Sports

Royal beat Thomians to clinch Orville Abeynaike Trophy

Published

2 years ago

2023/09/19

Front row (from left) - Senul Liyanage, Muad Mueen, Yusuf Sihar, Geesath Basitha, Aathif Faleel, Kevindu Dharmarathne, Lithum Karunasiri, Inupa Ranathunga Standing (from left) - Anuk Kaveeja, Binu Paranawitharana, Minol Dakhitha, Rivisha Marambage, Sihath Dassanayake, Lakshitha Perera, Aakash Wijeseara (Captain), Himsara Caldera (Vice-Captain), Thaviru Alahakoon, Harris Arumugam, Vinol Rashmitha.

Underdogs Royal College stunned their arch rivals S.Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia when center forward Yusuf Shihar’s solitary penalty corner goal helped them win Orville Abeynaike Trophy in their hockey big match on Saturday at Colombo University ground.

The victory was the first win for Royal in the trophy match since 2015.

The Mount Lavinia team was the clear favourites in this year’s (22nd) edition of the game after winning their match against Trinity by 4-2 last week.

The hosts Royal led by Aakash Wijesekera were surprisingly in control of the game from the first minute, but missed close chances in repeated penalty corners.

At the 43rd minute, center forward Yusuf Shihar changed the game with his penalty corner hit. The ball got lofted in his second attempt to the goal to hit the board to give the famous victory for the Reid Avenue team.

Thomians were in the possession of the trophy for the past six year.

Royal’s Center Half Thaveeru Alahakoom was adjudged the best player of the game for his consistent and solid defence throughout the game.

Royal is coached by former Nalandian Insaka Samaranayaka with former nationals Damith Panditharathne and Shahid Kuthubdeen as his assistants.

Thomians who are known for speed found it difficult due to slow conditions at the Colombo University ground.

The game was at 0-0 at the lemons.

Thomians got some opportunities in the last quarter including a last minute penalty corner, but Royalists thwarted all the attempts to record the stunning victory.

Despite the win, S. Thomas leads the tally with 10 wins against Royal’s seven in the trophy started back in 2000. Five games have ended in draw.

Abeethe Fernando and Ishara Kulatunga controlled the game.

In the junior under 16 category, S. Thomas’ won 1-0 with Joshua Jayaweera scoring at the start of the game.

Royal won the over 35 old boys game 2-1 with Sampath Subasinghe and Manuka Pawan scoring a goal each while Tivanka Wijeratna scored at the last minute in a penalty corner for Thomians.

The under 35 old boys match for Nihal Nilaweera memorial trophy ended in a 1-1 draw with former Sri Lankan player Shahid Kuthubdeen scoring for Royal and Romesh Nallapperuma scoring for Old Thomians. Royal retained the trophy.

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U19 World Cup: Japan defeat Tanzania by nine wickets

Published

1 hour ago

2026/01/25

Priyan

Nihar Parmar hit an unbeaten fifty in Japan's chase [Cricinfo]

Nihar Parmar produced an excellent all-round display as Japan comfortably defeated Tanzania by nine wickets at Windhoek in the first playoffs for the 13th to 16th-places.

After Tanzania elected to bat, opener Karim Kiseto departed for a duck, but Acrey Pascal and Ayaan Shariff steadied the innings with a productive 79-run stand. Pascal top-scored with a patient 55 before falling to Kazuma Kato Stafford, but it was Parmar who turned the game on its head.

The Japanese all-rounder struck twice in consecutive deliveries to remove Shariff for 40 and Agustino Mwamele for a golden duck, sparking a dramatic collapse. From a relatively comfortable 118/2, Tanzania capitulated to 131 all out inside the next seven overs. Parmar finished with excellent figures of 4 for 30, while Nikhil Pol chipped in with 3 for 23 as the duo tore through the lower order.

