Sports
Tillakaratne backs Bangladesh to make an impression in Sri Lanka
Hashan Tillakaratne, Bangladesh women’s head coach, feels that playing two-day cricket will help his charges prepare well for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. BCB recently launched the Bangladesh Cricket League, women’s two-day cricket tournament, with the leading cricketers of the country divided into three teams in Khulna.
Following the tournament, Bangladesh began their week long training camp at Khulna’s Sheikh Abu Naser Cricket Stadium on Monday (April 10) ahead of the series against Sri Lanka at their own den.
Tillakaratne, who joined the women’s team in October last year, watched the players from close quarters during the tournament in order to acquire more knowledge on their strengths and weaknesses.
“The preparation has been really good. I think two-day games will definitely help them to improve their game. After playing two-day game they have learnt so many things so I’m sure the preparation is very good and they will do well in Sri Lanka,” Tillakaratne told Cricbuzz.
“I think BCB has taken a very good initiative to introduce two-day cricket to the Bangladesh women’s team. I am sure they will use this platform to achieve many things in years to come,” he said.
The former Sri Lankan batsman added that he is quite impressed with the fitness of the women cricketers in the longer-version considering the fact it was their maiden journey in red ball cricket. He also added that opener Murshida Khatun, who scored a century in the tournament, will be much better placed as far as understanding her game is concerned following her long stay at the wicket.
“Of course they’re fit enough (to play longer-version cricket) because they’re checking their fitness regularly and most of the girls do pretty well in their YOYO test,” said Tillakaratne.
Tillakaratne did not have a good outing so far in the Bangladesh dressing room as they hardly managed to make an impression in the T20 World Cup and in the New Zealand tour. They lost the three-match T20I series by a clear margin while New Zealand also won the ODI series 1-0 after the final two games were abandoned.
Following the series, Bangladesh went to South Africa to play in the World Cup and lost all four games in the ICC global event, though Tillakaratne feels that their performance does not reflect their real standard.
“Yes true, we failed in the World Cup unfortunately but there’s so many positives in our game right now and the girls have learned a lot from those games,” he said adding that playing in the sub continent certainly makes them more confident against Sri Lanka.
“As we’re going to play in subcontinent wickets it will help us and it will be a challenging and competitive series. If we can utilize our potential and skills then we can beat them. Of course we have plans against them but I don’t think it’s the right time to discuss all my plans. Girls are prepared for the challenge. I’m sure they will turn the tables on them and I’ve a lot of confidence in them.”
Tillakaratne added that if right-arm pacer Marufa Akhter learns to swing both ways she will be one of the lynch-pins in the side going ahead. “Marufa is another young prospect in Bangladesh cricket and I think her performances during the T20 world cup were very amazing and everyone talks about her performances. I think she will bring so many good things in years to come,” he said.
“Yes, she has a very good in swinger and I believe she will develop a good out swinger also in time to come. But right now we are concentrating on what she can do. She is young and she is learning right now. We don’t want to put undue pressure on her now as she is enjoying her game. So in years to come she will develop so many things.”
The first ODI against Sri Lanka is scheduled to be held on April 29 whereas the next two games will be played respectively on May 2 and 4. The three T20Is are scheduled on May 9,11 and 12. The ODI series will be part of the ICC Women’s Championship.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) bossed both the powerplays en route to their second successive win in IPL 2025. After opting to bowl on a fairly two-paced red-soil pitch, they left Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at 39 for 3 in six overs. Abdul Samad and Ayush Badoni helped LSG overcome that poor start and post 171 for 7, which was a par score according to Nicholas Pooran the holder of the Orange cap.
Pooran’s assessment, however, might have changed quickly after Prabhsimran Singh clattered a 23-ball half-century in the chase. Prabhsimran claimed 45 of the 62 runs PBKS had scored in the powerplay. There would be no way back for LSG, who suffered their second defeat in three games. Shreyas Iyer completed PBKS’ demolition job with an unbeaten 52 off 30 balls.
The first ball that Arshdeep Singh bowled to Mitchell Marsh stopped on him, seamed away from a leg-stump line, and had him skying a catch to Marco Jansen at short third. After having hit fifties in his first two innings this season, Marsh departed for a golden duck.
