Sports
Markram, Ngidi help South Africa ease past dogged Canada
South Africa’s first T20 World Cup match since the heartbreak of the 2024 final proved a substantially less fraught affair. In the echoing environs of the Narendra Modi Stadium, they were made to work just hard enough by Canada in the first meeting between the two nations, eventually easing to a 57-run victory thanks to Aiden Markram’s 28-ball fifty, and 4 for 31 from Lungi Ngidi.
Canada fought hard in patches, principally through Anush Patel’s three wickets of wristspin, then a feisty half-century from Navneet Dhaliwal, whose 64 from 49 was the highest score of the match. Most of his runs came in a fifth-wicket stand of 69 with Harsh Thaker that cracked along at eight an over even as the rate continued to rise. By then, however, Ngidi had claimed three of his wickets in the powerplay to wreck any realistic hopes of an upset.
With its mix of red and black soil, Ahmedabad’s pitches can veer between extremes. But this offering, hard and lightly grassed, could hardly have been better suited to South Africa’s route-one methods.
Markram set the tone from the top of the order with a dominant 59 from 32 balls, Ryan Rickelton chipped in with 33 from 21, before Tristan Stubbs and David Miller brought up the rear in unbeaten knocks of 34 from 19 and 39 from 23 respectively.
Though no-one turned up for a statement display, none was really needed against enthusiastic but outclassed opponents whose fielding – despite one moment of individual brilliance – was consistently sub-par, and whose bowlers served up 13 extra deliveries across their innings, including nine wides and back-to-back no-balls on height in Kaleem Sana’s final over.
Pace and bounce, and a hint of seam movement. Ngidi doesn’t need a second invitation to thrive in such conditions. With a hefty target of 214 on the board, he landed the first ball of Canada’s reply right in the channel and found a thin snick off the edge of Dilpreet Bajwa’s bat, even as he tried to leave it alone.
In Ngidi’s next over, the left-hander Yuvraj Samra was done in by one that left him a fraction, for Quinton de Kock to claim his second catch of the powerplay. And though Nicholas Kirton smashed his second ball through the covers for four, he then spliced his third to Kagiso Rabada at mid-on. Ngidi had 3 for 13 in two overs, and Canada’s challenge was faltering before it had begun.
Rabada then beat Shreyas Movva for pace to leave them teetering at 45 for 4, but with the dew factor kicking in – as Canada’s captain Bajwa had anticipated at the toss – further breakthroughs were put on hold as Dhaliwal and Thaker exploited the extra zip onto the bat, and across the outfield. But when Ngidi returned for his final over, Thaker failed to pick his looping slower ball, and Rabada at deep third clung on to the leading edge.
If South Africa felt at home from home in these conditions, then Patel was literally so. Born in nearby Vadodara, he had moved to Toronto as a baby, but returned to Gujarat at the age of 10, when his father took a punt on his burgeoning cricket talent. A contract with Punjab Kings ensued in 2022, but a change in eligibility rules forced him home again, and into the midst of Canada’s return to the big-time.
Ansh’s first act of his home-from-homecoming didn’t quite go to plan, when he spilled de Kock at short third on 6. De Kock, however, didn’t quite make Canada pay. He had been ominously placed on 25 from 22 when he played over the top of a looping delivery from Bajwa, and lost his off stump.
That was the cue for Ansh to enter the attack. With his energetic, low-slung, left-arm wristspin, he provided the handbrake that Canada needed as he whirred through his repertoire to claim 3 for 31, all between overs eight and 16.
He needed a moment of inspiration to ignite his display. Markram had been in ominous touch with 10 fours and a six, as he peppered the arc from cover to mid-on with his favoured range of drives. But, when he dragged Ansh’s googly a touch too straight, Dilon Heyliger was lurking at long-on with a sensational interception: a leaping, reaching take on the run to his left, capped with cool footwork as he kept his balance inches inside the rope.
Rickelton was also done in while attempting a launch down the ground, a far more straightforward catch to Thaker at long-on, and Ansh made it three in nine balls when Dewald Brevis was deceived in flight to hoist a steepler to mid-off for a run-a-ball 6.
