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Shai Hope’s unbeaten 109 piles more misery on England
So much for a white-ball reboot. Three weeks after their disastrous World Cup campaign came to an end, England suffered defeat to West Indies in the first ODI in Antigua, trumped by four wickets thanks to a magnificent 109 not out from Shai Hope.
That they reached their target of 326 with seven balls to spare was down to Romairo Shepherd’s 48 from just 28 deliveries, coming at a time when the hosts looked to be circling the drain. West Indies were 213 for 5 in the 39th over, seemingly having wasted an unbeaten opening stand of 104 between Alick Athanaze and Brandon King. Shepherd, having overturned an LBW decision against him with just three runs to his name, breathed life into the chase with his powerful cameo.
By the time he departed LBW to Gus Atkinson, the equation was a more palatable 24 from 17. Hope, who had found his six-hitting touch as Shepherd’s understudy in their 89-run stand (from just 51 balls), finished the match with three sixes in four balls, all to the leg side. The second took him to a 14th ODI century from 82 deliveries, before immediately clearing the boundary for the seventh and final time to send the crowd wild.
Sam Curran was on the receiving end, not just of those final strikes but brutal treatment throughout the final stretch, leaving him nursing 0 for 98 from 9.5 overs – the worst ODI figures for an Englishman. Earlier on, his 38 had boosted England to 325 all out, with Harry Brook’s 71 the standout in an innings littered with unconverted starts.
At the halfway stage, England’s total – the highest achieved at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium – looked to have them comfortably out in front. But the hosts now possess that record by a single run having clinched it in emphatic fashion.
Brief scores:
England 325/10 in 50 overs (Harry Brook 71, Zak Crawley 48,Will Jacks 26, Philip Salt 45, Ben Duckett 20, Sam Curran 38, Brydon Carse 31* ; Romaine Shepherd 2-77, Gudakesh Motie 2-49, Oshane Thomas 2-57) lost to West Indies 326/6 in 48.5 overs (Alick Athanaze 66, Brandon King 35, Shai Hope 109*, Shimron Hetmyer 32, Romairo Shepherd 49; Gus Atkinson 2-63, Rehan Ahmed 2-40) by four wickets
(Cricinfo)
It has been reported that the former Superintendent of the Boossa Prison S Dhammika has been shot dead by an unidentified gunman in Akmeemana.
The Prime Minister’s Office strongly condemns the fraudulent cryptocurrency scam advertisements currently being promoted on Facebook and Instagram, falsely featuring Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and other prominent Sri Lankan figures. These deceptive ads, operated by foreign entities, aim to mislead the public and exploit the trust associated with well-known personalities.
It has come to our attention that these scam campaigns, originating from fraudulent accounts based in Lithuania, are actively targeting Facebook users in Sri Lanka.
Similar ads have recently featured Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Minister of Science and Technology MP Chrishantha Abeysena, and well-known journalists Amantha Perera and Sunanda Deshapriya, as well as other Sri Lankan public figures in previous instances.
Public Advisory
We urge citizens to exercise extreme caution when encountering online advertisements promoting cryptocurrency investments, particularly those falsely claiming endorsements from government officials and public figures. No government official or ministry has endorsed any cryptocurrency investment scheme.
Additionally, despite reports and removal requests, variations of these scams continue to appear on social media platforms, highlighting serious concerns about the inability of Facebook to curb fraudulent advertising effectively. We call upon Meta (Facebook’s parent company) to take immediate and stronger action to prevent the spread of these deceptive campaigns and safeguard Sri Lankan users from financial fraud.
How to Protect Yourself:
• Do not engage with or click on suspicious ads claiming endorsements from public figures.
• Report fraudulent advertisements directly on Facebook and Instagram.
• Verify all financial opportunities through legitimate sources before investing.
The Prime Minister’s Office remains committed to protecting the public from online fraud and will continue working with relevant authorities to address this growing issue. We urge media organizations and digital platforms to act responsibly in curbing the spread of misinformation and scams.
For official government updates, please refer to the Prime Minister’s Office’s official website and social media channels.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
Many people in and around the Italian city of Naples have spent the night on the streets and in their cars after an earthquake shook buildings and brought rubble crashing down.
Italian seismologists said the 4.4 magnitude tremor struck at 01:25 local time on Thursday (00:25 GMT) at a shallow depth of three kilometres (two miles). The US Geological Survey measured it as a 4.2 tremor 10km deep.
Power supply in parts of Naples was disrupted.
In the nearby town of Pozzuoli, close to the quake’s epicentre, one injured person was pulled from the rubble of a partially collapsed house.
Naples sits on the Phlegraean Fields, a volcanic basin that makes the area in southern Italy prone to quakes.
Thursday’s earthquake was felt in several areas of the Campania region, Italian media reported. The tremor was followed by at least two weaker aftershocks.
People have been seen leaving their homes and gathering on the streets of Naples, fearing more tremors.
Photos later emerged showing one damaged house and a car with a smashed windscreen.
A rescue co-ordination centre has been set up to assess the damage.
Schools in Pozzuoli and two nearby neighbourhoods will be closed on Thursday so building stability checks can be carried out, the Corriere Della Sera newspaper reported.
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