Sports
Trinity seek back-to-back titles against Richmond
Under 19 Division 1 Tier A Cricket
by Reemus Fernando
Defending champions Trinity College Kandy will seek back-to-back titles when they meet formidable Richmond in the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ cricket final starting at the SSC ground today.
Captained by Sri Lanka Under 19 players the two teams are inclusive of formidable players to produce a close contest.Winning the final will be a huge accomplishment for defending champions Trinity who also bagged the limited overs title early this season.
Both teams have used the knockout segment of this tournament to warm up for the three-day final. Richmond batted for 120 overs in their first innings in the quarter-final encounter against Nalanda. In their first innings win over St. Sebastian’s in the semi-final, Richmond batted for 87 overs.
Trinity batted for 90 overs in their first innings in both the semi-final encounter against Mahanama and the quarter-final against D.S. Senanayake.
Richmond under Malsha Tharupathi are equipped with a strong bowling department. Sheron Abhishek, who led Richmond when Tharupathi was doing national duty is joined by Kaveesha Induwara to make a strong spin combination. Left-arm spinner Yuri Koththigoda’s presence on his return from an injury layoff was felt very much in the match against St. Sebastian’s.
In the pace department Malith de Silva and Sihath Ramanayake are the new ball bowlers.
In the batting department, Thamindu Pradeeptha has peaked at the right moment with his best knock of the season (191) coming in the semi-final victory. Chehan Subasinghe has maintained the highest average among batsmen. The wicket keeper batsman will open batting with fellow left hander Nikil Jayaweera. Pradeeptha, Seneth Sisan, Shehan de Zoysa, Tharupathi and Abhishek are expected to form a long batting line up.
Trinity will expect the conditions at SSC to favour their skipper Manula Kularathne who has the ability to spearhead the pace attack to deadly effect. He is joined by Malith Rathnayake, left-arm spinner Dinuka Tennakoon, Tharana Wimaladharma, Vathila Udara, Thisal Yapa and Jayavi Liyanagama to form a strong bowling unit.
Opener Dimantha Mahavithana, who scored a decisive half century in the semi final, Viduka Dhammage, Dinusha Peiris, Supun Waduge, Kularathne, Janith Ravishka and Udara form the backbone of Trinity batting.
Road to the final
Trinity are in the final after eliminating D.S. Senanayaka (quarter-final) and Mahanama (semi-final). They reached the knockout stage as the fourth placed team in group ‘X’.
Richmond advanced to the quarter-final as the champions in group ‘X’. They registered first innings wins to oust Nalanda (quarter-final) and St. Sebastian’s (semi-final).
When these two teams met in the league stage Richmond scored a first innings win.
Teams:
Trinity (from):Manula Kularathne (Captain), Dinusha Peiris (Vice Captain), Tharana Wimaladharma, Supun Waduge, Dinuka Tennakoon, Janith Warnakula, Viduka Dhammage, Malith Rathnayake, Vathila Udara, Dimantha Mahavithana, Pulisha Thilakaratne, Thisal Yapa, Ometh Bandara, Sweath Anurajeewa, Rajindu Thilakarathne, Viduneth Dhammage, Kaveen Gamage, Kavindu Jayaratne, Jayavi Liyanagama.
Team officials: Bryan Senaratne (Master in Charge), Naveen Ekanayake (Head Coach), Lakshitha Alahakoon (Asst. Coach).
Richmond (from):Malsha Tharupathi (Captain), Sharon Abishek (Vice Captain), Thamindu Pradeeptha, Chehan Subasinghe, Malith de Silva, Seneth Sisan, Yuri Koththigoda, Sihath Ramanayaka, Kaveesha Induwara, Shehan de Zoysa, Nikil Jayaweera, Pubudu Mihiranga, Rasanga Thejan, Nethsara Akash, Punal Hansajith, Chamod Punsara, Sachindu Nimsara, Tenusha Nimsara, Bevin Jayawardena, Minaga Ariyadasa.
Team officials: Nuwan Jayasinghe (Master in Charge), Lakmal de Silva (Head Coach), Lahiru (Asst. Coach), Sidath Priyankara (Asst. Coach).
Richmond College Team
India’s untested lower order played a key role in turning a modest total into a competitive one. Amanjot Kaur added stability, scoring 21 off 18 balls and putting on a 61-run partnership with Harmanpreet for the fifth wicket, helping the innings regain momentum after regular wickets fell.
After her dismissal, Arundhati Reddy – promoted ahead of Sneh Rana – launched a late assault, hitting four fours and a six off 11 balls for an unbeaten 27, guiding India to 175 for 7. The team scored 32 runs in the final two overs.
With Chamari Athapaththu gone in the second over, Perera and Dulhani faced a daunting task. Dulhani, coming in at No. 3 again ahead of Harshitha Samarawickrama, played a confident innings, coming down the track and sweeping as needed, hitting five boundaries inside the powerplay. Perera rotated the strike well, keeping the scoreboard ticking. Aided by the dew, their 79-run second-wicket stand was broken in the 12th over when Amanjot dismissed Dulhani for 50, with her first ball.
