Sports
An underdog, a positive approach and the victory no one saw coming
By Reemus Fernando
Royal beat the odds to register a stunning 180 runs victory against their arch-rivals S. Thomas’ at the 144th Battle of the Blues at the SSC on Saturday. It was a victory no one saw coming as the outfit trained by Rohan Soysa entered the annual battle as underdogs.
Royal’s back-to-back defeats at the hands of Trinity in the run up to the historic encounter were overshadowing even the couple of victories they had registered during the season and the fact that they had reached the quarter-finals at the end of the league stage. Reaching the last eight of the tournament was something their arch-rivals had failed to achieve. S. Thomas’ on the other hand had remained unbeaten though they failed to reach the business end of the tournament.
Both teams had wanted to bowl first under overcast conditions on day one and the Thomians had the ideal start to the annual battle as they took the first three wickets for just 19 runs. That was when Dasis Manchanayake came to the crease. The new ball was just eight overs old when he started the repair job with Ovina Ambanpola. Despite the early damage, the Royalists stayed positive. “Manchanayake’s approach was decisive,” said Royal coach Rohan Soysa following the victory.
Manchanayake rewarded for staying positive in adversity After being four wickets down for 63 runs at one stage, Royal recovered to post 326 runs for eight wickets declared thanks to the record-breaking partnership put on by Manchanayake and Ramiru Perera. The stage for victory was built on that partnership as the pair put on 229 runs off 293 balls. In the process the pair broke a 70-year-old partnership record for the fifth wicket. Manchanayake stayed there for five hours as they disappointed Thomians during an entire second session.
There was no turning back for Royal from then on as they won all sessions.Few expected Royal to declare on their overnight score under clear skies on day two morning. By lunch they had accounted for four top-order batsmen in the Thomian innings except for opener Senadhi Bulankulame. By tea on day two Royal were in complete command as they dismissed their opponents for 153 runs and they needed just 26 overs in the final session to amass 168 runs for the loss of four wickets.
Manchanayake entered the Battle of the Blues record books as the only Royal captain to score a century and a half-century in a match. In history only two batsmen had done that (M. Thotiwilage 95 and 108 in 2001 and Ganganath Rathnayake 75 and 111n.o. in 2011). What was more remarkable was the fact that the rare achievement coincided with victory. Ramiru Perera too could have earned the rare achievement had not Royal declared their innings on the overnight score on day three morning. Perera was unbeaten on 46 runs.
Incidentally, of the players who batted, Royal had only three batsmen reaching double figures in the first innings. And in the second innings apart from Manchanayake and Perera, Uvindu Weerasekara was the only batsman to top 20 runs. Royal’s Sri Lanka Under 19 player Sineth Jayawardena (1 & 4) failed in both innings.
Royal and two other schools had received exemptions from Sri Lanka Cricket to field their Sri Lanka Under 19 players in the weekend’s Big Matches despite Sri Lanka Under 19 leaving for UAE for a tournament. As expected pacemen played a crucial role in the match. Ranuka Malaviarachchi, Bulan Weerathunga and Sandesh Ramanayake accounted for ten wickets in the match with the latter becoming the third brother of the Ramanayake family to associate with a Royal victory.

