Sports
Mathews hits out at selectors with ‘agendas’
by Rex Clementine
Former captain Angelo Mathews made a grand return to Sri Lanka’s T-20 side scripting a nail-biting three wicket win over Zimbabwe in a last ball thriller at RPS on Sunday night.
Playing his fist T-20 International in almost three years, Mathews opened bowling and then chasing a target of 144, dug the side out of trouble after being 52 for four. The 36-year-old veteran top scored with 46 runs and was dismissed in the last over with Sri Lanka six runs away from victory.
Mathews had been given the cold shoulder from T-20 cricket since March 2021 as the previous selection panel launched their controversial youth policy. Several seniors threw in the towel but Mathews kept fighting and was called up for last year’s 50 over World Cup as a last minute injury replacement.
With a change of selection panel now Mathews is very much in the plans for this year’s T-20 World Cup in the United States and the Caribbean.
“I had decent outings in LPL and it was strange to miss out for so long. I guess people were working with agendas and obviously it’s beyond my control. All what I had to do was to keep performing. When the new selectors came in, they said they had me in mind for T-20 cricket and asked me whether I could contribute as a bowler as well and I was pretty happy to do that,” Mathews told journalists after his match winning performance.
“You would have seen the things that happened in the past few years. If you don’t have underhanded goals, and you’re working only towards the success of the team, whether you are a player or a selector, the team does well. If you’ve got your own goals, that’s when there are problems,” Mathews explained.
One of the outcomes of the disastrous youth policy was Sri Lanka were knocked out of the Champions Trophy. SLC is set to lose US$ 500,000 as participating fee. This will be the first ICC event that the national cricket team missed out.
“If you look at where the team has fallen to, we should all take responsibility. We should now work on how to climb out of that. Our immediate target is the T20 World Cup. We can’t control things like missing out on the Champions Trophy anymore. What’s in front of us is the T20 tournament. We have to prepare a good team for that and get back to our glory days.”
Mathews appreciated the change of policies under the new set of selectors and was confident that Sri Lanka would be able to turn things around.
“The new selectors don’t really have an agenda. They are players who have played in the last few years. They know plenty about the players, and from what I can see they talk to everyone and communicate very well. Even Sanath Jayasuriya is working hard from morning at RPS. I think we’ll be able to turn this into a good team. Today our fielding was very good. The coaches, captain and seniors have to create an environment for everyone to play without fear. Everyone gets criticised, but the environment within the team is important. If we look after that then we can make a big change.”
The win helped Sri Lanka to maintain their unbeaten run against Zimbabwe in T-20 Internationals. At one stage though it looked a lost cause before Mathews and Dasun Shanaka made a late recovery.
“I talked to Dasun about how if one of us gets out it will be really difficult. We thought it would be better if we batted until the 16th or 17th over, and keep the required rate at an achievable level – around 10 runs an over. In the end we had to go after their best bowlers as well. We took some calculated risks. Dasun played a good innings, and the person who played the most important innings was Dushmantha Chameera who got six off the last two balls, or else everything else we did would have been meaningless.”
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Maliban Biscuits, Brandix Apparels, Star Garments, Mobitel, Future Life Holdings, Alliance Insurance, Stafford Motors and CDB ‘B’ through to quarter finals
Maliban Biscuits, Brandix Apparels, Star Garments, Mobitel, Future Life Holdings, Alliance Insurance, Stafford Motors and CDB ‘B’ qualified for the quarter finals of the Stafford Motors sponsored MCA G division T20 cricket tournament on Friday.
The quarter finals will be played today [Sunday 3rd May], and Maliban Biscuits are to meet Allianz Insurance at the Royal College grounds in the morning while Brandix Apparels will meet Future Life Holdings at the same venue in the afternoon. At the Thurstan College ground, Star Garments will meet CDB in the morning game while Mobitel will meet tournament sponsors Stafford Motor company in the afternoon.