From 126 for 1 to 138 for 4, it was the start of a fightback … but only from South Africa’s impressively stacked middle order. Though Heinrich Klaasen remains much missed since retiring from internationals, Stubbs and Miller are no mean combo for the death overs. Five sixes between them from the final 14 balls put the contest out of reach.
Brief scores:
South Africa 213 for 4 in 20 overs (Aiden Markram 59, Quinton de Kock 25, Ryan Rickelton 33, David Miller 39*, Tristan Stubbs 34*; Dilpreet Bajwa 1-40, Ansh Patel 3-31) beat Canada 156 for 8 in 20 overs (Yuvraj Samra 12, Navneet Dhaliwal 64, Harsha Thaker 33, Saad Bin Zafar 11; Lungi Ngidi 4-31, Marco Jansen 2-30, Kagiso Rabada 1-40, Corbin Bosch 1-27) by 57 runs
(Cricinfo)
The India and Zimbabwe women’s teams are all set to play an international fixture against each other for the first time when Zimbabwe tour India for white-ball fixtures this October.
The tour comprises three T20Is and three ODIs and will be Zimbabwe’s first visit to India; India are yet to tour Zimbabwe for bilateral fixtures.
The three T20Is will be played in Raipur on October 16, 18 and 20, and the ODIs are on October 23, 25 and 28 in Baroda.
The fixtures were announced by the BCCI on Wednesday, along with two home series for the India A women’s side against Australia A in September and England A in December. Both those series comprise three T20s, three List A games and one multi-day fixture.
The India Under-19 women’s team will also host Sri Lanka U-19 in June and July for three T20s and three 50-over games, and England U-19 in November and December for five T20 fixtures.
The Australia A men’s side will tour India for two multi-day fixtures and three one-dayers in September and October, while the Australia U-19 side will visit India for two multi-day fixtures and three one-dayers also in September and October.
[Cricinfo]
Sports
Fast bowlers to get more opportunities as new format introduced for Under-15 Division I tourney
The Inter-Schools Under-15 Division I cricket tournament will be conducted under a revamped format this year, with organisers shifting the focus back to limited-overs cricket while introducing new rules aimed at promoting fast bowling.
The tournament, organised by the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA), will see only the top-tier Division I competition played in a 50-over format. Meanwhile, Division II and Division III matches will continue under the one-day, four-innings structure.
SLSCA Secretary Saman Hettiarachchi said the changes were made following consultations with experts from Sri Lanka Cricket, with a clear objective of providing greater opportunities for pace bowlers.
”We opted for the limited-overs format for Division I in consultation with Sri Lanka Cricket. The lower divisions will copete in the innings format as we have observed matches ending early without utilizing the full quota of overs,” Hettiarachchi told ‘The Island’.
A key feature of the revised rules is the compulsory allocation of overs for fast bowlers. In a full 50-over innings, a minimum of 20 overs must be bowled by pacemen. Additionally, during the first 10 overs, at least eight overs must be delivered by fast bowlers. If an innings is reduced to 30 overs or fewer, at least six of the first eight overs must be bowled by pace.
”It was made mandatory to give more opportunities to pacemen,” Hettiarachchi explained.
Meanwhile, the official draw for the Division I tournament has been released, featuring 70 teams divided into 16 groups from Group A to Group P for the preliminary round. Each team is guaranteed multiple matches during the opening stage.
Defending champions St. Joseph’s College headline Group A, where they will meet Nalanda College, Dharmapala College, St. John’s College, Lumbini College and De La Salle College.
With traditional cricketing powerhouses spread across the groups, it will be interesting to see how the first round pans out in the new-look tournament.
