Sports
Pradeeptha, Inuka dazzle
Under 19 Division I Cricket
by Reemus Fernando
Centuries by Thamindu Pradeeptha and Diniru Abeywickramasinghe and a seven wicket haul by Inuka Karannagoda helped their respective schools do well against their opponents in the Under 19 Division I cricket encounters on Tuesday.
An unbeaten century by Thamindu Pradeeptha helped Richmond change the day one script at Mount Lavinia as they posted 249 runs against S. Thomas’ in their encounter. The teams bating first at Mount Lavinia had collapsed to low scores this season but the dogged 258 ball knock by Pradeeptha and a valuable half century by Malsha Tharupathi prevented Richmond from being bowled out for a low score. Pradeeptha’s knock contained 13 fours and a six (in 258 balls).
Abeywickramasinghe’s 116 runs helped St. Servatius’ score a first innings win over Moratu Vidyalaya at Uyanwatta. The visitors however managed to compensate for their dismal first innings performance as Deneth Sithumina top scored with 88 runs for them to post 207 for five wickets at stumps in the second innings.
At Katunayake, left-arm spinner Inuka Karannagoda took seven wickets (24.3-1-49-7) to lead Mahanama to a thrilling first innings win over St. Joseph’s.
Match Results
Inuka takes seven wickets for Mahanama to take first innings
points at Katunayake
Scores:
Mahanama
215 all out in 91.1 overs (Sachira Weliwatta 55, Viranga Yeshan 44, Rashmika Perera 43; Yenula Dewthusa 6/57, Muditha Dissanayaka 2/28) and 136 for 2 in 27 overs (Anjala Bandara 53n.o., Duvindu Ranathunga 38n.o., Sachira Weliwatta 28)
St. Joseph’s
12 for no loss overnight 175 all out in 73.3 overs (Muditha Dissanayake 59, Hirun Kapurubandara 41n.o., Sadeesh Jayawardana 20, Abishek Jayaweera 20; Inuka Karannagoda 7/49, Koojana Perera 2/24)
St. Servatius’ dominate
at Uyanwatta
Scores:
Moratu MV
111 all out in 45.1 overs (Isuru Nidarshana 20, Sukitha Devthilina 32; Viran Chamuditha 3/10, Chiran Neththaru 5/23) and 207 for 5 in 84 overs (Hashen Isuru 32, Thushan Ferdinando 25, Deneth Sithumina 88)
St. Servatius’
180 for 3 overnight 294 for 7 decl. in 76 overs (Denuwan Pramod 63, Chiran Neththaru 60n.o., Diniru Abeywickramasinghe 116; Kaviska Oshan 2/39, Thushan Ferdinando 2/30)
Thurstan on first innings
at Campbell Place
Scores:
Nalanda
218 all out in 61.2 overs (Yasiru Samarakoon 28, Senesh Wijesinghe 65, Sajitha Vithanage 48, Thisara Dewdunu 26; Thenuka Dewapriya 3/34, Vihas Thewmika 3/32) and 189 for 4 in 54 overs (Rusiru Vilochana 41, Sadew Samarasinghe 45, Kushmitha Silva 45, Eranga Jayakody 54)
Thurstan
146 for 2 overnight 272 all out in 83.3 overs (Ramika Sonal 22, Shanikya Deshapriya 75, Thenuka Dewapriya 71, Navindu Fernando 29, Vihas Thewmika 30; Azeem Mohomad 27; Sajitha Vithanage 5/93, Minod Caldera 4/56)
DSS post 227, St. Sebastian’s 24 for no loss at DSS ground
Scores:
DSS
227 all out in 73.1 overs (Senura Silva 58, Malitha Perera 32, Sahan Yapa 29, Chenul Pinsara 33; Sandeesh Fernando 4/59, Manuja Chanthuka 2/39, Ryan Dissanayaka 2/17)
St. Sebastian’s
24 for no loss in 3 overs (Ryan Dissanayaka 22n.o.)
