Sports
Hirusha breaks record, qualifies for World Junior meet
Hirusha Hashen cleared 7.67 metres to establish a new Sri Lanka junior record in the boys’ long jump as he reached qualifying standards for the upcoming World Junior Championships on day two of the Sri Lanka Athletics conducted 1st Selection Trial continued at the Sugathadasa Stadium on Friday.
Competing against a slight head wind (-0.9) Hashen cleared 7.67 metres to win the competition which had at least two other athletes clearing the seven metres mark. While St. Joseph’s College, Darley Road athlete Pasindu Malshan cleared 7.36 metres to secure the second place, Richmond College, Galle jumper Sandaru Nethsara made a jump of 7.02 metres.
Hashen erased the current national triple jump record holder Shreshan Dananjaya’s junior long jump record established in 2016. Dananjaya had cleared 7.60 metres in 2016.
Former Sidhartha College, Balapitiya and St. Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya athlete was representing Track Masters at yesterday’s meet. With his impressive performance he has become eligible to represent the country at the Junior World Championships in Cali, Colombia in August. The qualifying standard set for the world event is 7.55 metres.
In the senior category events held yesterday, national steeplechase record holder Nilani Ratnayake, who almost made it to the Tokyo Olympics last year, came close to renewing her national record in the 3,000 metres steeplechase. In an unusually fast performance for a season starter, Ratnayake clocked nine minutes and 47.47 seconds to complete the race. She was just a second slower than her 2018 national record performance.
Olympian Sumedha Ranasinghe registered 78.36 metres as his best throw to win the men’s javelin throw, while Waruna Dayaratne (73.42m) and Sampath Ranasinghe (70.68m) were the only others to clear the 70 metres mark.
In sprints, Rumeshika Ratnayake made a strong return winning the first place in the senior women’s 200 metres in a time of 24.40 seconds, while senior men’s 200 metres was won by Mohamed Safan in a time of 21.04 seconds. Sithum Jayasundara remained unbeaten for the second consecutive day as he won the junior men’s 200 metres to follow up his 400 metres victory on day one. Jayasundara returned a time of 21.67 seconds.
The women’s 800 metres lacked the leading contenders. In their absence N.M.A. Kumari clocked 2:10.28 seconds to win the event. The men’s 800 metres final witnessed a close finish with Harsha Karunaratne edging others to win in a time of 1:53.29 seconds. Kavishka Sri Bandara of Elapatha MV was the winner of the men’s junior 800 metres (1:55.64secs).
Hurdler Roshan Ranatunga, who broke Olympian Mahesh Perera’s long standing national record last year, commenced the year with a 14.13 seconds finish in the men’s 110 metres hurdles heats. In the final he clocked 14.26 seconds to win.
In the women’s 100 metres hurdles Lakshika Sugandhi returned a time of 13.82 seconds to win.
India qualified by virtue of being hosts while New Zealand, England, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Australia, Afghanistan and South Africa progressed from the 2020-23 ODI Super League. Sri Lanka and the Netherlands came through the qualifying tournament held in June and July 2023.
This World Cup follows a simple round-robin format with all teams playing against each other for a total of 45 league matches. The top four will qualify for the semi-finals, to be played in Mumbai on November 15 and in Kolkata on November 16. The semi-finals and the final will have reserve days.
The defending champions England and the runner-up in 2019 New Zealand will kick off the competition in two weeks’ time. The hosts, India, will begin their campaign against five-time winners Australia on October 8 and then build up to the group stage’s marquee clash with Pakistan on October 14. The matches are spread across 46 days and 10 cities with the final scheduled on November 19 in Ahmedabad.
After the recent ICC decision to offer equal prize money for both men’s and women’s events, this sets the precedent for the next Women’s World Cup in 2025.
(Cricbuzz)
Chasing 79 in the rain-reduced 15-overs-a-side quarter-final, Sri Lanka coasted to a win in 10.5 overs. Rain and a wet outfield had delayed the start of the game by close to an hour-and-a-half. Once the weather cleared, Sri Lanka opted to field under grey skies.
Udeshika Prabodhani found some movement in the air, but it was Priyadharshani who inflicted the early damage, accounting for four of the first five wickets to fall. She struck twice in her first over – the second of the innings – dismissing Suwanan Khiaoto and Natthakan Chantham. In her next over, she removed Nannapat Koncharoenkai before accounting for Naruemol Chaiwai with a smart caught and bowled.
At 37 for 6, Thailand were sinking rapidly but a 29-run stand between Chanida Sutthiruang and Phannita Maya arrested the slide a touch. Sutthiruang top-scored with an unbeaten 31 and was the only batter to get into double-digits as Thailand managed to reach 78 for 7 in 15 overs.
Chamari Athapaththu and Sanjeewani then made light work of the chase. They brought up their 50 partnership in the sixth over before Thipatcha Putthawong accounted for Athapaththu, who top edged a slog sweep.
Putthawong also removed Sanjeewani but the damage had been done by then. Thailand were not helped by their ground fielding; they committed a number of mis-fields and dropped chances. Harshitha Samarawickrama closed the game in the 11th over with a pull over deep square leg.
Sri Lanka will face Pakistan in the second semi-final on Sunday.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 84 for 2 (Chamari Athapaththu 27, Anushka Sanjeewani 32, Harshitha Samarawickrema 14*; Thipatcha Putthawong 2-21) beat Thailand 78 for 7 (Chanida Sutthiruang 31; Inoshi Priyadharshani 4-10, Sugandika Kumari 1-13, Chamari Athapaththu 1-13, Kavisha Dilhari 1-14) by eight wickets
France are on the brink of reaching the World Cup quarter-finals after claiming their biggest-ever win with a 96-0 victory over Namibia in Pool A.
Damian Penaud scored a hat-trick, while Jonathan Danty, Charles Ollivon and Louis Bielle-Biarry all scored twice.
Antoine Dupont, Thibaud Flament, Baptiste Couilloud and Melvyn Jaminet also crossed before a penalty try took their total tally to 14 in Marseille.
The only French cause for concern was the loss of Dupont to injury. The hosts’ captain was withdrawn during the second half following a head-on-head tackle by Johan Deysel, whose yellow card was upgraded to a red by the bunker-review system.
France head coach Fabien Galthie’s decision to keep his talisman on the field despite his side’s huge 54-point half-time advantage could be scrutinised if Dupont’s injury keeps him on the sidelines with the knockout stages looming.
Line-ups:
France: Ramos; Penaud, Fickou, Danty, Bielle-Biarry; Jalibert, Dupont; Baille, Mauvaka, Atonio; Woki, Flament; Cros, Ollivon, Jelonch.
Replacements: Bourgarit, Wardi, Aldegheri, Taofifenua, Boudehent, Couilloud, Moefana, Jaminet.
Namibia: Van der Bergh; Mouton, Deysel, Burger, Greyling; Loubser, Theron; Sethie, Van der Westhuizen, Coetzee, Tjeriko, Ludick, Katjijeko, Retief, Gaoseb.
Replacements: Nortje, Benade, Shifuka, Van Lill, Hardwick, Blaauw, Izaacs, Rossouw.
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
(BBC Sports)
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