Sports

Nalanda break the deadlock to beat Ananda

Published

4 years ago

2022/07/12

92nd Battle of the Maroons

Nalanda College captained by Dineth Samaraweera registered their first win against arch rivals Ananda in more than six decades when they registered a historic nine wicket win at the 92nd Battle of the Maroons Big Match at the SSC on Monday.

Nalanda came to the match as favourites and their Sri Lanka Under 19 pair Vinuja Ranpul and Raveen de Silva lived up to their reputation accounting for 13 wickets in the match.

In reply to Nalanda’s 289 for nine wickets, Ananda who commenced the day at 69 for five, were dismissed for 139. Iruth Gimshan was the only Ananda batsman to resist as he made an unbeaten 70.

Forced to follow on opener Lakshitha Kularatne and Hansaja Jayasinghe contributed with back to the wall knocks to delay the outcome. Kularatne made 32 facing 124 balls and Jayasinghe anchored the middle order with a knock of 48 runs which came in 85 balls.

Nalanda needed just 32 balls to knock off the win need of 31 runs. They lost a solitary wicket.

It was the first time that Nalanda won the Big Match since 1953.

Raveen de Silva who was the deputy skipper at the last Youth World Cup bagged seven wickets in the match, while former Prince of Wales player Ranpul collected a match bag of six wickets.

Put to bat on day one, the entire top order clicked for Nalanda with Chanul Athukorala scoring almost run-a-ball 88 inclusive of ten fours and three sixes. While de Silva made 40 runs (4x4s), Samaraweera cracked 33 runs in 27 balls (5x4s). Rusiru Vilochana, Yasiru Samarakoon, Eranga Jayakody and Vinuja Ranpul contributed with valuable 20s.

For Ananda left arm spinner Shakthi Udara took five wickets.

Raveen de Silva won the Man of the Match award for his all round performances while Chanul Athukorala and Vinuja Ranpul were presented the Best Batsman and Best Bowler awards respectively. Ananda’s Nushal Dharmaratne won the Best Fielder award.

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Kapila Wijegunawardena to head SLC’s new selection committee

Published

20 mins ago

2026/05/21

Priyan

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has issued a statement approving the members nominated for the new Selection Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

The appointments have been made by the Sports Minister in accordance with the powers vested under Section 39 (1) of the Sports Law No. 25 of 1973 and the Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2437/24 dated May 21, 2025.

The members of the new selection committee are:

Kapila Wijegunawardena – Chairman

Amal Silva – Member

Brendon Kuruppu – Member

Waruna Waragoda – Member

Vanessa De Silva – Member

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Afghanistan refugee women’s team set for England tour under ECB initiative

Published

34 mins ago

2026/05/21

Priyan

The visiting Afghanistan women's team will also attend the final of the Women's T20 World Cup

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will host an Afghanistan Refugee Women’s Team for a tour beginning on June 22. The programme will include T20 matches and high-performance training opportunities and will be delivered in partnership with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the MCC Foundation. The visiting players will also attend the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Lord’s, scheduled to be held on July 5.

The tour is significant because the visiting squad comprises former Afghanistan women cricketers who had to leave the country following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, after which women were effectively excluded from sport and public life. Many of the players eventually resettled in Australia, where they have continued to pursue cricket. An Afghanistan women’s team played against a ‘Cricket Without Borders XI’ at the Junction Oval in January 2025 ahead of the Women’s Ashes Test at the MCG, a game that was streamed by Cricket Australia.

The ECB said the tour aimed not only to provide competitive opportunities but also to reaffirm cricket’s commitment to inclusivity. “Since being displaced from Afghanistan in 2021, these players have shown extraordinary resilience in continuing their cricket journeys, in incredibly challenging circumstances,” Clare Connor, ECB Deputy CEO and Managing Director of England Women, said.

“We have worked with It’s Game On to build an itinerary and a set of experiences that we hope will be enjoyable and memorable. We are also delighted that the squad will attend the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.

“Cricket has a responsibility to stand for inclusion and opportunity, and we are proud to be hosting this tour and supporting the players in deepening their connection to the game.”

The relocation and continued support of the players has been facilitated in part by It’s Game On, a global sports consultancy co-founded by former Australia cricketer Mel Jones and Emma Staples, along with Dr Catherine Orway. Jones, in particular, played a pivotal role in helping the players relocate to Australia. Her organisation has worked with international sporting bodies on initiatives centred around equity and opportunities for displaced female athletes.

“This tour is a major step forward, but also highlights how much work remains,” Jones said.

“These players have shown extraordinary courage and commitment to the game, despite everything that has been taken from them. They deserve more opportunities like this; they deserve to be recognised as part of the global cricket community. Moments like this matter, but we need to see plans for sustained and meaningful action beyond this year.”

[Cricbuzz]

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DR Congo cancels World Cup training camp over Ebola outbreak

Published

5 hours ago

2026/05/21

Priyan

DR Congo have qualified for the Fifa World Cup for the first time since 1974 (BBC)

The Democratic Republic of Congo has cancelled its pre-World Cup training camp in the capital, Kinshasa, because of an Ebola outbreak in the east of the country.

Preparations have been moved to Belgium amid the upsurge, which is thought to have killed more than 130 people.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern”, but said it was not at pandemic level.

Jerry Kalemo, a spokesperson for the national football team, told international media that pre-tournament games in Europe would go ahead as planned, as the squad gears up for their first World Cup since 1974.

DR Congo are due to play friendly matches against Denmark, on 3 June in Belgium, and Chile, on 9 June in Spain, ahead of the World Cup finals.

A spokesperson for the DR Congo team told the Reuters news agency that the squad’s training camp had been cancelled due to travel restrictions imposed by the US, who are hosting the World Cup this summer, along with Mexico and Canada.

The US’ public health agency has banned entry from non-Americans who have been in the DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days, in response to the Ebola outbreak

All DR Congo’s players, as well as the team’s French coach, Sébastien Desabre, are based outside the central African country and will therefore not be affected by the restrictions now the training camp has been cancelled.

The high-profile event in Kinshasa was supposed to have been attended by fans, along with DR Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi, according to Reuters.

Kinshasa is roughly 1,800 km (1,120m) away from the eastern Ituri province, the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak. There have not yet been any reported cases in the city.

On Wednesday, the WHO said 139 people were thought to have died, out of 600 suspected cases. However, on the same day, Congolese health minister Samuel Roger Kamba told state broadcaster RTNC TV that authorities had registered 159 deaths.

(BBC Sports)