Sports
Laksiri, Issadeen win open men’s and women’s titles
Air Force Open PSA Satellite Squash Championship-2022
Reigning national champions Ravindu Laksiri and Fathoum Issadeen won the men’s and women’s titles of the Air Force Open PSA (Professional Squash Association) Satellite Squash Championship-2022 which concluded at the Squash Complex of Sri Lanka Air Force Base Ratmalana on Saturday.
Nine-time national champion Laksiri, who recently won his first PSA international tour, continued the good form to defeat Pakistan’s Farhan Zaman in the men’s final.
The tournament favorite, Farhan Zaman, a former world No. 47 and gold medalist at the South Asian Games 2016, was on his way to victory after taking the first two sets at scores of 11/7 and 11/9. However, Laksiri made a great effort to win the third set at 12-10 before continuing to win the next two sets at 13-11 and 11-6 to secure the Air Chief Marshal P H Mendis challenge trophy.
In the Women’s Open final, Yeheni Kuruppu from Visakha Vidyalaya battled against the three-time national champion Issadeen who could secure the Air Chief Marshal Harry Gunathilaka memorial trophy.
The finals of the Women’s Open and Men’s Open categories and the awards ceremony were live telecasted on Rupavahini Channel Eye. The occasion was graced by Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana as Chief Guest along with Chairman Air Force Squash, Group Captain Pujana Gunathilake, Secretary Air Force Sports Council and Vice President Sri Lanka Squash Federation as well as Organizing Committee Head of Sri Lanka Squash Tournaments, Group Captain Eranda Geegane, Secretary of Sri Lanka Squash Federation Eranga Alwis, Members of the Air Force Board of Management and other distinguished guests from Sri Lanka Air Force and Sri Lanka Squash.
Summary of results
Girls’ Under 13
1st Place –
Ifra Shasmin Booso (St. Paul’s Girls School Milagiriya)
2nd Place –
Punsara Nirushi Wickramasinghe (Anula Vidyalaya Nugegoda)
3rd Place –
Thedara Liyanage (Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya)
Boys’ Under 13
1st Place –
Manuth Sandira Dassanayake (Geteway International School)
2nd Place –
Linuka Silva (D.S Senanayake College)
3rd Place –
Thevan K Gunawardena (St Joseph College Maradana)
Girls’ Under 15
1st Place –
Punsara Nirushi Wickramasinghe (Anula Vidyalaya Nugegoda)
2nd Place –
Nethmi Wickramasinghe (Ladies College Colombo)
3rd Place –
Ifra Shasmin Booso (St. Paul’s Girls School Milagiriya)
Boys’ Under 15
1st Place –
Matheesha Wijesekara (Royal College Colombo)
2nd Place –
Bihandu Nanayakkara (Geteway International School)
3rd Place –
Tharul Pinwatta (Royal College Colombo)
Girls’ Under 17
1st Place –
Adhithi Gunasekera (Ladies College Colombo)
2nd Place –
Irudinithi Wood (Lindsay Balika Vidyalaya)
3rd Place –
Miyuni Misara Weerasinghe (Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya)
Boys’ Under 17
1st Place –
Matheesha Wijesekara (Royal College Colombo)
2nd Place –
Mohamed Rilwan (St Joseph’s College Maradana)
3rd Place –
Tharul Pinwatta (Royal College Colombo)
Girls’ Under 19
1st Place –
Chanithma Sinaly (Sirimawo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya)
2nd Place –
Irudinithi Wood (Lindsay Balika Vidyalaya)
3rd Place –
Anargi Perera (Visakha Vidyalaya)
Boys’ Under 19
1st Place –
Nevndu Lakman (D.S Senanayake College)
2nd Place –
Thinura Randina (Nalanda College Colombo)
3rd Place – Seniya Jayatilleke (Royal College Colombo)
Men’s Over 35
1st Place –
Leading Aircraftman DE Silva HAS (Sri Lanka Air Force)
2nd Place –
Staff Sergeant KG Prabath (Sri Lanka Army)
3rd Place –
Corporal Dissanayake DMR (Sri Lanka Army)
Men’s Over 40
1st Place –
Group Captain Eranda Geeganage (Sri Lanka Air Force)
2nd Place –
Fleet Chief Petty Officer ACC Kumara (Sri Lanka Navy)
3rd Place –
Commander WJS Fenando (Sri Lanka Navy)
Men’s Over 45
1st Place –
Abdul Cader
2nd Place –
Group Captain Duleep Hewavitharana (Sri Lanka Air Force)
3rd Place –
Colonel Kaminda Silva (Sri Lanka Army)
Veteran Over 50
1st Place –
Abdul Cader
2nd Place –
Mevan Rajeeve
3rd Place –
Air Commodore Upali Wijeweera (Retd – Sri Lanka Air Force)
Women’s Novices
1st Place –
Senuji Jayarathne (Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya)
2nd Place –
Dahami Peiris (Kotelawala Defence University)
3rd Place –
Sadini Rathnayake (Kotelawala Defence University)
Men’s Novices
1st Place –
Private Dilan AJAI (Sri Lanka Army)
2nd Place –
Private Rathnayaka RMSVP (Sri Lanka Army)
3rd Place –
Private T Supun Jayanath (Sri Lanka Army)
Men’s Plate
1st Place –
Lance Corporal Ekanayaka RMSLK (Sri Lanka Army)
2nd Place –
Leading Aircraftman Edirisinghe EAHM (Sri Lanka Air Force)
Womens’ Open
1st Place –
Fathoum Issadeen
2nd Place –
Yeheni Kuruppu
3rd Place –
Chanithma Sinaly (Sirimawo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya)
Men’s Open
1st Place –
Ravindu Laksiri
2nd Place –
Farhan Zaman (Pakistan Air Force)
3rd Place –
Shamil Wakeel
Sports
Pramod hits 42 runs in an over
Young Pramod Madushan has become the talk in cricket circles after he scored 42 runs in an over for Mercantile Services Cricket Academy against Sigi Cricket Academy at Ambalangoda recently.
