Sports

Sri Lanka off to solid start but Dimuth misses World Record

Published

4 years ago

2021/11/30

Sahan Weerasooriya

There were some elegant strokes during Nissanka’s unbeaten 61.

Rex Clementine in Galle

There was disappointment and frustration as skipper Dimuth Karunaratne missed out on the opportunity of equalling the World Record for most consecutive half-centuries in Test cricket by just eight runs yesterday but Sri Lanka did well to reach 113 for one at stumps in a rain-curtailed day where only 34.4 overs were bowled.

Rain had washed out the first two sessions of the Test match and play got underway only after tea with 45 overs scheduled but after 34.4 overs the light was fading and the umpires suspended play with 30 minutes left.

Dimuth had been in pretty good nick this year and he missed out on the milestone when he offered a return catch to Roston Chase on 42. But by then, he had given Sri Lanka a solid start having added 106 runs for the first wicket with Patum Nissanka.

Sri Lanka handed Chairth Asalanka his Test debut and he became the nation’s 157th Test cricketer

Nissanka started off confidently and outscored his captain. West Indies reviewed when he was on 17 after a leg-before wicket shout off the bowling of Jason Holder was turned down. The tourists lost the review after it emerged that the wickets were missing.

There were some elegant strokes during Nissanka’s unbeaten 61 and his confidence was in show when he came down the track to left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul and lofted him over long-off for six. He reached his third Test half-century by driving Holder straight down the ground.

West Indies appealed for a caught behind off Oshada Fernando before he had opened the account and exhausted a second review. Spinner Jomel Warrican prompted his skipper to go upstairs but that was a shocker. It’s not the first time that Warrican had wasted reviews and he seems to be in the mould of Niroshan Dickwella, overenthusiastic and burns reviews unnecessarily.

Sri Lanka handed Chairth Asalanka his Test debut and he became the nation’s 157th Test cricketer. Sri Lanka effectively beefed up their batting by bringing in Asalanka for fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera. There was confirmation from the hosts that Angelo Mathews will share the new ball with Suranga Lakmal. It’s been a while since Mathews has done it in Test cricket.

West Indies, meanwhile, left out Shannon Gabriel and Rahkeem Cornwall bringing in Kemar Roach and Permaul. The latter was playing his first Test match in six years.

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Sports

All-round Athapaththu helps Sri Lanka level series against Bangladesh

Published

4 hours ago

2026/04/23

Sahan Weerasooriya

Chamari Athapaththu bagged 3 for 36 • BCB

Chamari Athapaththu’s all-round show helped Sri Lanka level the ODI series against Bangladesh in Rajshahi. The visitors won by four wickets after chasing down the home side’s sub-par 165 all out in 45.5 overs.

Athapaththu, who had missed the first match due to a finger injury, roared back into action with three wickets. She started off with Sarmin Sultana’s wicket in the 16th over, although the batter expressed her disbelief at the umpire’s lbw decision against her. Athapaththu then removed Sobhana Mostary in her next over by having her caught at square leg.

Nilakshika Silva then took a brilliant catch at mid-off to help Athapaththu take her third wicket when Ritu Moni had mistimed a cover drive in the 31st over. Sharmin Akhter, Bangladesh’s top-scorer from the first ODI, fell for a duck to Malki Madara in the fifth over.

Captain Nigar Sultana top-scored on Wednesday with 58 off 101 balls with four boundaries. She had little support at the other end, before Nimesha Meepage had her caught behind in the 41st over.

Madara, Meepage and Inoka Ranaweera took two wickets each while Kavisha Dilhari picked up one.

During the chase, Athapaththu dominated the Bangladesh attack despite little support from her top order. She made 40 off 39 balls with eight fours, before falling to left-arm spinner Nahida Akhter in the 17th over. Nahida gave her a send-off, with Athapaththu staring back at her for several seconds before walking off.

Harshitha Samarawickrema and Hansima Karunaratne then added 79 runs for the fourth wicket to get Sri Lanka close to the 166-run target. Samarawickrama made 50 off 76 balls with seven fours, while Karunaratne struck six fours in her 40 off 64 balls.

Nahida removed both batters, before getting Kaushini Nuthyangana to complete her four-wicket haul. Sultana Khatun and Moni, meanwhile, took one wicket each.

The third and final ODI of the three-match series will also be held in Rajshahi, on April 25.

Brief scores:

Sri Lanka Women

166 for 6 in 38.2 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 40, Harshitha Samarawickrama 50, Hansima Karunaratne 40; Sultana Khatun 1-36, Ritu Moni 1-27, Nahida Akter 4-21) beat Bangladesh Women 165 in 45.5 overs (Sarmin Sultana 25, Nigar Sultana 58, Nahider Akter 20; Malki Madara 2-30, Nimesha Meepage 2-29, Inoka Ranaweera 2-28, Chamari Athapaththu 3-36, ) by four wickets

[Cricinfo]

Sports

Dates set for LPL 2026

Published

4 hours ago

2026/04/23

Sahan Weerasooriya

The Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026 will be held from 10th July to 5 August 2026.

The sixth edition of the much-anticipated T20 league will be played across four venues: SSC, Colombo; RPICS, Colombo; PICS, Pallekele; and RDICS, Dambulla.

The online portal for foreign player registration will open on 4th May 2026.

The tournament will be conducted by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the owner of the LPL, in partnership with The IPG Group, the event rights holder of the tournament.

The Lanka Premier League, Sri Lanka’s premier domestic T20 tournament with an international flavor, was launched in 2020.

Samantha Dodanwela, who is an Executive Committee Member of the SLC, will continue to function as the Tournament Director.

Sports

Seventeen Air Force athletes to represent Sri Lanka at Asian Beach Games

Published

4 hours ago

2026/04/23

Sahan Weerasooriya

Seventeen athletes from the SLAF are set to represent Sri Lanka at the 6th Asian Beach Games, scheduled to be held in China from 22 to 30 April 2026. ‎The SLAF contingent will compete across multiple disciplines, namely athletics, handball, volleyball, wrestling and kabaddi. ‎In team leadership roles, the Sri Lankan Women’s Handball team will be captained by Corporal Erandi WP of the SLAF, while the Sri Lankan Men’s Kabaddi team will be led by Leading Aircraftman Samarakoon SMCR. ‎The Air Force athletes are seen pictured with Air Force officials after the received best wishes from Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe.