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Shami’s five-fer after Mitchell ton keeps New Zealand to 273
Daryl Mitchell’s career-best 130 and a 159-run third wicket stand with Rachin Ravindra (75) saw New Zealand post 273 in their World Cup 2023 encounter against India in Dharamsala. Helping New Zealand rebuild from a precarious 19/2, Mitchell and Ravindra set a solid platform for the late surge but the hosts pulled things back remarkly at the backend with regular wickets, inspired by Mohammed Shami’s 5-54.
Early strikes from Mohammed Siraj and Shami in an excellent PowerPlay upfront had New Zealand in early trouble after being put in to bat. Devon Conway fell without opening his account, trying to flick a full ball on the pads that was intercepted by a diving Shreyas Iyer at square leg. Shami then struck off his very first ball in the tournament, getting Will Young to drag an inside edge onto his stumps. New Zealand had only 34/2 from the Powerplay – third lowest score in that phase this World Cup – helped only by a generous offering of wides in the 10th over from Siraj.
Mitchell then joined hands with Ravindra to together bail New Zealand out with their big partnership. Ravindra had a fair bit of brush with DRS and lifelines, and made India pay. He hadn’t even opened his account when, against Jasprit Bumrah’s advice, India burnt a review early on a LBW call that was turned down on-field. He was given out caught behind on six off Shami but got out of it using a review himself. He was later reprieved in the same over when his namesake dropped a knee-high regulation catch at backward point. Post a 56-ball half-century, he was adjudged LBW but had it overturned when the replays confirmed the ball was pitching outside leg.
The spinners barely got any turn – Jadeja bowled his 10 on the trot without any break while Mitchell laid into Kuldeep Yadav early, not allowing him to settle down as he deposited two in his succeeding overs straight down the ground. He was the face of New Zealand’s counterattack in the middle-overs, raising his second half-century of the World Cup in 60 balls and going on to convert it into a run-a-ball 100 by the 41st over. He also had his fair share of luck with KL Rahul spilling a tough chance behind on 59 and then Bumrah dropping another sitter when he was on 69.
Shami eventually came to India’s rescue as he broke the stubborn stand, triggering the collapse around a well-set Mitchell. After three spilled chances, India finally managed to cling on to one when Ravindra lofted Shami straight into the waiting hands of long-on, bringing curtains on the 159 partnership. Kuldeep returned with an improved show and earned his reward as he trapped Tom Latham LBW. The New Zealand captain was however coerced into burning a review by Mitchell.
This was followed by a 40-ball phase where the hosts didn’t concede a single boundary to the New Zealand power-hitters. Glenn Phillips duly broke the shackles with a six behind square to welcome Siraj back into the attack at death. His cameo was short-lived though, and ended on 23 with a top-edge off an attempted slog that Rohit Sharma pouched safely amidst three converging fielders.
Bumrah opened his account in his penultimate over of the day, courtesy a well-judged catch from Kohli as he charged in and took a low grab to send Mark Chapman packing on just 6. Shami added three more scalps to his tally at death, perfectly executing a couple of yorkers to knock down the off-stump of Mitchell Santner and the leg-stump of Matt Henry off successive balls in the 48th over. Mitchell dented his figures a tad by launching another one onto the sight-screen in the final over but holed out one ball later, giving Shami a five-wicket haul in his first game of this World Cup.
Brief scores:
New Zealand 273 all out in 50 overs (Daryl Mitchell 130, Rachin Ravindra 75; Mohammed Shami 5-54, Kuldeep Yadav 2-73) vs India
(Cricbuzz)
The annual rugby encounter between Dharmaraja College and Kingswood College, played for the William Weerasinghe Memorial Trophy, is set to take place tomorrow (July 11, 2026), at 4:00 PM at the Bogambara Stadium, Kandy.
The official unveiling of the trophy took place this week at the Dharmaraja College premises with the participation of the Principals of the two schools, teachers-in-charge of sports, coaches, the Rugby teams, and several distinguished guests, including Dharmaraja College Old Boys’ Association President Mahesh Wijetunga, Kingswood College Old Boys’ Association President Muditha Abeykoon,
by S K SAMARANAYAKE
It has been reported quoting family sources that veteran singer Mariazelle Goonetilleke has passed away this morning (10) at the age of 68
She had been receiving treatment at the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital.
