Sports

Drop catch costs Sri Lanka dearly against Aussies

Published

5 years ago

2021/10/29

Rex Clementine in Dubai

Sri Lanka suffered their first defeat in the ICC T-20 World Cup losing to Australia by seven wickets in a Super 12 encounter at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Having set Australia a target of 155, Sri Lanka conceded too many runs in the Power Play, 63 for no loss, and to add insult to injury, Kusal Perera dropped a regulation catch off the dangerous David Warner when he was on 18. Dushmantha Chameera was the unlucky bowler.

Australia were hardly troubled by the Sri Lankan attack and despite Wanindu Hasaranga picking up two wickets, they won with three overs to spare.

Warner top scored with 65 runs off 42 balls with ten boundaries. Skipper Aaron Finch finished on 37 off 23 balls with five fours and two sixes as the openers shared 70 runs in only 41 balls.

Steven Smith ensured Australia got home without any dramas finishing on 28 off 26 balls.

It was Sri Lanka’s first defeat in the competition having won three games in the qualifying round and the Super 12 fixture against Bangladesh.

Earlier, Sri Lanka fought back well after a hostile spell from left-arm quick Mitchell Starc reduced them to 94 for five to finish on 154 for six .

The former champions were brilliant during the Power Play managing 53 runs during the six over period with rookie Charith Asalanka outscoring his more experienced colleague Kusal Perera.

Asalanka played some elegant strokes taking the attack onto the opposition to put Sri Lanka in control and at one stage they looked set to post in excess of 170.

Australia then bounced back with four wickets for 16 runs to wrestle back the initiative.

Adam Zampa and Mitchell Starc accounted for the four wickets to fall leaving the Sri Lankan innings in disarray. Zampa found the breakthrough when Asalanka tried to clear the deep fine leg boundary but was caught by Steven Smith. He made 35 off 27 deliveries with four fours and a six.

Starc then nailed an in-swinging yorker to dismiss Kusal Perera, the key for Sri Lanka to post a formidable total. Perera’s 35 came off 25 balls and contained four fours and a six.

Avishka Fernando managed only four while Wanindu Hasaranga’s promotion ahead of Dasun Shanaka did not work as he was caught behind off Starc.

At 94 for five, Australia were in control. But Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Shanka steadied the ship adding 40 runs for the sixth wicket.

Rajapaksa delivered yet again finishing unbeaten on 33 off 26 balls with four fours and a six.

Rajapaksa had brought up Sri Lanka’s hundred with a boundary off Hazlewood and remained till the end to ensure his team crossed the 150 mark.

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Sports

Dinusha the hero as Sri Lanka save second Test against India

Published

4 hours ago

2026/08/28

Thilina Walpola

Sonal Dinusha’s match saving hundred helped Sri Lanka collect valuable points in the World Test Championship as the second Test against India ended in a draw

by Rex Clementine

A match saving hundred by Sonal Dinusha helped Sri Lanka salvage a draw in the second Test against India at the SSC yesterday. India won the series 1-0, having claimed the opening Test in Galle by 165 runs.

Sri Lanka were 429 for nine in their second innings, with Dinusha unbeaten on 133, when the teams shook hands and called off the game with the 15 mandatory overs about to begin.

Sri Lanka, who were forced to follow on after conceding a first innings deficit of 213 runs, began the final day staring down the barrel at 229 for six, leading by just 16 runs with three sessions to survive.

In young Sonal Dinusha, however, the hosts seem to have unearthed a gem. He batted superbly under pressure to ensure Sri Lanka earned a draw and picked up some valuable points in the World Test Championship.

Dinusha had been Sri Lanka’s standout performer throughout the series, having made 100 and 84 in the first Test in Galle before following it up with 103 in the first innings at the SSC and an unbeaten 133 in the second essay to finish the series with 420 runs.

It was only the fifth Test for the 25-year-old, but he batted with authority and showed remarkable composure in a back to the wall effort.

India threw everything at him, including the second new ball, but Dinusha remained unmoved as he became only the eighth Sri Lankan to score hundreds in both innings of a Test, joining an exclusive list comprising Duleep Mendis, Asanka Gurusinha, Aravinda de Silva, T.M. Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Kamindu Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva.

The match saving hundred was Dinusha’s third in Test cricket and also his career-best score.

Dinusha could not have done it all by himself, however, as he received excellent support from Sri Lanka’s lower order.

He added 112 runs from 246 deliveries for the seventh wicket with Keshara Nuwantha as Sri Lanka batted through the entire morning session without losing a wicket.

India finally found the breakthrough in the first over after lunch when Nuwantha departed for a well compiled 46.

Dinusha then added 25 runs for the eighth wicket from 74 balls with Prabath Jayasuriya to keep Sri Lanka afloat. After Jayasuriya’s dismissal, Lahiru Kumara joined Dinusha and the pair added 47 runs for the ninth wicket from 170 deliveries, keeping India in the field for even longer and eating further into the time available for the tourists to force a victory.

Questions will be asked of India’s bowling attack after they were unable to run through Sri Lanka’s lower order on a fifth day pitch despite having the hosts six wickets down at the start of play.

Sports

Prince of Wales to celebrate 150th anniversary with six-a-side cricket

Published

13 hours ago

2026/08/27

Priyan

Captains of several schools taking part in the tournament pose alongside Principal of Prince of Wales College, Wasantha Kumara (Centre with the trophy), President of the Organizing Committee, Susantha Mendis (2nd left) and Secretary OBA, Athula Mendis (4th from right)

Six-a-side school cricket is set to make a high-profile return to Moratuwa when the Old Boys’ Association of Prince of Wales’ College stages the Prince of Wales’ College 150th Anniversary Inter-School Sixes Cricket Tournament on August 29 and 30 at the De Soysa Stadium.

