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Bangladesh take 187 run lead in Galle Test

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Kamindu Mendis anchored Sri Lanka’s innings before being dismissed by a peach of a delivery from off-spinner Nayeem Hasan.

Bangladesh kept their noses in front with a spirited showing on day four of the first Test in Galle on Friday, finishing strongly at 177 for three in their second innings. With a lead of 187 and plenty of batting left in the shed, the visitors will fancy their chances of setting Sri Lanka a tricky fourth-innings target on a wearing pitch.

A target in the vicinity of 250 could prove a tall order for the hosts, who were rattled by the guile of off-spinner Nayeem Hasan earlier in the day. Bangladesh, chasing only their second-ever win over Sri Lanka in 28 attempts, have history within touching distance.

The cornerstone of their resistance in the second innings was a 68-run stand for the third wicket between opener Shadman Islam and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto. With both batsmen negotiating spin confidently, Sri Lanka were forced to turn back to pace. It was the bustling all-rounder Milan Rathnayake who broke the stand, trapping Shadman plumb in front for a fluent 76 — his sixth Test half-century.

Veteran campaigner Mushfiqur Rahim, fresh off a first-innings century, joined his captain and the duo ensured there were no further hiccups, putting on an unbroken 49-run partnership for the fourth wicket to put their side firmly in the driver’s seat heading into the final day.

Earlier, Bangladesh’s bowlers set the tone with a probing effort that denied Sri Lanka a first-innings lead. Off-spinner Nayeem Hasan was the pick of the bunch, weaving a web around the batters with his bounce and bite to claim a richly deserved five-wicket haul. He got the ball to talk, often making it spit and grip off the surface and the Sri Lankan batters were left groping.

In contrast, Sri Lanka’s spin twins — Prabath Jayasuriya and debutant Tharindu Ratnayake — failed to hit the right notes. Though both bagged a wicket apiece, they lacked venom. Jayasuriya, in particular, looked pedestrian with the Bangladeshi batsmen using their feet to good effect and blunting his left-arm spin with minimal fuss.

Captain Dhananjaya de Silva tried rotating his bowlers, but the bite was missing. On a pitch where Nayeem looked like he was bowling with a wand, Sri Lanka’s spinners seemed to be rolling pies.

Galle is a result-oriented venue — the last draw here came a dozen years ago — and with the pitch showing signs of wear and tear, all three results remain on the table. But make no mistake, it’s Bangladesh who hold all the aces.

Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka resumed on 368 for four and still 127 runs adrift. However, any hopes of taking the lead were dashed as they lost Dhananjaya de Silva (19) and Kusal Mendis (5) in quick succession. The pendulum swung back Sri Lanka’s way thanks to an enterprising 84-run partnership between Kamindu Mendis and Milan Rathnayake. But just when the hosts looked poised to nose ahead, Bangladesh came roaring back.

The game turned on its head after lunch, with the visitors striking thrice in the space of ten deliveries for just one run. The prize scalp was that of Kamindu Mendis, who played a gem of an innings for his 87. He was undone by a peach from Nayeem — one that pitched on a length, spat off the surface, kissed the edge and was safely pouched by the keeper.



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Asalanka admits Sri Lanka have much to ponder ahead of T20 World Cup

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After a brilliant win in the opening game, Sri Lanka flopped in the next two T-20Is to hand Bangladesh a series win.

Skipper Charith Asalanka pulled no punches after Sri Lanka’s historic T20I series defeat to Bangladesh, admitting that his team is staring down a long list of unanswered questions with the World Cup just around the corner.

Sri Lanka had drawn first blood with a commanding seven-wicket win in Pallekele — a night where Kusal Mendis was in full flow, sending the bowlers on a leather hunt. But once the in-form opener fell cheaply in the next two games, the hosts collapsed like a house of cards, handing Bangladesh their maiden T20I series win against the islanders.

The wheels began to come off in Dambulla, where Sri Lanka were skittled for 94 — their lowest T20I total at home — succumbing to a crushing 83-run defeat, their worst ever against Bangladesh. Having picked the wrong XI, the Sri Lankans tried to plug the holes ahead of the decider in Colombo. But even with a bolstered batting line-up, they stumbled again — managing just 132, a total that was never going to test Bangladesh.

The visitors, brimming with confidence, knocked off the runs with eight wickets in hand and 21 deliveries to spare to complete a memorable come-from-behind triumph.

“As a team, we’re gutted,” Asalanka told reporters post-match. “With the T20 World Cup in sight, we’ve been experimenting with different combinations. But the number four and six slots remain problem areas — and so far, it’s been trial and error without much reward.”

The left-hander acknowledged Sri Lanka’s biggest Achilles heel — the lack of firepower in the middle order.

