Sports
Mahanama cement top position, Niman takes a hat-trick

Under-19 Cricket
by Reemus Fernando
Mahanama cemented the top position of their group with the third consecutive win, spinner Abhishek Anandakumar with a six wicket haul and Niman Umesh with a hat-trick took bowling honours of the day and Randunu Gunaratne cracked a blistering 81 as the Under-19 Division I Tier ‘A’ and ‘B’ tournaments continued on Monday.
Mahanama reduced St. Sebastian’s to 122 runs to record vital 67 runs victory at Moratuwa. They are the only Tier ‘A’ team to have recorded three consecutive wins so far in the tournament as they prevented Sebs from threatening their ambitions to win the group title. The defeat has now placed St. Sebastian’s second in Group ‘Y’.
Abhishek Anandakumar helped Trinity beat Wesley in a 28-overs a side affair as he accounted for all six wickets to fall in the Wesley innings.
St. Peter’s fought back to defend a below par total as they restricted St. Aloysius’ to 67 runs. Niman Umesh who took four wickets for five runs in two overs was the pick of the bowlers as he mopped up the tail with a hat-trick in the Tier ‘B’ match at Bambalapitiya.
In Tier ‘B’ St. Peter’s and Isipatana remain unbeaten after recording three victories each.
Randunu Gunaratne’s 81 runs (67 balls) inclusive of four fours and five sixes was the bating highlight in Isipatana’s huge 200 runs win over Zahira, while Thevindu Dickwella rattled four wickets for them.
Ananda restricted Dharmapala to 63 runs before cruising to nine wickets win, while Moratu Vidyalaya shocked Thurstan with a 28 runs win. Except Ranesh Silva and Vihas Thewmika no other batsman could reach double figures for Thurstan.
Results
Tier A –
St. Anthony’s, Kandy beat Cambrians by nine wickets at Moratuwa
Prince of Wales
118 all out in 37.5 overs (Pasindu Pathum 51; Nimnaka Jayathilaka 2/35, Asitha Wanninayake 2/13, Gihan Ebert 2/20,)
St. Anthony’s
119 for 1 in 13 overs (Chamindu Wickramasinghe 64n.o., Yasiru Gamarachchi 37)
Trinity beat Wesley by two wickets at Campbell Park
Wesley
134 for 6 in 28 overs (Lakshan Ruwantha 29, Sahil Dias 39, Semila Liyanage 23n.o., Anudith Wickramasinghe 23n.o.; Abhishek Anandakumara 6/25)
Trinity
139 for 8 in 27 overs (Thewin Amarasinghe 23, Pasan Ganegoda 25, Pawan Pathiraja 29, Ranuda Somarathne 27; Ravindu Sigera 3/31)
Mahanama beat St. Sebastian’s by 67 runs at Moratuwa
Mahanama
189 for 9 in 50 overs (Sadishan Chamody 24, Pulshan Rohana 23, Pavan Rathnayake 41, Vinuka Rubasinghe 25n.o., Sampath Nishshanka 27; Shenith Fernando 3/25, Kalana Sandeepa 2/36, Sandeesh Fernando 2/37)
St. Sebastian’s
122 all out in 37.2 overs (Yashan Avishka 28; Sampath Nishshanka 3/18, Devindu Kekirideniya 2/21, Pulshan Rohana 2/15)
Tier B
Moratu MV beat Thurstan by 28 runs at Moratuwa
Moratu MV
131 all out in 44.3 overs (Thushan Nimantha 20, Deneth Sithumina 19; Nipun Premarathne 4/22, Punthila Kumara 3/29)
Thurstan
103 all out in 32 overs (Ranesh Silva 35, Roshan Kavishka 3/18, Vishwa Didulana 2/13, Niraj Kavishka 2/20)
Isipatana beat Zahira by 200 runs at Maradana
Isipatana
296 for 9 in 50 overs (Tharush Nethsara 26, Amaan Thaha 28, Savindu Uthsara 36, Randunu Gunarathne 81, Kavindu Amantha 50; Venkat Rajendran 2/40, Raaed Rizwan 2/64, Ishan Ruhaim 3/55)
Zahira
96 all out in 32.3 overs (Ishan Ruhaim 26; Lomitha Ravindith 2/20, Thevindu Dickwella 4/34, Savindu Uthsara 2/16, Dinuka Anupamal 2/09)
St. Peter’s beat St. Aloysius’ by 98 runs at Bambalapitiya
St. Peter’s
165 all out in 48.2 overs (Shenal Boteju 20, Nipunaka Fonseka 26, Wanuja Kumara 22, Danal Hemananda 28; Mihiranga Nimsara 4/36, Adithya Abeyawardana 3/21)
