Sports
Babar, Hasaranga top T20I rankings

Babar Azam and Wanindu Hasaranga have climbed to top spots in the ICC’s latest rankings for T20I batters and bowlers, respectively, with the latter achieving the feat for the first time in his career.
Babar, who has been crucial in Pakistan’s run to the semi-finals with a four-in-four record, is the third-highest run-getter in the ongoing T20 World Cup, with 198 runs from four innings. That has helped him return to the top for the sixth time after last securing the spot in January 2018. Babar’s tally of 834 rating points has him 36 points ahead of second-ranked Dawid Malan. The England batter had been at the top since last November.
The latest rankings update also sees Jos Buttler move from 17th to his career-best ninth on the batting chart on the back of his match-winning 101 not out against Sri Lanka. He has accumulated 214 runs in the UAE so far.
Among the other batters moving up, Aaron Finch has gone from sixth to third, and just outside the top 50, Temba Bavuma has risen a remarkable 35 spots to No. 52.
In the T20I bowlers’ rankings, Hasaranga, on the back of his twin three-wicket hauls against South Africa and England, overtook Tabraiz Shamsi of South Africa to reach the top spot. He is also the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 14 strikes from seven matches.
Adil Rashid, meanwhile, has replaced Rashid Khan at third place with a career-best 730 rating points.
South Africa’s pace mainstay Anrich Nortje, who is the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup with eight scalps from four matches at the moment, also moved up by 18 places to be seventh. Other bowlers who have gained in the rankings include Dwaine Pretorius (up 65 places to 34th) and Shoriful Islam (up 77 places to 38th). Within the top 20, Chris Jordan has moved up four slots to ninth, Ish Sodhi is up six places to tenth, and his spin twin Mitchell Santner has gone up four places to 17th.
In the allrounders’ list, Mohammad Nabi has caught up with No. 1 Shakib Al Hasan on 271 rating points. Hasaranga has climbed to fourth. (ICC)
Sports
Lahiru takes five wickets as Joes take lead

Under 19 Cricket
Off-spinner Lahiru Amarasekara produced a five-wicket haul as St. Joseph’s restricted Mahinda to 127 runs on day one of the Under 19 traditional cricket encounter at Galle on Monday.
Amarasekara was ably supported by spinner Yenula Dewthusa and Muditha Dissanayake who shared the other five wickets.
With wickets falling at regular intervals, batting opener Ranmina Hettiarachchi anchored the top order with a knock of 33 runs. Chandupa de Silva with 29 runs, Tharusha Dilshan (15) and Hiruna Gallalge (17) were the only other batsmen to reach double figures.
In their essay St. Joseph’s were comfortably placed at 132 for two wickets but back-to-back wickets in the last two overs placed them at 132 for four wickets at stumps.
At Welisara, Dinuka Tennakoon took five wickets but Maris Stella managed to post 268 runs as Shean Adithya top-scored with 83 runs. In reply Trinity were nine without loss.
Vihanga Nimsara and Rasindu Ilukshana were the heroes for Moratu Vidyalaya as their half-centuries helped them score 249 runs against St. Sylvester’s at Boyagane.
Match Details
At Galle: Mahinda 127, St. Joseph’s 132/4
Scores:
Mahinda
127 all out in 57 overs (Ranmina Hettiarachchi 33, Chandupa de Silva 29; Lahiru Amarasekara 5/34, Muditha Dissanayaka 2/23, Yenula Dewtusa 3/32)
St. Joseph’s
132 for 4 in 42.1 overs (Sadeesh Jayawardena 53, Naren Muralidaran 41; Shehan Hasaranga 2/39)
At Welisara: Maris Stella 268, Trinity 9/0
Scores:
Maris Stella
268 all out in 93.5 overs (Kaveen Fernando 26, Shean Adithya 83, Anshen de Silva 28, Ramith Bandara 33, Nethum Basnayake 26, Levin Fernando 22; Jayavi Liyanagama 2/40, Dinuka Tennakoon 5/74)
Trinity 9 for no loss in 4 overs
At Boyagane: Moratu Vidyalaya 249, St. Sylvester’s 5/1
Scores:
Moratu Vidyalaya
249 all out in 93.1 overs (Vihanga Nimsara 82, Rasindu Ilukshana 54; Isuru Gunasekara 2/28, Pansilu Bandara 2/50, Akila Wickramasinghe 3/48, Khanka Wickramasinghe 2/31)
St. Sylvester’s
5 for 1 in 4 overs.
Sports
Sowmiya clinches a triple crown, Silvijan bags a double

Northern Badminton Championship 2023
T. Silvijan Dalima was crowned men’s singles champion while S. Sowmiya clinched a triple crown at the Northern Badminton Championship 2023 in Kilinochchi during the weekend.
At the Provincial Indoor Stadium in Kilinochchi, Silvijan met K Thusan in the final clash in which the latter retired in the second set with scores reading 21-14, 16-11 in favour of the champion. L Hentry and K Kajan were the losing semi-finalists.
Meanwhile, S. Sowmiya won all three of her open events, the women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles with respective partners.
Sowmiya clinched the women’s singles crown with a 21-15, 21-13 win over R. Ragavi in the final following her doubles title win with B. Oliviya. Sowmiya and Oliviya overcame Athmika and M. Kavinaya 21-9, 21-15 to seal the women’s doubles crown.
Earlier, Sowmiya and Silvijan, the best singles duo in the tournament, also won the mixed doubles title by defeating R. Sulacsan and S . Thanojana 21-12, 21-16 in the final.
The men’s doubles final was won by L. R. Reminsan and T. Thusyanthan who beat G. Thanukanth and R. Yuthakaran with a 21-13, 21-9 score line.
The tournament, organised by the Northern Province Badminton Association, was conducted under the guidance of Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB). SLB President Rohan de Silva and a host of top officials were among the special guests at the presentation ceremony.
Sports
St. Peter’s Tennis teams up with Yeti

St. Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya teamed up with isotonic sports drink manufacturer Yeti, who will meet the hydration needs of the school tennis team during their upcoming Inter-School tournaments.
Yeti will provide the St. Peter’s Tennis Team with isotonic sports drinks to meet their hydration needs and as part of the partnership, the players will also have access to the elite Yeti portfolio of sports isotonic products.
This year, St. Peter’s will have a busy schedule as they are set to participate in several age group championships including the Inter-Schools Tennis Tournament, Inter-Schools Nationals and the Arjan Perera Tennis Tournament.
The Peterites had mixed fortunes last year as they emerged overall runners-up in the Inter-Schools Tournament and their Under-17 and Under-19 Teams reached the semi-finals of the Inter-Schools National Championships.
This time the Peterites are hoping for an improved performance with five coloursmen in the Under-20 side and four coloursmen in the Under-17 team.
Yeti isotonic fluid has been specially formulated to provide superior rehydration and provide the body the necessary water, minerals and energy lost during exercise.
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