Sports

Bumrah cameo and three-for make it India’s day amid rain breaks

Published

3 years ago

2022/07/4

India had the best of a stop-start day, adding 78 with their last three standing wickets and then taking four England wickets by the time they scored 78. On a day that only 39 overs were possible because of rain, India placed one hand firmly on the Pataudi Trophy, to secure which they needed merely a draw.

After Ravindra Jadeja completed his third Test century, India’s first out-and-out fast-bowler captain (Kapil Dev was an allrounder), Jasprit Bumrah broke a record held by Brian Lara, along with George Bailey and Keshav Maharaj, even before he came on to bowl, scoring 29 in a 35-run over from Stuart Broad, both a world record for most runs by a batter in an over and the most expensive over in Test cricket.

After adding 41 for the last wicket with Mohammed Siraj, Bumrah went on to take three wickets in his first spell, broken by rain breaks that helped him bowl seven overs on the trot. With India leading by 332 runs and only five England wickets standing at the end of two days, this Test was fast headed towards a territory from where only one team can win.

Jadeja began the day 17 short of a century, but showed no hurry to get there as he kept farming the strike with Mohammed Shami for company. He got to the landmark just before the second new ball became available with England trying short balls against Shami. It looked like a ploy used when waiting for the new ball, but it brought Shami 16 runs before he ramped Stuart Broad straight to fine third man in the last over of the old ball. Against the new ball, Jadeja tried to attack James Anderson but was bowled.

What followed is hard to decipher. At 375 for 9, with three-over-old ball, Broad began bowling short at Bumrah with a strong field square and behind on the leg side and no slip in place on the off side. It was almost like England had erased Lord’s from their minds where Bumrah and Shami made them pay for their short lengths. To make matters worse, Broad bowled five wides and also a no-ball that flew off the top edge for a six. Also Bumrah drove a full toss through the vacant mid-on region, top-edged another four and smacked clean another hook for a six. With one four through midwicket, Bumrah himself landed on his back but middled the shot. The only consolation for England was that Anderson ended the India innings with his 32nd five-wicket haul in Tests.

An absolutely torrid examination followed for England’s batters. Under overcast skies, Bumrah found just enough movement and never faltered in his length. To make it worse, he got two rain breaks in his first spell, much like Anderson got one to prolong his afternoon spell on day one.

Two of Bumrah’s three wickets came off the seventh and eighth balls of the over at a time when batters might have had reason to be thankful they had played an over out. No, said the third umpire, calling no-balls just in time. Alex Lees failed to cover the angle on a delivery from around the wicket, getting beaten so comprehensively he got both lbw and bowled to it. Of course, bowled takes precedence in such cases.

Both Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope played forgettable shots to get out, driving away from the body to balls that were not nearly full enough. Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer caught them in the slips.

In the final one hour, Shami turned up the heat, constantly troubling Root, which probably drew some loose shots from him. Root tried many tricks to steer Shami off his length, but Shami was persistent. He drove away from the body, he walked at Shami, he shuffled outside the line, and just about survived that Bumrah-Shami interrogation when Mohammed Siraj came on half an hour before stumps.

For that whole over, Root kept trying to late-cut Siraj, but the movement off the pitch kept cramping him up. It was the wobble-seam ball that tends to go like an offcutter for Siraj that kept denying Root, and eventually the last ball of the over seamed in appreciably to take the edge through to Rishabh Pant.

Shami was rewarded for his persistence with the wicket of nightwatchman Jack Leach. Jonny Bairstow, who scored 394 runs at a strike rate of 120.12 against New Zealand, didn’t find anything to hit here and ended the day unbeaten on 12 off 47. That should tell you that a batter’s intent can’t regularly work independent of the quality of bowling and conditions. (cricinfo)

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Sports

Royal favourites at the 146th Battle of the Blues

Published

22 hours ago

2025/03/6

Sahan Weerasooriya

by Reemus Fernando

Equiped with a strong batting lineup and a formidable bowling unit Royal are the firm favourites when they meet arch rivals S. Thomas’ in the historic 146th Battle of the Blues starting at the SSC ground today.

In the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ cricket quarter-final, which served as a virtual dress rehearsal for this encounter, pitting the two rivals against each other for the first time outside the Battle of the Blues, Royal proved beyond doubt that they were the stronger team as they restricted the Thomians to 120 runs in the first innings.

Royal’s strength is their batting this season. Their strong line up inclusive of two Sri Lanka Under 19 players has topped the 300 runs mark on five occasions. Former St. Sebastian’s batsman Vimath Dinsara who has scored over 700 runs, skipper Ramiru Perera (over 600 runs), deputy skipper Rehan Peiris (over 600 runs), wicketkeeper batsman Isula Geeganage (over 400 runs), Thevindu Wewalwala (over 400 runs), Yasindu Dissanayake and open batsman Hirun Liyanarachchi form the batting lineup. Liyanarachchi hasn’t impressed much this season, except in the matches against Gurukula (34, 33), Maliyadewa (5, 71), Trinity (26, 34) and Prince of Wales (47) and he needs to come up with his best if Royal are to set up a strong base. He will open batting with Rehan Peiris.

Royal are fielding three pacemen. They had Ranuka Malaviarachchi and left-arm paceman Kuchila Ranmadala doing new ball duties throughout the season. In the quarter-final match against S. Thomas’, they found young Sehandu Sooriyaarachchi as effective as his senior counterparts. With two five wicket hauls in three matches he has booked his Big Match ticket.

