Latest News
Thailand and UAE triumph over Uganda and Netherlands in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier
Thailand and United Arab Emirates (UAE) registered thorough wins in Monday night’s matches of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier at Tolerance Oval and Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The wins kept alive the teams’ hopes of a place in the tournament’s semi-finals.
At Tolerance Oval, Thailand bested Uganda by nine wickets, while UAE claimed an emphatic, 10-wicket victory under the Zayed Cricket Stadium lights.
Both matches were dominated by the bowlers of the winning teams, who ripped through their opponents’ batting line-ups with superb pace and spin bowling displays.
Equally, UAE’s openers ensured that their bowlers’ hard work paid off, with a scintillating chase led by captain Esha Oza’s outstanding 66 not-out.
Uganda vs Thailand
Thailand’s bowlers proved their captain Naruemol Chaiwai’s decision of fielding first right, by producing a sensational bowling display that blew away the Uganda batting line-up. After a 17-run opening stand, Uganda collapsed to 62-all out in 17.4 overs.
Only three batters Rita Musamali (24), captain, Janet Mbabazi (14) and opener, Prosscovia Alako (10), reached double figures as Thailand’s bowlers kept making inroads.
All-rounder, Nattaya Boochatham, who shared the new ball with Chanida Sutthiruang, took two wickets for eight runs in 2.4 overs with her probing off-spinners. Pacer, Sutthiruang, was equally good as she returned her own pair of scalps for 10 runs in her four overs.
Left-arm spinner, Thipatcha Putthawong, maintained the stranglehold on Uganda’s batters, with two wickets.
Thailand chased down the target with consummate ease. Seasoned batter, Natthakan Chantham, played some delightful shots in her unbeaten 34 off 43 balls (five fours) to earn the Player of the Match award. She shared a 30-run opening stand with Boochatham (12) and an unbeaten, 34-run partnership with Nannapat Koncharoenkai, as the victory was achieved with 51 balls to spare.
Thailand have now won one and lost one match while Uganda have lost two out of their three matches, their only win was against UAE on Saturday. Sri Lanka are at the top of Group A, with Scotland in second place, both teams have won two matches so far.
Netherlands vs UAE
The Netherlands’ decision to bat first backfired as the UAE’s bowlers tore through their batting line-up. The Player of the Match in the win against Vanuatu, Sterre Kalis, fell for a first ball duck to Samira Dharnidharka in the opening over of the match. The loss of the star batter rattled the side as UAE’s bowlers tightened their grip.
Netherlands were reduced to 49 for four and seemed to recover well when they reached 82 for four in the 14th over.
The match took a dramatic turn however, when Netherlands lost four wickets for the addition of just three runs, 82 for four tripping to 85 for eight in a space of 11 balls. The last two wickets added 16 runs as Netherlands finished their 20 overs at a disappointing 101 for nine.
Dharnidharka was the pick of the UAE bowlers, her seam bowling earned her three wickets for 11 runs in four overs. Khushi Shamra and Vaishnave Mahesh took two wickets each, both conceded 16 runs in their three and four-over spells respectively.
Robine Rijke’s 44 (36 balls, five fours, one six) was the only notable performance with the bat for the Dutch.
UAE’s openers got off to an aggressive start in their batting reply, with Oza leading the way with a brilliant knock of 66 off 39 deliveries (nine fours, two sixes). The right-hander displayed her incredible shot range in a brisk innings which helped UAE improve their net run-rate considerably, following their defeats to Ireland and Zimbabwe in their opening matches. Oza finished the match with a big six over wide mid-wicket as UAE completed the chase with 49 balls to spare.
Oza’s opening partner Theertha Satish provided her wonderful support with an unbeaten 36 off 33 balls. Satish stroked five fours in her innings as the helpless Netherlands bowlers finished the innings wicket-less.
The big win keeps the UAE’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals from Group B alive. Netherlands, who defeated Vanuatu by 100 runs in their opening match, will now need to come out firing at all cylinders against Zimbabwe and Ireland, as the battle for the top two spots heats up.
