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Debutant Madara, Athapaththu fashion Sri Lanka women’s first T20I win in New Zealand
Debutant Malki Madara’s three-for combined with two-fors from Kavisha Dilhari and Inoshi Priyadharshani set up a comfortable victory for Sri Lanka in the T20I series opener in Christchurch. Chamari Athapaththu’s unbeaten 64 off 48 balls then took the visitors home with seven wickets in hand. This was Sri Lanka’s first T20I win in New Zealand and second win overall against New Zealand in the format.
Emma McLeod (44) was New Zealand’s highest scorer but only two of her team-mates got into double figures, and there was only one partnership that stretched past 20 balls.
Despite Priyadharshani dismissing Georgia Plimmer early, the hosts got off to a decent start thanks to captain Suzie Bates’ 14-ball 21. Madara, Sri Lanka’s fourth bowling option, brought on in the fifth over, got the big wicket of Bates which dried up the scoring. The next two overs went for just five runs.
Dilhari, the seventh bowler, struck twice upon being introduced in the ninth over as New Zealand slipped from 39 for 1 to 52 for 4. Maddy Green being run out cheaply had New Zealand play with caution as illustrated by the next two partnerships which produced a combined 29 runs off 41 balls.
McLeod, who had three fours in her first five balls, finished without adding to that tally across her 46-ball innings. She was the last New Zealand batter to fall as Madara ended the innings in the penultimate over.
Athapaththu then hit seven fours and took Sri Lanka to 46 for 0 at the end of the powerplay. Jess Kerr removed Vishmi Gunaratne and Harshitha Samarawickrama in successive overs while Dilhari’s innings was cut short by a run out. Sri Lanka slipped to 66 for 3 but that didn’t stop their captain from attacking.
She hit Eden Carson for four immediately after Dilhari’s exit and smacked two sixes and a four off Bree Illing, the first of the sixes brought up her fifty off 43 balls. It left the hosts no room to make an unlikely comeback as Sri Lanka romped to a victory with 35 balls to spare.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka Women 102 for 3 in 14.1 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 64*, Kavisha Dilhari 12, Nilakshika Silva 12*; Jess Kerr 2-18) beat New Zealand Women 101 in 18.5 overs (Suzie Bates 21, Emma McLeod 44, Jess Kerr 10; Sugandika Kumari 1-18, Malki Madara 3-14, Kavisha Dilhari 2-18, Inoshi Priyadharshani 2-25, Chamari Athapaththu 1-10) by seven wickets
[Cricinfo]
Latest News
President focuses on streamlining, integrating and developing the manufacturing sector for greater efficiency
A meeting between President Anura Kumara Disanayake and officials of the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development was held today (14) at the Presidential Secretariat.
Discussions focused on enhancing the efficiency, integration and development of the manufacturing sector to strengthen the national economy, as well as addressing the challenges associated with these efforts.
Key topics included government-led initial investments and proper regulation to empower small and medium-scale entrepreneurs, the establishment of local small-scale industries within investment zones and challenges related to business loans faced by small and medium-scale enterprises.
The President directed officials to expedite the release of lands allocated to the Ministry of Industry that have not been released so far.
Further discussions were held on maintaining and regulating import restrictions to strengthen local industries, prioritizing local suppliers in construction industry procurement and resolving issues in the gem and jewellery sector to ensure its full contribution to the national economy.
The President also instructed officials to swiftly implement tax exemptions for tourists to boost the gem and jewelry industry.
Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti, Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Thilaka Jayasundara and several other ministry officials attended the meeting.
[PMD]
Passengers on an American Airlines flight were evacuated onto the tarmac of a Colorado airport as a fire broke out on the plane, sending smoke billowing into the air.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
Footage of the evacuation showed passengers huddled on the wing of the Boeing airliner, some holding bags, with flames burning near the bottom of the plane.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said passengers used inflatable slides to reach the ground safely at the Denver International Airport. The agency said it would investigate the cause of the incident.
The flight took off from nearby Colorado Springs and was on the way to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas, the FAA said in a statement to the BBC.
The plane diverted to Denver around 17:15 pm local time (23:15 GMT) after the crew reported “engine vibrations,” the FAA said.
After the flight landed, it caught fire while taxiing on the tarmac at the airport.
American Airlines said the plane had 172 passengers on board, along with six crew members. All were evacuated safely, the company said.
It said the plane was a Boeing 737-800 and experienced an “engine-related issue”.
Smoke and flames were visible from various gates at the airport, according to airport spokesman Michael Konopasek. He said the fire was doused and it did not lead to delays for other flights.
The incident comes after a recent string of high-profile accidents in North America have raised concerns about aviation safety.