Thamindu anchors Richmond
at Mount Lavinia
Scores:
Richmond
249 all out in 84.1 overs (Thamindu Pradeeptha 114 n.o., Malsha Tharupathi 59; Nathan Caldera 2/47, Kavindu Dias 6/76)
S. Thomas’
15 for 1 in 5 overs
St. Joseph Vaz’s 220, De Mazenod 94/4 at Kandana
Scores:
St. Joseph Vaz’s
220 all out in 66.3 overs (Rishith Menusha 41, Dasun Perera 64, Tharindu Eshan 50; Kavindu Kaushalya 3/38, Sithum Fernando 2/65, Thareen Sanketh 2/64)
De Mazenod
94 for 4 in 31 overs (Hasith Silva 47, Maleesha Mihishan 25n.o.)
Dimath, Gayana restrict Gurukula to 214 runs at Kurunegala
Scores:
Gurukula
214 all out in 52.3 overs (Thathsara Eshan 80, Denura Dimansith 31, Janith Mihiranga 23, Tharusha Dilsara 41; Gayana Weerasinghe 3/52, Dimath Abeysinghe 4/64)
Maliyadeva
144 for 5 in 45 overs (Jayamin Muthukumarana 33, Pasindu Menaka 24, Chandupa Abeysinghe 25n.o., Gayana Weerasinghe 34; Mohomad Mursad 3/34)
St. Anne’s amass 300 for nine
wickets at Kurunegala
Scores:
St. Anne’s
300 for 9 decl. in 93 overs (Kevin Shewantha 31, Mahima Kotuwila 34, Manaan Muzammil 58, Yomesh Subasinghe 45, Kalindu Wijesinghe 36; Bhanuka Insamal 2/47, Navija de Seram 2/68, Senura Perera 3/55)
St. Thomas’
no runs for 1 wicket in 0.5 overs
Mahinda take upper hand against
St. Aloysius’ at Galle
Scores:
St. Aloysius’
114 all out in 36.2 overs (Induwara Udena 20, Kalana Pathum 26n.o.; Shehan Hasaranga 4/35, Dinura Kalupahana 3/23, Dhanuja Induwara 3/17)
Mahinda
162 for 3 in 51 overs (Dinura Kalupahana 41, Savidya Ranmina 38n.o., Tharusha Dilshan 48n.o.; Vidura Lakshan 2/27)
St. Peter’s 252, Dharmaraja 94/5
at Bambalapitiya
Scores:
St. Peter’s
252 all out in 60.2 overs (Vishen Halambage 70, Rusanda Gamage 52, Nimuthu Gunawardena 50, Lakindu Samarajeewa 21, Sean Roberts 16n.o.; Thisaru Wanninayake 3/77, Kalana Herath 2/14, Dulara Bandulasena 2/37, Nisala Abeyratne 2/44)
Dharmaraja
94 for 5 in 39 overs (Pulindu Perera 27, Isuru Pannala 34n.o.; Shennon Rodrigo 4/07)
A member of England’s security staff was involved in an altercation with a Channel Seven camera operator at Brisbane airport.
The incident took place on Saturday morning as the touring squad were departing for Adelaide ahead of the third Ashes Test, which begins on Wednesday.
Footage from the broadcaster shows the security guard pushing away the camera operator as he looks to get up close to the players, who had driven down from Noosa where they had been enjoying a mid-series break The trip itself had been the subject of derision The trip itself had been the subject of derision after England went 2-0 down in the Ashes following their defeat at the Gabba last week.
Cricket Australia’s directive to all media during the series is that both teams should be respected when traveling between Tests, including at airports. All CA media briefing documents for the series contain the following: “The Australian and England teams will not be available for interview while in transit between matches during the NRMA Ashes series. All airport, hotel and transit is vision only, to be captured from a respectful distance.”
While the footage shows Seven had adhered to this protocol, the state of the series has ramped up the media focus on England, who must win the next Test to keep the series alive having been beaten twice inside six days of cricket.
Unofficially, England have urged their security staff to operate with a light touch, particularly given the number of well-meaning requests they have received for selfies when out and about. They were greeted in Adelaide by “eight to ten camera crews” at the baggage carousel.
Ever since arriving in Perth at the start of November, England have been subject to plenty of attention from local and national organisations, and reacted in good grace. Having been warned of the intense scrutiny on Ashes tours, a number of players have not batted an eyelid at various intrusions.
