by Reemus Fernando

‎Supun Chathura of Welimada Central and Tharindi Chamalka of Nuwara Eliya High School claimed the boys’ and girls’ titles at the All-Island Schools Games Half Marathon, held in Colombo on Sunday.

‎Chathura won the boys’ race in a notable 1:14.51. Sameesha Nimsath of St. Pope Paul the Sixth MV, Gampaha, took second in 1:16.40, while Suranga Lal Kumara of Pussadewa Secondary School, Batagolla, clinched third in 1:16.42.

‎In the girls’ category, Chamalka won in 1:28.56. D.M.S. Nimsarani of CWW Kannangara MMV, Matugama (1:31.09), and W.S.C. Priyadharshani of President’s College, Ambagasdowa (1:33.10), finished second and third respectively.

‎The 21.0975-kilometre race, sponsored by Nestomalt, started at the Ministry of Education in Battaramulla. It passed through Polduwa Junction, Parliament Road, Ape Gama Junction, Kimbulawala Junction, Thalawathugoda, Hokandara Junction, Arangala Junction, Koswatta and Battaramulla Palanthuna Junction before returning to the starting point.

Girls winners (from left)D.M.S. Nimsarani (2nd), Tharindi Chamalka (first) and W.S.C. Priyadharshani

Pat Cummins outfoxed a lacklustre South Africa batting-order on a relatively benign Durban surface, while Steven Smith continued to showcase his mastery in the slips as Australia eyed a big first innings lead in the opening Test.

‎Outstanding bowling and fielding suffocated South Africa, who appeared set to be bowled out before tea on day three until a rearguard from Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer halted Australia’s push.

‎Cummins has been at his best, consistently challenging the batters as he regularly hit speeds of 140kph and above. He had 3-54 from 15 overs by tea, with all four frontline bowlers having taken wickets.

‎Smith backed up the bowlers by claiming three sublime catches, which lifted him past Joe Root for the most Test catches by a non-wicketkeeper.

‎With great anticipation, Smith moved into position to snare skipper Temba Bavuma, who had unfurled a reverse-sweep off Nathan Lyon. Smith then pulled off a stunning catch to dismiss David Bedingham, diving across first slip – it was No. 221 of his Test career.

Maaz Sadaqat crashed 96 off 51,Sahibzada Farhan clobbered 73 off 44, and Pakistan scorched their way through the last 12 overs of their innings to mount a fearsome total of 215 for 3. Pakistan reaped 156 runs just in the last 12 overs of their innings, as a 73-run stand between Sadaqat and Farhan was followed by a manic 72-run partnership between Sadaqat and Hasan Nawaz.

Sri Lanka’s batting was woeful in response. They slumped to 64 for 5 by the 11th over, with none of their top seven managing to get to 30. They limped to 133 for 7, having had their hopes of leveling the series wrecked by quicks Mohammad Imran and Salman Mirza, who took five wickets between them.

Sadaqat propels Pakistan into the stratosphere

The openers had laid a decent platform with Pakistan having got to 55 for 1 by the end of the seventh over. But it was Sadaqat who injected the energy that truly set Pakistan on course to their mammoth total. Having gone at less than a run a ball in his first eight balls, Sadaqat unleashed a spectacular lofted square drive off Eshan Malinga to collect his first six, before pumping the same bowler down the ground later in the 10th over.

Sadaqat would go on to clobber six further sixes and five further fours. The big hits tended to come down the ground, while his fours were more square of the wicket. Of the 125 runs Pakistan plundered in the second half of their innings, 79 off 40 came from Sadaqat, who pummeled both pace and spin with equal relish. Off the sixteenth over, bowled by Maheesh Theekshana, Sadaqat thumped three sixes in the arc between long on and midwicket.

Sadaqat, whose previous top score in three T20Is had been 50, could have gone to triple figures off the last ball of the innings, but holed out to deep cover instead, unable to quite find the power to lift a Malinga slower ball over the ropes. He had utterly dominated the middle and late overs, however.