan scientist-innovator Milinda Edirisinghe introduces AI-integrated gem testing system to gemological world
-
Features3 days agoPower crept into the Sangha and is now tearing it apart
-
News7 days agoUNP challenges NPP move to amend Vihara – Devalagam Act
-
News6 days agoSri Lankan teen killed in Chennai clash; three arrested