Under 15 Division I Tournament First Round Groups
GROUP A
St. Joseph’s College, Colombo
Nalanda College, Colombo
Dharmapala College, Pannipitiya
St. John’s College, Nugegoda
Lumbini College, Colombo
De La Salle College, Colombo
GROUP B
D.S. Senanayake College, Colombo
S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia
Presidents’ College, Kotte
Wesley College, Colombo
Carey College, Colombo
Sri Dharmaloka College, Kelaniya
GROUP C
St. Anthony’s College, Wattala
St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa
Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Kottawa
St. Peter’s College, Colombo
C.W.W. Kannangara MV, Colombo
Ashoka College, Colombo
GROUP D
St. Benedict’s College, Colombo
Royal College, Colombo
Gurukula College, Kelaniya
Lyceum International School, Wattala
Bandaranayake MMV, Gampaha
St. John’s College, Panadura
GROUP E
De Mazenod College, Kandana
Isipathana College, Colombo
Christ King College, Ja-Ela
Thurstan College, Colombo
Ananda Shastralaya NS, Kotte
St. Joseph Vaz College, Vennappuwa
GROUP F
Mahanama College, Colombo
Piliyandala MMV, Piliyandala
Ananda College, Colombo
Sri Jayawardenapura NS, Kotte
Presidents College, Maharagama
St. Thomas’ College, Kotte
GROUP G
Wadduwa MMV, Wadduwa
Sri Sumangala College, Panadura
Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa
Moratu Vidyalaya, Moratuwa
Revatha College, Balapitiya
Royal College, Panadura
GROUP H
Dharmaraja College, Kandy
St. Mary’s College, Kegalle
Kegalu Vidyalaya, Kegalle
Kingswood College, Kandy
Vidyartha College, Kandy
Ibbagamuwa MMV, Ibbagamuwa
GROUP J
Maris Stella College, Negombo
Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala
Harischandra College, Negombo
Maliyadeva Adarsha MV, Kurunegala
Galahitiyawa MMV, Ganemulla
Sandalankawa MMV, Sandalankawa
GROUP K
St. Anthony’s College, Kandy
St. Sylvester’s College, Kandy
Trinity College, Kandy
Royal College, Polonnaruwa
St. Thomas’ College, Matale
Jaffna Hindu College, Jaffna
GROUP L
Sri Pangnananda MMV, Raddoluwa
St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala
St. Mary’s College, Chilaw
Sri Sumangala NS, Wariyapola
St. Peter’s College, Negombo
St. Xavier’s College, Marawila
GROUP M
Devapathiraja College, Rathgama
St. Aloysius College, Galle
Holy Cross College, Kalutara
Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda
Kalutara Vidyalaya, Kalutara
Vidyaloka College, Galle
GROUP N
Mahinda College, Galle
Tissa MV, Kalutara
Rahula College, Matara
Debarawewa NS, Debarawewa
St. Thomas’ College, Matara
Meepawala Amarasuriya MV
GROUP P
St. Servatius’ College, Matara
Richmond College, Galle
Sri Devananda College, Ambalangoda
Karandeniya MMV, Karandeniya
P. De S. Kularathna MV, Ambalangoda
President’s College, Embilipitiya.
by Reemus Fernando
With the success the seven MCA men’s cricket tournaments have achieved, the Executive Committee of Mercantile Cricket Association (MCA) have decided to give Women’s Cricket in Sri Lanka a boost by introducing a hard ball Women’s Cricket Tournament for the corporate sector.
With the international recognition women’s cricket has gained at present, it is no secret that there still are many talented lasses aspiring to reach the zenith of the game.
Even with the measures Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) the game’s governing body through the Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA) have taken to promote girls cricket in schools, a considerable number of talented players, specially in the provinces do not have an opportunity to be recognized.
It is the MCA’s belief that with the introduction of a MCA Women’s Cricket Tournament, the corporate sector will be encouraged to field teams, and in doing so will give a hand to talented lasses and school leavers by providing them with employment as well as the opportunity to realise their aspirations in the Women’s Cricket arena.
At present in addition to the seven major Men’s tournaments the MCA organise the
Mercantile Six-a-Side tournament, the Over-40 Sixes competition, the 20×20 league, and the esteemed MCA Inter Academy Invitational tournament,
As an initial step, the MCA will be conducting a Women’s six and side soft ball cricket tournament for the corporate sector teams on Saturday 23rd May 2026 at the Mercantile Cricket Association grounds.
For further information please contact Chamara on 0759592488 or Prasad 0759809777.
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