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Samarawickrama hits 66* before first ODI is washed out
Harshitha Smarawickrama scored an unbeaten 66 and appeared to steady Sri Lanka’s effort in Napier before incessant rain forced a washout in the first ODI after 36.4 overs of action with the visitors at 147 for 5.
Asked to bat by Suzie Bates, Sri Lanka slid from 70 for 1 to 94 for 4, but the game had nearly evened up courtesy Samarawickrama’s second fifty-plus score in ODIs. The rain, though, meant no further play, and after a three-hour break, the umpires called off the contest.
Chamari Athapaththu was the first batter dismissed, for a 21-ball 9, with seamer Bree Illing striking with the new ball. Samarawickrama and Vishmi Gunaratne, the other opener, then added 45 for the second wicket.
Jess Kerr ended the stand when Gunaratne edged one behind to Polly Inglis in the 19th over, following which No. 4 Kavisha Dilhari and No. 5 Manudi Nanayakkara fell to Bates and Illing respectively.
A promising partnership of 44 for the fifth wicket ended when Eden Carson ran Nilakshika Silva out for 17. Samarawickrama, with her seven fours, held one end up amid the dismissals and reached her fifty in 83 balls. She had wicketkeeper Anushka Sanjeewani (2*) for company when rain arrived.
The teams now move to Nelson for the next two games in the series.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka Women 147 for 5 (Harshitha Samarawickrama 66*, Vishmi Guneratne 30, Bree Illing 2-42) vs New Zealand Women – No result
[Cricinfo]
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Showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Southern provinces and in Anuradhapura district
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 08 OCTOBER 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 08 October 2026 by the Department of Meteorology
Misty conditions can be expected at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Galle and Matara districts during the early hours of the morning.
Showers or thundershowers will occur in the most part of the island after 1.00 p.m. Heavy showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Southern provinces and in Anuradhapura district.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
Former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was produced before the Hulftsdorp court, after being arrested by officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and produce
Smriti Mandhana has been named India’s all-format women’s captain on the same day Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from the role after nearly a decade since she first took over.
Mandhana – vice-captain to Harmanpreet for much of this period – has previously led India in four ODIs and 18 T20Is, apart from captaining Maharashtra in domestic cricket and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women’s Premier League.
Mandhana’s first assignment will be the limited-overs series against Zimbabwe beginning with the three T20Is in Raipur from October 16. On Tuesday, Mandhana was part of the selection meeting chaired by Amita Sharma to pick the squad for the tour.
Terming the appointment a “special honour”, Mandhana also acknowledged the contributions of her predecessor in her welcome note.
“I would also like to acknowledge Harmanpreet and the contribution she has made as captain over the years,” she was quoted as saying by the BCCI. “She has led the team with great commitment and has been an important part of our journey.
“I understand the responsibility that comes with this role and look forward to working with the team, learning along the way and giving my best to take Indian cricket forward.”
Mandhana’s appointment comes on the back of a review meeting held on Monday in Guwahati. Chaired by secretary Devajit Saikia, the meeting was also attended by Mandhana, Harmanpreet and head coach Amol Muzumdar to chart a roadmap forward, with an eye on next year’s inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy in February as well as the T20 World Cup and Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Mandhana, India’s best all-format batter, has been knocking on the doors for a while. Earlier this year, she led RCB to their second WPL title, in which she also top-scored in the final.
In September, she overtook Mithali Raj to become the leading run-scorer in women’s international across formats. Her 18 international hundreds are also the most in women’s cricket. She is also the first Indian woman to score centuries in all formats.
[Cricinfo]
Showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Southern provinces and in Anuradhapura district
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