It was Lockie Ferguson who shared new-ball duties with Arshdeep, ahead of Jansen. Ferguson usually operates with the older ball for New Zealand and various franchises, but PBKS inverted his role on Tuesday to take advantage of a match-up with Pooran. Before this fixture, and across all T20s, Ferguson had snared Pooran four times in 17 balls at a strike rate of 7.05.
However, Ferguson ended up bowling just three balls to Pooran on the day. After being picked away for three fours by Aiden Markram, Ferguson bowled him via an inside edge for 28 off 18 balls.
With two left-handers in the form of Pooran and Risbah Pant in the middle, PBKS matched Glenn Maxwell’s offspin up with them. Maxwell removed Pant for the third time in four innings in the IPL. The IPL’s most expensive signing at INR 27 crore, Pant has managed just 17 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 65.38.
Despite wickets falling at the other end, Pooran remained positive, hitting Maxwell for back-to-back fours in the seventh over. A cat-and-mouse game then ensued between Pooran and Yuzvendra Chahal. The wristspinner’s plan was to hide the ball away from the swinging arc of Pooran with wrong’uns. In his first over, Pooran cracked his wrong ‘uns away for a brace of fours, but in his next Chahal had Pooran holing out to wide long-off for 44 off 30 balls with a loopier wrong ‘un.
When Jansen had his South African compatriot David Miller caught behind for 19 off 16 balls, LSG slipped further to 119 for 5 in the 16th over. Badoni and Samad then briefly changed the mood and tempo of the game with a 47-run partnership off only 21 balls. Samad had launched his first ball, from Jansen, for six after stepping out and then left jaws on the floor when he reverse-scooped Arshdeep over the keeper in the 18th over, which cost PBKS 20 runs. Arshdeep had both batters holing out in the final over, though, to keep PBKS below 180.
Prabhsimran relishes pace on the ball and it was no different on Tuesday. Unlike the first innings, the ball skidded onto the bat in the second, with Prabhsimran ramping Shardul Thakur and Avesh Khan for six and four respectively in the first two overs.
Pant responded by throwing mystery spinner Digyesh Rathi at Prabhsimran and Priyansh Arya. Rathi created a chance with his second ball, but Marsh fluffed an overhead catch at slip. The drop, though, cost LSG just one run as Rathi had Arya caught by Thakur at mid-on for 8.
Prabhsimran took down Ravi Bishnoi in the last over of the powerplay. He lined up his wrong ‘uns and slog-swept him with the turn over mid-on and square leg. He then greeted dart-it-in left-arm fingerspinner M Siddarth, who was picked ahead of Prince Yadav as LSG’s Impact Player, with a switch-hit four. He brought up his fifty in more sedate fashion with a tucked single.
It felt like LSG needed something special to dismiss Prabhsimran. That something special was a tag-team catch near the boundary from Badoni and Bishnoi. He holed out for 69 off 34 balls.
PBKS required 62 off 59 balls, which was enough for Iyer to knock off a fifty of his own. He forged an unbroken 67-run stand off 37 balls with Impact Player Nehal Wadhera to finish the job with more than three overs to spare.
PBKS established themselves as the early pace-setters, alongside Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Delhi Capitals (DC), in IPL 2025 with two wins in two games.
Brief scores:
Punjab Kings 177 for 2 in 16.2 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 69, Shreyas Iyer 52, Nehal Wadhera 43*; Divesh Rathi 2-30) beat Lucknow Super Giants 171 for 7 in 20 overs (Aiden Markram 28, Nicholas Pooran 44, Ayush Badoni 41, David Miller 19, Abdul Samad 2; Arshdeep Singh 3 for 43, Lockie Furgeson 1-26, Glenn Maxwell 1-22, Marco Jansen 1-28, Yuzvendra Chahal 1-36) by eight wickets
[Cricinfo]
106th Hill Country Battle of the Blues
Arch rivals Trinity College Kandy and St. Anthony’s College Katugastota have remained as two of the highest ranked schools cricket teams in the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ cricket tournament this season. After having reached the business end of both the two-day tournament and the limited overs tournament, the two teams can take the enviable title as ‘the most successful Big Match rivals’ this season. That will serve as an inspiration for both teams when they meet for the 106th time at the annual big match starting on Thursday.
Though both teams have done equally well this season, Trinity led by Malith Rathnayake are in the annual battle as the team to beat. They have reached the finals of both the two-day tournament and the limited overs tournament.
