Sports
Hurdlers Dharshana and Amesha smash records
Junior National Athletics Championships
by Reemus Fernando
Despite the uncertainty surrounding their participation in the World Junior Athletics Championships the two hurdlers who had already qualified for the major event showcased their readiness with some noteworthy performances on day two of the Junior National Athletics Championships at the Sugathadasa Stadium on Wednesday.
Top on the list was the record breaking feat of Dhanuka Dharshana of Ambagamuwa Central who won the Under 20 boys’ 400 metres hurdles event with a new meet record mark of 52.11 seconds.
Girls High School Kandy hurdler Amesha Hettiarachchi who is the other 400 metres hurdler to have qualified for the World Junior Championships smashed the meet record held by Yamani Dulanjali with a feat of 1:01.04 seconds in the Under 20 heats on Tuesday with a time of 1:04.40 to win the gold.
Later in the day Amesha set a new meet record in the 100 metres hurdles with a time of 14.86 seconds. She was pushed hard in the final by Swarnamali Balika athlete Samadhi Lakshani who also bettered the previous record. She clocked 14.93 secs.
A number of junior athletes have reached qualifying standards for the World Junior Championships but the participation of the full strength team still remains uncertain due to lack of funds. Some athletes have received the backing of sponsors and Sri Lanka Athletics is yet to receive the support to field the entire team.
Ratnayake Central runner Tharushi Karunaratne who has the experience of taking part in the last Junior World Championship also won her pet event (800 meters) clocking 2:10.18 seconds. The day’s best 800 metres performance in the girls category was by Shanika Lakshani who returned a time of 2:08.44 seconds to win the Under 23 event.
Kavishka Sri Bandara of Elapatha MV, Ratnapura produced the fastest time in all four age categories in the boys 800 metres. He clocked 1:54.09 seconds to win.
Madushani Herath of Nannapurawa MV, Moneragala continued to improve her profile winning the second gold medal of the meet. The athlete who won the long jump on May 9, sat for her O/L exam and returned to win the Under 18 girls’ triple jump with a feat of 11.24 metres yesterday.
Ambagamuwa Central had success in the Under 18 400 metres hurdles as Ayomal Akalanka clinched the gold in that event.
The second day began with Sadeesha Anusanka of Moratu Maha Vidyalaya winning the Under 20 boys 10,000 metres (35:14.57 secs).
A feat of 13.5 metres in the Under 16 boys’ triple jump by Heshan Dulanjna Jayathilika of Lyceum International, Wattala, a throw of 15.13 metres by S. Mithunraj of Hartley College, Point Pedro in the Under 20 boys’ shot put and Isali Malkethmi of Lyceum International, Wattala winning the Under 18 girls’ discus throw (28.54m) ahead of her teammate Chethana Kavindi (28.14) were among the highlights in the morning session of the meet.
Sri Lanka Athletics was yet to announce the official results of the events held in the afternoon when this edition was ready for press.
India’s untested lower order played a key role in turning a modest total into a competitive one. Amanjot Kaur added stability, scoring 21 off 18 balls and putting on a 61-run partnership with Harmanpreet for the fifth wicket, helping the innings regain momentum after regular wickets fell.
After her dismissal, Arundhati Reddy – promoted ahead of Sneh Rana – launched a late assault, hitting four fours and a six off 11 balls for an unbeaten 27, guiding India to 175 for 7. The team scored 32 runs in the final two overs.
With Chamari Athapaththu gone in the second over, Perera and Dulhani faced a daunting task. Dulhani, coming in at No. 3 again ahead of Harshitha Samarawickrama, played a confident innings, coming down the track and sweeping as needed, hitting five boundaries inside the powerplay. Perera rotated the strike well, keeping the scoreboard ticking. Aided by the dew, their 79-run second-wicket stand was broken in the 12th over when Amanjot dismissed Dulhani for 50, with her first ball.
Perera carried on, moving from 32 off 23 balls to register her maiden 38-ball fifty in her 89th T20I. Having debuted in 2014 and shuffled around the order, she opened this series for the first time in three years. When the equation came down to 55 off 24 balls, Perera struck a four and a six off Shree Charani before being yorked. Her 42-ball 65 included eight fours and a six.
When Sri Lanka needed 44 off 20 balls, India fought back hard. The visitors lost their key batters at the death, collapsing from 132 for 4 to 140 for 7, eventually falling short and remaining winless in India.
Brief scores:
India Women 175 for 7 in 20 overs (Gunalan Kamalini 12, Harleen Deol 13, Harmanpreet Kaur 68, Amanjot Kaur 21, Arundhati Reddy 27*; Nimasha Meepage 1-25, Kavisha Dilhari 2-11, Rashmika Sewwandi 2-42, Chamari Athapaththu 2-21) beat Sri Lanka Women 160 for 7 in 20 overs (Hasini Perera 65, Imesha Dulani 50, Rashmika Sewwamdi 14*; Deepti Sharma 1-28, Arundhati Reddy 1-16, Sneh Rana 1-31, Vaishnavi Sharma 1-33, Shree Charani 1-31, Amanjot Kaur 1-17 ) by 15 runs
[Cricinfo]
Under 19 Cricket
Manitha Rajapaksha collected a match bag of 11 wickets as Mahinda romped to an innings and 25 runs victory over Lumbini in the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ cricket encounter at Galle.
