Sports
Chances of fielding a mixed relay team evaporates
Junior World Championship team pruned
By Reemus Fernando
Junior athletes who have already suffered setbacks due to cancelation of meets and postponements of international competitions are set to encounter further trouble as a number of athletes who have reached qualifying standards for the upcoming World Junior Championships face the axe due to the current economic crisis.Sri Lanka Athletics has dropped two athletes including Sithum Jayasundara who took part in the last World Junior Championships when the track and field governing body forwarded the names of the team for the World Junior Championships to request Sports Ministry assistance for their trip to Cali, Colombia in August.
At a time when senior athletes find it difficult to reach qualifying standards for the World Championships, some nine juniors reached qualifying standards for the World Junior Championships.It was a practice of Sri Lanka Athletics to send all athletes who reach qualifying standards for World Junior Championships as it provides impetus for juniors to remain in the sport.
The heavy cost involved in sending the team to Cali has made Sri Lanka Athletics reduce the number in the team from nine to seven and sources said that the Sports Ministry too could further prune down the team due to financial constrains.
Sri Lanka Athletics has sent the names of St. Joseph’s College triple jumper Pasindu Malshan, St. Peter’s athletes Hirusha Hashen (long jump) and Rumesh Tharuka (javelin), Ambagamuwa Central hurdler Dhanuka Dharshan, Royal College hurdler Nadun Bandara, Girls His School hurdler Amesha Hettiarachchi, Ratnayake Central Walala runner Tharushi Karunarante to request Sports Ministry approval and financial assistance.
Jayeshi Uththara who reached qualifying standards for the 400 metres is the other athlete who has been dropped from the team.By dropping Uththara and Jayasundara the team will miss the opportunity of fielding a mixed relay team. It was in the mixed relay that the Sri Lanka team produced their best result at the last edition.Tharushi Karunaratne who featured in the mixed relay final at the last edition making it to the team this time as well Sri Lanka were in with a chance to produce a better show in that event.
Ravi Shastri says he would not be shocked if India captain Rohit Sharma retires from Test cricket, but if he is selected for a swansong match he should play with as little baggage as possible as the tourists fight to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and keep their World Test Championship 2025 final hopes alive in Sydney.
Joining Sanjana Ganesan in the latest edition of The ICC Review – a short time before India head coach Gautam Gambhir refused to confirm Sharma’s place in the XI – a frank Shastri said the skipper should play free from inhibitions that have stifled his game during his lean run of form.
“If I was anywhere near Rohit Sharma, I’ll tell him, ‘Just go and smash it. Just go out there and have a blast’,” Shastri said on The ICC Review.
“Just as it is when you’re trying to play the way you are at the moment, it’s not looking great. Go out there and take the attack to the opposition and then let’s see what happens.”
Retirement speculation around Sharma has only grown since Gambhir’s pre-match press conference on Thursday, with Sharma making 31 runs at an average of 6.2 in his five knocks this series.
The regular skipper was not a member of the side that won the first Test match of the series in Perth, and Shastri admitted the end of Sharma’s career could come quickly. “He’ll take a call on his career but I won’t be shocked at all if Sharma retires because he’s not getting younger,” said Shastri.
“There are other young players in the wings, there’s Shubman Gill, a player of his quality averaging over 40 in the year 2024 and not playing.
“It tricks your brain as to what is he doing sitting on the bench and warming it. So I won’t be surprised but it’s his call.
“At the end of the day, if India had qualified for the World Test Championship Final or if they still qualify for the World Test Championship Final, then it’s another thing altogether.
“Otherwise, I think it might just be the opportune time – but if Sharma plays he should go out with a blaze of glory.”
Known for his barnstorming nature with the bat irrespective of the format, Sharma bowed out of the T20I format a winner, claiming World Cup silverware in the West Indies in 2024 as captain, making two half-centuries in his last three innings in the campaign. He remains poised for a tilt at the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, though his faults against the red-ball have been under the microscope given the lean run in recent months.
“I think from the outside when I see it, I think he’s a little late on the ball,” Shastri noted. “His feet aren’t moving as well as they normally do. Even at his prime, his footwork was minimal, but there was more. He was more towards the ball. At the moment, I think he’s caught on the crease.
“It is much like Usman Khawaja in the Australian team, where you’re neither forward nor back. And I think when Rohit is moving more towards the ball and the intent is there to take on the opposition, that’s when the right signals go from the brain to the feet to do what they have to do.
“I want him to just get out there, smash it, try and win this Test match. You might have lost a Test. You have not lost the series as yet. Try and win this Test match to keep that Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“It’s going out there and not playing his natural game that’s affecting him.”