The four undefeated teams in the tournament, namely Maliban Biscuits, Star Garments, Mobitel, and Brandix Apparels will look forward to continue their good form and qualify for the semi- finals which are to be played next weekend.
SCORES: PRE-QUARTER FINALS
At Darley Road:
Maliban Biscuits ‘B’ beat Fairfirst Insurance ‘B’ by 7 wickets
Fairfirst Insurance ‘B’ 117/7 in 20 overs [Azeem mohomed 33, Lahiru Madushanka 51, Sajitha Samarasinghe 12*; Dilip Sandaruwan 2-17, Tharindu Siriwardena 2-11, Mohamed Shilmi 1-05, Dilan Alwis 1-17, Chamara Rathnayake 1-21]
Maliban Biscuits ‘B’ 118/3 in 17.0 overs [Tharindu Siriwardena 19, Gihan Ranasinghe 38, Mohomad Shilmi 38*, Anjula Perera 15; Kasun Liyanage 1-15, Prashein Fernando 1-24, Azeem Mohomed 1-06]
Sasitha , bowlers star in Brandix Apparel’s 12 run win
Brandix Apparel 137/10 in 17.2 overs [Sampath Jayalath 15, Sasitha Ashan 51, Anton Lakshan 16, Tharaka Silva 19; Budhdhika Herath 2-18, Uneda Nadushan 1-41, Melvin Fernando 1-31, Udara Atapaththu 4-21, Udesh Nishan 1-14]
Pyramid Wilmar 125/9 in 20 overs [Sahas Vihanga 47, Lasith Fernando 36, Udesh Nishan 23*; Janaka Weerapokuna 1-20, Kalpa Udesh 1-13, Akila Dhanuddara 2-39, Tharaka Silva 1-15, Sampath Jayalath 3-12]
At Thurstan College grounds:
Star Garments beat JF and I Packaging by 8 wickets
JF and I Packaging 110/8 in 20 overs [Sameera Lackruwan 10, Dinesh Wishwajith 16, Sarinda Malavige 2, Chamod Sulakshana 22; Dunik Perera 1-16, Suwahas Yapa 2-17, Dhanuka Dulanjana 3-20, Rishantha Anushka 1-12]
Star Garments 111/2 in 11.3 overs [Nadeesha Rajakaruna 25, Dileepa Fernando 35, Sanjaya Mihiran 32*, Chathuranga Dilshan 11*;Dinesh Wiswajith 2-29]
Mobitel Pvt Limited beat LOLC Insurance by 4 wickets
LOLC Insurance 100/10 in 18.2 overs [Pinsara Nanayakkara 18, M Z Osman 20*, Hashan Shalinda 22, Chamara Sampath 12; Sachin Indrarathne 3-17, Sandeepa Halangoda 2-25, Dinidu Samodana 2-07, Dasun Bandara 2-08]
Mobitel Pvt Limited 101/6 in 18.3 overs [Sasun Bandara 12, Sachi Indrarathne 14, Sachin Bulathsinghala 16, Sandeepa Halangoda 23*, Damith Rangana 11; Chamara Thennakoon 2-32, Deneth Nissanka 1-09, M Z Osman 2-16, Neranjaya Madusanka 1-20]
At Nalanda College Grounds:
Future Life Holdings beat MAS Active Kreeda by 6 wickets
MAS Active Kreeda 123/8 in 20 overs [Jineetha Malith 19, Suventhiran Subikaran 42, Anju Amaradasa 21, Akila Silva 12; Shehan Fernando 1-15, Praveen Wanniarachchi 1-19, Prabath Wijesinghe 2-32, Malshan Lakshitha 3-20]
Future Life Holdings 124/4 in 15.1 overs [Sonal Dilmith 50, Shehan Fernado 12, Savindu Rodrigo 24*, Lasal Lakshitha 25; Anju Amaradasa3-32, Chandula Welivita 1-28]
Allainz Insurance crush Alaris Lanka bu 108 runs
Allainz Insurance 238/9 in 20 overs [Yohan Ravishka 74, Charinda Fernando 15, Praveen Shashanka 42, Sameera Fernando 62, Dhanushka Fernando 14; Vishmitha Silva 1-38, Asuntha Indika 1-35, Lakshitha Peiris 1-44, Srihan Anurudhdhika 1-38, Hansitha Madushan 4-28]
