Sports

Chamari helps Sri Lanka secure Commonwealth Games T20 spot

Published

3 years ago

2022/01/25

Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh to remain unbeaten in the ICC Commonwealth Games qualifies.

Captain Chamari Athapaththu produced a superb all-round effort to help Sri Lanka score a fine 22-run victory over Bangladesh and win the ICC Commonwealth Games Qualifier 2022 at the Kinrara Oval in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.

The last match of the five-team tournament, played to decide the final qualifying spot at this year’s Commonwealth Games, saw Athapaththu score 48 runs to propel Sri Lanka to 136 for six before returning figures of three for 17 to restrict Bangladesh to 114 for five.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) will announce the cricket line-up in due course, once Sri Lanka are officially confirmed as the eighth team in Birmingham, joining Australia, Barbados, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa, who have already qualified for the Games.

Athapaththu did everything right yesterday right from winning the toss in the crucial fixture.

Electing to bat, Sri Lanka were kept quiet by opening bowlers Salma Khatun and Soraya Azmim in the first few overs. Azmim was rewarded for consistently hitting hard lengths when Vishmi Gunaratne lobbed her to Fargana Hoque at mid-off to leave Sri Lanka at 14 for one in the fourth over.

A few balls later, Athapaththu slashed Azmim over the infield for four before unleashing a barrage of sweep shots against Bangladesh’s spinners, two of which cleared the ropes for six.

Off-spinner Salma Khatun, the only bowler up to that point to keep Athapaththu in check, was brought back into the attack. She responded by trapping Hasini Perera plumb in front with the score 61 for two in the ninth over.

Athapaththu muscled Rumana over extra cover for six as she approached what could have been her third half-century of the tournament. However, she missed out on her fifty when she tried to repeat the shot, only managing an edge through to Shamima Sultana behind the stumps.

Unsurprisingly, the fall of Athapaththu’s wicket allowed Bangladesh’s spinners to claw back before Nilakshi de Silva and Anushka Sanjeewani helped Sri Lanka accumulate 42 runs in the last five overs to take the score to 136 for six.

In reply, Bangladesh benefitted from a dropped catch and four overthrows in the first couple of overs. Shamima Sultana was caught in the circle by Udeshika Prabodhani off the bowling of Ama Kanchana to leave Bangladesh at 18 for one in the third over.

However, left-handed opener Murshida Khatun continued her fine form by clearing the infield for boundaries on three occasions during a Powerplay that fetched Bangladesh 46 runs.

“I wanted to bat through, but I’m reasonably happy with the start I got today, giving a platform for the other players to compile a challenging total,” she said.

Brief Scores:
Sri Lanka

136/6 in 20 Overs
Bangladesh 114/5 in 20 Overs.

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Sports

Extra ODI added to Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka

Published

19 hours ago

2025/01/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

Australia previously visited in Sri Lanka in 2022

An extra ODI has been added to Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka which will provide the visitors additional preparation for the Champions Trophy.

The two matches will now take place on February 12 and 14 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and will be day games.

The first of the games begins just two days after the scheduled fifth day of the second Test in Galle so it remains to be seen how many players featuring in that match can turnaround for the one-dayer if the Test goes the distance.

However, Australia have nine players in their preliminary Champions Trophy squad who aren’t part of the Test series, including captain Pat Cummins and fellow quick Josh Hazlewood.

But Cummins’ participation remains uncertain as he is carrying an ankle injury which he played with during the India Test series.

Australia’s ODI players are expected to arrive in Sri Lanka around the start of the second Test. Their first match in the Champions Trophy is against England on February 22 followed by South Africa on February 25 and Afghanistan on February 28.

The first semi-final will take place in Dubai on March 4 with the second in Lahore on March 5 following confirmation of the hybrid model due to India not traveling to Pakistan. The final will be on March 9, in either Dubai or Lahore depending on whether India qualify.