The fifth and final Border-Gavaskar Test begins on Friday, with Australia holding a 2-1 lead.
India must win the Sydney Test match to keep their slim World Test Championship Final hopes alive, and would also need Australia to not win either of their two Test matches in Sri Lanka to lock in their spot for Lord’s in June.
[ICC]
In the end Sri Lanka did enough. That’s not something you’d expect to say about a team that had racked up 218 runs in their first innings, but it speaks towards just how well New Zealand had set about their chase for most of the innings.
Indeed, for about 15 overs of the chase New Zealand were keeping up with the nearly 11-an-over required rate, and when Daryl Mitchell struck Charith Asalanka for four consecutive sixes in a 25-run 15th over they might have even been ahead.
Sri Lanka then thought they had done enough with a couple of wickets at the death, before Zachary Foulkes’ final-over fireworks provided yet another scare. But despite frayed nerves, Sri Lanka held on to close out a consolatory seven-run win – their first in New Zealand since 2006.
It was a victory setup largely by Kusal Perera’s maiden T20I ton, the fastest ever by a Sri Lankan, coming off just 44 deliveries. Having entered inside the powerplay, he fell with less than two overs left in the innings, and such was the impact of his innings even a run-a-ball final two overs couldn’t prevent Sri Lanka from registering their second highest T20I total ever.
Asalanka also played a starring role – despite the treatment meted out by Mitchell – backing up his 46 off 24 with the bat with a three-wicket haul that derailed New Zealand’s well-planned chase. He also took a scorcher of a catch at extra cover to cap an impressive outing. There was however no looking beyond Perera for the player of the match award.
Jacob Duffy, a thorn in Sri Lanka’s side throughout the series, picked up just the solitary wicket this time round, although his economy rate of 7.50 was still the best of any bowler that bowled at least two overs in the game. He was deservedly named player of the series.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 218 for 5 in 20 overs (Kusal Perera 101, Charith Asalanka 46, Kusal Mendis 22; Matt Henry 1-47, Jacob Duffy 1-30, Zakary Foulkes 1-52, Mitchell Santner 1-36, Daryl Mitchell 1-06) beat New Zealand 211 for 7 in 20 overs (Rachin Ravindra 69, Tim Robinson 37, Daryl Mitchell 35, Zakary Foulkes 21-; Charith Asalanka 3-50, Wanidu Hasaranga 2-38, Nuwan Thushara 1-33, Binura Fernando 1-43) by 7 runs
[Cricinfo]
Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ Cricket Tournament
by Reemus Fernando
Mahanama College Colombo and St. Sebastian’s College Moratuwa lead the respective groups, while St. Anthony’s College Katugastota are the team to gain the maximum from the year end cricket encounters as the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ cricket tournament reached the halfway mark on new year’s eve.
Mahanama have remained the team to beat in their group from the time the tournament commenced. The team skippered by Anuka Wijewardhane have remained unbeaten in the tournament proper. They are the only team to record two outright victories in the tier ‘A’ tournament.
Rain prevented St. Sebastian’s Moratuwa going for a probable second outright victory on the new year’s eve but the first innings points they earned against St. Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya further cemented their position as the undisputed leaders in Group ‘Y’ also inclusive of Trinity who remained in the second spot despite not playing a match this week. St. Sebastian’s captained by Ryan Dissanayake have remained unbeaten in the tournament proper.
Keys: MP- Matches played, IW- Innings win, IL – Lost by an innings, WO – Won outright, LO
– Lost outright, 1st IW- Won on 1st innings, 1st IL – Lost on first innings, 1st IT – Tied on 1st
innings, MT – Match ended in tie, ND- No decision, TP- Total points, AVE – Average
Note: This is a points table prepared by The Island. The official year end points table has
not been published by the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association yet.
The Petes are placed third in the table, while the massive score Royal posted against Maliyadewa have helped them keep the fourth position in the points table.
St. Anthony’s captained by Charuka Ekanayake overtook Lumbini and S. Thomas’ Mount Lavinia to be placed third behind table leaders Mahanama and St. Joseph’s in group ‘X’. Their average rose from 8.848 to 11.41 points thanks to their massive innings and 19 runs victory over St. Benedict’s, who have now slumped to the eighth position in the nine-team group.
St. Servatius’ are placed last after having suffered two outright defeats in that group while St. Benedict’s are just above them with a meagre average of 6.755 points.
In group ‘Y’, D.S. Senanayaka are in the last position but they have so far played only three matches.
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