Alaris Lanka 130/9 in 20 overs [Vishmitha Silva 21, Srihan Anuruddhika 55, Sameera Rukghan 21, Asuntha Indika 10*; Charinda Fernando 2-28, Malik Peiris 3-34, Mayura Ranasinghe 1-14, Ranga Dias 2-21]
At the MCA Ground:
Stafford Motors edge out Amana Bank by 6 wickets
Amana Bank 137/10 in 19.4 overs [Ramesh Fernando 22, Azher Samsoodeem 11, Shaeed Rizwan 68; Janith Maduwantha 1-32, Shanaka Sampath 2-21, Vihanga Malith 2-22, Sajeewa Vishan 1-18, Sanjaya Fernando 2-25, Asanka Kumarage 1-06]
Stafford Motors 143/4 in 18.1 overs [Gajindu Yasas 30, Vihanga Malith 22, Shanaka Sampath 38, Dammika Kumara 26, Sanjaya Fernando 16*; Ishrath Zarook 1-25, Alawi Nazeer 1-22, Shamsul Muneer 2-21]
CDB B beat VS Information Systems by 5 wickets
VS Information Systems 95/10 in 18.1 overs [Shamilka Wickremathilake 10, KisalRanathunge 18, Kasun Bandara 15, Nimnada Kirindage17, Adeesha Bandaranayake 14; Vishwa Dhananjaya 3-21, Praveen Abeysinghe 2-30, Chamathkar Hettiarachchi 1-18, Chamod Madushan 1-18, Savin Gunasekera 3-08]
CDB B 97/5 in Savin Gunasekera 10, Chathuranga Dikkumbura 23, Chamathkar Hettiarachchi 29, Themira Kumarage 15; Chamath Chamupathi 1-18, Shan Aniketh 1-19, Nimnada Kirindage 2-06, Ayesh Lakmal 1-04]
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Jacobs’ blazing 62* counters Shoriful three-for as New Zealand level series
New Zealand 104 for 4 in 11.4 overs (Tim Robinson 23, Bevon Jacobs 62*, Dean Foxcroft 15*; Mahedi Hassan 1-2, Shoriful Islam 3-19) beat Bangladesh 102 in 14.2 overs (Saif Hassan 16, Litton Ds 26. Towhid Hridoy 33; Nathan Smith 2-14, Ben Sears 2-12. Jayden Lennox 1-28, Josh Clarkson 3-09, ) by six wickets (DLS method)
Bevon Jacobs’ cracking unbeaten 62 took New Zealand to a six-wicket win against Bangladesh in the third T20I. The win in the rain-affected match in Dhaka ensured the three-match series was levelled 1-1 after the second game was rained out.
On Saturday, rain interrupted the Bangladesh innings for nearly two hours after it came down hard at 2.37pm local time. Play resumed at 4.30pm, and the match was reduced to 15 overs per side.
New Zealand, however, bowled Bangladesh out for 102 in the 15th over, with Josh Clarkson taking 3 for 9. Later, it was Jacobs who struck 62 off 31 balls, including five fours and three sixes, to get them home with 20 balls to spare.
Shoriful Islam gave Bangladesh a stunning start in their defense. He bowled a teasing outswinger with his second ball, that Katene Clarke couldn’t help but chase, thus edging to wicketkeeper Litton Das for 1. Shoriful rounded up the first over with Dane Cleaver’s wicket, also caught behind – this time off the inside edge.
Tim Robinson looked promising at the other end, crashing Ripon Mondol for a sweetly timed four and a brutally struck six over point, but he fell trying to slog Shoriful in the fourth over. Mahedi Hasan got into the act too, when he bowled captain Nick Kelly for one.
