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Matt Henry, Will Young give New Zealand thumping win in series opener
New Zealand’s fast bowlers tore through Sri Lanka’s top order to set up a big win, before their own top three clinched it, Will Young hitting 90 not out off 86 balls in a nine-wicket victory.
On a grassy Basin Reserve pitch, on a cold day beset by biting southerlies, New Zealand had had Sri Lanka 23 for 4 by the end of the powerplay. There were resurgent innings from the likes of Avishka Fernando especially, but Sri Lanka never seemed headed to a healthy total. They were out for 178 in the 44th over. New Zealand ran that total down with 23.4 overs to spare.
It was Matt Henry who set the tone for the early exchanges with his first spell, and claimed the first wicket on his way to figures of 4 for 19 from ten overs. He caught Pathum Nissanka’s leading edge with a full away-seamer in the fifth over, the ball floating out to mid-off for a simple catch. In his first five overs, Henry seamed the ball substantially, and conceded only six runs.
At the other end, Jacob Duffy was delivering probing overs as well. He took the second wicket with a short delivery that surprised Kusal Mendis, and which he inside edged into his leg stump. Three overs later, Kamindu Mendis – batting at No. 4 now – was run out attempting a suicidal single. Dropping a ball towards cover he called his partner through for a run, only for Mitchell Santner to swoop on the ball, and fire in an underarm throw that hit the base of the only stump Santner had to aim at. In general, New Zealand’s fielding was exemplary, with Mark Chapman also outstanding in the point region. On the rare occasions, New Zealand’s quicks strayed in the early overs, an act of spectacular fielding would tend to ensure the pressure stayed on Sri Lanka.
The last wicket to fall in the powerplay was that of captain Charith Asalanka, who initially only seemed to be beaten by a sharply rising Nathan Smith delivery outside off stump, only for Smith to insist on the review, and for Snicko to show that the ball had brushed the shoulder of the bat. Asalanka, so often the batter who arrests Sri Lanka collapses, was out for a duck.
This brought Janith Liyanage to the crease to join Avishka, and the pair set about the repair work, finding boundaries square of the wicket after much of the seam movement of the early overs had disappeared. Avishka played the short balls well through the middle period, as New Zealand’s seamers switched occasionally to that mode of attack. In any case, the pair put on 87 together, Avishka scoring his ninth ODI fifty, before Liyanage miscued a Mitchell Santner ball to deep midwicket and was out for 36.
Sri Lanka had contributions from Wanindu Hasaranga, who hit 35, and Chamindu Wickramasinghe, who made 22. But New Zealand always had Sri Lanka by the collar – no passage of retaliation lasted very long.
Given the trouble New Zealand’s quicks had given Sri Lanka, the chase was exceptionally smooth. Rachin Ravindra was strong on the front foot early on, finding six boundaries in the arc between backward point and mid-off. Young, meanwhile, was excellent whenever Sri Lanka’s bowlers pitched short, playing a number of powerful pulls and hooks. New Zealand were 70 for no loss at the end of the powerplay, Sri Lanka’s seamers guilty of a little indiscipline. There were no serious wicket chances, aside from one missed run-out by Asitha Fernando, who had fielded the ball in his follow-through.
Ravindra would be dismissed attempting an ambitious leg-side flick off a full delivery down the leg side, but the remainder of the chase was straightforward. Young continued to find those leg-side boundaries and sped past his tenth ODI half-century. Mark Chapman was a steady presence at the other end. Their unbeaten stand of 87 took the hosts home.
Brief scores:
New Zealand 180 for 1 in 26.2 overs (Wiull Young 90*, Rachin Ravindra 45, Mark Chapman 29*; Chamindu Wickramasinghe 1-28) beat Sri Lanka 178 in 43.4 overs (Avishka Fernando 56,Janith Liyanage 36, Wanidu Hasaranga 35, Chamindu Wickremesinghe 22; Matt, Henry 4-19, Jacob Duffy 2-39, Nathan Smith 2-43) by nine wickets
[Cricinfo]
European leaders, including in France and Germany, have announced they are working on a plan in the event the United States follows through on its threat to take over Greenland as tensions soar.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter radio on Wednesday that while nations want to act if the US moves to seize Greenland from an ally, Denmark, they want to do so “together with our European partners”.
“I myself was on the phone with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday. He discarded the idea that what just happened in Venezuela could happen in Greenland,” Barrot said.
On Saturday, the United States – using fighter jets, attack helicopters, and special forces – abducted Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, bringing him to New York City to be tried for alleged drug trafficking.
US President Donald Trump’s decision to greenlight the abduction of Maduro led to widespread condemnation and fear that Greenland, which the president has previously said should be part of Washington’s security apparatus, could be forcibly taken.
But since then, European allies have rallied behind Greenland’s sovereignty, saying the country belongs to its people.
Johannes Koskinen, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Finland’s parliament, called for the issue to be raised within NATO.
“[Allies should] address whether something needs to be done and whether the United States should be brought into line in the sense that it cannot disregard jointly agreed plans in order to pursue its own power ambitions,” he said.
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart, Vivian Motzfeldt, requested an urgent meeting with Rubio to discuss the situation.
“We would like to add some nuance to the conversation,” Rasmussen wrote in a social media post. “The shouting match must be replaced by a more sensible dialogue. Now.”
Denmark has warned that any move to take Greenland by force would mean “everything would stop”, including NATO and 80 years of close security links.
Greenland’s government will join a meeting between Rubio and Danish officials next week following renewed US claims on the Arctic island, its foreign minister said on Wednesday.
The European Union will support Greenland and Denmark when needed and will not accept violations of international law no matter where they occur, European Council President Antonio Costa said.
“On Greenland, allow me to be clear: Greenland belongs to its people. Nothing can be decided about Denmark and about Greenland without Denmark or without Greenland,” Costa said in a speech.
“The European Union cannot accept violations of international law – whether in Cyprus, Latin America, Greenland, Ukraine, or Gaza. Europe will remain a firm and unwavering champion of international law and multilateralism.”
Greenland – the world’s largest island, with a population of 57,000 people – is located between Europe and North America. Since 2019, during Trump’s first term, the president has raised the idea of controlling Greenland, saying it would benifit US security.
So far, Trump has not ruled out using force to take the island.
Rubio told reporters on Wednesday that Trump’s intention is to buy Greenland. “That’s always been the president’s intent from the very beginning.”
House US House Speaker Mike Johnson said he hasn’t heard talk of sending the military into Greenland and the US is “looking at diplomatic channels”.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump and his national security team have “actively discussed” the option of buying Greenland.
“He views it in the best interest of the United States to deter Russian and Chinese aggression in the Arctic region. And so that’s why his team is currently talking about what a potential purchase would look like,” Leavitt told reporters.
Neither Leavitt nor Rubio ruled out the use of force. But Leavitt said, “The president’s first option, always, has been diplomacy.”
[Aljazeera]
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Landslide early warnings issued to the Districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya
The Landslide Early Warning Center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya for the next 24 hours commencing at 1200hrs today [08]
Accordingly
LEVEL II AMBER landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Ududumbara in the Kandy District, Wilgamuwa in the Matale District, and Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya District.
LEVEL I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Meegahakiwula, Welimada, Kandaketiya, Lunugala, Badulla, Passara, Uva Paranagama and Hali_Ela in the Badulla District, Ambanganga Korale in the Matale District, and Mathurata and Hanguranketha in the Nuwara Eliya District.
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