Perera carried on, moving from 32 off 23 balls to register her maiden 38-ball fifty in her 89th T20I. Having debuted in 2014 and shuffled around the order, she opened this series for the first time in three years. When the equation came down to 55 off 24 balls, Perera struck a four and a six off Shree Charani before being yorked. Her 42-ball 65 included eight fours and a six.
When Sri Lanka needed 44 off 20 balls, India fought back hard. The visitors lost their key batters at the death, collapsing from 132 for 4 to 140 for 7, eventually falling short and remaining winless in India.
Brief scores:
India Women 175 for 7 in 20 overs (Gunalan Kamalini 12, Harleen Deol 13, Harmanpreet Kaur 68, Amanjot Kaur 21, Arundhati Reddy 27*; Nimasha Meepage 1-25, Kavisha Dilhari 2-11, Rashmika Sewwandi 2-42, Chamari Athapaththu 2-21) beat Sri Lanka Women 160 for 7 in 20 overs (Hasini Perera 65, Imesha Dulani 50, Rashmika Sewwamdi 14*; Deepti Sharma 1-28, Arundhati Reddy 1-16, Sneh Rana 1-31, Vaishnavi Sharma 1-33, Shree Charani 1-31, Amanjot Kaur 1-17 ) by 15 runs
[Cricinfo]
Under 19 Cricket
Manitha Rajapaksha collected a match bag of 11 wickets as Mahinda romped to an innings and 25 runs victory over Lumbini in the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ cricket encounter at Galle.
Forced to follow on after being bowled out for 173 runs, the visitors managed to last only 33 overs as bowlers used the home advantage to good effect.
In a similar performance, Sri Sumangala reduced Isipatana to just 69 runs in the second innings to record an innings and 96 runs win in the Tier ‘B’ match at Panadura. While Mevindu Kumarasiri excelled once again to claim a match bag of 11 wickets, overnight batsmen Sandeep Wijerathna and Neksha Iddamalgoda went on to score centuries for Sri Sumangala to boost the score to 301 for eight wickets declared.
Meanwhile at DSS ground the home team scored a first innings win over Nalanda.
Match Results
Mahinda in innings win at Galle
Scores
Mahinda 284 all out in 72.2 overs
(Dulsith Darshana 63, Randula Mabarana 28, Manitha Rajapaksha 23, Kaveesha Githmal 43, Kavindu Nimsara 66; Yashod Kavindu 5/100, Dinal Sewmina 2/32)
Lumbini 76 for 4 overnight 173 all out in 53.4 overs
(Kisandu Dulneth 33, Yashod Kavindu 26, Jayanitha Mendis 41, Pasindu Mahisha 38; Manitha Rajapaksha 6/64, Sadev Nethmina 2/27) and 86 all out in 32.4 overs (Nikil Abilash 33; Manitha Rajapaksha 5/25, Gesandu Bisas 2/12, Arosha Udayanga 2/15)
Sri Sumangala in innings win at Panadura
Scores
Isipatana 136 all out in 47.2 overs (Yuveen Keshan 21, Dasith Senal 31; Mevindu Kumarasiri 6/54) and 69 all out in 25.2 overs (Janith Selaka 25; Mevindu Kumarasiri 5/32, Methum Fernando 4/23)
Sri Sumangala 158 for 2 overnight 301 for 8 decl. in 79.4 overs (Sandeep Wijerathna 100, Neksha Iddamalgoda 110, Mevindu Kumarasiri 34; Dasith Senal 2/86, Dimuthu Tharuka 2/34)
First innings win for DSS at DSS ground
Scores
DSS 365 all out in 79 overs (Savain Kalansooriya 54, Bihan Gamage 102, Janindu Ranasinghe 50, Shevan Welgama 73; Osanda Pamuditha 2/69, Dunitha Anusara 4/66, Sahas Godage 3/76) and 144 for 3 in 35.2 overs (Miyuru Bandara 41, Savain Kalansooriya 57, Shanaal Binuksha 34)
Nalanda 28 for 1 overnight 197 all out in 66.1 overs (Nemindu Akmeemana 40, Ranmith Dinuwara 42; Shanaal Binuksha 6/61, Randisha Bandaranayake 2/40)
by Reemus Fernando
India’s opening batter Shafali Verma and swing bowler Renuka Singh have moved up to sixth spots in the ICC’s T20I batting and bowling rankings respectively.
Shafali is the leading scorer in the ongoing bilateral series against Sri Lanka by a distance, her 236 runs nearly twice as many as second-highest scorer Smriti Mandhana’s 120. Renuka is also the leading wicket-taker, her four wickets level with team-mates Deepti Sharma, Vaishnavi Sharma and Shree Charani.
Shafali went up four places with back-to-back scores of 69*, 79* and 79 in the second, third and fourth T20Is. Renuka, meanwhile, climbed eight places to reach the joint-sixth position along with South Africa’s Nonkululeko Mlaba, particularly through her 4 for 21 in the third game of the series. Deepti leads the bowlers’ rankings after taking that position last week. Both Shafali and Renuka have also bagged one Player-of-the-Match award each in the series that India lead 4-0, with the last match scheduled for Tuesday in Thiruvananthapuram.
If India win today (30), this will be their third 5-0 series win in T20Is. They won by that scoreline in the West Indies in 2019 and in Bangladesh last year. Sri Lanka have, however, never before lost a T20I series 5-0.
(Cricinfo)
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