Sports
Chamari Athapaththu ICC Women’s Player of the month for July 2024
Sri Lanka’s talismanic skipper Chamari Athapaththu beat a hot field by overcoming India’s star openers, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, to win the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for July 2024.
July was prolific for the southpaw, who secured new landmarks. Athapaththu led Sri Lanka to a maiden Women’s Asia Cup 2024 title over seven-time champions India during the month.
This is the third ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for the 34-year-old, making her the joint second-most successful cricketer in the Women’s Player of the Month arena, tied at three awards with West Indies’ Hayley Matthews, sitting behind Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner (four wins).
“I am happy and honored to have been chosen as the ICC Women’s Player of the Month’ for the third time and it is heartening to see such reckoning for the efforts of mine, achieved with the support of my teammates and coaches, being continuously recognised by the cricketing world,” she said.
“I believe these recognitions will send a positive message to thousands of girls who are already playing cricket in my country and also elsewhere and want to play for their country; that commitment and dedication for the game will one day pay off.”
This triumph was yet another feat under Athapaththu’s command in recent times. Over the last 12 months, Sri Lanka have set several milestones under her leadership including first-ever T20I series wins against England and South Africa.
Sri Lanka also featured in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2024 in April-May of 2024 in Abu Dhabi and won all their games to qualify for the global mega event in October.
But July was all about Athapaththu’s contribution to the historic Women’s Asia Cup triumph.
She starred with the willow in their undefeated run in the tournament. After making just 12 in Sri Lanka’s first game against Bangladesh, Athapaththu responded in style, hitting a career-best 119* against Malaysia.
An unbeaten 49* against Thailand in the final group game was followed by back-to-back and match-winning fifties against Pakistan (63) and India (61) in the tournament semi-final and final.
Her 304 runs at a healthy strike rate of 146.85 would’ve been enough to secure a Player of the Tournament award, but the skipper also struck three times with the ball, including in the final against India.
(ICC))
(Cricbuzz)
Sri Lanka elected to bat first in the second ODI against England at the R Premadasa International Stadium
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando
England: Rehan Ahmed, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, 4Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (capt), Jos Buttler (wk), Will Jacks, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid
Tanzid Hasan’s century propelled Rajshahi Warriors to their first BPL trophy, after they beat Chattogram Royals by 63 runs in the final.
Tanzid became the third batter after Tamim Iqbal and Chris Gayle to score a century in the BPL final, helping Rajshahi to a competitive 174 for 4 after batting first.
Chattogram, the underdog side of the tournament which came good despite not having a proper team owner, were bowled out for 111 runs in 17.5 overs. Sri Lanka fast bowler Binura Fernando took four wickets, and left-arm spinner Hasan Murad took three wickets.
It was Rajshahi’s batting that set the tone for the win. They got an early boost when openers Tanzid and Sahibzada Farhan added 83 runs for the first wicket in 10.2 overs. Farhan made a run-a-ball 30 with two fours and a six, but it was Tanzid who held Rajshahi’s innings together. He added 47 runs with Kane Williamson, before reaching his third T20 century, off 61 balls. Tanzid struck seven sixes and six fours, before falling for 100 in the penultimate over.
Shoriful Islam took his BPL tally to 26 wickets for the season with two wickets, while Mukidul Islam was Chattogram’s best bowler on the day, taking 2 for 20 from his four overs.
Fernando gave Rajshahi another good start with the ball, removing Mohammad Naim and Mahmudul Hasan Joy in the third over. He returned to remove Asif Ali and Shoriful Islam to finish with excellent figures of 4 for 9.
Murad then struck, first with the big wicket of Hassan Nawaz, followed by wickets of Chattogram captain Mahedi Hasan and Mirza Baig. Chattogram’s chase never really took off, as the rest of the Rajshahi bowlers took control after Murad’s four overs.
Brief scores:
Rajshahi Warriors 174 for 4 in 20 overs (Tanzid Hasan 100, Sahibzada Farhan 30, Kane Williamson 24, Najmul Hossain Shanto 11; Shoriful Islam 2-33, Mukidul Islam 2-20) beat Chattogram Royals 111 in 17.5 overs (Mirza Baig 39, Hasan Nawaz 11, Zahiduzzaman 11, Asif Ali 21; Binura Fernando 4-90, James Neesham 2-24, Abdul Gaffar Saqlain 1-24, Hasan Murad 3-15) by 63 runs
[Cricinfo]
T20 World Cup 2026: ICC replace Bangladesh with Scotland
Indonesia landslide kills 7, dozens more missing
Ukraine condemns ‘brutal’ Russian strikes ahead of second day of peace talks
Sri Lanka bat first in second ODI
Colombo Stock Exchange (GL 12) donates LKR 25 million to the “Rebuilding Sri Lanka” Fund
Tanzid Hasan’s ton, Binura Fernando’s four-for power Rajshahi Warriors to BPL title
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
Editorial7 days agoIllusory rule of law
-
Features7 days agoDaydreams on a winter’s day
-
Features7 days agoSurprise move of both the Minister and myself from Agriculture to Education
-
Features6 days agoExtended mind thesis:A Buddhist perspective
-
Features7 days agoThe Story of Furniture in Sri Lanka
-
Opinion5 days agoAmerican rulers’ hatred for Venezuela and its leaders
-
Features7 days agoWriting a Sunday Column for the Island in the Sun
-
Business3 days agoCORALL Conservation Trust Fund – a historic first for SL