Jacobs went after Shoriful in his last over, striking him for two fours through midwicket, before Dean Foxcroft swung him down the ground for a third boundary. Jacobs struck Rishad Hossain through midwicket soon after, before Mondol was sent high over mid-off for a six.
Jacobs reached his fifty with a six off Rishad’s next over. Parvez Hossain Emon could have taken a catch at long-on, but instead punched it over for the maximum. Jacobs then slammed a straight boundary, before slog-sweeping Rishad for a six over midwicket to complete the chase with a sequence of 6, 4, 6.
Before the rain, Nathan Smith gave New Zealand a solid start with two wickets off consecutive deliveries in the fifth over. Smith burst through Tanzid Hasan with a delivery that held its line as Tanzid went for a heave across the line. Next ball, Parvez Hossain’s upper cut was poorly timed, as it lobbed towards Ish Sodhi at short third.
Before the double strike, left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox became the third New Zealander to take a wicket with his first ball in T20Is. On debut, Lennox outfoxed Saif Hassan into giving a simple catch to Robinson at cover. Before Lennox did on Saturday, Lockie Ferguson and Cole McConchie had taken wickets with their first ball on debut.
When play resumed after a lengthy rain break, Clarkson removed Litton, who was caught at the deep-cover boundary after he made 26 off 17 balls. Towhid Hridoy survived a run-out chance in the next over when wicketkeeper Cleaver dislodged the stumps before the throw came in from the point fielder, with Hridoy stranded outside the crease.
Bangladesh’s luck, however, ran out soon, when Sodhi removed Shamim Hossain in the 12th over. Clarkson dismissed Hridoy and Mohammad Saifuddin off consecutive balls in the next over. Robinson took a great low catch, about which he was unsure of initially; he eventually finished with three catches in the innings,the most by a New Zealand outfielder in Bangladesh.
Rishad was run out trying to complete a second, before Ben Sears, fresh off the plane from the PSL, bowled Shoriful and Mondol early in the last over.
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Chamari Athapaththu’s all-round heroics carries Sri Lanka to 3-0 sweep of Bangladesh
Sri Lanka completed a clean sweep of Bangladesh after winning the third T20I by three runs. In the rain-affected match in Sylhet, Chamari Athapaththu once again led the visitors with an all-round show. After her 41 runs from the bat helped Sri Lanka to 87 in nine overs, she bagged 2 for 15 with the ball when defending the total.
Sent in to bat first after a two-and-a-half hour delay, Sri Lanka sped off to 40 runs in the shortened powerplay of three overs. Offspinner Sultana Khatun removed Imesha Dulani in the fourth over after she made 19 off 10 balls with four boundaries.
Athapaththu played a lone hand henceforth while wickets fell at the other end. She struck five fours and a six, some of them blistering through the in field, and a couple of flicks, as she held the Sri Lanka innings on her own.
Harshitha Samarawickrama fell to Sanjida Akter in the fifth over, before Sultana removed Hansima Karunaratne and Nilakshika Silva in the sixth. Kavisha Dilhari struck two fours and a six in her seven-ball 15 which bolstered Sri Lanka towards the end of their innings.
In the chase, Athapaththu removed Dilara Akter in the second over before Juairiya Ferdous and Sobhana Mostary added 30 runs for the second wicket. Captain Nigar Sultana couldn’t get a move on, as she made 13 off nine balls, and Bangladesh couldn’t get to the target in the end. They needed 14 runs off the last over, with Sultana only getting a single boundary off Athapaththu.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka Women 87 for 6 in 9 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 41, Imesha Dulani 19, Kavisha Dilhari 15; Sultana Khatun 3-08, Sanjida Akter Meghia 1-16) beat Bangladesh Women 84 for 6 in 9 overs (Juairia Ferdous 15, Sobhana Mostary 21, Nigar Sultana 13; Chamari Athapaththu 2-15, Sugandika Kumari 2-22, Nimasha Meepagr 1-16, Mithali Ayodhya 1-13 ) by three runs
[Cricinfo]
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