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Labuschagne, Green give Australia competitive total
Marnus Labuschagne top-scored with 71 and there were other little contributions through the order as Australia posted what would appear to be a par score of 286 against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. For the defending champions, who have one foot out of the competition, Chris Woakes continued his late resurgence with a four-wicket haul while Adil Rashid produced another miserly spell, taking 2 for 38.
Put into bat, the five-time champions made a lethargic start after both their dynamic openers were prized out by Woakes inside the PowerPlay. Travis Head edged a delivery angled across him to slip while David Warner miscued an attempted pull shot against an off-cutter and top-edged a catch to mid-wicket.
At 38/2 in the sixth over, the onus was on Steve Smith and Labuschagne to put the innings back on track and the pair did just that with a crucial 75-run partnership. Labuschagne took his time to find his tempo on the pitch but off-drove the ninth ball he faced to the fence to kickstart his innings.
England gambled after a 48-run PowerPlay by bringing in their fifth bowling combination of Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali ahead of the lead spinner and that was an invitation for the Australia batting pair to transfer the pressure back onto the bowling side. Both Smith and Labuschagne picked up a boundary each of Moeen’s first over and moved into the 30s forcing Rashid’s introduction.
The legspinner, one of the team’s brightest prospects in a forgettable campaign, struck in just his second over when Smith went chasing after a cleverly floated up delivery outside off-stump. Smith fell six short of a half-century and Rashid quickly added the wicket of Josh Inglis in the next over to force Australia into another period of rebuilding.
Cameron Green and Labuschagne provided just that while picking up the regular boundary against the fifth bowler. Green even got two boundaries off a Mark Wood over before the fast bowler hit back in his next over to break the stand by nipping a pacy delivery back into Labuschagne. Australia’s No.4, who made 71 off 83, took back a review with him. Another period of rebuilding followed as Green and Marcus Stoinis took the team to 220/5 at the 40th over. But Australia’s launch had to be delayed as Green fell immediately thereafter to the returning David Willey, who slipped a full delivery under his attempted slog sweep.
When Stonis fell for 35 right after hitting Livingstone for a six and a four in the 44th over, Australia faced the prospect of folding well below the 50th over. But a key cameo from Adam Zampa (29 off 19) ensured Australia missed out on only three balls of their available quota to finish with a solid total against a struggling opponent, who have chased only two scores above 250 in World Cup history.
Brief scores:
Australia 286 in 49.3 overs (Marnus Labuschagne 71, Cameron Green 47, Steven Smith 44, Marcus Stonis 35, Adam Zampa 29; Chris Woakes 4-54, Adil Rashid 2-38, Mark Wood 2-70) vs England
President Anura Kumara Disanayake stated that steps will be taken to provide the necessary facilities to eliminate organized crime and drug abuse, as well as to introduce new legislation.
The President made these remarks during a discussion held today (18) at the Presidential Secretariat with the police chiefs of the Western Province.
He emphasized that maintaining the rule of law is a key responsibility of the Police Department.
President Anura Kumara Disanayake further stated that a just society cannot be established in Sri Lanka without ensuring the supremacy of the rule of law.
Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Ananda Wijepala; Deputy Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Attorney-at-Law Sunil Watagala; Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security, Ravi Seneviratne; Acting Inspector General of Police, Priyantha Weerasooriya; and several Western Province police chiefs were also present at the event.
The Aswasuma Welfare Benefit payment Scheme has been implementing from 01-07-2023 and this scheme has been finally amended by the Extra Ordinary Gazette No 2415/66 dated 21-12-2024.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, to publish the following through a Gazette Notification, amending the benefits provided under the presently empowered Aswasuma Welfare Benefit payment Scheme within the provisions allocated by the budget estimate for the year 2025.
• To extend the period of entitlement of benefits for the transitional social category included in schedule 1 of the Aswasuma Welfare Benefit payment Scheme up to 30-04-2025.
• To increase the monthly assistance payment from Rs. 7,500 to Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000 provided to persons with disabilities and receiving treatment for kidney diseases and elderly persons, respectively, that are included in Schedule II of the said scheme and to
implement the said decision from April 2025.
• To extend the period of payment provided for the disable persons, kidney patients, and elderly persons given in the Schedule II, up to 31-12-2025 subject to the above proposals.
• Even though the payment of allowances under the transitional social category will be stopped after April 2025, the period of payment for disabled persons, kidney patients, and elderly persons, of these families will be extended up to 31-12-2025.
• Payment of relevant eligible persons by inclusion of newly forwarded applications of disabled and kidney patients subject to the maximum limit up to 31-12-2025.
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