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Madara, Samarawickrama and Dilhari lead Sri Lanka’s rout of South Africa

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11 months ago

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Malki Madara celebrates a wicket with Chamari Athapaththu

Sri Lanka completed their fourth highest successful run chase in women’s ODIs and subjected South Africa to a second successive defeat in the tri-series in Colombo. A record fourth wicket stand of 128 between Kavisha Dilhari and Harshitha Samarawickrema, both of whom scored half-centuries, ensured Sri Lanka controlled proceedings against a South African side that struggled with the slowness of the pitch and problems with personnel.

Seventeen-year-old wicket-keeper Karabo Meso had to leave the field after 14 overs of the Sri Lankan innings with a heat-related illness and was replaced by Sinalo Jafta while Sune Luus who bowled eight overs and took 1 for 34, jammed her knee into the turf and suffered bruising, forcing her off the field. Ultimately neither of those things hampered South Africa as much as their inability to take wickets on a surface that Sri Lanka’s attack mastered. Debutant offspinner Dewmi Vihanga became the second Sri Lankan to take three wickets on ODI debut while Malki Madara, playing in just her second game, picked up 4 for 50.

South Africa’s total of 235, built largely on Annerine Dercksen’s first ODI half-century, looked competitive at the halfway stage but when Sri Lanka lost Chamari Athapaththu in the third over, it seemed it could be match-winning. Vishmi Gunaratne and Hasini Perera rebuilt steadily for a second-wicket stand of 69 before Dilhari and Samarawickrama kept the required run-rate in control to seal victory with 21 balls to spare.

With slower balls proving far more effective than pace on, Gunaratne and Perera were severe on South Africa’s seamers upfront, forcing spin to be introduced in the first powerplay. But both Luus and Nokululeko Mlaba were unable to maintain pressure in their initial overs as they struggled with their lengths and boundaries came in almost every over. When Mlaba strung three dots together, Gunaratne lost her patience and went for a reverse sweep. She missed and was struck in front of off stump.

Three more boundary-less overs followed before Perera tried to flick Luus legside, where Laura Wolvaardt leapt forward and took the catch low down. Replays confirmed she had her fingers under the ball and Sri Lanka were 90 for 3 after 18 overs.

Given that the middle-order has not always been reliable, there may have been some nerves, especially when Samarawickrama’s first boundary came off the outside edge. Dilhari was more confident and hit Mlaba back over her head. That proved to be a favourite area for her, and was also where she smashed Chloe Tryon for six. When Ayabonga Khaka was brought back for a second spell, both Dilhari and Samarawickrama got stuck in and in an over that cost 12 brought the required run-rate down to under five an over.

Samarawickrama got to fifty off 65 balls with a straight drive and Dilhari followed, off the 61st ball she faced, when she carved Tryon through the covers. By then, Sri Lanka needed 44 runs off 11 overs and the game was all but up. Neither of the two set batters saw it through to the end, with South Africa plucking some late wickets but in the end, they may feel there were around 30 runs short, especially after they staged a decent recovery from 120 for 5.

South Africa lost their openers early when Tazmin Brits was bowled in the fourth over, staying back to a Sugandika Kumari ball that turned past the inside edge, while Wolvaardt was deceived by a slower ball from Madara. Wolvaardt was Madara’s first ODI wicket.

That left Lara Goodall and Meso with the responsibility of stabilising the innings. Goodall was given the length to play two sumptuous cover drives and took it and South Africa ended the powerplay on 40 for 1. Inoka Ranaweera was introduced in the 11th over and created a chance off her fourth ball when Goodall, on 14, mistimed an attempted hit down the ground back to Ranaweera. She got hands to it but could not hold on.

Meso struggled to score runs and she faced 21 dot balls in her innings of 27 and the pressure got too much for her. When Ranaweera tossed one up outside off, Meso drove aerially, straight to Athapaththu at short cover. Ranaweera should have had Luus for a duck two balls later, again off her own bowling. That chance cost Sri Lanka.

