Sports
Four batsmen strategy backfire as Sri Lanka lose to Zimbabwe
Rex Clementine
at Pallekele
Sri Lanka were flirting with danger having named just four specialist batsmen for the three-match series against Zimbabwe and set a target of 303 in the second ODI, the hosts managed only 280 for nine and lost the game by 22 runs here at Pallekele yesterday.
Sri Lanka’s recent problem in white-ball cricket has been their awful batting and it was bizarre to stick with just four batters most of whom were not in the best of form.
Questions had been asked about Dasun Shanaka backing himself to bat at number six as he had not achieved much as a batsman. His form too was not so great heading into the series. But he justified the decision with a maiden hundred that came off just 93 deliveries with seven fours and two sixes. But Sri Lanka needed more from their captain and could have probably got home with more cover in the batting department.
Shanaka had brought up his hundred by clearing the mid-wicket boundary and after muted celebrations attempted another six but failed to clear the long-off boundary.
Sri Lanka had a horrible start as they were reduced to 63 for four. Then Shanaka rebuild the innings adding 118 runs for the fifth wicket with Kamindu Mendis (57). Another 66 run stand followed for the sixth wicket with Chamika Karunaratne (34) but Sri Lanka were always playing catch up as no team had successfully chased over 300 runs at Pallekele.
Zimbabwe’s young seamers did a terrific job having taken wickets with the new ball and then the trio of Tendai Chatara, Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava came back to pull things back in the death overs as Sri Lanka needed 100 runs in 70 balls.
Despite packing their side with bowlers and the return of Dushmantha Chameera, who missed the first game having not been medically cleared to play after testing positive for COVID, Sri Lanka conceded 302 runs as Zimbabwe opted to bat first.
Chameera is the nation’s best quick and although he generated pace, he wasn’t able to claim any wickets.
Captain Craig Ervine was the star for Zimbabwe as he posted 91 off 98 deliveries with ten fours.
Zimbabwe got off to a good start with the openers adding 51 runs for the first wicket before Jeffrey Vandersay’s leg-spin claimed both Regis Chakabva and Takudzwanashe Kaitano. Chakabva was smartly stumped by Kusal Mendis. It was his first stumping in international cricket and Mendis inflicted another stumping when Vandersay lured Sean Williams forward. Williams had scored a hundred in the previous game.
Zimbabwe’s lower middle order had failed in the first ODI but yesterday they clicked with Sikandar Raza stitching some partnerships that were crucial. The sixth wicket stand between him and Ryan Burl was worth 41 runs while Raza had added 51 runs with Ervine.
Raza was last man dismissed for a well complied 56 that came off 46 deliveries with four fours and a six.
Pradeep claimed two wickets in the last over of the innings. Sri Lanka used up as many as eight bowlers but couldn’t prevent Zimbabwe from scoring a match winning total.
Delhi Capitals’ (DC) signing of Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizure Rahman for the remainder of IPL 2025 has hit a snag, with the BCB stating that it hasn’t been approached for a no-objection certificate (NOC).
Usually, the IPL only announces signings after a player has received an NOC from his home board. According to its CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury, however, the BCB had yet to receive a request for one.
“Mustafizur is supposed to go with the team to the UAE according to the schedule,” Chowdhury told ESPNcricinfo on Wednesday. “We have not received any communication from IPL officials. I have also not received any such official communication from Mustafizur either.”
Mustafizur is part of the Bangladesh T20I squad that is due to play back-to-back away T20I series against UAE and Pakistan, both of which clash with the IPL. On Wednesday, hours after the IPL announced his signing as a replacement for Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mustafizur flew out to Dubai with the rest of Bangladesh’s squad.
Bangladesh are due to play two T20Is in the UAE on May 17 and 19, followed by five in Pakistan on May 25, 27 and 30, and June 1 and 3. Those two series are in conflict with the IPL; DC are set to play their last three league matches on May 18, 21 and 24, followed by the playoffs should they get there.
ESPNcricinfo has sought a response from DC on this development.
[Cricinfo]
Sprinter Aruna Dharshana who is undergoing treatments for an injury he sustained during the World Relays, is racing against time to recover for the Asian Athletics Championships which will be held in South Korea later this month.
The 400 metres specialist is one of the two sprinters slated to compete in the one lap race. He is also a key member of the men’s 4×400 metres and 4×400 metres mixed relays alongside Kalinga Kumarage.
“Currently Dharshana is undergoing treatments. We are hopeful that he will recover in time for the Asian Championships,” Dharshana’s coach Asanka Rajakaruna told ‘The Island’.
“Sri Lanka Athletics will conduct a fitness test before the Asian Championships. Hopefully he will be ready by that time,” said Rajakaruna.
Sri Lanka Athletics earlier said that a fitness test will be held to assess the strength of the 20 strong team selected for the biennial event.
Sri Lanka fielded only a mixed relay team for the recently held World Relays in Guangzhou, China where an injury to Dharshana cost them a chance to achieve a top performance and a probable ticket to the World Championships in Tokyo later this year.
Sri Lanka won a historic gold medal in the men’s 4×400 metres at the last edition of the Asian Athletics Championship in Bangkok Thailand where the team inclusive of Dharshana beat India to the second place with a new championship record time of 03:01.56 seconds.
Kalinga Kumarage who did the anchor leg and Dharshana are the only members from that gold winning team selected for the upcoming event.
Dharshana is the only Sri Lankan athlete to have clocked sub 45 seconds in the 400 metres after legendary Sugath Thilakaratne.
Dharshana and Kumarage hold the second and third places respectively in the list of fastest times achieved in the 400 metres by Sri Lankan athletes. Dharshana has a personal best of 44.99 seconds achieved during the last Olympic games.
by Reemus Fernando
110th Colombo Championships
Dinara de Silva bagged her second title of the Colombo Championships as she partnered Inuki Jayaweera to record straight sets victory in the women’s doubles final played at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association clay courts on Wednesday.
Dinara and Inuki beat Venuli Jayasinghe and Sandithi Usgodaarachchi 6-2, 6-3 in the doubles final.
Incidentally, it was the second title of the tournament for both Dinara and Inuki.
While Dinara won the women’s singles and doubles titles, Inuki was the winner of the mixed doubles and the women’s doubles.
Women’s doubles results
Semi-finals
Dinara de Silva and Inuki Jayaweera beat Dulkini Ranasinghe and Tania Doloswala 6-3, 6-2
Venuli Jayasinghe and Sandithi Usgodaarachchi beat Bovindee Imihamy and Siyara Devappriya 6-3, 6-0.
Quarter-finals
Venuli Jayasinghe and S. Usgodaarachchi beat Tuvini de Alwis and Hasali Gajaba 6-4, 5-7, 10-3.
Dinara de Silva and Inuki Jayaweera beat Nimasha Shehara and Arushi Thomas 6-1, 6-3.
Dulkini Ranasinghe and Tania Doloswala beat Diyansa de Silva and Lihini Jayakody 4-6, 6-3, 10-6.
Bovindee Imihamy and Siyara Devappriya received a walkover from Gehansa Methnadi and Akeesha Silva.
Second lot of luxury and decommissioned vehicles owned by the Presidential Secretariat sold
President approves establishment of Anti-Corruption Investigation Units in Provincial Councils and LG Institutions
Seven new envoys to Sri Lanka present credentials to the President
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