Sports
Labuschagne, Warner blaze tons in Australia’s romp to 2-0 lead
Two days can make a lot of difference. At the same Mangaung Oval that saw a 222-plays-225 contest 48 hours ago, Australia turned up the batting oomph to post a gargantuan 392 before burying their hosts under this mountain of runs to take a 2-0 series lead in the ODI series, reinforcing their credentials as one of the early favourites at next month’s World Cup. This was still a mostly experimental side from the five-time champions but they still packed enough punch to pummel their hosts to the tune of 123 runs. Leading their batting charge was Marnus Labuschagne with a second straight demonstration of why he should also be on the plane to India. He hit 124 off just 99 balls with David Warner dovetailing brilliantly with his 20th ODI ton. Adding the gloss to the performance was a four-fer from the continually impressive Adam Zampa, who took 4 for 48 from nine overs of excellent legspin bowling to douse South African hopes.
The visitors turned up on a true batting surface with an aggressive approach. This was predicated on the fact that they fielded one proper bowler less. They handed debuts to Aaron Hardie and Tim David while Nathan Ellis came on for Josh Hazlewood. Incidentally, South Africa captain Temba Bavuma made three changes — Shamsi, Anrich Nortje and Andile Phehlukwayo in for Lungi Ngidi, Gerald Coetzee and Keshav Maharaj — of his own and opted to field.
Very early it became apparent that this wasn’t going to conform to the script of the opening game. The pace and carry was true and batters could hit through the line. The first two overs of the innings saw as many five boundaries struck with Head hitting four of them, including three off Kagiso Rabada’s first over. After his lead pacer went for 20 from his first two overs, Bavuma was quick to ring in a bowling change but after giving away just three runs from his opening over, Nortje was taken apart for 17 in his second with both Head and Warner hitting a six each
After eight overs, Australia had raced off the blocks to 71/0 and the South Africa captain turned to spin for respite. None of it was forthcoming as Warner put away two short deliveries from Aiden Markram before playing a pleasing inside-out loft over extra cover to complete a 12-run initiation. In the next over, Head launched two more sixes off Nortje to race to a 26-ball half-century and give his side a PowerPlay score of 102/0 — the highest in ODIs in South Africa.
South Africa caught a break eventually in the 12th over when Head mishit a loft off Shamsi, South Africa’s best bowler of the evening, and saw David Miller complete an excellent catch running back from mid-on. The left-arm legspinner struck for a second time a ball later when Mitchell Marsh missed an attempted reverse sweep and was dismissed LBW courtesy a DRS review.
After a 109-run opening partnership, Australia had lost two in two. But that was no reason to dial down the tempo of the innings. Labuschagne joined Warner and instantly displayed the kind of nimble footwork that was on show two nights ago when he arrived to the series as a ‘Concussion Substitute’. His battle against Shamsi had a bit of an edge to it with the batter looking to pull out the sweeps and the bowler not shy of returning words. At the other end, Warner, surprisingly, took a less dramatic route to a half-century and then marked the milestone by launching Phehlukwayo for a six.
By the 27th over, this third-wicket pair had given Australia their second century stand of the innings. Warner raced away to 93 off 77 while Labuschagne had serenely motored along to a run-a-ball 49. The veteran opener completed his 20th ODI century with a four and a trademark leap in the middle of a 16-run over from Shamsi that saw Labuschagne hit a six and four of his own. The right-hander followed that up by taking Nortje for three more fours in the following over. Such was Labuschagne’s acceleration post his half-century that he was already on 85 off 67 when Warner eventually fell – bowled to a ball that kept low – for 106.
Labuschagne eventually got to his second ODI ton off just 80 balls and shared another quickfire 83-run partnership with Josh Inglis, who added to the mayhem with a 37-ball 50. South Africa did, however, come back well in the final phase of the innings, with Shamsi taking two more wickets to finish with excellent returns of 4 for 61 and put the lid somewhat on the big hits. Australia managed only 134 for 6 from the final 18 overs, but the 48 fours and 9 sixes their batters achieved meant the score was only just shy of the rather ridiculous 400-mark.
It was always going to be a steep ask from the Proteas to keep up with the scoreboard pressure. But they did make a fist of it in the early running when Quinton de Kock and Bavuma added 81 runs in 9 overs before the keeper-bat fell to a sharp return catch from Nathan Ellis for 45. The introduction of Zampa then put the brakes on the chase with the ace legspinner trapping Bavuma LBW for 46 while attempting a paddle sweep and then having Aiden Markram caught. When Rassie van der Dussen dragged a Hardie delivery on to his stumps, the game appeared to have been settled.
