Latest News
England blown away by South Africa’s batting muscle
Aided by the lovely batting conditions at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, South Africa’s batting machinery added another chapter to their fast-growing book of destruction against England on Saturday (October 21). Fifties from Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen set the platform before Heinrich Klaasen and Marco Jansen went berserk at the death to set England a gargantuan target of 400.
Put into bat, South Africa got off to a shaky start as Quinton de Kock fell off the second ball of the innings. Reece Topley and David Willey began accurately, making use of the minimal movement that was on offer early on. But once the former got a finger injury and after the movement disappeared, England’s bowlers were sent on a leather hunt. Hendricks and van der Dussen started to go through the gears, utilizing the true surface and short boundaries to good effect.
It was the introduction of Adil Rashid that gave England some respite as the leg spinner removed both set batters within a short interval to peg South Africa back. Aiden Markram, filling in as captain for the ill Temba Bavuma, took over the mantle along with Klaasen as the innings steadily gained in momentum once more. It was the sort of template that we’ve been used to seeing from South Africa in recent times. No team has owned the middle overs like they have and it’s been due to the ominous boundary-hitting skills of their middle order.
A soft dismissal ended Markram’s stay much against the run of play and once again South Africa lost wickets in bunches with David Miller also falling cheaply. At 243/5 in the 37th over, there was a big threat of the Proteas underachieving with the bat. However, Klaasen found an able partner in Jansen as the duo set about putting the innings back on track. They took a bit of time early on, especially Jansen who was slow off the blocks in getting his eye in but once the carnage started, there was no stopping it.
A whopping 143 runs came off the last ten overs and this includes the 50th over which just went for five runs. On a day when all the players suffered from the heat and humidity, Klaasen was no different but he battled the physical struggles to put on a monstrous assault on England’s bowlers. The death bowling was astoundingly wayward and both batters cashed in. Fours and sixes were struck at will during the end overs as it all fell apart rather quickly for England. When Miller fell, Jos Buttler’s men had a realistic chance of keeping the score to under 350 or perhaps even 330. Now, it will take something sensational for them to keep their campaign alive, although Wankhede is arguably the best place to create a record World Cup chase.
Brief scores:
South Africa 399/8 in 50 overs (Heinrich Klaasen 109, Reeza Hendricks 85, Marco Jansen 75*; Reece Topley 3-88) vs England
Latest News
It is our collective responsibility to build a nation grounded in unity and strength – President
President Anura Kumara Disanayake in his Maha Shiva rathri message said that it is our collective responsibility to build a nation grounded in unity and strength.
The full text of the message issued by the President’s media division:
Maha Shiva Rathri is a sacred and joyous occasion celebrated by Hindu devotees across the world in reverence of Lord Shiva. This divine night marks the celestial union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, as well as the powerful Tandava, Shiva’s cosmic dance of creation and destruction. It symbolises the triumph of wisdom over ignorance, dispelling the darkness of illusion and lighting the path to enlightenment.
On this auspicious night, Hindu devotees observe fasting and engage in spiritual practices, praying for the darkness of ignorance to be replaced by the radiance of wisdom. It is also a time to seek divine blessings for prosperity, peace and fulfilment in life.
The union of Shiva and Parvati is a profound representation of knowledge and power coming together. It reminds us that breaking free from the illusions of division allows us to embrace the truth with open eyes. Today, as we stand at the dawn of a new era, this message is more relevant than ever. Let us tear down the barriers that have kept us apart for generations and unite as one, casting aside discord and embracing togetherness. This is a moment to nurture interfaith harmony, celebrate our diversity and move forward with love and mutual respect, dedicating ourselves to the progress of our beloved motherland.
As we journey towards a brighter future, it is our collective responsibility to build a nation grounded in unity and strength. We are stepping into a time of transformation, embracing political, economic and social renewal, shaping a future that holds promise and hope for all.
On this sacred night, as the glowing lamps of Maha Shiva Rathri illuminate our surroundings, let them also illuminate our hearts, guiding us with unwavering faith along the path we have chosen. Let us walk forward together, hand in hand, in the spirit of peace, unity and shared prosperity.
Millions of people are thought to be without electricity across Chile after a large nationwide power outage.
According to the national service for disaster prevention and response (SENAPRED), an area spanning most of the country is impacted, including the capital city, Santiago.
The exact scale of the outage, which began earlier on Tuesday, is not yet known but SENAPRED has said it covers the regions of Arica and Parinacota in the north to Los Lagos in the south.
Reuters news agency has also reported that the world’s largest copper mine, Escondida, is without power, citing a source close to the matter.
LATAM Airlines said that some of its flights may also be disrupted while power supplies were down, and urged passengers to check their journey status.
In a post on X, the Santiago Metro operator said its service had been temporarily suspended due to the ongoing power outage, with stations being evacuated and closed.
Footage from the city showed passengers evacuating stations by walking up switched-off escalators, while traffic signals were also shown not working.
There were also long queues for buses which were still running on the city’s roads.
Maria Angelica Roman, 45, told AFP news agency: “They let us leave work because of the power cut, but now I don’t know how we will get home because all the buses are full.”
Chile’s interior minister, Carolina Toha, also posted on X to say that a meeting would be called to discuss ongoing measures to restore services.
SENAPRED added that electricity companies across the impacted area were investigating the fault and attempting to restart services, and no emergency situations had been reported.
[BBC]
President Anura Kumara Disanayake met with Ms. Severine Chappaz, the newly appointed Head of Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), on Tuesday (25) at the Presidential Secretariat.
Discussions focused on the ICRC’s support for the new government’s policy framework. As part of this collaboration, the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society has agreed to provide technical assistance and capacity-building support to strengthen the Office on Missing Persons (OMP).
President Disanayake highlighted that the budget 2025 has allocated funds for on-going programs related to searching for missing persons.
Additionally, the President announced plans to celebrate “Sri Lankan Day” as a national initiative aimed at fostering unity and strengthening the country’s collective identity, transcending ethnic and religious differences.
The President expressed his gratitude to the ICRC for its humanitarian operations in Sri Lanka since 1989 and acknowledged its continued commitment to the country.
The meeting was also attended by Roshan Gamage, Senior Additional Secretary to the President, and Ruwanthi Jayasundara, Communications Manager of the ICRC.
It is our collective responsibility to build a nation grounded in unity and strength – President
Fairly heavy showers above 75mm can be expected at some places in Eastern and Uva provinces and in Matale, Nuwara-Eliya, Polonnaruwa, Galle, Matara, Kalutara and Rathnapura districts.
USD 900,000 paid monthly for three unused SriLankan aircraft– Dy. Finance Minister
-
Business3 days agoSri Lanka’s 1st Culinary Studio opened by The Hungryislander
-
Sports4 days agoHow Sri Lanka fumbled their Champions Trophy spot
-
Sports7 days agoSri Lanka face Australia in Masters World Cup semi-final today
-
News7 days agoCourtroom shooting: Police admit serious security lapses
-
News7 days agoUnderworld figure ‘Middeniye Kajja’ and daughter shot dead in contract killing
-
News6 days agoKiller made three overseas calls while fleeing
-
News5 days agoSC notices Power Minister and several others over FR petition alleging govt. set to incur loss exceeding Rs 3bn due to irregular tender
-
Features4 days agoThe Murder of a Journalist