Latest News
Scotland face West Indies with a chance to reopen World Cup wounds
Scotland take on West Indies in Leeds at 18:30 local time (17:30 GMT) in Group 2 of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. Both teams won their opening matches in this competition – Shemaine Campbelle’s unbeaten 90 aided by New Zealand’s dropped catches saw West Indies emerging victorious, while a strong all round performance from Scotland brushed aside Ireland.
Scotland and West Indies have played each other only three times across formats – their lone T20I meeting coming at the last World Cup. Crucially, though, Scotland dealt West Indies perhaps their biggest blow in recent times with their win in the Women’s ODI World Cup Qualifier last year. Scotland staved off an all-round show from Hayley Matthews to eke out an 11-run win, denying West Indies a chance to qualify for the ODI World Cup last year.
Coming on the back of a comfortable win, expect Scotland to go in unchanged.
Scotland (probable XI): Darcey Carter, Katherine Fraser, Kathryn Bryce (capt), Sarah Bryce (wk), Ailsa Lister, Megan McColl, Priyanaz Chatterji, Rachel Slater, Chloe Abel, Kirstie Gordon, Gabriella Fontenla
West Indies head coach Shane Deitz had said that Chinelle Henry was close to playing their opening game. If fit, she can add heft to their lower-middle order as well as the bowling department.
West Indies (probable XI): Qiana Joseph, Hayley Matthews (capt), Shemaine Campbelle (wk), Deandra Dottin, Jahzara Claxton/Chinelle Henry, Jannillea Glasgow, Aaliyah Alleyne, Zaida James, Shawnisha Hector, Afy Fletcher, Karishma Ramharack
Players to watch:
Kathryn Bryce: The Scotland captain had a big role to play in their first win at this T20 World Cup. She scored a rapid half-century and picked up two wickets against Ireland. Bryce has picked up at least one wicket in 11 of the 12 T20Is she has played this year, apart from being consistent with the bat. Her experience of playing regularly in England’s domestic circuit could be key for Scotland against West Indies.
Deandra Dottin: She was at her brutal best in the last iteration of the T20 World Cup (strike rate 165.54, average 39.4, 12 sixes) but since the start of 2025, Dottin has only one T20I half-century at a strike rate of 122.84. Dottin had scored an unbeaten 15-ball 28 the last time she faced Scotland. Can she find her mojo back against them?
While Australia’s bowlers bulldozed Bangladesh, India’s batters made merry to show the batting-friendly nature of the surface in Leeds. Weather wise, the evening is likely to become cooler, with temperatures ranging from 19 to 22 degrees Celsius. There is no forecast of rain, even though it grew slightly overcast towards the start of Netherlands’ innings on Wednesday.
[Cricinfo]
Sports
Sooryavanshi to have parents with him on tour of Ireland and England
The BCCI has allowed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s parents to accompany their son on his maiden India tour of Ireland and England in June and July to help the 15-year-old cope with any challenges that may arise. The board secretary Devajit Saikia said the BCCI would cover their expenses on the trip.
“You see, not all national teams at the senior level have a 14 or 15-year-old in their squad. After many decades, we have someone like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi,” Saikia told PTI. “At one point in time, it was Sachin Tendulkar who made it to the national team at such a young age. When such a young kid is part of the senior team, there are obviously a lot of issues that can crop up.
“Therefore, to make him comfortable and help him get used to an adult environment, where all the other players are above 18 years of age, and the team management members are also adults, we felt it would be helpful.
“We are doing this because we believe it will ease a lot of issues as far as Vaibhav is concerned.”
Sooryavanshi was picked in India’s T20I squad for the first time following a stellar IPL 2026 season in which he top-scored with 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30, winning the Orange Cap, the MVP, and Emerging Player awards.
He is currently in Sri Lanka, representing India A for the first time, in a 50-over tri-series against Afghanistan A and Sri Lanka A, and became the focal point of an on field confrontation that involved physical contact during the game against the hosts.
While no official sanctions have been announced for any code of conduct breaches, the A-team tri-series falls within the jurisdiction of the host board – Sri Lanka Cricket – and not the ICC or BCCI. Saikia dismissed the notion of the BCCI taking any action.
“A lot of things are going on in the social media that BCCI is contemplating action, etc. Do you want BCCI to step into the domain of match referee?” Saikia said. “The BCCI is not an authority, we should not intrude into the area where the match referee and the umpires are the main persons who can take any decision regarding any incident that had happened in the playground.
“Whatever had happened, it was a part of the game, and the BCCI have no role to play. The role is of the match referee. If anything is going wrong, he will take a call, the umpires will take a call, and there is a system in place.”
Sooryavanshi has so far scored only 117 runs with a high score of 44 in four innings in the tri-series , but those runs have come at a strike rate of 153.94. India A have qualified for the final in Dambulla on June 21.
[Cricinfo]
Sports
Luis Diaz, Colombia defeat World Cup 2026 debutants Uzbekistan
Colombia opened their World Cup Group K campaign with a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan at the Estadio Azteca on Wednesday, as Daniel Munoz, Luis Diaz and Jaminton Campaz struck to overcome a spirited second-half response from the tournament debutants.
Uzbekistan were disciplined for long periods under their Italian coach Fabio Cannavaro, but Colombia’s greater quality stood out in front of a crowd of over 80,000 on a cool, rain-tinged evening in Mexico City.
Colombia the Copa America runners-up, had early sights of goal through Jhon Arias and James Rodriguez, but Uzbekistan sat deep, scrapped gamely and waited for mistakes. Bekhruz Karimov almost profited when he burst forward, only for Jhon Lucumi to intervene before he could shoot.
Diaz had the clearest chance of the opening half when he struck the post, before Abdukodir Khusanov slid in after the winger had knocked the ball past him, taking out both the Colombian player and a pitchside cameraman who required medical treatment.
Uzbekistan’s resistance finally cracked in the 40th minute. Diaz gathered the ball after an attack had broken down and clipped a fine pass into the path of Munoz, who guided home a neat finish for his third international goal.
The large Colombian contingent erupted, their yellow shirts making the Azteca look and sound almost like home. Chants of “Vamos Colombia”, adapted from a Club America-style chorus, rolled around the ground, while Uzbekistan’s small band of supporters answered with drums of their own.

Uzbekistan improved after the break and equalised on the hour with the country’s first World Cup goal.
Dostonbek Khamdamov fed Eldor Shomurodov, whose shot from the right side of the box was saved low by Camilo Vargas. The goalkeeper could not hold it, however, and Abbosbek Fayzullaev nodded in the rebound from close range.

However, Uzbekistan’s joy lasted only five minutes.
Gustavo Puerta released Diaz in the 65th minute, and the forward side-footed across goal to restore Colombia’s lead. The crowd responded with chants of “Lucho, Lucho”.
Uzbekistan kept pushing. Akmal Mozgovoy shot narrowly off target in stoppage time, Karimov hit the bar with an effort from distance, and Azizbek Amonov had a shot blocked after Otabek Shukurov’s pass.
But Colombia had the final word, Campaz scoring in the ninth minute of stoppage time to settle a contest in which Nestor Lorenzo’s side had 15 attempts to Uzbekistan’s nine, and extended their strong recent group-stage record to seven wins in eight World Cup matches.
Colombia face DR Congo on Tuesday in Guadalajara, after Uzbekistan play Portugal on the same day in Houston.

[Aljazeera]
-
News7 days agoCIABOC summons Yoshitha over his participation in British Navy training programme
-
News4 days agoRelease of 2025 O/L results likely to be delayed
-
News7 days agoJustice Minister responds to social media claims he represented Easter Sunday ringleader
-
Sports4 days agoTharanga set for high-profile javelin clash in Ostrava
-
Features5 days agoPolitics of protected species
-
News3 days agoBeijing Capital Airlines to resume flights to Colombo signalling boost to tourism
-
News4 days agoTheft of USD 2.5 mn from Treasury: CoPF accused of complicity in NPP cover-up
-
News6 days agoCommonwealth lawyers urge Lanka to uphold rule of law