Chasing a modest target, Japan made light work of the run chase. Parmar and Taylor Waugh constructed a clinical 122-run opening partnership, putting the result beyond doubt. Waugh fell short of a half-century, run out for 47, before Parmar reached his fifty and remained unbeaten on 53. Pol joined him to finish the job, guiding Japan home with more than 24 overs to spare.

Brief scores:
Tanzania 131 in 38.3 overs (Acrey Pascal 55; Nihar Parmar 4-30, Nikhil Pol 3-23) lost to Japan 136/1 in 28.2 overs (Nihar Parmar 53*, Taylor Waugh 47) by nine wickets

[Cricbuzz]

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U19 World Cup: Ambrish’s four-fer powers India to third straight win

Published

1 hour ago

2026/01/25

Priyan

India secured their third win in the group stage [Cricbuzz]

India bundled out New Zealand for a mere 135 in their final Group B fixture of the Under-19 World Cup before waltzing home to a comfortable seven-wicket win at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. The comprehensive victory was set up by RS Ambrish’s four-wicket haul (4 for 19) and well-supported by Henil Patel’s three scalps (3 for 23) and ensured India finished the group stage with a perfect record of three wins from three matches.

After winning the toss, skipper Ayush Mhatre had no hesitation in bowling first on an overcast morning in Bulawayo. The decision was vindicated immediately as the Indian bowlers ran through the New Zealand top order. New Zealand slumped to 22 for 5 inside 10 overs.

The game was twice interrupted by rain, reducing it to a 37-over contest, but India’s bowlers maintained relentless pressure throughout. New Zealand’s lower-order mounted a brief recovery thanks in large part to an unbeaten 37 from Callum Samson but their total of 135 was never going to test a strong Indian batting line-up.

In response, India chased down the DLS-altered target of 130 with seven wickets in hand, with Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Ayush Mhatre leading the charge with a 76-run partnership off just 39 balls. Mhatre hit half-a-dozen sixes in his 27-ball 53 while Suryavanshi added 40 off 23. The win was completed in just 81 balls, showcasing India’s dominance with the bat.

While the win consolidated India’s position heading into the Super Six after a nervy game against Bangladesh, for New Zealand, who had their previous two matches washed out, this was a disappointing return to action against a quality Indian bowling attack.

Brief Scores:
New Zealand 135 in 36.2 overs (RS Ambrish 4-29, Henil Patel 3-23) lost to India 130/3 in 13.3 overs (Vaibhav Suryavanshi 40, Ayush Mhatre 53) by 7 wickets [DLS Method]

[Cricbuzz]

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Josh Hoey breaks world 800m short track record with 1:42.50 in Boston

Published

2 hours ago

2026/01/25

Priyan

Josh Hoey had said he was excited to take a shot at the world 800m short track record in Boston and he was right on target as he clocked 1:42.50* to improve the 28-year-old mark at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix – the first World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting of the season – on Saturday (24).

Seven weeks on from setting a world 600m short track best, also in Boston, the US world indoor champion made more history as he took 0.17 off the world record of 1:42.67 set by Wilson Kipketer at the World Indoor Championships in Paris in 1997.

Hoey went into the race as the second-fastest indoor 800m runner of all time thanks to the North American record of 1:43.24 he ran at the US Indoor Championships in New York last year. But paced by his brother Jaxson, he leapt to the top of that all-time list, winning the race by more than two seconds.

Jaxson led his brother through the first 200m in 24.81 before 400m was reached in 50.21. Jaxson then stepped aside and Josh passed 600m in 1:16.19, holding on to cross the finish line in 1:42.50.

“We did a lot of pacing work,” said Josh, reflecting on his preparations for the race. “Just kind of kept steadily improving, taking it week by week, block by block, and we were able to make
this work.”

A world best had been set earlier in the programme, USA’s 2024 world indoor 1500m bronze medallist Hobbs Kessler clocking 4:48.79 to break the 2000m short track world best of 4:49.99 set by Kenenisa Bekele almost 19 years ago.

World short track 3000m record-holder Grant Fisher also dipped under the old world best, finishing second in 4:49.48.

[World Athletics]