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Sri Lanka teams eye Asian Relay Championships after visa issues derail Olympic plans

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The men's 4x400 metres team will have to be in their full strength if they are to accomplish the target as all leading Asian teams will be in their full strength to book the last few Olympic berths.

by Reemus Fernando

After the Olympic qualifying opportunity at World Relays in Bahamas went awry due to visa issues Sri Lanka men’s 4×400 metres relay team will eye Asian Relay Championships in Bangkok later this month to grab one of the two remaining spots at Paris Olympics 2024.

Sri Lanka Athletics has finalized teams for all five relays of the Asian event which will he held on May 20 and 21 at the Supachalasai National Stadium in Bangkok, where the team anchored by Kalinga Kumarage established a new Asian Championship men’s 4×400 metres record last year.

Last week, Sri Lanka Athletics informed the World track and field governing body that the country would not be able to take part in the World Relays in Bahamas after US embassy in Colombo did not provide visa interview opportunities untill the eleventh hour to obtain transit visas. The US embassy invited the Sri Lanka team for vis interviews on May 2 for the May 4-5 event after media highlighted the team’s plight. The team received visas after authorities had cancelled originally booked air tickets.

The teams competing at the World Relays over the weekend in Bahamas were set to secure 14 out of the 16 Olympic spots available for the men’s 4×400 metres relay. The last two spots will be filled by the next two highest ranked teams. Sri Lanka team will now eye one of these sports when they compete against the best teams in Asia.

The men’s 4×400 metres team is the closest to reach qualifying standards for Olympics after the team comprising of Aruna Dharshana, Kalinga Kumarage, Rajitha Rajakaruna and Pabasara Niku clocked 3:01.56 seconds last year.

Sri Lanka will field five relay teams including the Asian Championship medal winning women’s 4×400 metres and 4×400 metres mixed relay teams for the event in Thailand. Although they have slim chances of qualifying for Olympics, the men’s and women’s 4×100 metres teams too will compete at the Asian event.

It will be a tough task for all relay teams at the Asian event. Even the men’s 4×400 metres team will have to be in their full strength if they are to accomplish the target as all leading Asian teams will be in their full strength to book the last two Olympic berths.

Last Friday, five Sri Lankan athletes competed at the UAE Grand Prix in Dubai with the hope of improving their ‘Road to Paris 24 Olympic’ rankings but apart from Italy based sprinter Yupun Abeykoon who clocked 10.18 seconds to be placed third in the men’s 100 metres others could not improve on their season best performances. While Asian Games gold medallist Tharushi Karunaratne could not finish the 800 metres, Gayanthika Abeyratne finished last in the race. Nadeesha Ramanayake finished second in the women’s 400 metres. Her performance was below her season’s best achieved in Colombo.



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Two Sri Lanka U-19 cricketers arrested for allegedly filming women in a hotel

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Two Sri Lanka Under-19 men’s cricketers have been arrested over allegations of filming people bathing in the hotel the players were staying at, in Narahenpita, Colombo. Both players have since been released on a personal bail of LKR 500,000 (approx $1,564).

The cricketers had been arrested earlier this week after women staying at the hotel had complained that they were being filmed using mobile phones, while in their bathrooms. Sri Lanka police told ESPNcricinfo that Narahenpita police are currently investigating if any of these videos have been shared online.

Having been produced at the Aluthkade Magistrate’s Court for their initial hearing, the players are next due back in court on May 25.

SLC has not announced any disciplinary measures of its own. However, the board has been in flux over the past 48 hours, with the ousting of the previous office bearers, and the appointment of the Transformation Committee.

[Cricinfo]

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Holder, Rashid and Arshad give Gujarat Titans NRR-boosting win

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Bhuvneshwar Kumar finished with 3 for 28 [Cricinfo]

Jason Holder was so omnipresent that his involvement in five dismissals enabled the Gujarat Titans (GT) to bowl Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) out for 155 in Ahmedabad. Such a middling chase was right up the alley of Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudarshan, but once GT lost both their openers in the powerplay, their soft underbelly was exposed once again. They needed cameos from Holder (12 off 10 balls) and their Impact Player RahulTewatia (27* off 17 balls) to get over the line, handing defending champions RCB their third defeat in IPL 2026.

Virat Kohli flew out of the blocks for RCB, hitting Kagiso Rabada for four successive fours in the second over after they were asked to bat first by GT. Even Rabada’s traditional hard length was pumped over mid-off. In the next over, Kohli charged at Mohammed Siraj and deposited him over mid-on for four more. However, when Kohli tried to charge at Rabada in the fourth over, the South Africa quick hit the deck harder and drew a top edge to midwicket. Rabada had the last laugh and gave the departing Kohli (28 off 13 balls) a death stare.

Siraj had earlier dismissed Jacob Bethell, who got another game in place of the injured Phil Salt, for a run-a-ball 5. Rabada and Siraj bowled right through the powerplay and kept RCB to 59 for 2.

Devdutt Padikkal and Rajat Padidar forged a 44-run partnership for the third wicket before Holder caught the RCB captain at deep square leg in the eighth over. Doubts, however, emerged around the legality of the catch when slow-mo replays suggested that Holder may have grassed it more than once, including while sliding. The TV umpire, Abhijit Bhattacharya, perhaps deemed that Holder was in control of his movements and ultimately ruled Patidar out.