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‎The two-day tournament is one of the major sporting attractions of the College’s historic 150th anniversary celebrations and

will bring together 16 leading school cricket teams for a knockout competition.

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‎The tournament is aimed at reviving the excitement of six-a-side cricket, a format renowned for its fast pace and spectator-friendly nature, which has not featured regularly in major inter-school competitions in recent years.

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‎The Old Boys’ Association believes the 150th anniversary provides the ideal opportunity to bring the format back to the forefront while celebrating Moratuwa’s deep-rooted passion for cricket.

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‎Cricket has long held a special place in the hearts of Moratuwa’s residents, while Prince of Wales’ College boasts a proud cricketing tradition that has produced several outstanding players who have gone on to represent Sri Lanka at the highest level.

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‎The organizers expect more than 5,000 cricket enthusiasts from Moratuwa and surrounding areas to witness the tournament over the two days, turning the event into a major festival of school cricket.

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‎The opening ceremony on August 29 is scheduled to be attended by Kusal Mendis, one of the leading cricketers produced by Prince of Wales’ College and a member of the Sri Lankan national team.

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‎The tournament will feature 16 schools, including Royal College Colombo, St. Joseph’s College Darley Road, Thurstan College Colombo, S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia, Dharmasoka College Ambalangoda, Prince of Wales’ College Moratuwa, Moratu Maha Vidyalaya, D.S. Senanayake College Colombo, Sri Sumangala College Panadura, Richmond College Galle, Mahanama College Colombo, St. Sebastian’s College Moratuwa, St. Peter’s College Bambalapitiya, Wesley College Colombo, Ananda College Colombo and Mahanama College Panadura.

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‎With the competition being played on a knockout basis, the compact format is expected to produce plenty of attacking cricket and give emerging players an opportunity to showcase their skills in front of a large crowd.

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‎Apart from the competitive aspect, the tournament is also intended to promote sportsmanship, friendship and fellowship among the participating schools.

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‎The tournament will conclude on August 30 with a ceremonial awards presentation, with the participation of Eran Wickramaratne, distinguished invitees, representatives of participating schools, past pupils and members of the cricketing community.

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‎The Old Boys’ Association has also expressed its appreciation to the corporate sector and event sponsors whose support has helped make the tournament possible.

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‎Their contribution, according to the organizers, reflects the continuing partnership between Prince of Wales’ College, its alumni and the corporate community in supporting educational, sporting and development initiatives.

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‎The six-a-side tournament is therefore expected to provide not only two days of entertaining school cricket, but also a fitting sporting celebration of 150 years of Prince of Wales’ College.

Latest News

Unyielding Dinusha, spirited tail hold off India to save Colombo Test

Published

15 hours ago

2026/08/27

Priyan

Dinusha hit his second century of the Test to wear out India [SLC]

Sonal Dinusha put up an impressive resistance to keep the Indian bowlers at bay on the final day, helping Sri Lanka save the second Test in Colombo after they were asked to follow-on. In a seven-hour vigil, Dinusha remained unbeaten on 133 and, with handy lower order support, ensured that India didn’t bat a second time in the Test. This was the first time in nine occasions that India failed to secure a victory after enforcing a follow-on against Sri Lanka.

Needing only four wickets on the final day in order to begin the chase, the Indian bowlers had to toil hard on a surface which offered a bit of turn, but largely predictable pace and bounce. Overnight batters Dinusha and Keshara Nuwantha kept the Indians all through the morning session even though the new ball was taken within the first half an hour of play.

The seventh-wicket stand stretched to 88 runs, consuming more than 40 overs, which also ensured Sri Lanka cleared the first innings deficit. The first strike of the day came soon after the lunch break when Manav Suthar got a delivery to spin in sharply and took the outside edge of Nuwantha’s bat to the second slip.

Prabath Jayasuriya continued to remain defiant, resisting for 28 balls before his attempted drive off Ravindra Jadeja took the outside edge to Dhruv Jurel at second slip. Even as the lead swelled past the 150-run mark with only two wickets remaining and nearly a session and a half to play, the Indians had enough incentive to go for the kill.

However, Lahiru Kumara provided much-needed support to Dinusha as the duo put an end to India’s hopes. The southpaw used the sweep to good effect to counter the turn. The duo chewed up 169 deliveries for 47 runs in a period of attritional batting, during which Dinusha brought up his century. Kumara did provide India a chance when he attempted a slog sweep which fell in front of Jurel at deep mid wicket soon after Dinusha reached his century. But that was a rare opportunity.

Kumara eventually departed on 12 when an inside edge was pouched at short leg by Yashasvi Jaiswal. Nonetheless, which the number of overs reducing, Dinusha took Sri Lanka till the end of day without any further trouble and helped avoid a whitewash.

Brief scores:
India 503/9 decl (Devdutt Padikkal 117, Dhruv Jurel 115; Asitha Fernando 4-106, Prabath Jayasuriya 2-132) drew with Sri Lanka 290 (Sonal Dinusha 103, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 80; Prasidh Krishna 3-52, Manav Suthar 3-85) and 429/9 f/o (Sonal Dinusha 133*, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 92; Ravindra Jadeja 3-94, Manav Suthar 3-121)

[Cricbuzz]