St. Aloysius’
67 all out in 24.2 overs (Omal Sadith 21; Danal Hemananda 2/19, Vinuda Liyanage 2/16, Niman Umesh 4/05)
Devapathiraja beat Lumbini by two wickets at Galle
Lumbini
111 all out in 35.1 overs (Thiranjaya Rasanjana 32, Yasiru Yugath 18; Pawan Sandesh 4/21, Sasanka Nirmal 2/14, Sudeera Weerarathna 2/14, Irushka Thimira 2/12)
Devapathiraja
115 for 8 in 33.1 overs (Pawan Sandesh 28, Jeewaka Shasheen 28; Thasika Nirmal 2/25, Sasanka Nethmina 4/36)
Ananda beat Dharmapala by nine wickets at Ananda Mawatha
Dharmapala
62 all out in 17.1 overs (Pasindu Theekshana 17; Tehaan Perera 5/26, Nethma Samaraweera 3/26, Isuru Ayesh 2/01)
Ananda
63 for 1 in 10.3 overs (Nushal Dharmarathna 27n.o., Lakshita Kularathna 23)
Sports
IPL 2023 rule change: teams will name their playing XI after the toss

Captains in IPL 2023 will walk in with two different team sheets before handing in their final XI after the toss. That is one of the significant tweaks from the last season in the IPL’s playing conditions, which will soon be shared with the teams. The change, the IPL said in an internal note listing the various changes to playing conditions, would allow franchises to pick their best XIs based on whether they end up batting or bowling, the appropriate impact player included.
“Currently the captains have to exchange the teams before the toss,” the note, seen by ESPNcricinfo, said. “This has been changed to exchange of teams immediately post the toss, to enable teams to choose the best XI depending on whether they are batting or bowling first. It will also assist the teams to plan for the impact player.”
The IPL thus becomes the second T20 franchise tournament after the SA20 to allow teams to announce their XI post the toss. In the SA20, which recently staged its inaugural season, teams put 13 names on the team sheet initially before announcing their final XI after the toss. Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, the SA20’s tournament director, had also said then that the move was designed to “lessen the impact of the toss” and allow a level-playing playing field based on the conditions.
The IPL has adopted a similar thought process now, with another key factor being neutralising the effect of dew, which has traditionally had a big impact at some venues in India, with teams bowling second adversely impacted.
While the toss will still matter, it should not be a case of “win toss, win match” in certain conditions with the new rule. For example, if a team that wanted to bat and then defend a total on a slow track in turning conditions is forced to bowl first, it can play an extra spinner in the starting XI, and then replace a specialist bowler with a batter in the second innings to help with the run-chase.
Other IPL playing conditions tweaks
Over rate penalty of only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle for every over not completed in the allocated time. Unfair movement of the wicketkeeper will result in a dead ball and 5 penalty runs. Unfair movement by a fielder will result in a dead ball and 5 penalty runs.
(Cricinfo)
Sports
Litton, Tamim make light work of small chase after Mahmud’s maiden five-for

Openers Litton Das and Tamim Iqbal made light work of a 102-run target as Bangladesh beat Ireland by ten wickets in the third ODI in Sylhet and completed a 2-0 series win. The visitors were bowled out for 101 in 28.1 overs after the Bangladesh fast bowlers took all ten wickets in an innings for the first time in the format.