Left-arm spinner Sandul Abeywardena is expected to play a lead role in the spin department. He played only in seven matches but was able to make an impact taking a match bag of ten wickets in the crucial encounter against Maris Stella. His performance in the ten wicket victory helped Royal secure a quarter-final berth. Thevindu Wewalwala and Ramiru are the other spinners.

Royal played 13 matches this season, won one match and suffered a solitary defeat (by an innings and eight runs) at the hands of St. Sebastian’s.

S. Thomas’ skippered by paceman Kavindu Dias are heavily relying on Dineth Goonewardene and wicketkeeper batsman Avinash Fernando in the batting department. Goonewardene has maintained an average above 40 runs, while all others have averages below 28. The Thomians seem to have found some solace late in the season with Mithila Charles striking form with a century against Ananda. But their dark horse is former St. Peter’s Under 15 player Reshon Solomon who featured only in two friendly matches. The Thomian authorities did not field Solomon this season as they had not registered the batsman under their name at Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association. The rest of the Thomian batting line up includes Sadew Soysa, Jaden Amaraweera and Sachitha Gunasinghe.

In the bowing attack Dias is set to share the new ball with Ayman Anzary, while left-armer Aaron de Silva takes major share of responsibilities in spin bowling. His work load has been doubled after Thomian selectors decided to go with a single left-arm spinner. While Aaron had a tally of 49 wickets in 13 matches, experienced left-arm spinner Abheeth Paranawidana had 39 in ten matches. Both played equally impressive performances in their only victory of the season over St. Anthony’s Katugastota. However Paranawidana has not found a place in the playing XI. Darien Diego is the other specialist spinner in the team. The Thomians’ performances this season look similar to their opponents as they have one win against one defeat but the prowess in the batting department give Royal the edge.

Trivia

Dinsara and 122 runs

Sri Lanka Under 19 player Vimath Dinsara has scored three centuries for Royal this season. On all three occasions the former St. Sebastian’s Moratuwa player was either out on 122 or was unbeaten on 122.

Over 300 runs

Royal have scored over 300 runs on five occasions this season, while S. Thomas did that on two occasions.

Sports

Buwaneka reaches men’s singles pre-quarterfinals

Published

22 hours ago

2025/03/6

Sahan Weerasooriya

Hundred Sri Lanka International Series 2025

Sri Lanka’s Buwaneka Goonethilleka advanced to the round of 16 of the men’s singles in the Hundred Sri Lanka International Series 2025, which is underway at the St. Joseph’s College Indoor Complex, Darley Road. Buwaneka, currently ranked 1032 in the world, will meet Malaysia’s Darrell Chew, BWF ranked 225, in the pre-quarter-final clash on the third day of the six-day international competition, sanctioned by Badminton World Federation (BWF) and Badminton Asia (BA).

On Wednesday, Buwaneka outsmarted Henrikho Kho of Indonesia in straight sets, as the Sri Lankan regained his momentum after a long lapse. Unseeded Buwaneka proved his competence by handing Kho, seeded No.8 in the competition and 177 in the world, 21/7 and 21/15 to record a comprehensive victory on his way to reach the next level. His opponent in the pre-quarter-final, Chew, recorded a similar win, but was given a stiff competition by Indian Shantanu Sharma, before going down by 21/9 and 22/20.

Earlier, Buwaneka indicated his intention of reaching a podium finish, after defeating Siddgartga Mishra of India 2-1 in the Round of 64. Buwaneka claimed the first set 21/15, but Mishra recovered to level the game after winning the second set 21/14. The Sri Lankan put matters beyond his opponent’s reach with a resounding 21/9 win in the third set to move forward.

One of Sri Lanka’s hopefuls, Dumindu Abeywickrama, seeded third in the tournament, lost to Eu Cong Low of Malaysia 2-1 in the men’s singles round of 32 clash, which dragged beyond 70 minutes. Dumindu, BWF ranked 147, claimed the first set, but the world 531 ranked unseeded Low, made a remarkable comeback to win the remaining two sets by 21/13 and 21/15. Dumindu recorded a straight sets win against India’s Arya Bhivpathaki, after a close battle where the Sri Lankan scored 21/19 and 21/19.

Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB) hosts nearly 260 players from 16 nations at the six-day competition which culminates on March 8. A total prize money of USD 5,000 is on offer at the Hundred Sri Lanka International Series 2025 which is sponsored by Hundred, LiNing, Mobil, McFoil and 3M.

Sports

Sankha, Aneesha champs at inaugural Pickleball Tournament

Published

22 hours ago

2025/03/6

Sahan Weerasooriya

A Pickleball competition in progress

Sankha Atukorale and Aneesha Lahir won the Men’s and Women’s singles titles at the inaugural ‘Pickleball’ Tournament held on the newly opened Pickelball courts in Negombo.

Pickleball is a racket or paddle sport played indoors and outdoors in which two players (singles) or four players (doubles) use a smooth-faced paddle to hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball over a 34-inch-high (0.86 m) net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits a rule infraction. It was invented in 1965 as a children’s backyard game in the United States, on Bainbridge Island in Washington state. In 2022, Pickleball was named the official state sport of Washington. Aspects of the sport resemble tennis and table tennis on a doubles badminton court.

With over 50 entries total of 145 matches were conducted under a variety of categories split into intermediate and advanced divisions.

The inaugural Pickleball Tournament was hosted by Pipinya Negombo & Jetwing Hotels

RESULTS: