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Junior National Sailing Team to represent Sri Lanka at IODA

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A team of ten young sailors left the island to represent Sri Lanka at the IODA Asian and Oceanian Sailing championship to be held in Bombay this month.The team comprising of school children between the ages of 13 to 15 hail from Royal College, S. Thomas’s College, Mt. Lavinia, Ladies College and Visakha Vidyalaya.

This year’s team has a few firsts. This is the first time Sri Lanka will be fielding four girls at one of the most prestigious sailing tournaments organized by the International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA); as well as two pairs of twins –  Tharen and Nikhil Nanayakkara and Kyoshi and Kyasha Samarakkody.

“We are excited to field four girls this year, a first in Sri Lankan Optimist sailing history,” said Asanka Goonawardena, Convener for Yachting Association of Sri Lanka (YASL). “Hopefully, their participation will encourage other girls’ schools to enter the sailing arena,” he said.

The young sailors have been training at the Bolgoda Lake as well as the seas including the Naval Base at Crow Island and Mirissa, the girls competing with the boys on equal footing. The hopeful Sri Lankans will compete with over 100 sailors from across the globe.

“I’m excited about going to IODA because it’s a new experience for me, and we’ve been training really hard the past few months,” said 13-year-old Sohanya de Mel, the youngest of the girls. “It’s a fun as well as a relaxing sport, and I’m so happy to be representing Sri Lanka in something I love doing,” she said.

For some of the seasoned sailors, who missed two years of IODA, this will be their last year before moving on to the senior Laser class.

“This also means we have at least four to five very experienced sailors and we are expecting a Gold or a Silver from this year’s team,” said Krishan Janaka, Sri Lanka’s national coach who is in charge of training the young team. “Sailing is a sport where you need a combination of physical strength, intelligence, quick wit and determination. And this team has been sharpening these skills the past months,” he said.



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Ervine fights but Rashid puts Afghanistan on brink of series win

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Rashid Khan picked up six wickets against Zimbabwe [Cricbuzz]

Rashid Khan stepped up when Afghanistan needed him to as Zimbabwe find themselves on the brink of losing the second Test and with that, the series as well, to the visitors. Rashid broke the back of the Zimbabwean middle order with a six-wicket haul and if not for Craig Ervine’s fighting half-century, Afghanistan would have already completed formalities by now. However, the Zimbabwean veteran has dragged this series into the final day with his side needing 73 runs for the win – a hard task given they have only two wickets in hand.

Kickstarting the day with a lead of 205, Afghanistan managed to add some vital runs before Blessing Muzarabani got rid of Rashid. However, Ismat Alam kept the home side at bay and managed to bring up a terrific hundred to stun Zimbabwe. His efforts dragged the lead to 277 – a commendable effort considering Afghanistan conceded a first innings lead of 86.

Zimbabwe then made a positive start to the chase with the openers laying an ideal platform with a 43-run stand. But once that partnership was broken, Afghanistan started striking at regular intervals to storm back into the contest. Rashid bagged the big wicket of Ben Curran for 38 before adding two more to his tally to reduce the hosts to 99 for 4. Sikandar Raza then stood firm alongside Ervine to steady the ship as Zimbabwe slowly recovered.

For someone who plays extravagant strokes in the shorter formats, Raza showed commendable application once again in this Test to follow up with his first-innings fifty. His patient 38 turned the tide once again before Rashid did his bit to stun the opposition. Raza hit one straight to cover to get dismissed and his wicket triggered a collapse. Sean Williams missed a slog sweep to get castled and two balls later, Rashid hit the timber again, this time to send Brian Bennett back to the pavilion.

Ervine hardly had time to process the destruction at the other end as Zia-ur-Rehman then added to Zimbabwe’s woes with one more wicket. 157 for 4 in no time became 178 for 8 as Afghanistan inched closer to a memorable win. Ervine then took charge and opened up to find the boundary twice against Rashid before smashing Rehman for a six. Richard Ngarava managed to stay put at the other end as Ervine’s aggressive approach resulted in him getting to his fifty before bad light ended play.

Brief scores:
Zimbabwe
243 & 205/8 (Craig Ervine 53*; Rashid Khan 6/66) need another 73 runs vs Afghanistan 157 & 363

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Babar, Masood fight for Pakistan after South Africa enforce follow-on

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Shan Masood celebrates his hard-fought hundred [Cricinfo]

Pakistan posted their highest opening stand against South Africa as Shan Masood and Babar Azam put up solid resistance against the hosts on a flat track. Masood went past 30 for the first time in nine innings and went on to score his sixth Test hundred, and the first by a Pakistan captain in South Africa, while Babar, opening in place of the injured Saim Ayub, made 81 The pair took a significant chunk out of their first-innings deficit of 421. Pakistan are now 208 behind with nine wickets standing.

South Africa’s five frontline bowlers were made to toil on a surface that remains good for batting despite showing signs of turn. They also bowled 23 no-balls across the two innings so far – 10 in the ongoing second innings alone – and will be disappointed with their ill-discipline. Their only second innings success came late in the day when Babar chased a full, wide ball from Marco Jansen and edged to slip. Nightwatcher Khurram Shahzad accompanied Masood to the end of the day.

After dismissing Pakistan for 194 midway through the afternoon session, South Africa enforced the follow-on with an eye on wrapping things up early. But Kagiso Rabada and Jansen both erred on the side of too full and only created one chance between them. Rabada found Masood’s edge, with the Pakistan captain on 18 but the ball flew through the vacant third slip region, leaving Rabada on his haunches.

The change bowlers, Wiaan Mulder and Kwena Maphaka, barely threatened and Pakistan went to tea on 80 without loss. Rabada and Keshav Maharaj resumed for the evening session and while Rabada tried a short-ball tactic, Maharaj found turn but Pakistan played them both well. Masood’s fifty came when he pulled Rabada through mid-wicket and Babar’s came up with a drive off Jansen. It was the second time in the day that Babar raised his bat to a half-century after also getting to the milestone in the first innings, and his third successive fifty on this tour.

As both settled in, South Africa’s frustration boiled over and Mulder flung the ball back at Babar as he stepped out of his crease to defend. He hit Babar on the shin and words were exchanged before Umpire Dharmasena stepped in to cool things down. The only other bit of drama came when Rabada was convinced he had Masood lbw when he hit him on the knee roll and South Africa were considering a review but Rabada had overstepped.

Masood got to his century with a flick off Jansen and celebrated with a glance skywards. Babar seemed set to follow him but slashed at a slower Jansen ball and edged to Bedingham at slip, to give him his fifth catch of the day. Though Babar fell short of a century, he scored 108 runs in the day – 27 overnight and 81 in the second innings.

Pakistan resumed 64 for 3 under some cloud and found the early exchanges challenged. Rabada beat the beat, Jansen found extra bounce and though both made things difficult for Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, they were unable to remove them. Jansen hit Rizwan on the collar bone in the first 45 minutes as Rizwan attempted a one-armed pull but he recovered to hit Jansen for four and six in the same over.

Babar brought up the Pakistan hundred with an edge through the slips and his fifty off the next ball when he chopped Rabada over point. But when debutant Kwena Maphaka angled one down leg, Babar followed it in an attempt to flick it off his hips and edged to Kyle Verreynne. A joyous Maphaka took off Imran Tahir-style to deep third with his team-mates following in celebration. This was the third time since 2022 that Babar has been strangled down leg, the joint-most by a Pakistan batter in that time.

The Babar-Rizwan partnership was broken on 98, with responsibility falling to Rizwan to keep chipping away. Against the run of play, Rizwan advanced on Mulder and tried to smash him down the ground to reach his fifty, but under-edged onto his stumps. And then Salman Agha, who had lamented the lack of turn when he was bowling, was drawn forward by a Maharaj delivery that turned past the outside edge and was stumped.

Pakistan lost 6 for 76 either side of lunch, most of them to loose shots. Aamer Jamal was bounced out by Rabada when he could not resist a swivel pull and Khurram Shahzad could not keep a square drive down. It may not be up to those two to have done the work but, after the way Pakistan batted in the second innings, they may look back at their shot selection in the first with some regret, especially on this surface.

Though it is expected to start breaking up from the fourth day and there is turn on offer, it remains good for run-scoring. At 208 behind, Pakistan may not yet be thinking of making South Africa bat again, especially as the hosts only have to take eight more wickets. Ayub, who has an ankle fracture,was leave to London for treatment today [06].

Brief scores:
Pakistan 194 in 54.2 overs (Babar Azam  58, Mohammad Rizwan 46; Kagiso Rabada 3-55, Keshav Maharaj 2-14, Kwena Maphaka 2-43) and (f/o) 213 for 1 in 49 overs  (Shan Masood 102*, Babar Azam 81) trail  South Africa 615 by 208 runs

[Cricinfo]

 

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Bowlers, Young outclass Sri Lanka in ODI series opener

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Henry claimed a four-fer to set up the hosts' win.(cricbuzz)

Matt Henry took 4 for 19 as New Zealand bowled Sri Lanka out for 178 and chased down the paltry total in just 26.2 overs courtesy a blazing unbeaten 90 from Will Young to take an early lead in the ODI series. On a Basin Reserve wicket that offered early assistance to the bowlers, New Zealand won a key toss, did all of the front running and kept the opposition under the pump through the course of the game.

Although Sri Lanka haven’t qualified for next month’s Champions Trophy, they came to this rubber on the back of some impressive ODI form, having won five of the six series they played in 2024. Eleven of their 12 wins last year, though, came at home and conditions in Wellington weren’t anything like the ones that helped them rediscover their ODI mojo. New captain Mitchell Santner though won an important toss and made no missteps thereon as Sri Lanka were reduced to 23 for 4 inside 10 overs.

Henry opened the sluice gates in the fifth over when Pathum Nissanka chipped a simple catch to mid-off, attempting to flick a full ball. In the very next over, Jacob Duffy had Kusal Mendis chopping on. New Zealand backed up their bowling with excellent ground fielding as Santner swooped in on a push-and-run from Kamindu Mendis and flicked a direct hit at the bowler’s end to effect a sharp run-out. Santner also called right with a DRS review in the following over to give Nathan Smith the wicket of Charith Asalanka, who edged an attempted fend to the ‘keeper Mitchell Hay.

Sri Lanka rallied after the early setback through an 87-run partnership between Avishka Fernando and Janith Liyanage. The former hit his way out of trouble as he struck Nathan Smith for a four and a six. Liyanage, at the other end, ramped Will O’Rourke for a four. The pair plundered another 11 runs off a Smith over as runs continued to come along at a healthy clip. Eventually, the partnership was broken by the captain, who dragged his length back and had Liyanage miscue an attempted heave to depart for 36.

Fernando fell for a solid 56 in the immediate next over as he guided a Smith ball straight to point. Sri Lanka found another 48-run stand between Chamindu Wickramasinghe (22) and Wanindu Hasaranga (35), the latter even connecting four boundaries and a six to add vital lower-order runs. Eventually, Henry returned to the attack in the 38th over and struck immediately to dismiss Wickramisnghe. He picked a wicket in each of his three remaining overs to finish with a four-fer as Sri Lanka were bowled out in the 44th over.

In response, Young and Ravindra got the hosts off to a blazing start, adding 93 runs for the first wicket in just 12.3 overs. Ravindra fell for a 36-ball 45 but Young carried on, hitting as many as 12 boundaries in his 86-ball 90* and polished off the chase with more than 23 to spare.

Scores:

Sri Lanka

178 in 43.4 overs (Avishka Fernando 56, Janith Liyanage 36; Matt Henry 4-19)

New Zealand

180/2 in 26.2 overs (Will Young 90n.o., Rachin Ravindra 45) (cricbuzz)

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