Sports
Throwers eager to create history at Tokyo Paralympics
Pradeep Nishantha the coach of Sri Lanka’s Paralympic medallist Dinesh Priyantha Herath believes that his charges now in Tokyo have the ability to create Paralympics history when they compete on Monday.
“All my three throwers will be in action on Monday. I am hopeful that they would create history here,” said Nishantha in an online interview with The Sunday Island.
“All three throwers are in good shape and they are eager to perform,” said Nishantha who first trained Herath to win bronze at the Rio Paralympics five years ago.
Sri Lanka has won just two medals at Paralympics. Pradeep Sanjaya won the country’s first medal, a bronze in T46 400 metres at the 2012 London Paralympics.
Herath, who is the captain of the Sri Lanka team at the Tokyo Paralympics won the second medal, once again a bronze medal in F46 javelin throw at the last Paralympics with a throw of 58.23 metres.
Sri Lanka Army athlete who celebrated his 35th birth day last month has improved since then to be in a better shape for this edition. With Nishantha’s trainees and the other track and field para athletes in good shape for this edition the Tokyo Paralympics is offering a chance for them to create history.
The winner of the Asian Para Games F46 javelin event, Herath said in 2018 that his ambition was to win gold at the Tokyo Paralympics. The Gajaba Sports Club member proved how close he was to the target in 2019 when he won silver at the World Championships despite an injury. There he cleared 60.59 metres.
Sri Lanka has four throwers competing in Tokyo. Of them three are javelin throwers, all trained by Nishantha.
While Herath will compete in the morning on Monday with the aim of improving the colour of the medal won at the last edition, Sampath Hettiarachchi and Samitha Dulan will take the field in the afternoon on the same day.
Hettiarachchi from Sri Lanka Army’s Vijayabahu Sports Club has a silver medal from the 2018 Asian Para Games. He will be competing in F64 javelin throw.
Dulan who is from Military Police Sports Club was placed fourth at the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai in 2019. He will be eager to improve on that ranking in the F44 javelin throw. (RF)
South Africa and New Zealand, the two best sides to have never won a World Cup, meet in a knockout match. Both have had their hands on this trophy all the way back when it was called the ICC Knockout and possibly meant something else in terms of its significance in the global game. So make no mistake: winning this will not take away the desire for the big one but it will help to tide things over until 2027, when South Africa co-host the event with neighbours Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Quietly, South Africa know they are actually building for that but the pressure to return home with something other than disappointment is ever-present. This is another chance to change that. New Zealand, after coming so close to the trophy at the 2019 World Cup, also carry scars but somehow seem less burdened by them. Perhaps a smaller population, with fewer socio-economic fractures that can be plastered over with sporting success helps them; maybe they’re just good at stoicism. Those are things to ponder later in the week when one of these two teams will play a final against a yet-to-be-decided opposition at a yet-to-be-decided venue. For now, they’ve both probably got the knockout they wanted.
Facing each other, rather than India or Australia, appears to give them both a better chance of progressing to the final. And doing it in Pakistan, though both teams travelled from Dubai at different times on Monday, likely suits them more. Conditions are good for run-scoring and both have line-ups capable of posting big scores which suggests fans will be in for a run-fest. Their attacks are similarly matched to the point where both were hit by injury-enforced absences amongst the quicks. Some of the more interesting narratives could be around which of the tall men – Marco Jansen and Kyle Jamieson – can extract the most with their height or which of the attacking bowlers, Kagiso Rabada or Matt Henry, has the most success.
A difference could come in the spin resources, where South Africa have chosen to operate with only one specialist in Keshav Maharaj but New Zealand have both captain Mitchell Santner and offspinner Michael Bracewell in their best XI. Maharaj had previously indicated he sees a spinners role as a more defensive one at this event so their economy rates are the numbers to watch here.
Overall, this match promises an even contest without the hype that comes with playing a big three nation even though there is plenty of history. New Zealand dumped South Africa out of both the 2011 and 2015 World Cups and though the likes of us will talk about it, it’s worth remembering that the last of those was ten years ago and much cricket has been played since.
Then, particularly for South Africa, the results seemed seismic. Now, ICC events happen annually and teams are dusting themselves off and starting again with much greater frequency. Does that mean it matters less if you lose at a crucial stage or even if you win? Ask one of these two, who have both spent the best part of the last three decades trying to win a major trophy and they’re likely to say no. Only one of them will have the chance to do it this time.