Trinity’s strong batting line up includes one of the tournament’s highest run scorers in Dimantha Mahavithana who has a double century and four centuries against his name. Chaniru Senaratne, Pulisha Thilakaratne, Vathila Udara and Dinal Fernando have often propelled Trinity to challenging scores.
Thisal Yapa is likely to open their bowling attack, while skipper Rathnayake leads the spin department. Rathnayake is among the top ten wicket takers of the two-day tournament.
St. Anthony’s are led by Charuka Ekanayake. St. Anthony’s reached the quarter-finals of the two-day tournament under Ekanayake’s captaincy. They reached the semi-finals of the limited overs tournament where they were eliminated by the arch rivals.
Ekanayake is expected to play a lead role in both batting and bowling. He has scored over 500 runs and taken over 50 wickets with his left-arm spin. Deputy skipper Januka Rathnayake who opens batting, all rounders Kevan Ramika and Ryan Gregory and speedster Bimash Samarasinghe are the players to watch in the St. Anthony’s camp.
These two teams have often found two days of cricket insufficient to decide a winner. This year the big match is played as a three-day encounter. Both teams will be eager to end a winless stretch which is 13 years long now. No team have recorded a victory after Trinity last won under the captaincy of Niroshan Dickwella in 2012. St. Anthony’s last won under U.D. Alwis’ captaincy in 1992.
Trinity lead the victory tally 23-11. The big match has witnessed 71 encounters end in draws.
Teams
Trinity (from): Malith Rathnayake (Captain), Vathila Udara (Co Vice Captain), Dimantha Mahavithana (Co Vice Captain), Jayavi Liyanagama, Puleesha Thilakaratne, Rajindu Thilakaratne, Kavindu Jayarathne, Dinal Fernando, Sethmika Seneviratne, Adham Hilmy, Thisal Yapa, Ranul Gunaratne, Chaniru Senaratne, Kanilka Anthony, Oshana Lokuge, Praveen Rukunayake, Mahendra Abeysinghe, Viduneth Dammage, Sweath Anurajeewa.
Officials: Naveen Ekanayake (Head Coach), Thisaru Dilshan (Asst.Coach), Bryan Senaratne (Master in Charge), Bandula Pushpakumara (Trainer), Thilanka Dissanayake (Physiotherapist).
St. Anthony’s College Team with officials.
St. Anthony’s (from): Charuka Ekanayake (Captain), Januka Rathnayaka (Vice Captain), Sanuka Kalpana, Okitha Fernando, Kawshika Kumarasinghe, Kevan Fernando, Bimash Samarasinghe, Dinura Ganegoda, Rayan Gregory, Sadew Amarakoon, Naden Ebert, Thilina Edirisinghe, Dinul Wijesinghe, Nikil Abilash, Yohan Senanayake, Vishwa Thilakarathne, Imeth Rajapaksha, Kavindu Nawanjana, Dasun Welianga.
Officials: Bandula Ekanayake (MiC), Priyantha Kumara (Trainer), Kavinda Jayasooriya (Head Coach).
by Reemus Fernando
Colombo Basketball Club jetted off to Madras last evening, ready to stake their claim at the SABA Club Championship, South Asia’s premier club-level basketball showdown, set to unfold in the bustling South Indian city.
This five-team tournament brings together the crème de la crème of South Asia’s domestic basketball scene, and Colombo BC earned their stripes after edging out Colombo Bulls in a one-sided finale of the local championship held last month.
Colombo’s traveling squad boasts a dynamic blend of experience and youth, featuring: Narvin Ganesh, Charuka Fernando, Mindika Wijenayake, Sanjeewa Kulamina, Nimesh Fernando, Baratha Ranatunga, Dasun Mendis, Sasindu Gajanayake, Rukshan Atapattu, Methika Jayasinghe, Brent Thevakumar, Sharo Perera, and Simron Yoganathan.
Gaja Sports and Sunil Traders are backing their campaign as main sponsors while My Cola steps in as the official clothing sponsor.
Cabinet approves providing relief to the people of Myanmar
Cabinet appoints ministerial committee to submit report on sanctions imposed on 04 Sri Lankans by the United Kingdom
Revised Aswasuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme to be submitted for the concurrence of the Parliament.
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