Sports
Australia tighten their grip on second Test
Rex Clementine in Galle
Australia are well and truly in the driver’s seat in the second Test against Sri Lanka after commanding centuries from skipper Steve Smith and wicketkeeper Alex Carey. At stumps on day two, the visitors were 330 for three, leading by 73 runs, and poised to post a mammoth first-innings total, heaping pressure on the hosts.
The duo stitched together an unbroken 239 run stand for the fourth wicket, frustrating the Sri Lankan bowlers, who were left searching for answers. The hosts had their moments early on, but once the ball lost its bite, the spinners struggled to get the same fizz off the surface, and Australia capitalized in style.
Smith, fresh from a big hundred in the first Test, had a jittery start, negotiating a few testing deliveries. He was given out leg-before on 24, but the decision was overturned on review. Once he settled in, it was vintage Smith on display. With cover drives that oozed elegance and pull shots executed with precision, he stamped his authority. He took a few calculated risks, and with Sri Lanka lacking a substantial total to defend, the field was soon spread out to cut off boundaries rather than hunt for wickets. That didn’t deter the Aussie captain, who pierced the gaps with ease, dispatching nine fours and a six. He brought up his 36th Test hundred in style, pulling part-timer Kamindu Mendis to the mid-wicket boundary.
Carey, promoted to number five in place of Josh Inglis – who was off the field nursing a sore back – grabbed his chance with both hands. The left-hander outpaced his captain, racing to his half-century in just 68 deliveries. His hundred came in emphatic fashion, a well-timed sweep racing to the boundary. He needed just 118 balls to reach the milestone, finishing with a career-best 139 off 156 balls with 13 fours and two sixes.
Sri Lanka began promisingly, reducing Australia to 37 for two before prising out the key wicket of Usman Khawaja at 91. But that was as good as it got for the hosts. Once Smith and Carey joined forces, they wrested control, dictating terms and pushing Sri Lanka onto the back foot.
With a 2-0 series sweep in their sights, Australia are on course to seal the deal, having already inflicted Sri Lanka’s worst-ever Test defeat in the series opener – a crushing innings-and-242-run humiliation. The home side now face an uphill battle to turn the tide, but with Australia tightening the screws, the writing appears to be on the wall.
A triangular ODI series is something of a curiosity that belongs in a museum more than it does in 2025. Pakistan last hostedone in 2004, and there have been none in the ODI format anywhere since 2019. When this particular series was announced not long ago, it stood out – it is the only ODI tri series in the current FTP.
Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa will play a truncated version of the classic tri-series, with just one round of matches followed by a final. The schedule was likely squeezed by the SA20 at one end and the Champions Trophy at the other, and it is that upcoming ICC event – the first hosted by Pakistan in nearly three decades – which gives the series context.
While South Africa’s squad is weakened by player commitments at the SA20 and injuries, Pakistan and New Zealand, who take each other on in the opener, have pretty much full-strength sides. Both have named near-identical squads for this series and the Champions Trophy, and had two practice sessions at the rebuilt Gaddafi Stadium, which will officially be inaugurated on Friday, on the eve of the first game.
For each side, it offers the opportunity for precious match practice in conditions where the Champions Trophy will be held in the main (with India’s matches in Dubai). Pakistan and New Zealand will also open the marquee tournament, though that game will take place in Karachi and not Lahore. Both have played exactly nine ODIs each since the end of the 2023 World Cup, and all in very different conditions to this. While Pakistan won each of their three recent ODI series, New Zealand fell short in the one they played in the subcontinent, a 2-0 reversal against Sri Lanka.
However, it’s not as if they are short of match practice in this country. Since December 2022, they have played two Tests, eight ODIs and ten T20Is in Pakistan across four series. On most of those occasions, though, multiple factors meant New Zealand sent in weakened squads, with larger context to build up to. This time, however, there is a multi-team trophy on the line, all while preparing for the second-biggest title in ODI cricket.
It offers the visitors a chance to trial what appears a healthy balance between seam and spin in Pakistan. Captain Mitchell Santner will have Rachin Ravindra, Michael Bracewell and Glenn Phillips for slow bowling company, while they also have a battery of fast bowlers – no fewer than six – in their tri-series squad.
Pakistan appear to have shown their hand slightly more, with just one full-time spinner alongside Salman Ali Agha, their most plausible part-time spin option. There is a bit of tinkering required at the top, where it appears Fakhar Zaman, back in from the cold, will open with Babar Azam, an experiment the PCB are testing ahead of the Champions Trophy. With this their only game before the deadline to make changes to the squad on February 11, there is more riding on it for them than just the eventual outcome of the contest.
Babar Azam is always in the spotlight, but things are different this time. With Saim Ayub’s injury and Abdullah Shafique’s loss of form, ESPNcricinfo understands Pakistan’s former captain is expected to be called upon to open the batting to provide stability up top. He has, with polarising effect, performed this role in T20 cricket for several years, and more recently stood in as Test opener in Cape Town, scoring a half-century in each innings. In ODIs, however, all but 14 of his innings have come at three, and as he looks to navigate his way out of a difficult run of form, a change of position in his most prolific format will guarantee all eyes on him.