Scores in brief:
Match 11:
Thailand beat Uganda by nine wickets
Uganda 62 all out in 17.4 overs (Rita Musamali 24, Janet Mbabazi 14; Thipatcha Putthawong 2-7, Nattaya Boochatham 2-8, Chanida Sutthiruang 2-10)
Thailand 64 for 1 in 11.3 overs (Natthakan Chantham 34 not out, Nattaya Boochatham 15, Nannapat Koncharoenkai 12 not out; Sarah Akiteng 1-18)
Player of the Match – Natthakan Chantham
Match 12:
UAE beat Netherlands by 10 wickets
Netherlands 101 for 9 in 20 overs (Robine Rijke 44; Samira Dharnidharka 3-11, Vaishnave Mahesh 2-16, Khushi Sharma 2-16)
UAE 104 for no loss in 11.5 overs (Esha Oza 66 not out, Theertha Satish 36 not out)
Player of the Match – Esha Oza
(ICC)
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi arrived in the island a short while ago on a three-day state visit.
The Indian Prime Minister was received at the Katunayake International Airport by Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath.
PM Modi is accompanied by Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar, Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Indian Foreign Secretary and several senior officials of the Government of India.
The General Manager of Railways has announced that the following special train services will operate during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year period.
1. From Colombo Fort to Badulla – departing Colombo Fort at 1930 hrs on 11th, 12th, 19th and 20th April
2. From Badulla to Colombo Fort – departing Badulla at 1750 hrs on 11th, 12th, 19th and 20th April
3. From Galle to Anuradhapura – departing Galle at 0400 hrs on 12th and 13th April
4. From Anuradhapura to Galle – departing Anuradhapura at 1500 hrs on 12th and 13th April
5. From Colombo Fort to Galle – departing Colombo Fort at 120 hrs on 10th, 11th, 15th and 20th April
6. From Galle to Colombo Fort – departing Galle at 0610 hrs on 11th, 12th, 16th and 21st April
7. From Colombo Fort to Galle – departing Colombo Fort at 1330 hrs on 12th and 13th April
8. From Colombo Fort to Kankasanthurai [Intercity Express] – departing Colombo Fort at 0530 hrs on 11th and 18th April
9. From Kankasanthurai to Colombo Fort [Intercity Express] – departing Kankasanthurai at 1350 hrs on 11th and 18th April
10. From Beliatta to Colombo Fort – departing Beliatta at 0825 hrs on 12th, 13th, 18th, 19th and 20th April
Global stocks have sunk, a day after President Donald Trump announced sweeping new tariffs that are forecast to raise prices and weigh on growth in the US and abroad.
Stock markets in the Asia-Pacific region fell for a second day, hot on the heels of the US S&P 500, which had its worst day since Covid crashed the economy in 2020.
Nike, Apple and Target were among big consumer names worst hit, all of them sinking by more than 9%.
At the White House, Trump told reporters the US economy would “boom” thanks to the minimum 10% tariff he plans to slap on imports in the hope of boosting federal revenues and bringing American manufacturing home.
The Republican president plans to hit products from dozens of other countries with far higher levies, including trade partners such as China and the European Union. China, which is facing an aggregate 54% tariff, and the EU, which faces duties of 20%, both vowed retaliation on Thursday.
Tariffs are taxes on goods imported from other countries, and Trump’s plan that he announced on Wednesday would hike such duties to some of the highest levels in more than 100 years.
The World Trade Organization said it was “deeply concerned”, estimating trade volumes could shrink as a result by 1% this year.
Traders expressed concern that the tariffs could stoke inflation and stall growth.
In early trading on Friday, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell by 1.8%, the Kospi in South Korea was around 1% lower and Australia’s ASX 200 dipped by 1.4%.
On Thursday, the S&P 500 – which tracks 500 of the biggest American firms – plunged 4.8%, shedding roughly $2tn in value.