Luus and Goodall put on 54 runs for the third wicket in a stand that included some delightful strokes. Goodall hit Ranaweera back over her head for four and pulled out the paddle sweep off Gunaratne but was put down again on 41 when she gave Athapaththu a regulation chance at mid-on, off Vihanga, but the Sri Lankan captain dropped it. She added five more runs to her score and was on 46 when she tried to hit Vihanga over long-on but was caught on the boundary. Goodall’s effort was her highest since her career-best 93 not out against Ireland in Dublin in June 2022, 14 innings ago.

Luus was on 31 at the time, using her feet well and playing aggressively but in the next over, she walked across her stumps and played on to give Vihanga her second. Four balls later, Athapaththu hit Dercksen on the back pad and thought she had her out lbw but the umpire did not agree. The rest of that over cost Sri Lanka nine runs and momentum shifted South Africa’s way. Tryon and Dercksen were energetic in the middle and shared a run-a-ball stand of 62 before a wonder catch from Nilakshika Silva broke their stand. Tryon tried to hit Vihanga over long-on, Nilakshika ran to her left and reached the ball just in time to take the catch one-handed as she hit the ground. South Africa entered the final 10 overs on 182 for 6.

Dercksen got to fifty with a stunning six over Kumari but she did not have much lower order support. Nadine de Klerk was bowled by a Madara yorker and Masabata Klaas and Mlaba both top-edged as they tried to hit Madara out of the ground.

Brief scores:

Sri Lanka Women

237 for 5 in 50 overs (Harshitha Samarawickrama 77, Kavisha Dilhari 61, Hasini Perera 42, Vishmi Guneratne 29; Nonkululeko Mlaba 2-44) beat South Africa Women (Annerie Dercksen 61*, Lara Goodall 46, Sunee Luus 31, Chloe Tryon 35; Malki Madara 4-50, Dewmi Vihanga 3-41) by five wickets


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Sports

SLC cracks the whip on fitness as slackers face selection axe

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2 hours ago

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2026/03/31

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Sri Lanka Cricket has drawn a hard line in the sand, vowing zero tolerance for players who fail fitness tests, with a clear message that those who don’t make the grade risk being left out in the cold when selections are made. While Sri Lanka’s campaign in the recent T20 World Cup, co-hosted with India, had its moments in the sun, fitness issues proved to be the Achilles’ heel.

The wheels began to come off midway through the tournament as key bowlers broke down, forcing the selectors to field a second-string unit. Across the board, fitness levels looked below the required standard.

In the immediate aftermath of the World Cup, the board tightened the screws, making it mandatory for players to clear fitness tests before being granted No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to feature in franchise leagues such as the IPL and PSL.

“The concerns about the fitness levels of players were flagged during the tournament and we are addressing it,” a board official told Telecom Asia Sport. “There has been non-stop cricket over the last 36 months, leaving very little time for players to work exclusively on fitness. But having said that, professional cricketers should be able to meet minimum standards.”

“In the past, we have fined players for failing fitness tests, but if that’s not yielding results, we will have to explore stronger measures. If it comes to a point where a player is deemed ineligible for selection due to failing fitness standards, we will have to take that call.”

Telecom Asia Sport understands that the numbers make for grim reading. Of the 46 players put through the fitness grind, only 12 managed to pass. Those who cleared the bar have secured NOCs and are plying their trade in India and Pakistan, while others, including Nuwan Thushara, have been benched after failing to meet the cut.

Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga and tearaway quick Matheesha Pathirana are set to undergo their fitness tests after completing rehabilitation. If they come through unscathed, both are expected to be back in action from the second week of April.

SLC’s fitness regime is no walk in the park. It includes skinfold tests to monitor body fat, a two-kilometre run to assess endurance, a 20-metre sprint, agility drills and a counter-movement jump. The spotlight, however, falls heavily on skinfold measurements and endurance, with players given a second bite at the cherry before fines and now potentially harsher consequences come into play.

(telecomasia.net)

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Senarathne’s seven-wicket haul seals Trinity’s semi-final spot

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2 hours ago

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2026/03/31

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Chaniru Senarathne

Spinner Chaniru Senarathne produced a match-winning performance with a superb seven-wicket haul in the second innings as Trinity College registered a 69-run victory over Nalanda College in their Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ quarter-final at the BOI Ground, Katunayake on Saturday.

