Sports

Sri Lanka seal Australia series with a game to spare

Published

4 years ago

2022/06/22

Charith Asalanka scored a maiden international hundred to help Sri Lanka post 258 in the fourth ODI against Australia at R. Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday.

by Rex Clementine

A nation facing its worst economic crisis and high inflation for months had finally something to smile about as Sri Lanka sealed a come from behind series win over Australia at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday. Having set Australia a target of 259, the hosts bowled out the tourists for 254 to complete a four run win and clinch the five match series 3-1 with a game to spare. Friday’s final ODI will be a dead rubber.

Australia were on course for the target and had the required run rate under control as David Warner and Travis Head added 58 runs for the fifth wicket. Part-timer Dhananjaya de Silva then removed both batsmen in successive overs to put Sri Lanka back in the hunt.

Head was bowled for 27 by de Silva and in the next over Maheesh Theekshana trapped danger man Glenn Maxwell leg before wicket for one as de Silva came back for his final over and delivered the killer punch when he had Warner smartly stumped by wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella as Australia lost three wickets for the addition of three runs in the space of eight deliveries.

Warner was unlucky to be dismissed for 99 missing out on his 19th ODI hundred. The opening batsman now has not scored an international hundred for more than two years across all formats.

There was some resistance from the lower order with Pat Cummins (35) putting up some fight and then Matthew Kuhnemann keeping Australia’s chances alive until the last delivery. Australia needed 19 off the last over bowled by skipper Dasun Shanaka. Kuhnemann then hit three boundaries and Australia required five runs off the last ball. He was deceived by a slower delivery hitting it straight up in the air and Charith Asalanka completed the catch at covers.

De Silva finished with two for 39 in his ten overs to back up his half-century during the Sri Lankan innings. The middle order batsman scored 60 off 61 deliveries with seven fours and was spectacularly caught by Glenn Maxwell. De Silva had added 101 runs for the fourth wicket with Charith Asalanka before Maxwell pulled off the terrific one-handed catch at mid-wicket to break the partnership.

Asalanka was the hero for Sri Lanka with the bat posting a maiden hundred. He had joined de Silva with the side in a spot of bother at 34 for three. The pair rescued the innings and then after de Silva’s dismissal, Asalanka added a further 57 for the sixth wicket with Dunith Wellalage (19).

Sri Lanka appeared to be 20 runs short as they were bowled out in the 49th over. However, in the end, it proved to be just enough.

It is Sri Lanka’s first ODI series win over Australia in more than a decade and their first series victory at home against the Aussies in 30 years.

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Muzarabani returns as Zimbabwe opt to bowl against Oman

Published

3 hours ago

2026/02/9

Priyan

Sikandar Raza and Jatinder Singh at the toss (Cricinfo)

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza decided to field first against Oman in the men’s T20 World Cup match at the SSC in Colombo. Both teams were pleased to arrive in Sri Lanka early to get themselves attuned to the conditions.

Zimbabwe have Blessing Muzarabani back in the squad after he missed the tri-series in Pakistan in November.

Oman, meanwhile, include 44-year-old Aaamir Kaleem the oldest player in the tournament – after he came into the side in place of Hasnain Shah, who was injured after the squad was named.

Zimbabwe return to the tournament after missing out on the previous edition in West Indies and the United States of America. They had made it to the Super 12s of the 2022 T20 World Cup but failed to progress through the qualifiers for the 2024 tournament. They completed qualification alongside Namibia; Brian Bennett was the tournament’s top run-scorer, while Brad Evans and Richard Ngarava were among the leading wicket-takers.

Zimbabwe are bolstered by the return of Graeme Cremer, whose November 2025 comeback marked the longest gap between T20I appearances.

Oman are one of three qualifiers from the Asia-Pacific region, alongside Nepal and the UAE. They have previously appeared in the 2016, 2021, and 2024 editions of the T20 World Cup.

Oman: Jatinder Singh (capt), Aamir Kaleem, Hammad Mirza, Wasim Ali, Karan Sonavale, Jiten Ramanandi, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Sufyan Mehmood, Nadeem Khan, Shah Faisal, Shakeel Ahmad

Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Dion Myers, Brendan Taylor (wk), Sikandar Raza (capt), Ryan Burl, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani

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Munsey and Leask spoil Italy’s T20 World Cup debut2

Published

3 hours ago

2026/02/9

Priyan

George Munsey top scored for Scotland (Cricinfo)

Scotland may have suffered a blip the last time they faced Italy in a T20I but ensured they picked up the first points of their 2026 T20 World Cup campaign after a dominant performance at Eden Gardens. George Munsey’s 54-ball 84, supported by cameos from Brandon McMullen and Michael Leask, followed by Leask’s four-wicket haul helped Scotland spoil Italy’s debut in the tournament. The 73-run win gave Scotland two points after their defeat to West Indies in Kolkata two days ago.

Brief scores:

Scotland 207 for 4 in 20 overs (George Munsey 84, Michael Jones 37, Brandon McMullen 41, Richie Berrington 15, Michael Leask 22*; Ali Hasan 1-21, Grant Stewart 1-44, Thomas Draca 1-37, JJ Smuts 1-38) beat Italy 134 in 16.4 overs (Anthony Mosca 13, JJ Smutts 22, Harry Manenti 52; Michael Leask 4-17, Brad Currie 1-12, Brad Wheal 1-29, Mark Watt 2-24, Oliver Davidson 1-33 ) by 73 runs

(Cricinfo)

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Italy captain Wayne Madsen injures shoulder in T20 World Cup opener

Published

3 hours ago

2026/02/9

Priyan

Wayne Madsen hurt his shoulder while fielding at Eden Gardens (Cricinfo)

In an inauspicious start to Italy’s maiden T20 World Cup campaign, their captain Wayne Madsen dislocated his shoulder in the fourth over of Scotland’s innings at #den Gardens. He was later ruled out of any further participation in the match.

Madsen was fielding at midwicket when he tried to stop a pull from George Munsey. He unsuccessfully dived to his left and rolled over on the practice pitches and immediately asked for medical attention. He soon left the ground using a towel as a sling for his left arm.

Madsen, by far Italy’s most experienced cricketer at age 42, is playing his maiden T20 World Cup and was taken for X-rays right away at the venue. A typical shoulder dislocation can take anywhere between seven to 21 days for full recovery while more serious cases can take three to four months.

In Madsen’s absence, Italy were captained by Harry Manenti for the remainder of Scotland’s innings. Scotland went on to score 207 for 4 after they were sent in to bat.

While serious injury replacements are being trialled by cricket boards in India and Australia in domestic cricket, there are no injury replacements in the playing XI allowed in international cricket. At the moment, replacements are allowed only if players suffer concussion.

Madsen was appointed Italy captain for the 2026 T20 World Cup after Joe Burns was not selected for the tournament. This World Cup is his second across sports; he also represented South Africa in the men’s hockey in the 2006 World Cup.

After the game against Scotland in Kolkata on February 9, Italy play Nepal in Mumbai on February 12, and then travel back to Kolkata to play England on February 16 and West Indies on February 19.

( Cricinfo)