No one has quite said it yet but could this be the last time 35-year-old David Miller plays in an ODI tournament for South Africa? And if so, what kind of say will he have on it? He has limited opportunity in the tournament so far. He came to bat in the 43rd over against Afghanistan only to smash the winning runs against England, but has had almost-decisive knocks in both South Africa’s previous white-ball knockout games. At the 2023 ODI World Cup, Miller’s century gave South Africa something to defend in the semi-final after they were reduced to 24 for 4; at the 2024 T20 World Cup, he was looking good on 21 off 17 balls before being spectacularly caught on the boundary which could have taken South Africa within touching distance of the trophy. Miller has shown he enjoys the big occasion and has also indicated he is taking things year by year, so chances to play in knockouts are likely becoming fewer. After all his efforts, he will want to play a role in South Africa winning one
Kane Williamson has back-to-back ODI centuries against South Africa, albeit they were scored six years apart. He made 106* against them in Birmingham in June 2019 and 133* against them at this venue in the tri-series that preceded this tournament, though that was not against a full-strength South African side. Overall, Williamson averages 57.35 against South Africa, his best against any opposition other than Zimbabwe. Though New Zealand have a line-up of creative and crafty hitters, Williamson’s role in New Zealand’s side continues to be of utmost importance as evidenced by his 81 against India in Dubai, where he kept New Zealand in the fight in what was ultimately a losing cause.
Like many of the more experienced players at this event, at 34, Williamson may not get another opportunity to win an ODI trophy and will want to make the most of this one.
Openers Temba Bavuma and Tony de Zorzi have both recovered from the illness that kept them out of the England game and are expected to be available for selection, but de Zorzi is expected to make way for Aiden Markram, who passed his fitness test on Tuesday. George Linde has been called up as a travelling reserve. The bowling make-up – two allrounders, one specialist spinner and two quicks – is expected to be unchanged.
New Zealand’s only question will be which one of Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway or Daryl Mitchell they will leave out. Conway sat out the India match for Mitchell, who played against Pakistan but not Bangladesh. Young and Ravindra both have centuries to their names at this competition which suggests the decision is between Mitchell and Conway, who has scores of 30 and 10 from his outings in the tournament.
South Africa (possible): Temba Bavuma (capt), Ryan Rickelton, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
New Zealand: Will Young, Rachin Ravindra/Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (capt), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Will O’Rourke
[Cricinfo]
by Reemus Fernando
S. Thomas’ have made a huge gamble in dropping left-arm spinner Abheeth Paranawidana for a promising young batsman (fresher) for the 146th Battle of the Blues Big Match which starts at the SSC ground on Thursday.
The school from Mount Lavinia have announced their playing eleven leaving out Paranawidana who is their second highest wicket taker of the season.
S. Thomas’ relied heavily on their left-arm spinners Paranawidana and Aaron de Silva for wickets this season. The duo accounted for nearly 50% of wickets taken by Thomian bowlers this season.
While Aaron de Silva is their highest wicket taker with 49 wickets in 13 matches, Paranawidana, who played only ten matches this season has a tally of 39 wickets. Last season he had over 60 wickets in 14 matches.
Thomians have reasons. They have decided to go with one left-arm spinner to include an extra batsman to their XI. Incidentally, S. Thomas’ have entrusted former St. Peter’s College Bambalapitiya Under 15 player Reshon Solomon with the task of strengthening the batting lineup.
The Thomian authorities consider him as a promising batsman but could not field in their tournament matches this season as he could not be registered with Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association under their flag.
S. Thomas’ fielded him for two friendly matches, against Ananda (three-day) and St. Peter’s. Solomon top scored with 84 runs in that match. According to sources close to St. Peter’s, the Peteries in the Under 15 age category are not selected for their Under 19 team.
Both Royal and S. Thomas’ have a history of recruiting talented players from other schools to strengthen their teams. Many such players have gone on to represent Sri Lanka. With the Thomian batting lineup not so strong this season, young Solomon has been entrusted with a huge responsibility and an opportunity. His is certainly an interesting sub plot to watch during the three-day encounter.
Had Paranawidana been picked it would have been his third consecutive Big Match.
Under 19 Division I Cricket
by Reemus Fernando
Yenula Dewthusa produced notable all-round performances scoring an unbeaten half century after taking two wickets as St. Joseph’s booked semi-final berth of the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ limited overs tournament.
They beat St. Servatius’ by five wickets in the quarter-final played at Bloomfield ground on Tuesday.
Dewthusa gave away just 15 runs in his ten overs (9.3-4-15-2) which included four maidnes.
Demion de Silva took four wickets for 25 runs.
In their essay Dewthusa and Rishma Amarasinghe scored half centuries. The pair also put on a partnership of 104 runs for the fourth wicket.
Scores
St. Servatius’ 179 all out in 49.3 overs (Heshan Madushanka 29, Risinu Kithmuka 22, Viran Chamuditha 61; Yenula Dewthusa 2/15, Demion de Silva 4/25)
St. Joseph’s 181 for 5 in 49 overs (Aveesha Samash 36, Yenula Dewthusa 51n.o., Rishma Amarasinghe 58)
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