The short chase was enlivened by Tamim and Litton, who put on an exhibition of strokeplay, finishing the game in just 13.1 overs, Bangladesh’s second-shortest chase in ODIs. After Bangladesh beat Ireland by a record margin of runs in the first ODI, this was also their first ten-wicket win in ODIs.
A small crowd turned up at the picturesque Sylhet venue on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan starting, and went home shortly after sunset. Ireland’s 101 broke a sequence of five successive 300-plus totals by the side batting first on this ground.
Hasan Mahmud’s maiden five-wicket haul, Taskin Ahmed’s three-wicket burst and Ebadot Hossain’s two-for summed up the absolute dominance by the Bangladesh fast bowlers. The spinners were needed for only four overs in all with Shakib Al Hasan not getting a chance to bowl for only the third time in his ODI career. It was a day out for the quicks on the hard and bouncy Sylhet surface, a rarity among grounds in Bangladesh. The conditions prompted the team management to pick six bowlers including the three seamers.
Mahmud removed openers Stephen Doheny and Paul Stirling in a disciplined opening burst. Doheny was caught behind for 8 after scratching around for 20 balls before Stirling, dropped on 5, got to 7 before Mahmud trapped him lbw in the ninth over. The skiddy fast bowler soon picked up his third when he trapped Harry Tector lbw later in the same over. Taskin got captain Andy Balbirnie caught at first slip for just 6 as Ireland collapsed to 26 for 4 before the first powerplay was up.
Then came their only partnership of note. Lorcan Tucker and Curtis Campher added 42 runs for the fifth wicket, which effectively helped Ireland reach the three-figure mark. Campher top-scored with 36, while Tucker made 28, the only two double-figure scores in the innings.
But it was soon over. Ebadot’s in-dipper had Tucker lbw. Next ball, Ebadot clean-bowled George Dockrell for a golden duck as Ireland slipped to 68 for 6.Taskin then took a brace in his seventh over, first getting Andy McBrine to top-edge a quick bouncer before Adair inside-edged his second ball onto the stumps.
Campher was the ninth wicket that fell, top-edging Mahmud towards fine leg. Taskin took a comfortable catch, celebrating the younger team-mate’s first four-wicket haul. It soon became five when Mahmud trapped Graham Hume lbw for 3.
Tamim started the chase with a slashed four over point, before pasting the Ireland fast bowlers for boundaries through cover and square-leg. Most of Litton’s boundaries came through the covers, including a back-foot punch that looked scrumptious from every angle. Left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys then went for two expensive overs, before the Bangladesh opening pair calmed down briefly.
Tamim lofted Humphreys for a straight six in his third over, before Litton drove Campher through the covers. Then he struck two fours off Humphreys to reach his ninth ODI fifty, before Tamim hit the winning runs.
Brief scores:
Bangladesh 102 for 0 (Litton Das 50*, Tamim Iqbal 41*) beat Ireland 101 (Curtis Campher 36, Lorcan Tucker 28, Hasan Mahmud 5-32, Taskin Ahmed 3-26, Ebadot Hossain 2-29) by ten wickets
(Cricinfo)
Sports
AA Sponsors 68th National Billiard Championship

The Automobile Association of Ceylon (AAC) will sponsor the 68th National Billiard Championship, conducted by the Billiards and Snooker Association of Sri Lanka (B & SASL) this year.
The Automobile Association of Ceylon established in 1904 is the oldest Motoring Organization in Sri Lanka,and is afiliated to the Federation Internationale De L’ Automobile, world largest Mobility Organization in Geneva, which has 150 countries under its umbrella. AAC’s prime object is to make all Road users safe.
AAC conducts annual Billiard and Snooker Tournaments for its members and also takes part in the inter-club tournaments in order to promote the cue sports. In the past, AAC members have excelled in several National Billiard and Snooker Tournaments and brought glory to the association.
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