Lockie Ferguson has not played ODI cricket since the tail-end of 2023, but with Pakistan also naming four seamers in their squad, this may be a series where express pace is a factor. Fresh off a respectable showing in the ILT20, where he places among the top-ten wicket-takers, the 33-year-old Ferguson is the oldest fast bowler across all three sides this tri-series, but also the quickest. Against a makeshift Pakistan opening pair and, in Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan, middle-order players more accomplished against spin than high pace, Ferguson’s extra heat presents a locus of vulnerability for Pakistan, and a point of difference for New Zealand.
Ayub, recovering from an ankle injury, is out of the series and the Champions Trophy. Pakistan are expected to open with Fakhar and Babar, with three premier seam bowlers and Abrar Ahmed as lone frontline spinner. The middle order will see some rotation over the series.
Pakistan (likely) Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), Tayyab Tahir/Saud Shakeel, Salman Agha, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
New Zealand have two opportunities to work out their best side here before the deadline for the Champions Trophy squads shuts. The conditions would suggest three fast bowlers at a minimum. With all of New Zealand’s spinners also handy batters, balance of the side is not much of an issue.
New Zealand (possible) Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips/Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (capt), Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Will O’Rourke
Under 19 Division I Cricket
by Reemus Fernando
A painstaking knock of 49 runs by Kaveesha Perera and a valuable half century by Navod Fernando helped St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa pull off an exciting four wicket victory over St. Anthony’s College Katugastota in the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ cricket quarter-final at Gajaba Regiment Ground Saliyapura, Anuradhapura on Friday.
It was a huge turnaround for the Sebs after conceding a first innings deficit of 51 runs. Tournament’s highest wicket taker, Malintha Silva’s six wicket haul in the second innings was the turning point as Sebs dismissed St. Anthony’s for 103 runs. Malintha collected a match bag of ten wickets.
Chasing 149 runs for victory St. Sebastian’s lost three wickets for 40 runs but Navod Fernando’s 58 runs and Kaveesha’s 131-ball 49 helped them ease nerves and reach the target with a session to spare.
Now St. Sebastian’s will meet the winners of the match between St. Joseph’s and St. Peter’s in the semi-final on 12, 13 and 14 at Samadi Ground Anuradhapura.
In the other quarter-final, first innings points were enough for Royal to advance to the semi-final.
Despite having a huge first innings lead, Royal decided not to enforce the follow-on. They posted 248 runs thanks to an unbeaten 122 runs by Vimath Dinsara. In their second essay S. Thomas’ were 186 for three wickets at close.
Now Royal will wait for a decision by a SLSCA committee to see who would be their semi-final opponents from the Mahanama-Trinity match. The quarter-final between Mahanama and Trinity did not last the full distance after Mahanama disputed a move by the ground staff to roll the wicket earlier than the scheduled time and pulled out. Trinity were ahead in the first innings. The committee were scheduled to meet in the morning on Saturday (8) to take a decision.
Match Details
At Gajaba Regiment Ground Saliyapura, Anuradhapura
Scores
St. Anthony’s 204 all out in 70 overs
(Sanuka Kalpana 41, Charuka Ekanayake 24, Kevan Fernando 89n.o.; Risinu Prabesh 2/21, Malintha Silva 4/60) and 103 all out in 35.4 overs (Okitha Fernando 29, Charuka Ekanayake 21, Kevan Fernando 28; Malintha Silva 6/54, Shenas Hashein 3/23)
St. Sebastian’s 159 all out in 67 overs
(Ushen Silva 33, Ryan Dissanayake 33, Navod Fernando 34; Charuka Ekanayake 3/66, Dinura Ganegoda 3/20, Kevan Fernando 2/09) and 00 for 1 overnight 149 for 6 in 51.1 overs (Kaveesha Perera 49, Navod Fernando 58; Charuka Ekanayake 2/33, Ryan Gregory 2/24, Sadew Amarakoon 2/22)
At Samadi Ground Anuradhapura
Scores
Royal 301 all out in 102.4 overs
(Hirun Liyanarachchi 22, Rehan Peiris 82, Ramiru Perera 81, Yasindu Dissanayake 58; Kavindu Dias 2/69, Abheeth Paranawidana 2/66, Minon Warnasuriya 2/37) and 50 for 2 overnight 248 all out in 63.5 overs (Isula Geeganage 47, Vimath Dinsara 122n.o, Ramiru Perera 25; Abheeth Paranawidana 3/63, Aaron de Silva 3/48)
S. Thomas’ 120 all out in 58.2 overs
(Dineth Goonewardene 28, Sachitha Gunasinghe 33; Sehandu Sooriyaarachchi 5/31, Ranuka Malaviarachchi 2/39) and 186 for 3 in 39 overs (Sadew Soysa 57, Jaden Amaraweera 46, Dineth Gunawardana 44n.o., Mithila Charles 34n.o.)
CL Synergy SSC Open Tennis Championship
Sandas Usgodaarachchi and Venuli Jayasinghe emerged Under 18 boys’ and girls’ singles champions of the CL Synergy SSC Open Tennis Championship continued in Colombo on Friday.
Usgodaarachchi beat Ganuka Fernando 6-0, 6-1 in the final to clinch the title.
In the girls’ singles title fight, Venuli Jayasinghe beat Sandithi Usgodaarachchi 1-6, 7-6, 7-5.
Meanwhile, Revan Amarasinghe and Avin Diad beat Sanithu Samaraweera and Chirath Subasinghe 6-2, 3-6, 10-5 to win the Under 14 boys’ doubles title.
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