Sports
Joes cruise to innings win
Under 19 Cricket
by Reemus Fernando
St. Joseph’s cruised to thumping innings and 43 runs victory over St. Thomas’ Matara to have realistic hopes of earning a top position in their group in the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ tournament at Darley Road on Monday.
The Joes took the remaining four wickets of St. Thomas’ second innings within eight overs in the morning to record a comprehensive victory.
Spinner Yenula Dewthusa bagged nine wickets including a five-wicket haul in the second innings and Lahiru Amarasekara took three wickets each in both innings.
St. Joseph’s were placed third behind St. Sebastian’s and Mahanama in their group prior to the match but will now overtake Mahanama to occupy the second position. While both St. Sebastian’s and Mahanama have finished their quota of matches (5), St. Joseph’s have one more match to further improve their position.
Match Results
Joes record innings win at Darley Road
Scores:
St. Thomas’
77 all out in 40.4 overs (Pesandu Sanjan 24; Yenula Dewthusa 4/38, Lahiru Amarasekara 3/14) and 35 for 6 overnight 76 all out in 30 overs (Yenula Dewthusa 5/32, Lahiru Amarasekara 3/13)
St. Joseph’s
196 for 9 decl. in 28.5 overs (Sadeesha Jayawardena 27, Avintha de Alwis 42, Hirun Matheesha 34, Manasa Madubashana 35; Sanju Dilshan 3/71, Pesandu Sanjan 2/32, Manuga Yonal 3/23)
Maliyadeva on first innings at Kurunegala
Scores:
Prince of Wales
184 all out in 51.5 overs (Rivith Jayasoriya 44, Omesh Mendis 52, Dimath Abeysinghe 4/37, Themiya Missaka 2/20, Thaveesha Balasooriya 2/06) and 258 all out in 64.1 overs
Maliyadeva
171 for 3 overnight 285 for 9 decl. in 78.1 overs (Chandupa Abeysinghe 22, Amesh Tennakoon 137, Gayana Weerasinghe 63, Themiya Missaka 21; Prasanna Lakmina 2/20, Meshith de Silva 2/26)
St. Aloysius’ better in second essay at Thurstan Ground
Scores;
Thurstan 156 all out in 41 overs (Thenuka Devapriya 27, Navindu Dulan 24, Azeem Mohamed 37, Ushan Imesh 29n..o.; Kalana Pathum 5/47, Kavindu Kesara 4/06) and 42 for 1 overnight 162 all out in 56.5 overs (Shanikya Deshapriya 46, Azeem Mohomad 20, Thenuka Dewapriya 40; Kalana Pathum 2/60, Induwara Udena 2/15, Thamod Hansaka 2/15, Kavindu Kesara 3/23)
St. Aloysius’
111 all out in 33.5 overs (Charya Paranavithana 41; Vihas Thewmika 4/29, Thanuga Palihawadana 3/25) and 210 for 3 in 38.4 overs (Charya Paranavithana 39, Induwara Udena 20, Vidura Lakshan 56n.o., Hasitha Suranga 76n.o.; Vihas Thewmika 2/63)
S. Thomas’ 250, St. Anthony’s 105/5 at Katugastota
Scores:
S. Thomas’
250 all out in 67.2 overs (Senadhi Bulankulame 63, Thisen Eheliyagoda 35, Akash Fernando 39; Kaveesha Piyumal 4/37, Thisara Ekanayake 2/72, Trevin Mathew 2/51)
St. Anthony’s
105 for 5 in 27 overs (Induwara Galapitage 49n.o., Thisara Ekanayake 26; Akash Fernando 2/18)
Sharujan, Helambage shine at Bambalapitiya
Scores:
St. Benedict’s
323 all out in 76 overs (Sheron Kannangara 60, Sharujan Shanmuganathan 137, Shenel Samarathunga 21, Arshan Joseph 28; Vishen Helambage 5/108, Lashmika Perera 2/31, Kavika Jayasundara 2/37)
St. Peter’s
107 for 5 in 22 overs (Vishen Helambage 77; Chamath Chathurya 3/22)
Moratu Vidyalaya post 301 for nine wicket at Moratuwa
Scores;
Moratu Vidyalaya 301 for 9 decl. in 83.1 overs (Deneth Sithumina 76, Sukitha Dewthilina 65, Mahith Appuhami 27, Kaviska Oshan 50n.o.; Janith Fernando 2/61, Tharindu Eshan 2/26, Ravindu Thushara 3/61, Dasun Perera 2/42)