(Cricinfo)

Sports

Annaya reaches girls’ singles final

Published

19 hours ago

2025/01/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

Damsath Peiris and Yudheerya Atapaththu

ITF Asia 14 and Under Championship

Annaya Norbert edged out compatriot Sahansa Damsiluni to reach the girls’ singles final of the ITF Asia 14 and Under Development Championship (South Asia, South East Asia and East Asia) week one tournament at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association courts on Wednesday.

Annaya beat Damsiluni 6-1, 7-6, 6-3 in the semi-final, while Nepal’s Shivali Gurung prevented an all-Sri Lanka final by eliminating Eliza Kahagalla registering 6-1, 6-1 victory.

In the boys’ tournament, Damsath Peiris partnered Yudheerya Atapaththu to beat Shayan Muhammad and Rasheed Ali (Pakistan) 6-2, 7-5 to reach the doubles final. Peiris was also the only Sri Lankan player to book a semi-final berth in the singles. Peiris beat Akash Hossain of Bangladesh 6-0, 6-1. Revan Amarasinghe suffered a 6-0, 6-0 defeat at the hands of Nicholas Pak of Singapore in his singles quarter-final.

: Annaya Norbert (Pix by Kamal Wanniarachchi)

: Damsath Peiris

Boys’ quarter-final results

Damsath Peiris (Sri Lanka) beat Akash Hossain (Bangladesh) 6-0, 6-1.

Metthey Tay (Singapore) beat Khabbo Gayen (Bangalides) 6-2, 6-4.

Nicholas Pak (Singapore) beat Revan Amarasinghe (Sri Lanka) 6-0, 6-0.

Shayan Muhammad (Pakistan) beat Krel Jan Gecosala (Philippines) 4-6, 6-2, 7-5. (RF)

Sports

CDB crush Fairfirst Insuarance by five wickets

Published

19 hours ago

2025/01/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

The victorious Citizens Development Business (CDB) team

9th MCA Super Premier League 2024 T20 Tournament

A swashbuckling half century by Pavan Ratnayake (51 runs in 26 balls inclusive of 05 sixes and 04 fours), guided Citizens Development Business (CDB) to a comprehensive 05 wickets win with 38 balls to spare over Fairfirst Insurance, in 9TH – MCA Super Premier League 2024 T20 Final, concluded on 14th January at the MCA Grounds.

Fairfirst Insurance, sent into bat scored 170 for 09 in 20 overs, riding on the solid half century by Anuk Fernando (51 runs in 37 balls, inclusive of 04 sixes & 02 fours)

CDB raced to their target in Just 13.4 overs (171 for 05) , with Pavan Ratnayake and Sonal Dinusha (36 not out in 17 balls inclusive of 02 sixes & 02 fours) engaged in a hurricane 55 runs stand in 25 balls for the 04th wicket.

MCA appointed Match Referee, Basil Perera picked Pavan Ratnayake (CDB) as the Man of the Match.

The other two special awards offered went to Movin Subasinghe (CDB), best bowler and T.M. Sampath (Hayleys Group), best batsman .

Thus the curtain came down on 31st Singer- MCA Super Premier League 2024, with debutants, Maliban Biscuits, being the “League” Champions & Fairfirst Insurance winning the “Knock-out” tournament.

Awards were given away by the Chief Guest, Senior Manager Promotions, Singer Sri Lanka PLC, KDS Kanishka, along with MCA Officials, Mahesh de Alwis, President, Rohan Somawansa, General Secretary and Lakmal de Silva, Chairman, Tournament Committee.

Brief scores :

Fairfirst Insurance –

170 for 09 in 20 overs ( Gaviru Senhas 13, Minod Bhanuka 26, Anuk Fernando 51, Moditha Ranatunga 20, Nimesh Vimukthi 37, Movin Subasinghe 2/33, Lasith Croosepulle 2/7)

CDB –

171 for 05 in 13.4 overs (Lahiru Udara 35, Oshada Fernando 15, Pavan Ratnayake 51, Sonal Dinusha 36 not out, Lahiru Madusanka 10, Nimesh Vimukthi 2/15, Imthiyas Slaza 2/19)