Sports
South Africa on brink of Super 8s
Heinrich Klaasen hit a vital 46 as South Africa claimed a nervy four-run victory over Bangladesh that put them on the brink of securing a place in the T20 World Cup Super 8s.
A combination of the pitch, poor shot selection and good bowling from Bangladesh saw South Africa teetering on 23-4 after they won the toss, as Tanzim Hasan Sakib snaffled 3-18.
Klaasen hit three fours and two sixes in his 44-ball innings as he shared a 79-run partnership with the dependable David Miller to help South Africa recover to compile a defendable 113-6.
Bangladesh made a decent fist of the run chase and at 94-4 with three overs remaining were probably slight favourites.
However, when Kagiso Rabada took the key wicket of Towhid Hridoy for 37 the momentum swung back to the Proteas.
Bangladesh required six off the final two balls and a sizable contingent of their fans momentarily thought they had done it when Mahmudullah heaved a Keshav Maharaj full toss down the ground, only for Aiden Markram to pouch a catch inches from the boundary.
Offered another chance with a full toss from Maharaj off the final ball of the match, Taskin Ahmed could only slice it for a single.
South Africa, who have won all nine of their T20 internationals against Bangladesh, are unbeaten in the tournament so far with three victories and top Group D.
This match had the potential to be an anti-climax after India’s win over Pakistan 24 hours earlier, but it delivered a thrilling contest played out against a colourful backdrop as Bangladesh fans descended on Eishenhower Park in their numbers.
The temporary stands shook with fans clad in green and red, some dressed as tigers, as their bowlers wrestled the early initiative.
Tanzim trapped Reeza Hendricks lbw for a golden duck and the decibel level climbed again when Quinton de Kock misjudged a pull and was bowled by the Bangladesh seamer.
Markram and Tristan Stubbs came and went in quick succession to leave South Africa in deep trouble, but they had been in a similar position against the Netherlands a few days previously.
On that occasion Miller was the key batter and his measured approach here, alongside the more aggressive Klaasen, stymied Bangladesh’s early enthusiasm.
Klaasen’s superb knock came to an end when he tried to heave Taskin (2-16) into the stands, only for the ball to skid through and clatter into middle stump before Miller perished to spinner Rishad Hossain.
Bangladesh’s innings began positively, with excellent running between the wickets a feature throughout, as they made South Africa work hard in the field.
Hridoy twice dispatched Maharaj over the ropes – the first courtesy of a biff down the ground in the ninth over, and the second whipped over square leg five overs later.
There was a pivotal moment off the second ball of the 17th over when a delivery from Ottniel Baartman hit Mahmudullah on the pad and the ball raced away for four leg byes.
However, because Mahmudullah was given out lbw on the field by the umpire – subsequently overturned on review – the ball went dead the moment the finger was raised, which meant the four byes did not count.
It might not have been so crucial had Hridoy’s lbw review, after he was struck on the pad attempting work Rabada off his legs, been overturned.
But the technology showed the ball was just clipping leg stump so Hridoy had to go and Bangladesh’s hopes – despite Maharaj almost blowing it with two full bungers – effectively went with him.
Shammi Silva has once again taken guard at the top of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), securing a fourth consecutive term as President at the Annual General Meeting, held amidst much fanfare at Colombo’s Cinnamon Grand Hotel yesterday.
Already calling the shots as President of the Asian Cricket Council, Silva’s crowning achievement in recent years has been bringing the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup to Sri Lankan shores. The marquee tournament will be co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India next year, a feather in the cap for the country’s cricket administrators.
Silva’s administration has made a concerted effort to bridge the yawning gap between domestic and international cricket. One of the bold strokes in this innings has been trimming the number of First-Class teams – a move aimed at upping the quality and sharpening the edge of domestic cricket.
SLC Ex-Co also played a straight bat when it comes to developing cricket beyond Colombo’s city limits. High Performance Centres have sprung up across the outstations, rolling out the red carpet for raw talent from the hinterlands, who had previously been left in the pavilion.
The school cricket circuit too has been given a shot in the arm, with infrastructure development and skill enhancement taking centre stage. By strengthening the grassroots, the current administration hopes to widen the talent pool and unearth future stars of the game.
SLC’s balance sheet tells its own story – healthy and in the black. Over the past five years, the board’s financial stability has not only benefited cricket, but has also allowed it to lend a helping hand to other sports disciplines, at the request of the Ministry of Sports.
With over three decades of experience under his belt as a sports administrator, Shammi Silva is the long-serving President of the Colombo Cricket Club (CCC), one of the game’s oldest institutions in the country.
The 64th AGM was largely a case of “same XI, new season,” with only one notable change to the playing field – Secretary Mohan de Silva making way for seasoned campaigner Bandula Dissanayake. No stranger to the inner workings of SLC, Dissanayake has previously chaired the Tournament and Umpires Committees, and brings a wealth of experience to the table.
Dr. Jayantha Dharmadasa and former First-Class player Ravin Wickramaratne retained their Vice-President slots, while Sujeewa Godaliyadda continues to hold the Treasurer’s post. Chryshantha Kapuwatta and Lasantha Wickremasinghe will once again don the hats of Assistant Secretary and Assistant Treasurer, respectively.
The election, part of SLC’s biannual cycle, was overseen and greenlit by the Election Committee chaired by retired Court of Appeal Justice Malani Gunaratne.
Vidyaloka College fought back on the back of a valuable century by Nimesh Aavinda to pull off two wickets victory over Kingswood in the Under 19 Division II Tier ‘B’ cricket tournament final played at Saliyapura, Anuradhapura on Monday.
Vidyaloka had a deficit of 36 runs in the first innings but a combined effort helped them restrict Kingswood to 161 runs in the second essay. They were left with a target of 198 runs to chase. And they achieved it with Nimesh Aavinda top scoring with 115 runs.
Scores
Kingswood
227 all out in 83.3 overs (Chanul Kodituwakku 33, Aadil Sheriff 69, Kavija Gamage 25, Nikeshala Nanayakkara 56; Seniru Ninduwara 4/74, Lidula Nuwanga 2/58, Nimesh Aavinda 2/48, Pulindu Chamuditha 2/19) and 161 all out in 65.3 overs (Kavija Gamage 57, Nikeshala Nanayakkara 45; Seniru Ninduwara 2/45, Pulindu Chamuditha 2/07)
Vidyaloka
191 all out in 79.3 overs (Lidula Nuwanga 81, Seniru Ninduwara 34, Tharusha Jayamith 23; Kavija Gamage 4/63, Upadi Jayawardane 2/41) and 200 for 8 in 48.3 overs( Nimesh Aavinda 114, Lidula Nuwanga 34, Seniru Ninduwara 28; Kavija Gamage 3/80, Dominsara Peiris 2/51)
by Reemus Fernando
There was a growing sense of uncertainty surrounding the hosting of the 120th edition of the Lovers’ Quarrel Big Match after Richmond College raised concerns over an attempt by Mahinda College to field a newly recruited player in the team at the historic match which was scheduled to commence on Thursday.
Richmond College authorities have informed Mahinda that they would pullout from the match if the newly recruited player who played for St. Aloysius’ in the just concluded Under 19 cricket tournament is included in the Big Match team.
According to sources Mahinda College have recruited St. Aloysius’ skipper Charya Paranavithana at the end of the Under 19 cricket tournament and are yet to register him under their name with Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association. They have included the player in the Big Match squad.
A source close to Mahinda said that though the player is included in the squad he was not certain to be in the playing XI.
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