St. Joseph Vaz’s
27 for 1 in 12overs
Richmond fight back to dismiss Ananda for 42 runs at Dombagoda
Scores:
Richmond
70 all out in (Kaveesha Induwara 21; Nethma Samaraweera 3/15, Kithma Withanapathirana 5/13) and 123 for 2 in 43 overs (Tharinda Nirmal 65n.o. Thamindu Pradeeptha 38)
Ananda
42 all out in 23.2 overs (Ashinsa Nainayake 19; Sihath Ramanayake 2/04, Maheesha de Silva 2/10, Yuri Koththigoda 2/17, Malsha Tharupathi 4/09)
Sanithu’s all-round performances help Wesley at Campbell Park
Scores;
Wesley
315 all out in 67.4 overs (Sanithu Amarasinghe 96, Ashan Sudharshana 25, Linal Subasinghe 50, Rashmika Amararathna 57n.o.; Jathon Wyman 27; Minod Caldera 7/100)
Nalanda
83 for 6 in 27 overs (Yasiru Samarakoon 23, Sadew Samarasinghe 36; Sanithu Amarasinghe 5/27)
For the longest time, they were inseparable at the top of the order for Pakistan in T20Is. Then, with questions about strike rates and maximising powerplay value cropping up, the team management tried putting some distance between them in the batting order. They found their way back up, together. But now, with just under a year to go for the next T20 World Cup, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are out altogether.
This signifies a shift in approach for Pakistan, perhaps triggered by the failure to make an impact at their own Champions Trophy, though that was an ODI contest.
Pakistan have opted for three dashers at the top. With Saim Ayub still unavailable, Pakistan have a likely top three of Mohammad Haris, Omair Yousuf and the uncapped Hasan Nawaz – all three have a reputation of being aggressive batters.
Salman Agha, Pakistan’s new T20I captain, has emphasised the need to improve their intent and approach and the need to play “fearless” and “high-risk cricket”, saying that the squad has players that have displayed that brand of cricket in domestic games.
The new-look Pakistan line-up will start off facing a difficult test against a strong New Zealand outfit, even though they are missing key players who are away on IPL duty. There is a formidable bowling attack, with Will O’Rourke, Ben Sears, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi and Jacob Duffy all set to test Pakistan’s inexperience.
Key batters are missing, too, in the team led by Michael Bracewell, one of New Zealand’s best performers in their run to the title round at the Champions Trophy. But Finn Allen is back, as are Tim Seifert and Jimmy Neesham. Daryl Mitchell hasn’t gone anywhere. And Mitchell Hay, Mark Chapman and Tim Robinson are hardly pushovers. At home, they will think of themselves as favourites, with or without a Rachin Ravindra or a Devon Conway or a Glenn Phillips. If anything, the changes will give them a better idea of the make-up of the World Cup squad next year.
Since his 137 against Pakistan in January 2024, Finn Allen has failed to cross 50 in nine T20Is. In fact, he crossed 25 only twice in this period, with a high score of 32. He turned out for Perth Scorchers in the BBL, but his form there was also indifferent, as he got just 181 runs from ten innings. Allen, despite not being centrally contracted, wants to play the T20 World Cup next year, but he knows he must turn his form around and marry his explosiveness with consistency. Last year, he scored 275 runs in the five-match T20I series against Pakistan, so there may not be a better team for him to face to get going again.