The US and Iran again traded strikes in exchanges that continued into Thursday, as observers reported a “dramatic” drop in the number of ships travelling through the Strait of Hormuz.
The US says it hit 90 military targets, some near the Strait. Iran says 14 people have been killed in the past two days.
State media also reported that targets near the Bushehr nuclear power plant were hit, citing the deputy governor of the province. The US has not commented on the latest strikes.
Iran said it targeted US assets in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar in response. Later on Thursday, Tehran launched more strikes on sites in Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq, state-linked media reported.
Separately, huge crowds gathered as Iran’s late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was buried after six days of funeral events.
Crowds massed on the streets of Mashhad in north-eastern Iran waving Iranian flags, while some were pictured holding signs carrying death threats directed at US President Donald Trump.
Khamenei was killed on 28 February during the first hours of US and Israeli strikes against Iran.
Iran’s foreign ministry denounced the latest US strikes as a “grave war crime”, describing the US administration as “evil and psychopathic”
Bridges and a railway route connecting Tehran to the city of Mashhad, where the late supreme leader’s funeral is being held, were also damaged, the foreign ministry said.
Iran’s health ministry said 14 people had been killed and 78 people injured across five provinces.
Gulf nations reported Iranian attacks following the US strikes, with explosions in Bahrain’s capital Manama, Kuwait intercepting missiles and drones, and Qatar issuing a security alert.
Later on Thursday, explosions were heard in Iran’s southern port of Konarak, with a local official telling Iran’s official news agency a navy site was attacked by an “enemy”.
However a US defence official told the BBC it had not carried out any strikes in Iran in recent hours.
The funeral of Iran’s late supreme leader Ali Khamenei is being held in the city of Mashhad [BBC]
Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is also the country’s chief negotiator with the US, said on X that America “still hasn’t learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free”.
“Let me put it plainly: if you strike, you’ll get hit,” he wrote, adding that the Strait of Hormuz will only open under Iranian arrangements – not “American threats”.
US Central Command (Centcom) said the most recent round of strikes was carried out to “further degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping and innocent civilian mariners” in the vital waterway.
In a statement, it said it had struck 90 Iranian military targets, which included air defense systems and military logistics infrastructure along Iran’s coastline.
“The latest strikes follow successful execution of offensive strikes in Iran the night before,” Centcom added.
Phil Belcher, marine director at Intertanko, an international organisation for independent tanker owners, said the number of ships travelling through the Strait via the southern route closer to Oman was now in “single figures” following the step up in hostilities.
Belcher added that the overall daily figure of about 30 ships was down from about 70 a week ago and well below the normal number of 130 ships that was seen before the Iran war began earlier this year.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that there had been an “exuberance of optimism” around shipping in the region following the signing of the SMemorandum Of Understanding between Iran and the US last month, but now the mood has changed.
“This cycle of violence, this cycle of up-and-down, positive-negative news, it’s having an enormous impact both on business and on the seafarers themselves,” he said.
On Wednesday night Iranian state TV reported eight explosions in Bandar Abbas, and said two missiles had hit the ports of both Sirik and Jask – also in southern Iran.
It added that two projectiles had hit the island of Abu Musa, which has been the subject of a longstanding ownership dispute between Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
The extent of damage from the US strikes is not yet known, but Iranian media have reported power cuts in Chabahar and a fire at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) barracks in Bushehr. Images on social media showed damage to a marine control tower in Chabahar.
Earlier on Wednesday, Centcom wrote in a statement that it held Iran accountable for “recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway.”
President Trump said late on Wednesday that Iran had “called a little while ago” and wanted to make a deal “so badly”.
Trump added: “I just don’t know if they’re worthy of making a deal – I don’t know that they’re going to honour the deal, that’s the problem.”
The current flare up has been the worst exchange of strikes between the US and Iran since the deal – known as a memorandum of understanding (MoU) – was signed on 17 June.
Trump said the ceasefire agreement signed last month with Iran was now “over”. He told reporters: “I don’t want to deal with them anymore, they’re scum. You know what scum is? They’re scum. They’re sick people.”
In response, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X: “We do not answer vulgarity with vulgarity, but with action: fearlessly and with great valour.”
The deal between the US and Iran included 14 points, among them a 60-day period for a ceasefire during which negotiations should continue, the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz and the US lifting sanctions on Iran.
The 60-day period for negotiations is not yet up, but Trump said he saw further talks as “a waste of time”.
[BBC]
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