The Dow Jones closed about 4% lower, while the Nasdaq tumbled roughly 6%. The US shares sell-off has been going on since mid-February amid trade war fears.
Earlier, the UK’s FTSE 100 share index dropped 1.5% and other European markets also fell, echoing declines from Japan to Hong Kong.
On Thursday at the White House, Trump doubled down on a high-stakes gambit aimed at reversing decades of US-led liberalisation that shaped the global trade order.
“I think it’s going very well,” he said. “It was an operation like when a patient gets operated on, and it’s a big thing. I said this would exactly be the way it is.”
He added: “The markets are going to boom. The stock is going to boom. The country is going to boom.”
Trump also said he was open to negotiating with trade partners on the tariffs “if somebody said we’re going to give you something that’s so phenomenal”.
On Thursday, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said that country would retaliate with a 25% levy on vehicles imported from the US.
Trump last month imposed tariffs of 25% on Canada and Mexico, though he did not announce any new duties on Wednesday against the North American trade partners.
Firms now face a choice of swallowing the tariff cost, working with partners to share that burden, or passing it on to consumers – and risking a drop in sales.
That could have a major impact as US consumer spending amounts to about 10% – 15% of the world economy, according to some estimates.
While stocks fell on Thursday, the price of gold, which is seen as a safer asset in times of turbulence, touched a record high of $3,167.57 an ounce at one point on Thursday, before falling back.
The dollar also weakened against many other currencies.
In Europe, the tariffs could drag down growth by nearly a percentage point, with a further hit if the bloc retaliates, according to analysts at Principal Asset Management.
In the US, a recession is likely to materialise without other changes, such as big tax cuts, which Trump has also promised, warned Seema Shah, chief global strategist at the firm.
She said Trump’s goals of boosting manufacturing would be a years-long process “if it happens at all”.
“In the meantime, the steep tariffs on imports are likely to be an immediate drag on the economy, with limited short-term benefit,” she said.
On Thursday, Stellantis, which makes Jeep, Fiat and other brands, said it was temporarily halting production at a factory in Toluca, Mexico and Windsor, Canada.
It said the move, a response to Trump’s 25% tax on car imports, would also lead to temporary layoffs of 900 people at five plants in the US that supply those factories.
On the stock market, Nike, which makes much of its sportswear in Asia, was among the hardest hit on the S&P, with shares down 14%.
Shares in Apple, which relies heavily on China and Taiwan, tumbled 9%.
Other retailers also fell, with Target down roughly 10%.
Motorbike maker Harley-Davidson – which was subject of retaliatory tariffs by the EU during Trump’s first term as president – fell 10%.
In Europe, shares in sportswear firm Adidas fell more than 10%, while stocks in rival Puma tumbled more than 9%.
Among luxury goods firms, jewellery maker Pandora fell more than 10%, and LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) dropped more than 3% after tariffs were imposed on the European Union and Switzerland.
“You’re seeing retailers get destroyed right now because tariffs extended to countries we did not expect,” said Jay Woods, chief global strategy at Freedom Capital Markets, adding that he expected more turbulence ahead.
[BBC]
Indian PM Modi arrives in Sri Lanka on a three day state visit
Special Train Services during Sinhala and Tamil New Year
Trump tariffs trigger steepest US stocks drop since 2020 as China, EU vow to hit back
-
News5 days agoBid to include genocide allegation against Sri Lanka in Canada’s school curriculum thwarted
-
Sports6 days agoSri Lanka’s eternal search for the elusive all-rounder
-
News7 days agoGnanasara Thera urged to reveal masterminds behind Easter Sunday terror attacks
-
Sports2 days agoTo play or not to play is Richmond’s decision
-
News6 days agoComBank crowned Global Finance Best SME Bank in Sri Lanka for 3rd successive year
-
Features6 days agoSanctions by The Unpunished
-
Features6 days agoMore parliamentary giants I was privileged to know
-
Latest News4 days agoIPL 2025: Rookies Ashwani and Rickelton lead Mumbai Indians to first win