A fatal crash in Washington DC left 67 people dead when an American Airlines regional jet collided mid-air with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter. The crash in the US capital city led to questions about air traffic controller shortages and their workloads.
US President Donald Trump’s administration has also terminated hundreds of FAA probationary workers as part of government cost-saving efforts.
The layoffs happened weeks after the fatal DC crash.
The laid off FAA employees included maintenance mechanics, environmental compliance workers and technical assistants.
Trump has pushed to reduce government spending with tech billionaire Elon Musk spearheading efforts as part of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
(BBC)
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he agreed with the idea of a ceasefire in Ukraine, but that “questions” remained about the nature of a truce as he set out a number of tough conditions.
The Russian president was responding to a plan for a 30 day ceasefire, which Ukraine agreed to earlier this week after talks with the US.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described Putin’s response to the plan as “manipulative” and called for more sanctions on Russia.
Meanwhile, the US placed further sanctions on Russian oil, gas and banking sectors.
Speaking at a news conference in Moscow on Thursday, Putin said of the ceasefire proposal: “The idea is right – and we support it – but there are questions that we need to discuss.”
A ceasefire should lead to “an enduring peace and remove the root causes of this crisis”, Putin said. “We need to negotiate with our American colleagues and partners,” he said. “Maybe I’ll have a call with Donald Trump.”
Putin added: “It will be good for the Ukrainian side to achieve a 30-day ceasefire. “We are in favour of it, but there are nuances.”
One of the areas of contention is Russia’s Kursk region, Putin said, where Ukraine launched a military incursion last year and captured some territory.
He claimed Russia was fully back in control of Kursk, and said Ukrainian troops there “have been isolated”.
“They are trying to leave, but we are in control. Their equipment has been abandoned.”
“There are two options for Ukrainians in Kursk – surrender or die.”
Outlining some of his questions over how a ceasefire would work, Putin asked: “How will those 30 days be used? For Ukraine to mobilise? Rearm? Train people? Or none of that? Then a question – how will that be controlled?”
“Who will give the order to end the fighting? At what cost? Who decides who has broken any possible ceasefire, over 2,000km? All those questions need meticulous work from both sides. Who polices it?”
Putin “doesn’t say no directly”, Zelensky said in his nightly video address, but “in practice, he’s preparing a rejection”.
“Putin, of course, is afraid to tell President Trump directly that he wants to continue this war, wants to kill Ukrainians.”
The Russian leader had set so many pre-conditions “that nothing will work out at all”, Zelensky said.
After Putin’s remarks and Zelensky’s response, there is now a clear divide between both sides’ positions.
Ukraine wants a two-stage process: a quick ceasefire and then talks about a longer-term settlement.
Russia believes you cannot separate the two processes and all the issues should be decided in a single deal. Both sides seem content to argue their differences.
Ukraine believes it can put pressure on Russia, painting it as a reluctant peacemaker, playing for time. Russia, equally, believes it has a chance now to raise its fundamental concerns, about Nato expansion and Ukraine’s sovereignty.
But this presents a problem for Donald Trump. He has made it clear he wants a quick result, ending the fighting in days.
And right now, Putin does not appear to want to play ball.
Speaking at the White House following Putin’s remarks, Trump said he would “love” to meet the Russian leader and that he hoped Russia would “do the right thing” and agree to the proposed 30-day truce.
“We’d like to see a ceasefire from Russia,” he said.
Speaking earlier at a meeting in the Oval Office with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump told reporters he had already discussed specifics with Ukraine.
“We’ve been discussing with Ukraine land and pieces of land that would be kept and lost, and all of the other elements of a final agreement,” Trump said. “A lot of the details of a final agreement have actually been discussed.”
On the subject of Ukraine joining the Nato military alliance, Trump said “everybody knows what the answer to that is”.
The fresh sanctions on Russian oil and gas came as the Trump administration further restricted access to US payment systems, making it harder for other countries to buy Russian oil.
Meanwhile, Putin met US special envoy Steve Witkoff behind closed doors in Moscow.
Earlier in the day, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov rejected the ceasefire proposal put forward by the US.
On Wednesday, Putin visited Russia’s Kursk region, symbolically dressed in military fatigues. Russia later said it recaptured the key town of Sudzha.
More than 95,000 people fighting for Russia’a military have died in the war.
Ukraine last updated its casualty figures in December 2024, when President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged 43,000 Ukrainian deaths among soldiers and officers. Western analysts believe this figure to be underestimated.
[BBC]
President focuses on streamlining, integrating and developing the manufacturing sector for greater efficiency
Debutant Madara, Athapaththu fashion Sri Lanka women’s first T20I win in New Zealand
Passengers evacuate onto wing of burning American Airlines jet
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