Sports
Sri Lanka reduce Pakistan to 130 for five before rain intervenes
Sri Lanka were off to a solid start in the virtual Asia Cup semi-final reducing Pakistan to 130 for five in their last second round game of the tournament at RPS on Thursday.Both teams had beaten Bangladesh in the Super Four stage but had lost to India and whoever wins this contest will go through to Sunday’s final. India are already through to the finals.
Pramod Madushan replaced Kasun Rajitha and tasted immediate success cleaning up Fakhar Zaman with an inswinging yorker. Babar Azam was superbly stumped by Kusal Mendis as Dunith Wellalage continued his habit of taking big wickets. The left-arm spinner had claimed Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in successive overs in Sri Lanka’s earlier game on Tuesday.
Asad Shafique posted a half-century but was dismissed when he tried to put Matheesha Pathirana away for a boundary but failed to clear the mid-wicket fielder.
Pathirana claimed a second wicket when he took a return catch to dismiss Mohammad Haris. Maheesh Theekshana joined the party when he cleaned up Mohammad Nawaz and play was stopped with Pakistan on 130 for five in 27.4 overs due to rain.
The game was delayed due to rain and although match officials decided to play a 45 over game, there was a threat of regular rain interruptions.
Sri Lanka would not be complaining as a no result would give them a slot in the final. Although both teams have the same points in the Super Four stage, Sri Lanka’s Net Run Rate is far superior than Pakistan’s who had suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of India.
Apart from Rajitha, Sri Lanak also left out the experienced Dimuth Karunaratne in place of Kusal Perera, who is making a return to the ODI side after a considerable break due to injury.Pakistan were forced to make five changes due to injuries to players.
Sports
Chamuditha hammers 192 to break Youth World Cup record as SL beat Japan
Sri Lanka commenced their Under-19 World Cup campaign with a massive win on Saturday, as their openers all but batted Japan out of the contest. Viran Chamuditha’s record-breaking 192 alone surpassed Japan’s eventual total, while Dimantha Mahavithana chipped in with a fluent 115. Together, they put on a monumental 328 for the first wicket, a partnership that ended only in the 44th over when Mahavithana was run out.
While Mahavithana hit 11 fours in his 125-ball knock, Chamuditha batted at a strike rate of 134, smashing 26 fours and a six.
St. Servatius’ College Matara batsman broke the record for the highest individual score in Youth World Cup history. He erased the record held by Hasitha Boyagoda since 2018. The Trinity batsman scored 191 against Kenya at the 2018 World Cup at run rate of 125.65.
The open batsmen Chamuditha and Trinity’s Mahavithana also broke the record for the highest partnership for any wicket at World Cup with their stand of 328 runs.
At 326 without loss after 43 overs, Sri Lanka looked set for a 400-plus total; but over the next four overs, they scored just 21 runs for the loss of three wickets. During that mini-collapse, Chamuditha missed out on a double hundred when he fell at the start of the 45th over.
Sri Lanka captain Vimath Dinsara, however, provided a finishing flourish with an unbeaten 44 off just 24 balls, setting Japan an improbable target of 388.
Japan never found any momentum in the chase. They lost a wicket in the first over, and Sri Lanka kept them in check throughout. Hugo Kelly and Taylor Waugh added 50 for the fourth wicket after Japan had slipped to 56 for 3 in the 15th over, but the innings continued to stutter even as Kelly held one end up.
In Japan’s only real positive, Kelly finished unbeaten on 101 as his side huffed and puffed to 184 for 8 in 50 overs. The next highest score was Kazuma Kato-Stafford’s 19, as Sri Lanka thumped Japan by 203 runs to begin their campaign with a bang.
Scores
Sri Lanka 387 for 4 (Viran Chamuditha 192, Dimantha Mahavithana 115, Vimath Dinsara 44n.o.)
Japan
184 for 8 (Hugo Kelly 101n.o.)
Sports
Maheesha helps St. Sebastians’ Katuneriya record come from behind victory
Under 19 Division I Cricket
Maheesha Sithum cracked an unbeaten 66 in 50 balls inclusive of two fours and three sixes after ripping apart the Maliyadewa batting line up with a six wicket haul to lead St. Sebastians’ Katuneriya to two wickets win in the Under 19 Division I Tier B tournament match at Katuneriya.
In fact the home team were bowled out 46 runs behind Maliyadeva’s first innings total before Sithum produced the match turning performance.
His six wicket haul reduced the visitors to 100 runs in the second innings.
The home team reached the target in 37 overs with two wickets in hand.
In Tier A matches, St. Joseph’s top order continued to impress as Aveesha Samash (64), Pamoda Dalpadado (47), Rishma Amarasinghe (87) and Chamath Perera (43n.o.) joined to post 265 for four wickets declared and score first innings points against S. Thomas’ at Mount Lavinia.
In the other Tier A match, Mahinda College Galle took first innings points against Trinity .
Match Results
Tier B
St. Sebastians’ win at Katuneriya
Scores
Maliyadewa 202 all out in 52 overs (Thiwnka Pabasara 47, Navodya Samarasinghe 65, Dushan Sayuranga 25, Nishuda Chandrasiri 21; Maheesha Sithum 2/57, Tharuka Manaram 3/41, Damsith Subashana 3/45) and 100 all out in 34.3 overs (Dimath Abeysinghe 61; Maheesha Sithum 6/55, Tharuka Manaram 3/26)
St. Sebastians’ Katuneriya
156 all out in 63.5 overs (Dinindu Dilan 67, Ashen Sathsara 20; Dimath Abeysinghe 3/36, Sonal Ashvin 3/31) and 148 for 8 in 36.4 overs (Dinindu Dilan 26, Maheesha Sithum 66n.o.; Dimath Abeysinghe 3/56, Sonal Ashvin 3/46)
Tier A
Mahinda take first innings points at Asgiriya
Scores
Trinity 203 all out in 63.4 overs (Puleesha Thilakarathne 28, Chaniru Senarathne 36, Malika Vithanage 29, Praveen Mithila 35, Santhosh Kritheekshan 39; Arosha Udayanga 3/63, Gesandu Bisas 2/09, Sehas Ashinsa 3/22) and 136 for 6 in 47 overs (Puleesha Thilakarathne 82; Manitha Rajapaksha 2/50, Sehas Ashinsa 2/37)
Mahinda 262 all out in 68.2 overs (Thevindu Rashmika 72, Randula Mabarana 26, Dineth Pehesara 41, Gesandu Bisas 36, Manitha Rajapaksha 47n.o.; Ranul Gunarathna 2/50, Dawood Hilmy 4/38, Chaniru Senarathne 2/31)
Joes win first innings points at Mount
Scores
S. Thomas’ 198 all out in 78 overs (Avinash Fernando 22, Aaron Kodithuwakku 52, Raphael Hettige 23, Gimhan Mendis 22; Thisanga Perera 2/25, Vishwa Peiris 4/67) and 104 for 2 in 34 overs (Avinash Fernando 57n.o., Ludeesha Matarage 38;
St. Joseph’s
265 for 4 decl. in 76.1 overs (Aveesha Samash 64, Pamoda Dalpadado 47, Rishma Amarasinghe 87, Chamath Perera 43n.o.)
(RF)
Sports
Thehan, Dinara win singles titles
SSC Open Tennis Championship 2026
Thehan Wijemanne and Dinara de Silva won the men’s and women’s singles titles of the YETI-SSC Open Tennis Championship continued in Colombo on Sunday.
In the final, Wijemanne beat Ganuka Fernando 7-6, 3-6 and 6-4 for his second men’s singles title of these championships.
Women’s singles final saw Dinara de Silva recording 6-1, 5-7, 6-1 win over Yuhansa Peiris.
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