Omair Yousuf has played just six T20Is – three in the Asian Games and three in Zimbabwe. Hasan Nawaz has only three PSL games under his belt, and didn’t get a game last season. That makes Mohammad Haris the most experienced player in Pakistan’s new-look top three and the onus will be on him to break the shackles and play the new aggressive brand of cricket the team management is aiming for. It’s also a comeback series for Haris, whose last international game was in September 2023.
Neesham, Seifert and Allen are back in New Zealand’s squad, and Neesham and Allen are likely to start. Sears and O’Rourke are expected to lead the fast-bowling attack, along with Jacob Duffy, who was the highest wicket-taker in New Zealand’s last T20I series, against Sri Lanka.
Apart from Nawaz, Pakistan might also hand a debut to Abdul Samad, who was picked despite having no PSL experience. Shadab Khan is back in the side and should lead the spin attack alongside Abrar Ahmed.
New Zealand (probable): Finn Allen, Tim Robinson, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Hay (wk), Michael Bracewell (capt), Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi, Will O’Rourke, Jacob Duffy
Pakistan (probable): Mohammad Haris (wk), Omair Yousuf, Hasan Nawaz, Salman Agha (capt), Abdul Samad, Irfan Khan, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Abbas Afridi
[Cricinfo]
Royal College defeated S. Thomas’ College by four wickets in the 48th Mustangs Trophy cricket encounter played at the SSC today [15]
Scores:
S. Thomas’ 220 in 49.1 overs
Royal 223/6 in 46.4 overs
Is it 2023 again ? Mumbai Indians [MI] and Delhi Capitals [DC], two consistently good teams with all-star line-ups, meet again in the WPL final. While DC have breezed into the final this season, MI are coming in battle-hardened, having had to take the circuitous route by playing three matches in four days to get there.
DC have been strong in most departments, and have got their selection calls right throughout the season. Their captain Meg Lanning hit form late in the tournament, Shafali Verma has continued to churn out the runs at the top of the other, and the move to promote Jess Jonassen to No. 3 has paid off. But for DC to look more threatening, they’d want their middle order to step up further. Their middle order (Nos. 4 to 7) collectively averages 17.50, the lowest this season, and have struck at 116.66, which is the second-lowest among all teams.
MI’s line-up also drips with power and strength. Powerplay bowling has been one of DC’s strongest suits, but only MI have bettered that. DC’s bowlers have taken 50 wickets at 23.84 in this phase, while MI have 61 wickets at 22.68.
For MI,Nat Sciver-Brunt has been at her brutal best, Hayley Matthews has delivered with both bat and ball, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur has hit high tempo. The rest of the line-up, though, has blown hot and cold.
But MI will be playing at their home ground – a venue where they’ve lost just once in seven games – and that tilts the scales in their favour. DC, though, have had a good seven days break, and will be coming in without the pressure of having had to scramble for a place in the final. Two heartbreaking finals later, will third time be the charm for them?
MI had promoted Amelia Kerr to the opening slot, and pushed Yastika Bhatia down the order for a couple of games. While Yastika was able to make quick runs from her new position, Kerr, who hasn’t been in the best of form with the bat, wasn’t able to capitalise on her starts. The order went back to what it was in the Eliminator against Gujarat Giants (GG), but neither player made an impact. Will MI switch their positions again to get the best out of Yastika?
MI had also brought in left-arm spinner Saika Ishaque in place of Parunika Sisodia for the Eliminator. Will they pick Ishaque again for the final after she bowled just one over against GG?
DC, who were last in action on March 7, are unlikely to make any changes to their line-up.
Mumbai Indians (probable): Hayley Matthews, Amelia Kerr, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Amanjot Kaur, Yastika Bhatia (wk), S Sajana, G Kamalini, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail, Saika Ishaque
Delhi Capitals (probable): Meg Lanning (capt), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Jess Jonassen, Sarah Bryce (wk), Niki Prasad, Minnu Mani, Shikha Pandey, Titas Sadhu
[Cricinfo]
Pakistan face patchwork New Zealand in first test of their new T20 era
Royal defeat S.Thomas’ by 4 wickets in 48th Mustangs Trophy encounter
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