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Sri Lanka pull ahead with Kamindu hundred, Kusal fifty

Published

2 years ago

2024/09/18

Priyan

Kamindu Mendis' hundred lifted Sri Lanka [Cricinfo]

Kamindu Mendis continued his phenomenal start to Test cricket notching up a fourth Test ton, but a couple of late wickets at the end of play ensured that New Zealand were not completely out of it after an engrossing opening day’s play in Galle.

That one of those wickets was that of Kamindu will have brought the visitors particular joy, though the nature of the wicket – with it spitting out of the rough outside the left-handers off stump, to catch his glove – might give New Zealand’s left-hand heavy batting line-up some pause.

Kamindu’s 114 off 173 was part of two key partnerships, the first worth 72 with Angelo Mathews and the second for 103 with Kusal Mendis. Around those New Zealand did what they do best. They put their best foot forward, set up solid plans, and threw themselves at everything.

It meant Sri Lanka were unable to take complete control of the game having won the toss and elected to bat first on an unusually grass-strewn surface.

William O’Rourke was the pick of the bowlers, grabbing three wickets, including that of both Sri Lanka openers within the first hour of the morning session, while Glenn Phillips was the pick of the spinners with figures of 2 for 52. Mitchell Santner was wicketless, though that was less a reflection of his efforts and more a case of bad luck.

Ramesh Mendis was unbeaten on 14 off 42 at stumps, alongside him was the Prabath Jayasuriya, but this was a day that belonged to Kamindu.

Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 302 for 7 in 88 overs (Pathum Nissanka 27, Dinesh Chandimal 30, Angelo Mathews 36, Kamindu Mendis 114, Kusal Mendis 50; William O’Rourke 3-54, Glenn Phillips 2-52) vs New Zealand

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India survive Japan scare in thrilling Sano contest

Published

14 hours ago

2026/09/22

Priyan

Japan's spinners and fielders did not let India run away with the bat [Cricinfo]

If India playing T20I cricket in Japan is the modern equivalent of Don Bradman playing in Ceylon during a whistlestop in 1930, there was nearly a repeat of Bradman’s first-ball hit-wicket dismissal that day.

India, however, survived the banana peel of a five-over shootout on what was a possible reincarnation of the mythical sticky dog (a pitch with excessive moisture exposed to the sun).

In the process, they created the record for the smallest total successfully defended in a five-over T20, winning a thriller by two runs despite scoring only 32.

It wasn’t just the sticky dog in the middle. The outfield was excruciatingly slow, and the umpiring left a lot to be desired. In fact, the square-leg umpire had to intervene and overturn one of the two wides called in the final over as Japan got very close to India’s total and the friendly vibes disappeared.

The Japanese umpire Chris Thurgate kept calling leg-side wides even as the left-hand batter Alexander Shiraai Patmore gave up his leg-side privileges by attempting reverse hits. The second of those calls brought the equation down to 5 off 4, turning the bemusement on Indian faces at the first call into displeasure.

This was when the New Zealander Chris Brown called his colleague over and had the call overturned. It was still a tight last over to bowl, but Axar Patel did enough with figures of 2-0-7-0 to save India’s blushes.

It was a long wait to get the game started after heavy rain on the two preceding days. Understandably, the facilities to dry the surface weren’t cutting edge, which delayed play even on a day with no rain. The umpires brought the players on with just enough time left for the shortest possible contest to constitute a T20I match.

Probably expecting the light to deteriorate, India decided to bat first after Shreyas Iyer won his 11th toss in 13 matches. Not quite Bradman, but arguably the best T20 batter in the world, Abhishek Sharma did recreate the golden duck when he tried a shovel-sweep off the first ball he faced.

The pitch was so slow and turned so much that each of the 10 overs was bowled by spinners. Only four boundaries were hit in the entire match. Having seen the top order perish trying to find the boundary, Iyer decided to dial down the ambition and drove India’s innings with 16 off 12.

It was apparent from the first ball of the defence that Axar was going to be crucial to the result. He conceded just two runs in the first over, with a direct hit from deep square leg by Ishan Kishan resulting in a close run-out of Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake. It didn’t matter how close it was because there was no third umpire in this match.

At 8 for 2 after two overs, Japan looked down for the count, but they took 10 and seven off the third and fourth overs, bowled by Ravi Bishnoi and Washington Sundar respectively. It left Axar eight to defend in the last over, which was too close for comfort, especially with the dubious wide calls. Axar, however, showed remarkable accuracy on a pitch turning so much to deny Japan a winning hit.

Scores: [Five overs a side]

India32 for 4 in 5 overs ( Shreyas Iyer 16; Charlie Hara-Hinze 2-17, Ibrahim Takahashi 1-13, Benjamin Ito Davis 1-02 ) beat Japan 30 for 3 in 5 overs (Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming 12; Washington Sundar 2-13)by two runs

[Cricinfo]

Latest News

High Court convicts 14 over deadly Easter bombings

Published

14 hours ago

2026/09/22

Priyan

Security personnel stand guard outside Colombo High Court after escorting the accused involved in Sri Lanka's Easter Sunday attacks of 2019, during the verdict in the trial in Colombo on September 22, 2026 [Aljazeera]

The High Court has convicted 14 of the 24 men accused of being directly involved in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which killed 279 people.