Some of RCB’s players and staff disagreed with the TV umpire’s decision, gesturing that Holder had grassed it. Kohli was seemingly remonstrating with reserve umpire Parashar Joshi after which RCB coach Andy Flower was also spotted having an intense chat with Joshi. Having waited near the boundary, Patidar dragged himself off the field.

Holder was involved in four other dismissals. He had Jitesh Sharma nicking off in the ninth before taking the catches of both Tim David (9) and Krunal Pandya (4) at midwicket. Holder claimed his second wicket when he had his West Indian compatriot Romario Shepherd holing out.

Despite wickets falling around him, Padikkal kept up RCB’s high intent and manufactured scoring opportunities by making swinging room. He top-scored for RCB with 40 off 24 balls before Rashid Khan had him chopping on with a slider.

At 126 for 7, RCB pressed the emergency switch and brought in Venkatesh Iyer as their Impact Player at a cost of a specialist bowler in Rasikh Dar. Venkatesh struggled for fluency and also copped a blow on his unprotected elbow. His 29-run stand for the ninth wicket with Bhuvneshwar Kumar helped drag RCB to 155 before they were dismissed with four balls unused in their innings.

Gill kickstarted GT’s chase by whacking Josh Hazlewood for three fours and two sixes in a 24-run over. Hazlewood had not conceded more runs in an IPL over ever. Gill pressed on to score 43 off 18 balls – the most he has scored in an IPL powerplay – before he slapped Bhuvneshwar to cover, where Kohli grabbed the fast-travelling ball with both hands.

Buttler then took over from Gill and attacked both Hazlewood’s pace and Suyash Sharma’s wristspin. Buttler cracked 39 off 19 balls before he exposed his leg stump, only for Bhuvneshwar to knock it out in the eighth over. Bhuvneshwar also removed Sai Sudharsan during his four consecutive overs. While Hazlewood leaked 56 runs in his four overs for no wickets, Bhuvneshwar ended up giving away only half as many while picking up those three wickets.

Shepherd had to step in as their fourth bowler after they had sacrificed a specialist bowler in Rasikh Dar for Venkatesh’s batting. He responded by taking out both Shahrukh Khan and Washington in one over, the 11th of the chase. Holder then diffused the tension that Shepherd had built up by hooking his first ball for six. When Holder fell in the 14th over, GT needed 15 off 37 balls. Tewatia and Rashid got the job done with 25 balls to spare.

Brief scores:
Gujarat Titans 158 for 6 in 15.5 overs  (Shubman Gill 43, Jos  Buttler 39, Washington Sundar 12, Rahul Tewtia 27*, Jason Holder 12;  Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3-28, Suyash Sharma 1-44, Romario Shepherd 2-30) beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru 155 in 19.2 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 40, Virat Kohli 28, Rajat Patidar 19, Romario Shepherd 17, Venkatesh Ayer 12, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar 15*; Mohammed Siraj 1-38, Kagiso Rabada 1-44, Arshad Khan  3-22, Rashid 2-19, Jason Holder 2-29) by four wickets

[Cricinfo]

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Akash stars as Josephians spin their way to title

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St. Joseph's College clinched the Under 19 Division I cricket title with a first innings win over Royal College.

A superb display of spin bowling led by Sri Lanka Under-19 spinner Vigneswaran Akash powered St. Joseph’s College to a first innings victory over Royal College in the Under-19 Division I Tier ‘A’ cricket final concluded at the P. Sara Oval on Thursday.

‎Defending a formidable first innings total of 443, the Josephians relied on their spinners to dismantle a strong Royal batting line-up, eventually bowling them out for 378 to secure the title on first innings.

‎The spin trio of Akash, Vishwa Peiris and Nushan Perera shared all ten wickets between them, maintaining tight control throughout Royal’s reply. Leading the charge was Akash, the Jaffna-spinner, who delivered a match-winning performance with five wickets for 136 runs in a marathon spell of 44.2 overs.

‎Akash’s key breakthrough came when he removed his Sri Lanka Under-19 captain Vimath Dinsara, who top-scored with a valiant 95. Dinsara, along with Ramiru Perera (90), kept Royal in contention with a strong fourth-wicket stand after early setbacks.

‎Royal showed resilience through several useful contributions. Rehan Peiris made 43, while Dushen Udawela added 45. However, the Josephian spinners struck at crucial intervals to halt any momentum, with Peiris claiming three wickets and Perera chipping in with two.

‎Earlier, St. Joseph’s built the foundation for victory with an imposing 443 in their first innings. Senuja Wakunegoda led the batting effort with a magnificent 123, supported by Rishma Amarasinghe (73), Chethina Kavinda (78), Dilpa Maduranga (56) and Nushan Perera (54). For Royal, Mahiru Kodithuwakku and Himaru Deshan claimed three wickets apiece.

‎Despite a spirited batting effort, Royal ultimately fell short against a disciplined and relentless spin attack, as St. Joseph’s celebrated a well-deserved championship triumph.

(RF)

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