But Heinrich Klaasen kept South Africa in the game with a series of superb strikes, especially off the bowling of Head. Zampa returned to castle him with a skidder. David Miller kept the flame of the chase flickering for some more time but when he became the fourth South African batter to get out in the 40s, the writing was on the wall. The final rites were read in the 42nd over.
Brief scores:
Australia 392/8 in 50 overs (Marnus Labuschagne 124, David Warner 106; Tabraiz Shamsi 4-61) beat South Africa 269 in 41.5 overs (Heinrich Klaasen 49, David Miller 49; Adam Zampa 4-48) by 123 runs
(Cricbuzz)
Rex Clementine
at Pallekele
When Sanath Jayasuriya took the reins as Sri Lanka’s Head Coach earlier this year, he didn’t just shuffle the deck – he set about reshaping the entire playing ethos. Fitness, discipline, fielding, running between the wickets, and commitment were the cornerstones of his strategy. Yet, one masterstroke stood out: mandating tail-enders to sharpen their batting skills during practice sessions.
Jayasuriya had identified a glaring gap during the tour of England—the bowlers’ contributions with the bat were meager at best, leaving the team precariously balanced. Thus, net sessions for the bowlers became more than a box-ticking exercise; they had to learn the art of scoring runs not just playing defence.
That foresight bore fruit in spectacular fashion on Sunday at Pallekele. Maheesh Theekshana stepped up to the plate – or rather, the crease – and played a pivotal role alongside Kusal Mendis in scripting a thrilling three-wicket victory against New Zealand. The win wasn’t just another notch on the belt; it ended a 12-year drought in bilateral series wins against the Kiwis.
At 163 for seven, with 47 runs still needed on a pitch that was spinning like a roulette wheel, Sri Lanka’s chances looked bleaker than a batsman caught in two minds. But Theekshana stood firm, facing 44 deliveries to notch a crucial 27 runs, peppered with two fours and a six. His knock, full of grit and sense, helped steer Sri Lanka to a famous win with an over to spare.
“Even our bowlers get to bat at practice, so we know they can contribute when it matters,” Theekshana told reporters, reflecting on the game. “Players like Wellalage, Vandersay, and others are capable of stepping up. The team has confidence that if one player stumbles, the next will rise to the occasion.”
Theekshana shed light on his partnership with Kusal Mendis, which turned the tide of the game. “The plan was simple—bat deep and take the game into the final over. With the dew coming in, it became easier to bat as the match progressed. The spinners struggled to grip the wet ball, forcing them to turn to the quicks. Our strategy to take the game deep worked like a charm,” he explained.
Kusal Mendis, nursing a groin niggle, was visibly struggling but soldiered on to post an unbeaten 74 – a match-winning knock that, coupled with Theekshana’s resilience, sealed the deal.
“When Kusal was on strike, they kept giving him the single, trying to get me on strike. Their plan was to bowl dot balls at me and force a mistake,” Theekshana said with a wry smile. “But they underestimated us. We bided our time, waiting for the loose balls, and when they came, we punished them. They brought the field up for me, and I made the most of the gaps outside the stumps.”
This victory is yet another feather in Sri Lanka’s cap in a year where the team has turned their fortunes around, clinching several bilateral series across all three formats.
“Our bench strength has grown immensely,” Theekshana observed. “Look at Nishan Madushka – he can’t find a spot in the XI despite scoring a 50 and a 40. We have a solid lineup of spinners ready to step in. There’s healthy competition within the squad, and that’s pushing everyone to perform at their best.”
by Reemus Fernando
Lyceum International Wattala athlete Dilni Rajapaksha bagged yet another junior athletics record when she cleared 6.04 metres to win the Under 15 girls’ long jump on day one of the Sir John Tarbat Junior Athletics Championship at Matara on Monday.
Dilni has bagged almost all youth records this year from the Junior National Under 16 record to the Sir John Tarbat Senior Athletics Championship record by clearing the six metres barrier.
She became the first Sri Lankan athlete of her age to clear the six metres mark early this year.
Sri Lanka have decided to rest four key players for the third and final ODI against New Zealand, scheduled to take place in Pallekele on Tuesday. Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Asitha Fernando, and Pathum Nissanka have been released from the squad and will leave Pallekele.
“The decision was taken by the selectors to give the above players adequate time to recover and prepare for the upcoming Test series in South Africa,” stated a media release from Sri Lanka Cricket.
In their absence, top-order batters Nuwanidu Fernando and Lahiru Udara have been called up as cover, along with fast bowler Eshan Malinga.
The Sri Lankan squad already boasts a deep bench, with reserves such as Nishan Madushka, Dushan Hemantha, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Dilshan Madushanka, and Mohamed Shiraz available.
The hosts secured the three-match series with a game to spare on Sunday, pulling off a nail-biting three-wicket victory with just an over remaining.
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