“If you look around the world, most top sides have batters striking at over 130 — from positions one to seven. We’ve barely got two or three players who meet that benchmark. That’s a huge concern in this format, and we’ve got to bridge that gap quickly,” he said.

Fielding, too, came under the microscope, with a couple of dropped catches and misfields punctuating Sri Lanka’s series.

“I’m really disappointed. We always aim for 100 percent catching, but if you keep grassing chances, you can’t expect to win at this level,” said Asalanka, visibly frustrated.

The 27-year-old also owned up to a tactical misstep in the series decider, choosing to bat first on a surface that clearly got better under lights.

“I misread the wicket,” he admitted. “Batting became easier as the game progressed. Mahedi Hasan bowled brilliantly upfront and put us on the back foot. But all in all, it was a very disappointing outing.”

With just months to go before the T20 World Cup — co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India — the hosts now find themselves in a race against time to sort out their playing XI, fix their flaws and rediscover their mojo.

As it stands, Sri Lanka’s T20 campaign is in need of serious repair — and fast — if they are to make any meaningful noise on the global stage.

by Rex Clementine ✍️

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Deepti digs deep to deliver India’s four-wicket win

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Deepti Sharma launched into a remarkable one-handed six over midwicket [Cricinfo]

Deepti Sharma gave India the upper hand against England again, although in a more conventional style this time, with a match-winning half-century at Southampton for a 1-0 lead in their three-match ODI series.

The last time these sides met in an ODI in England, in 2022, Deepti scored an unbeaten fifty to rescue her side from an early stumble then ran out Charlie Dean while backing up on the last ball to seal a 3-0 ODI series sweep at Lord’s.

On Wednesday night, Deepti’s unbeaten 62 off 64 balls allowed India to chase down 259 to win by four wickets with 10 balls to spare. Her 90-run partnership for the fifth wicket off 86 balls with  Lemimah Rodrigues trumped the corresponding century stand between Sophia Dunkley and Alice Davidson–Richards,  who both passed fifty to take England to 258 for 6.

Both sides made a scrappier start than they might have liked to their build-up for the World Cup, which starts in India and Sri Lanka in 11 weeks’ time. India missed chances in the field and made hard work of their pursuit early, while England were forced to defend a modest total after suffering an early batting collapse and ultimately couldn’t take the wickets they needed.

India’s top order made starts but could not convert. Lauren Bell removed the threat of Smriti Mandhana, the leading run-scorer by some way on the T20I leg of the tour, via a faint edge to wicketkeeper Amy Jones for a 24-ball 28 in the eighth over.

Fellow opener Pratika Rawal faced 51 deliveries for her 36 before she was bowled by Sophie Ecclestone to make it 94 for 2 in the 19th.

When Harleen Deol was unnecessarily run out via a direct hit from Davidson-Richards because she left her bat hovering off the ground well beyond the crease while her foot was short of the crease, England were in the contest.

And Dean bettered the hosts’ position when she got one to grip from outside off and strike Harmanpreet Kaur on the knee-roll, England’s review bearing fruit when the ball was shown to be hitting middle stump. At that point, India needed 135 runs at just under a run a ball.

Deepti took control, striking the only six of the match when she launched Bell over deep midwicket to move into the 30s.

She was on 40 when Bell beat her attempted pull and hit the pad, the ball racing away for four leg byes when replays suggested she would have been given out lbw had England reviewed.

Rodrigues was on 48 when she messed up an attempted scoop of Lauren Filer, gloving the ball to Jones to give England another opening.

Deepti brought up her fifty off 52 balls sweeping Dean to deep square leg.

When Dean had Richa Ghosh stumped advancing down the pitch in her final over, India needed 30 runs off 33 balls but Deepti and Amanjot Kaur saw them home.

Dunkley, reprieved on 23 and 43, reached 83 off 92 deliveries before she fell on the final ball of the innings. She shared a 106-run stand for the fifth wicket with Davidson-Richards, who scored 53, to rescue England from 97 for 4.

It could have been worse for the hosts had India held their chances. Davidson-Richards was on 16 when Kranti Goud fumbled an attempted return catch and Nat Sciver-Brunt, England’s captain back from a groin injury which kept her out of the last three T20Is, was put down by Mandhana at midwicket off Sneh Rana before going on to score 41.

Off-spinner Rana went wicketless from seven overs across her four appearances in the T20Is in her comeback to the format after more than two years. But she took 2 for 31 from 10 overs to be the pick of India’s bowlers in this match, Goud the other multiple wicket-taker with 2 for 55 from nine.

Unable to reprise the success of their opening partnership which yielded 424 runs in two matches against West Indies earlier this summer, Jones and Tammy Beaumont both fell cheaply as England slumped to 20 for 1 in the first four overs.