They indulged filming of their rounds of golf ahead of the first Test, joking that the use of drones made them feel like they were receiving coverage akin to professional golfers. In Brisbane, when skipper Ben Stokes and other team-mates were photographed not wearing helmets while using e-Scooters – a fineable offense in the state of Queensland – Stokes brushed it off, even when asked by a journalist if he and his team would apologise for the misdemeanour. When the transgression was put to Ollie Pope ahead of the second Test, he reacted matter-of-factly: “Just put a helmet on next time. Rules are rules.”
The squad were also confronted by media in Noosa over the last three days, both at the beach and bars of the Sunshine Coast resort town. Stokes even indulged a photo opportunity on the beach during a squad-wide game of football keepy-uppy (otherwise known as PIG), with radio station MixFM employees “Archie and Bretz”, who were wielding placards such as “FOR SALE: MORAL VICTORIES” while dressed in full whites.
This incident, however, is a break from that norm, at a time when England have come under fire for their poor performances.
Poor batting displays and a bowling attack losing their way have exacerbated annoyance from England fans at the team’s refusal to accept that their build-up for a series of this magnitude has been less than ideal.
They played a single warm-up match against England Lions at Lilac Hills ahead of vastly different conditions at Perth’s Optus Stadium. After choosing not to send their first-string to practice under lights against the Prime Minster’s XI in Canberra, England opted for five training sessions ahead of the day-night Test at The Gabba. After succumbing to a second eight-wicket defeat, head coach Brendon McCullum stated they had over- prepared.
There is a suggestion that England’s long lead-in to the second Test – which started with a previously unscheduled session at Allan Border Field – was triggered by the criticism of their preparation. This airport incident, however minor, speaks of a crack in their laissez-faire approach at the halfway point of the tour, with a month and three Tests to go, underlining the seriousness of what is at stake in Adelaide and beyond.
(Cricinfo)
A five wicket haul by Sethmika Seneviratne helped Sri Lanka under 19s register an 8 wicket win over Nepal in their Under 19 Asia Cup opener in Dubai today (13).
Brief scores
Sri Lanka Under 19 84/2 in 14.5 overs (Dimantha Mahavithana 39*, Kavija Gamage 24*) beat Nepal Under 19s 82/10 in 28.5 overs (Cibrin Shesthra 18; Sethmika Seneviratne 5-25) by eight wickets
Vaibhav Suryavanshi slammed a blistering 95 ball 171 in the Under 19 Asia Cup opener against UAE on Friday. He fell just six short of Ambati Rayudu’s long-standing India record in youth one-dayers – the 177 against England in Taunton back in 2002.
Suryavanshi, yet to turn 15, hit nine fours and 14 sixes during his innings, before being bowled attempting a paddle in the 33rd over of India’s innings. They eventually finished with 433 for 6 after being put in to bat.
Last month, Suryavanshi had smashed a 42-ball 144 – the joint third fastest century by an Indian in men’s T20s – against UAE at the Rising Stars Asia Cup in Doha. He had got to his century off 32 deliveries that day, in the process recording the joint-sixth-fastest century in all men’s T20s.
Suryavanshi – a certainty to feature in next month’s Under19 World Cup in Namibia and Zimbabwe – also recently slammed an unbeaten 61 ball 108 at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy to become the youngest century-maker in the tournament’s history.
He had a breakthrough year in 2025, when he became the youngest to slam an IPL century, for Rajasthan Royals [101 off 38 balls] against Gujarat Titans. Having made history just a few months earlier – by becoming the youngest pick in an IPL auction at 13 – Suryavanshi featured in seven games in the 2025 edition, all as an opener. He made 252 runs at a strike rate of 206.55.
After IPL 2025, he was part of the India Under-19 squads that toured England and Australia. He smashed a 78 ball century in the first four-day fixture in Brisbane, and finished as the second-highest run-getter of the multi-day series against Australia Under-19s, scoring 133 runs in three innings as India won 2-0.
Prior to that, he had amassed 335runs at a strike rate of 174.01 in the one-dayers against England Under-19s.
[Cricinfo]
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