‎Chasing a challenging target of 264 runs for victory, Nalanda showed resistance through several determined contributions but were ultimately undone by Senarathne’s consistent wicket-taking spell. He maintained tight control throughout the innings, striking at regular intervals to prevent Nalanda from building the momentum required for a successful chase.

‎Nalanda’s innings saw useful contributions from Nadul Jayalath who top scored with 40 runs, while Santhul Wijerathna displayed great patience in scoring 37 runs off 136 deliveries. Hasitha Rathnayake also fought hard for his 46 runs in 116 balls.

‎They were 68 for six at one one stage before resistance came through a seventh wicket partnership between Wijerathna and Rathnayake who added 79 valuable runs. Their stand briefly revived Nalanda’s hopes of pushing for a place in the semi-finals, but Senarathne’s relentless accuracy eventually broke through the resistance.

‎Senarathne finished with outstanding figures of 7 for 73, while Kanilka Anthony provided excellent support with 3 for 48 as the duo shared all ten wickets in Nalanda’s second innings.

‎Both Anthony and Senarathne ended the match with eight wickets each, playing decisive roles in a contest that swung back and forth from the very first day.

‎Earlier in the match Trinity recovered from an early collapse to post a modest first innings total of 173 thanks largely to a fighting 59 by Praveen Rukunayake. Nalanda responded with 184 runs in their first innings, where Gevindu Manamperi’s 39 runs was the top score. Kanilka Anthony starred with the ball to claim a five-wicket haul.

‎Trinity then took control in the second innings by posting 274 for 9 declared. Dimantha Mahavithana (59) and Aadham Hilmy (57) led the batting effort, while Viduneth Dammage added an unbeaten 38 to strengthen the total and set up a challenging target.

‎Although Nalanda fought hard in the final innings, Trinity’s disciplined bowling attack ensured they sealed a convincing victory and secured their place in the semi-final stage of the tournament.

‎Brief Scores:

‎Trinity

173 all out in 44.2 overs (Dimantha Mahavithana 21, Praveen Rukunayake 59, Viduneth Dammage 27; Hasith Rathnayake 3/38, Malsha Fernando 4/49) and 274 for 9 decl. in 44.3 overs (Dimantha Mahavithana 59, Mahendra Abeysinghe 31, Aadham Hilmy 57, Viduneth Dammage 38 n.o., Sethmika Senevirathne 28; Dunitha Anusara 2/23, Malsha Fernando 3/68, Hasith Rathnayake 3/70)

‎Nalanda 184 all out in 85.4 overs (Gevindu Manamperi 39, Ranmith Denuwara 22, Santhul Wijeyarathna 28, Hasith Rathnayake 32 n.o.; Kanilka Anthony 5/52, Dinal Fernando 2/37) and 194 all out in 81.2 overs (Nadul Jayalath 40, Santhul Wijerathna 37, Hasith Rathnayake 46; Chaniru Senarathne 7/73, Kanilka Anthony 3/48). (RF)

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ITF Asia 14 & Under Development Championship finals till April 3

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2 hours ago

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2026/03/31

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Team (from left) Dinethma Ekanayake, Navya Banagala, Sahansa Damsiluni, Chean Deepal Fernando (Coach), Chirath Subasinghe, Revaan Amarasinghe, Buvindu Jayawardhana.

The ITF Asia 14 and Under Development Championship finals commenced with the participation of fourteen nations, namely, Hong Kong, India, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Nepal, Myanmar, Syria, Chinese Taipei, Uzbekistan, Thailand and Sri Lanka at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association courts on Monday.

The tournament will go on till 3rd April.

Sri Lanka are represented by six payers.

They are

Girls

: Sahansa Damsiluni (Visakha Vidyalaya ), Navya Banagala (Visakha Vidyalaya), Dinethma Ekanayake ( Maliyadeva Balika).

Boys:

Revaan Amarasinghe (S. Thomas’ College), Buvindu Jayawardhana,(Maliyadeva College, Kurunagala) Chirath Subasinghe ( St. Peter’s College).

Both teams are coached by Chean Deepal Fernando.

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