Forced to follow on after being bowled out for 173 runs, the visitors managed to last only 33 overs as bowlers used the home advantage to good effect.
In a similar performance, Sri Sumangala reduced Isipatana to just 69 runs in the second innings to record an innings and 96 runs win in the Tier ‘B’ match at Panadura. While Mevindu Kumarasiri excelled once again to claim a match bag of 11 wickets, overnight batsmen Sandeep Wijerathna and Neksha Iddamalgoda went on to score centuries for Sri Sumangala to boost the score to 301 for eight wickets declared.
Meanwhile at DSS ground the home team scored a first innings win over Nalanda.
Match Results
Mahinda in innings win at Galle
Scores
Mahinda 284 all out in 72.2 overs
(Dulsith Darshana 63, Randula Mabarana 28, Manitha Rajapaksha 23, Kaveesha Githmal 43, Kavindu Nimsara 66; Yashod Kavindu 5/100, Dinal Sewmina 2/32)
Lumbini 76 for 4 overnight 173 all out in 53.4 overs
(Kisandu Dulneth 33, Yashod Kavindu 26, Jayanitha Mendis 41, Pasindu Mahisha 38; Manitha Rajapaksha 6/64, Sadev Nethmina 2/27) and 86 all out in 32.4 overs (Nikil Abilash 33; Manitha Rajapaksha 5/25, Gesandu Bisas 2/12, Arosha Udayanga 2/15)
Sri Sumangala in innings win at Panadura
Scores
Isipatana 136 all out in 47.2 overs (Yuveen Keshan 21, Dasith Senal 31; Mevindu Kumarasiri 6/54) and 69 all out in 25.2 overs (Janith Selaka 25; Mevindu Kumarasiri 5/32, Methum Fernando 4/23)
Sri Sumangala 158 for 2 overnight 301 for 8 decl. in 79.4 overs (Sandeep Wijerathna 100, Neksha Iddamalgoda 110, Mevindu Kumarasiri 34; Dasith Senal 2/86, Dimuthu Tharuka 2/34)
First innings win for DSS at DSS ground
Scores
DSS 365 all out in 79 overs (Savain Kalansooriya 54, Bihan Gamage 102, Janindu Ranasinghe 50, Shevan Welgama 73; Osanda Pamuditha 2/69, Dunitha Anusara 4/66, Sahas Godage 3/76) and 144 for 3 in 35.2 overs (Miyuru Bandara 41, Savain Kalansooriya 57, Shanaal Binuksha 34)
Nalanda 28 for 1 overnight 197 all out in 66.1 overs (Nemindu Akmeemana 40, Ranmith Dinuwara 42; Shanaal Binuksha 6/61, Randisha Bandaranayake 2/40)
by Reemus Fernando
India’s opening batter Shafali Verma and swing bowler Renuka Singh have moved up to sixth spots in the ICC’s T20I batting and bowling rankings respectively.
Shafali is the leading scorer in the ongoing bilateral series against Sri Lanka by a distance, her 236 runs nearly twice as many as second-highest scorer Smriti Mandhana’s 120. Renuka is also the leading wicket-taker, her four wickets level with team-mates Deepti Sharma, Vaishnavi Sharma and Shree Charani.
Shafali went up four places with back-to-back scores of 69*, 79* and 79 in the second, third and fourth T20Is. Renuka, meanwhile, climbed eight places to reach the joint-sixth position along with South Africa’s Nonkululeko Mlaba, particularly through her 4 for 21 in the third game of the series. Deepti leads the bowlers’ rankings after taking that position last week. Both Shafali and Renuka have also bagged one Player-of-the-Match award each in the series that India lead 4-0, with the last match scheduled for Tuesday in Thiruvananthapuram.
If India win today (30), this will be their third 5-0 series win in T20Is. They won by that scoreline in the West Indies in 2019 and in Bangladesh last year. Sri Lanka have, however, never before lost a T20I series 5-0.
(Cricinfo)
Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the Northern, Eastern, Central, North-central, North-western and Uva provinces
Israel to bar 37 aid groups from Gaza
Protests spread across Iran for third day after currency hits record low
Sri Lanka Customs exceeds revenue targets to enters 2026 with a surplus of Rs. 300 billion – Director General
Harmanpreet Kaur leads the way as India complete 5-0 sweep over Sri Lanka
Educators slam govt. for ‘unprepared’ education reforms
‘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
-
News6 days agoBritish MP calls on Foreign Secretary to expand sanction package against ‘Sri Lankan war criminals’
-
News5 days agoStreet vendors banned from Kandy City
-
Sports6 days agoChief selector’s remarks disappointing says Mickey Arthur
-
Opinion6 days agoDisasters do not destroy nations; the refusal to change does
-
Sports2 days agoGurusinha’s Boxing Day hundred celebrated in Melbourne
-
News5 days agoLankan aircrew fly daring UN Medevac in hostile conditions in Africa
-
Sports3 days agoTime to close the Dickwella chapter
-
Sports6 days agoRoyal record crushing innings win against Nalanda