That was thanks to Goud, the 21-year-old right-arm seamer making just her third international appearance. She started inauspiciously with a dot ball then three consecutive wides before sending down an absolute gem that nipped back off the seam, beat Jones’s bat and crashed into the top of off stump.

It took an India review to give Goud her second when she rapped Beaumont on the front pad as she strode across her stumps, with ball-tracking confirming impact on the top of middle and off.

Sciver-Brunt and Emma Lamb repaired the damage with a 71-run partnership for the third wicket. They struggled to find the boundary through overs 13-17, however, as India mixed up their bowling options and it was Rana who removed both in the space of 12 deliveries.

Lamb tried to break the shackles and picked out Harmanpreet at mid-off, and a wonderful catch by Rodrigues at short midwicket sent Sciver-Brunt on her way.

Shree Charani, Player of the Series with 10 wickets in the T20Is, broke the union between Dunkley and Davison-Richards when she had the latter stumped, despite a fumble from wicketkeeper Ghosh.

Dunkley fell on the last ball, bowled by Amanjot’s full-length cutter, a neat cameo of 23 not out from 19 balls by Sophie Ecclestone adding valuable runs but it wasn’t enough.

Brief scores:
India Women  262 for 6 in 48.2 overs  (Pratika Rawal 36, Smriti Mandhana 28, Harlene Deol 27, Deepti Sharma  62*, Jemimah Rodrigues 48, Amanjot Kaur 20*; Charlie Dean 2-52) beat England Women 258 for 6 in 50 overs (Emma Lamb 39, Nat Sciver-Brunt 41, Sophia Dunkley 83, Alice Davidson-Richards 53, Sophie Ecclestone 23*; Kranti Goud 2-55, Sneh Rana 2-31) by four wickets

[Cricinfo]

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Italy through to semis with a dramatic win over Norway

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Cristiana Girelli [BBC]

Italy captain Cristiana Girelli scored a dramatic 90th-minute winner as they beat Norway to set up a potential Euro 2025 semi-final against reigning champions England.

After a dominant first-half performance, Girelli opened the scoring in the 50th minute before Norway captain Ada Hegerberg recovered from missing a penalty to level the match.

However, with the game heading towards extra time, Girelli headed home Sofia Cantore’s cross to send her side through to the last four for the first time since 1997, where they will face Sweden or England, who play their quarter-final on Thursday.

“It’s a dream that becomes a reality,” Girelli said after the game. “It’s amazing.

“I felt something different, something special. I have seen in the eyes of my team-mates a special light.

“I just believe to fight until the end and to believe until the end until the referee’s whistle. If you have a flame you have to continue to live. We suffered a lot but we fought until the end.”

Italy were the better side throughout the opening 45 minutes and were left to rue missed opportunities at the break, with Arianna Caruso, Girelli, Emma Severini and Lucia di Guglielmo all going close.

Girelli broke the deadlock shortly after half-time, touching in Cantore’s cross with her left foot from close range, and Italy thought they had doubled their lead a few minutes later when Severini scrambled the ball over the line. However, it was ruled out for offside against Caruso.

Norway were handed a golden opportunity to level in the 60th minute when Hegerberg was awarded a penalty after being hauled to the floor by Elena Linari, but for the second time in this tournament she sent her spot-kick wide.

However, she made amends six minutes later, coolly slotting the ball past onrushing goalkeeper Laura Giuliani.

Momentum swung in Norway’s favour following the equaliser, with the best chance for a winner falling to Ingrid Engen, whose curled effort from the edge of the box went just wide, before Girelli popped up in the box late on to spark Italian celebrations.

While the headlines should be about Italy and their first appearance in the last four of a Women’s Euros for 28 years, an unfortunate spotlight has fallen on Norway captain Hegerberg.

Having sent a penalty wide in her side’s opening game against Switzerland, her nerves would have been jangling when the referee pointed to the spot on the hour mark.

There was a lengthy delay before she lined up to take the penalty, with a couple of team-mates gathered by the ball and plenty of gardening around the spot.

After the pause, she walked up to the ball and planted her penalty well wide of the right post before putting her head in her hands. Italy goalkeeper Giuliani had gone the right way.

Although she made amends six minutes later, the missed penalty was the latest blemish in an underwhelming tournament from a star-studded Norway side.

Despite topping Group A with three wins from three, their performances have left many fans underwhelmed, with their side benefitting from an own goal to beat Switzerland, needing an 84th-minute winner against Finland, and conceding two late goals to Iceland.

A common criticism has been their inability to get the best out of their superstars – and it was the case once against in Geneva.

Guro Reiten struggled as a makeshift left-back, finding herself hemmed back by a counter-attacking Italy, while Barcelona forward Caroline Graham Hansen was curiously absent throughout.

Norway have now not reached the semi-finals of a Women’s Euros since 2013.

[BBC Sports]

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