The three-judge bench read out its decision on Tuesday after a five-year trial and said sentencing would take place later, the AFP news agency reported.

The charges included murder and conspiracy to commit terrorism.

Nine others were acquitted, while another defendant was found guilty of only some of the charges, the court said.

[Aljazeera]

Latest News

Mandhana, Shafali and Ghosh lead dominant India to Asian Games gold

Published

14 hours ago

2026/09/22

Priyan

India made it back-to-back gold medals in the Asian Games women's competition [Cricinfo]

India thrashed Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the Asian Games women’s cricket competition final in Nisshin to win the country’s first gold medal of the multi-sport event, with Smriri Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh and the bowling group starring in the dominant display. That made it back-to-back gold medals for India in the event after their triumph in 2023.

Mandhana and Shafali laid the foundation of the win for India with a 99-run opening stand after they opted to bat, with Mandhana finishing on 79 off 45 balls. Ghosh then provided the finishing touches, making 49 not out off 22 balls to power India to 216 for 3, the highest Asian Games innings total.

Sri Lanka couldn’t get anywhere near India’s firepower as they struggled against spin. Chamari Athapaththu fought with a 21-ball 29, but they folded for a paltry 69 – just two runs more than what India managed in their powerplay – to lose another final to India in the space of ten days after going down in the Asia Cup title contest.

The match unfolded similarly to that game in Dubai. Mandhana in particular was at her menacing best, starting off with two boundaries off Sugandika Kumari in the first over and then launching three sixes to different parts of the ground. She first rocked back to Sugandika’s short delivery outside off and cleared mid-on with ease. Sugandika then went fuller and strayed onto the pads, allowing Mandhana to whip it over square leg for another six. And in the next over, she stepped down the track and carved Mithali Ayodhya over cover for her third six of the day.

Shafali then joined in the fun, taking Athapaththu for two sixes, pulling a short ball over deep midwicket before driving a floated delivery over mid-off. Mandhana rounded off the over by flat-batting a back-of-a-length delivery just beyond long-on for another six, much to Athapaththu’s frustration. India were going at over 11 at that point, posting 67 for no loss at the end of the powerplay.

Fours and sixes came frequently with Mandhana continuing to be the more aggressive of the two, bringing up her fifty off 30 balls in the tenth over. Shafali survived a stumping scare in the same over but couldn’t cash in on the chance as she top-edged a shot to Kawya Kavindi at short third off Chamudi Praboda for 48 off 29 balls.

Sri Lanka briefly managed to stem the flow of runs, conceding just one boundary in 19 balls, but that period did not last long. Harmanpreet Kaur and Mandhana started finding the gaps soon, though the India captain’s stay did not last long as she departed for a 17-ball 19.

Ghosh walked out at No. 4 and helped India pick up the pace again, taking on Praboda for two boundaries while Mandhana continued to attack at the other end. Mandhana went on to clobber two more sixes before falling in an attempt to go big, miscuing a length delivery from Sugandika while looking to clear deep-backward square-leg.

With 200 in sight, Ghosh took charge as she helped India plunder 19 runs, including two fours and a six, off Kavindi’s over before launching two more sixes off Ayodhya in the next, pulling a half-tracker over deep midwicket before moving across to club another full delivery over cow corner. Ayodhya also conceded five wides in the over. Ghosh capped the innings with another boundary as India finished on 216.

Sri Lanka were facing a daunting target, but it was not the brightest of starts for India on the field either. After Shreyanka Patil dropped a regulation catch off Imesha Dulani at backward point in the first over, Athapaththu looked in good touch as she scored two boundaries off Nandani Sharma in the second.

Harmanpreet then turned to India’s go-to part-time spin option – Shafali – and she delivered instantly, deceiving Dulani in flight, with Ghosh completing the stumping. She claimed her second wicket in her next over, with a loopy delivery that Hasini Perera sliced to cover point.

Sri Lanka found boundaries against the faster bowlers but could barely keep up with the required run rate, moving to 41 for 2 at the end of the powerplay. India then turned to spin for the rest of the innings, and Sri Lanka’s chase quickly unravelled.

Deepti Sharma ended their slim hopes when she had Athapaththu miscuing to long-off in the seventh over. Patil then had Harshitha Samarawickrama caught and bowled for a duck, before N Shree Charani dismissed Hansima Karunaratne for 1 after another miscued slog.

Deepti then added a second wicket when Kavisha Dilhari spooned a drive back to her, leaving Sri Lanka six down and in deep, deep trouble.

The result all but decided by then, and India continued to strike at regular intervals with Sri Lanka offering no resistance, barring a six and a four from Kaushini Nuthyanganam, whose wicket brought Sri Lanka’s innings to an end in the 16th over. Deepti finished with figures of 3 for 6, while Shafali, Shree Charani and Patil bagged two each.

Scores:
India Women 216 for 3 in 20 overs (Shafali Verma 48, Smriti Mandhana 79, Harmanpreet Kur 19, Richa Ghosh 49; SugandikaKumari 1-49, Kavisha Dilhari 1-35, Chamudi Praboda 1-34) beat Sri Lanka 69 in 15.4 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 29, Kavisha Dilhari 11, Kaushini Nuthyangana 14; Deepti Sharma 3-06, Shafali Verma 2-03, Shreyanka Patil 2-9, N Shree Charani 2-13) by 147 runs

[Cricinfo]