In an over that contained nine deliveries, including two no-balls and a wide, Madushan cut loose hitting three fours and five sixes. In all, the over bowled by Bihandu Sandiv went for 45 runs.
The young cricketer from D.S. Senanayake College, Colombo shares the same name as Sri Lanka fast bowler Pramod Madushan. However, the 19-year-old is a wicketkeeper batter.
His knock of 103 came in just 38 deliveries and contained eight fours and ten sixes.
Latest News
Usman Khawaja to retire after fifth Ashes Test
Australia batter Usman Khawaja will retire from international cricket following the fifth Ashes Test against England in Sydney this week.
The 39-year-old will play his 88th and final Test on the ground where he made his debut against the same opponents in January 2011.
Khawaja was born in Pakistan and became the first Muslim to play for Australia when he took the place of Ricky Ponting at the end of England’s 3-1 series win 15 years ago.
The left-hander has made 6,206 Test runs at an average of 43.39, with 16 hundreds.
He has played in six Ashes series – winning two, losing two and drawing two.
He was also part of the Australia team that won the World Test Championship in 2023.
The final Test at the SCG starts on Sunday (23:30 GMT, Saturday).
Alongside Steve Smith, Khawaja is one of two remaining members of the Australia team beaten by England in their most recent series win in this country in 2010-11.
He needs 30 runs in his final Test to go above Mike Hussey and into 14th on Australia’s all-time run-scorers list, behind the great Donald Bradman in 13th.
Khawaja played the last of his 40 one-day internationals in 2019, having scored 1,554 runs at 42. He played in nine T20 internationals, scoring 241 runs at 26.77.
Now playing domestically for Queensland, Khawaja will end his career on the ground that was his home when he first played professional cricket for New South Wales in 2008.
Often in and out of the Australia team during his Test career, he found a home at the top of the order during the previous home Ashes in 2021-22.
However, his place has come under scrutiny during this series after he suffered back spasms in the first Test that prevented him from opening.
Travis Head took Khawaja’s place in the second innings and made a swashbuckling century to lead Australia to an eight-wicket win.
Khawaja subsequently missed the second Test with the back problem and was due to be left out of the third, only to receive a late call-up when Steve Smith fell ill.
He made 82 and 40 in Adelaide to retain his place for the fourth Test. Australia lead the series 3-1.
After the Ashes Australia will not play another Test until August, by which time Khawaja will be almost 40.
[BBC]
Sports
Harmanpreet fires as India complete 5-0 sweep over Sri Lanka
India were pushed more than they had been at any point in this series but still ran home victors in the final T20I at Trivandrum to complete a 5-0 series win over Sri Lanka – the first time they have swept a bilateral T20I series of this length at home. Besides a stronger performance from their opponents, the hosts faced sterner challenges – the rare failure of their top order, a dewy ball in defence but managed to overcome them all as they ran home winners by 15 runs.
The win was set up by the skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who hadn’t crossed 21 in the four previous innings of this series but come a tricky situation, she stepped up with a 43-ball 68. After being put in to bat, India found themselves in early trouble at 27 for 2, with debutant G Kamalini, coming in for the rested Smriti Mandhana, following the in-form Shafali Verma back to the hut. Inside the 10th over, India also lost Harleen Deol and Richa Ghosh and were struggling for any kind of momentum.
But Harmanpreet rose to the moment with a commanding knock that mixed caution with aggression. She hit nine fours and a six and was particularly effective playing the field against the left-arm spinners. Even with Harmanpreet providing the backbone of the innings, India needed a late push from Arundhati Reddy and Amanjot Kaur, who scored a pair of useful 20s to push the score forward. Arundhati, in particular, smashed 27 off 11 balls as India found 66 runs in the final five overs to get to 175.
Chasing 176, Sri Lanka produced their best batting performance of the series, built around an excellent 79-run partnership off just 56 balls between Hasini Perera and Imesha Dulani for the second wicket. Perera, playing her 81st T20I, finally brought up her maiden half-century in the format, while Dulani also reached the milestone as the visitors raced to stay within touching distance of the target.
The momentum shifted dramatically when Amanjot Kaur struck with her very first delivery to dismiss Dulani, breaking the dangerous stand. Perera continued to fight, threatening to pull off an unlikely heist. But after clubbing a four and a six off Sree Charani, she was cleaned up by the left-arm spinner with a full delivery that slipped under Perera’s bat to knock out the stumps. Between that, Deepti Sharma trapped Nilakshi Silva to pass Megan Schutt as the format’s leading wicket-taker.
Those late wickets meant, Sri Lanka were left needing 34 runs from the final two overs. They got close, but ultimately not close enough to cause India enough jitters on the night.
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
[Cricbuzz]
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