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Ireland go 2-0 up despite Harshitha Samarawickrama century
Half-centuries from Amy Hunter, Leah Paul and Rebecca Stokel laid the foundations and Arlene Kelly applied the finishing touches with a three-wicket haul as Ireland took an unassailable 2-0 lead over Sri Lanka with a 15-run win in the second ODI in Belfast.
As in Friday’s first ODI, however, Sri Lanka made the hosts earn their win. An impressive all-round display from Kavisha Dilhari and a maiden ODI century from the in-form Harshitha Samarawickrama put Sri Lanka in a position of some control in their chase of 256. A 126-run stand between these two left them needing 84 in 98 balls, with eight wickets in hand, but Ireland hit back thereafter, with Kelly, Jane Maguire and run-outs combining to derail the visitors’ chase.
With her 124-ball 105, Samarawickrama became the third member of Sri Lanka’s ODI centurions club, one match after Vishmi Gunaratne had ended Chamari Athapaththu’s long spell as its sole representative.
Having pulled off their record ODI chase to win the first ODI, Ireland put up another impressive batting display after being sent in. Achini Kulasuriya removed both their openers in her new-ball spell, and when Dilhari took out Orla Prendergast, their centurion from Friday, they were 77 for 3. Hunter and Paul got them moving with a 57-run fourth-wicket stand, before Athapaththu struck to send Hunter back for a 71-ball 66.
Then came the partnership that set Ireland up for their victory push, with Paul and Stokell adding 114 off 112 balls for the fifth wicket. Paul was out in the final over for 81 off 101 balls, while Stokell finished unbeaten on 53 off 61.
Brief scores:
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Showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Southern provinces and in Anuradhapura district
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 08 OCTOBER 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 08 October 2026 by the Department of Meteorology
Misty conditions can be expected at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Galle and Matara districts during the early hours of the morning.
Showers or thundershowers will occur in the most part of the island after 1.00 p.m. Heavy showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Southern provinces and in Anuradhapura district.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
Former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was produced before the Hulftsdorp court, after being arrested by officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and produce
Smriti Mandhana has been named India’s all-format women’s captain on the same day Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from the role after nearly a decade since she first took over.
Mandhana – vice-captain to Harmanpreet for much of this period – has previously led India in four ODIs and 18 T20Is, apart from captaining Maharashtra in domestic cricket and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women’s Premier League.
Mandhana’s first assignment will be the limited-overs series against Zimbabwe beginning with the three T20Is in Raipur from October 16. On Tuesday, Mandhana was part of the selection meeting chaired by Amita Sharma to pick the squad for the tour.
Terming the appointment a “special honour”, Mandhana also acknowledged the contributions of her predecessor in her welcome note.
“I would also like to acknowledge Harmanpreet and the contribution she has made as captain over the years,” she was quoted as saying by the BCCI. “She has led the team with great commitment and has been an important part of our journey.
“I understand the responsibility that comes with this role and look forward to working with the team, learning along the way and giving my best to take Indian cricket forward.”
Mandhana’s appointment comes on the back of a review meeting held on Monday in Guwahati. Chaired by secretary Devajit Saikia, the meeting was also attended by Mandhana, Harmanpreet and head coach Amol Muzumdar to chart a roadmap forward, with an eye on next year’s inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy in February as well as the T20 World Cup and Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Mandhana, India’s best all-format batter, has been knocking on the doors for a while. Earlier this year, she led RCB to their second WPL title, in which she also top-scored in the final.
In September, she overtook Mithali Raj to become the leading run-scorer in women’s international across formats. Her 18 international hundreds are also the most in women’s cricket. She is also the first Indian woman to score centuries in all formats.
[Cricinfo]
Showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Southern provinces and in Anuradhapura district
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