Sports
Records galore in Galle but Irish eye draw
Rex Clementine in Galle
There are quite a few Cinderella stories in Sri Lankan cricket. Players with numerous economic hardships and challenges going onto become household names in the country thanks to their skill, commitment and perseverance is nothing new. We witnessed yet another such story yesterday as Nishan Madushka converted a maiden hundred into a double hundred becoming the second youngest Sri Lankan to the milestone after Mahela Jayawardene.
Moratuwa has two major cricketing centers – Prince of Wales and St. Sebastian’s. A third force has been producing some quality players over the years without much notice. Nishan Madushka is from Moratu Vidyalaya and comes from the humblest of beginnings with his father, a daily wage earner, being the sole bread winner.
Sheer weight of runs for the school, club, Sri Lanka Development Squad and the ‘A’ team has got the 23-year-old to the senior side and he made it count with a memorable double ton yesterday.
Another Moratuwa boy, Kusal Mendis also posted a maiden double hundred having been previously dismissed twice on 190s. They shared a big 268 run partnership and clearly Mendis was the more stylish timing the ball sweetly and finding the gap with no trouble.
Mendis was on the verge of breaking Wasim Akram’s World Record for the most sixes in an innings in Test cricket but fell short trying to equal the feet. Mendis had hit 11 sixes and failed to clear the 12th as he was caught at long-off. He now owns the Sri Lankan record though having eclipsed Kumar Sangakkara’s eight sixes in an innings.
Angelo Mathews out for a duck in the first Test was dropped on one and made most of the reprieve as he went onto post his 15th Test hundred. It was only the third instance in Test match cricket the top four batters of the line-up had scored hundreds or more.
Sri Lanka also established the highest total in Galle as they declared on 704 for three eclipsing Bangladesh’s 638 all out in 2013. Ireland resumed their second innings being 212 runs behind and the spin duo of Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis picked up a wicket each.
The spin bowlers were getting some assistance from the surface last evening and Sri Lanka will be looking to knock off the next eight wickets soon before rains come down on today’s final day. Ireland need a further 158 runs to make Sri Lanka bat again. The Irish have lost all five of their previous Tests and with a little bit of help from rain are in for a chance to draw the game here.
Colombo Kaps defended 197 runs to win the 12th match of the Lanka Premier League by restricting Dambulla Sixers to 176/8 at the Dambulla International Cricket Stadium on Saturday [25] night.
SCORES:
Colombo Kaps 197/5 in 20 overs [Rubin Hermann 39, Sadeera Samarawickrema 16, Sharujan Shanmuganathan 12, Kamindu Mendis 88*, Ben McDermott 14, Janith Liyanage 17; Fazalhaq Farooki 1-41, Dushmantha Chameera 1-41, Ramesh Mendis 1-05, Gulabdin Naib 1-15]
Dambulla Sixers 176/8 in 20 overs [Pavan Rathnayake 50, Marques Ackerman 40, Gulabdin Naib 28, Maheesh Thhekshana 13; Shahnawaz Dahani 2-20, Wanuja Sahan 1-34, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 2-33, Malsha Tharupathi 1-26, Milan Rathnayake 1-26]
Kandy Royals’ bowlers led by Nuwan Thushara were able to defend their score of 165 to win the 11th match of the Lanka Premier League by defeating Galle Gallants by 11 runs at Dambulla on Saturday.
SCORES:
Kandy Royals 165/6 in 20 overs [Lahiru Udara 16, Dale Phillips 34, Wanidu Hasaranga 16, Moeen Ali 41, Angelo Mathews 28, Vijay Shankar 15; Pramod Madushan 2-41, Akif Javed 2-26, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth 2-36]
Galle Gallants 154/8 in 20 overs [Sam Harper 14, Charith Asalanka 14, Chamika Karunarathne 52, Dasun Shanaka 57*; Nuwan Thushara 3-33, Asitha Fernando 2-33, Moeen Ali 1-11, Wanidu Hasaranga 1-26]
Innovative Production Group (IPG), the tournament rights holder of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), in consultation with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), has terminated the franchise agreement with Sports Commune, which was granted franchise rights of the Jaffna Kings.
The termination follows the franchisee’s inability to fulfil its financial obligations under the terms of the franchise agreement. As a result, all rights relating to the Jaffna Kings franchise have reverted to IPG, which, together with Sri Lanka Cricket, has assumed full operational control of the team.
IPG confirms that the 6th edition of the LPL will proceed as scheduled and Jaffna Kings will continue to participate in the tournament under the same nomenclature, with no changes to the squad, tournament format, or match schedule.
To ensure the uninterrupted operation of the franchise, IPG and Sri Lanka Cricket have taken complete responsibility for all player, coaching staff, and support staff contracts. The organizers also confirm that all logistical arrangements for the team have been secured, ensuring the squad is intact for the tournament.
Furthermore, approximately 90% of all player and staff payments have already been completed, with the remaining payments to be settled in accordance with contractual commitments.
IPG and Sri Lanka Cricket remain committed to delivering a successful sixth edition of the Lanka Premier League while upholding the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and transparency for players, teams, commercial partners, and fans.
Typhoon Noul makes landfall in China, with hundreds of thousands evacuated
Colombo Kaps down Dambulla Sixers by 21 runs
Kandy Royals win by 11 runs
Showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
Govt. launches EPF, ETF shake-up
SLPI concerned over the proposed Chartered Institute of Media Professionals of Sri Lanka
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
Midweek Review5 days agoThree high-profile alleged suicides shaping key investigations
-
News1 day agoFort Magistrate orders arrest of MP Archchuna
-
Editorial2 days agoAn indictment of all parties
-
News4 days agoCustoms asked to resume probe or face legal action
-
Editorial6 days ago
Welcome bid to tackle rolling death traps
-
Opinion3 days agoUkraine’s power struggle spills on to the streets
-
News2 days agoNational-level cybersecurity facility Lab established
-
News6 days agoMerchant Shipping Secretariat probes bribery scandal