Under 19 Division I Cricket

by Reemus Fernando

Dulsath Nimviru with a match bag of eight wickets and Vinod Danushka with a top score of 65 runs excelled for St. Aloysius’ College Galle as they beat Isipathana by six wickets in the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘B’ tournament match at Karandeniya on Friday.

Nimviru picked up five wickets to restrict Isipatana to 146 runs in the second innings.

That left St. Aloysius’ with a target of 71 runs to chase. They sealed the victory in 19 overs.

In a bowler dominated match Vinod Danushka’s 65 runs in the first innings was the only half century.

The victory was St. Aloysius’ first outright win in four tournament matches.

Scores

Isipatana 84 all out in 32.4 overs (Ranmith Senarath 30; Dulsath Nimviru 3/22, Emalsha Pabasara 3/37, Kavindu Kesara 3/17) and 14 for 2 overnight 146 all out in 51.5 overs (Navindu Hettiarachchige 37, Chanul Dinoth 21, Maleesha Sandaruwan 41, Menula Sadev 20; Dulsath Nimviru 5/46, Kavindu Kesara 3/39, Oshada Devinda 2/32)

St. Aloysius’ 160 all out in 50.5 overs (Vinod Danushka 65, Tharuka Perera 36, Charya Paranavithana 29, Navidu Pramod 22; Dasith Senal 5/41, Thithira Sansira 3/09) and 71 for 4 in 18.4 overs (Deneth Dewminda 24; Menula Sadev 3/22)

Division I Tier ‘A’

Mahanama on first innings win at Mattegoda

Scores

St. Anthony’s Katugastota 208 all out in 66 overs (Kaushika Kumarasinghe 28, Anjana Dineth 22, Nedan Ebert 30, Januka Rathnayake 25, Charuka Ekanayake 65; Anuka Wijewardhane 3/78, Sithum Vihanga 3/26, Gimantha Dissanayake 2/30) and 51 for 7 in 19 overs (Januka Rathnayake 24n.o.; Chamika Heenatigala 3/13, Geeth Sandaruwan 3/14)

Mahanama 25 for 2 overnight 210 all out in 81.3 overs (Dulneth Algawatte 19, Gimantha Dissanayake 29, Sithum Vihanga 69, Oshadha Mathugama 37, Thaviru Perera 29; Charuka Ekanayake 5/65, Imeth Rajapaksha 2/59)

Richmond restricted to 159 at Katunayake

Scores

Richmond 159 all out in 77.4 overs (Nikil Jayaweera 26, Shehan de Zoysa 56; Nushan Perera 4/64, Demion de Silva 6/58)

St. Joseph’s 44 for 2 in 20 overs (Kithmin de Silva 26n.o.)

After seven days of competition Sri Lanka is assured of at least one medal at the ASBC Asian Elite Men and Women Boxing Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand as 21-year-old Umayanga Mihiran advanced to the semifinals in the flyweight (51kg) category on Friday.

In a composed and masterful performance, Mihiran outpointed Malaysia’s Muhammad Abdul Qayyum in the quarterfinals, becoming the island nation’s sole medal contender. Both fighters entered the bout fresh after receiving byes in the previous round, but it was Mihiran’s skill, precision, and tactical superiority that made the difference according to boxing experts.

Mihiran opened cautiously, using his precision left jabs to control the distance in the first round. As the fight progressed, he increased the tempo, showcasing a full arsenal of punches, including sharp uppercuts and hooks, while displaying excellent lateral movement to evade Qayyum’s attacks.

The Malaysian attempted to disrupt Mihiran’s rhythm, but the Sri Lankan pugilist remained unflappable, shifting seamlessly between leading the exchanges and counter-punching. Despite one judge scoring all three rounds in favour of Qayyum, Mihiran’s dominance was evident as he displayed ring control and discipline throughout the bout.

Mihiran will face Asilbek Jalilov of Uzbekistan, the reigning ASBC Asian Under 22 champion, in the semifinals on Sunday (December 8). Jalilov comes off a hard-fought win over the 2021 World Champion, Kazakhstan’s Saken Bibossynov, following a bout review. The Uzbek fighter, with an impressive record that includes medals from major competitions, will undoubtedly pose a stern challenge for the young Sri Lankan.

Sri Lanka’s other quarterfinalists, Nuwan Jinadasa and Ravindu Kumara, were unable to advance, suffering technical knockouts in their respective bouts.

[RF]

Rex Clementine in Port Elizabeth

The first-innings foundation has been Sri Lanka’s Achilles’ heel for months – a mantra oft-repeated but rarely upheld. However, under the sunny skies of Port Elizabeth, the visitors finally walked the talk, reaching a promising 103 for one at tea on day two of the second Test.

The ghosts of Durban, where Sri Lanka crumbled like a house of cards for a mere 42 runs, seemed to haunt them early on. Yet, their approach this time was chalk and cheese. They weathered the storm during the first hour, a stark departure from their usual gung-ho style. If they can push South Africa’s quicks beyond their third spells, batting on day three could become a stroll in the park.

Dimuth Karunaratne, the former skipper, epitomized discipline, leaving anything that strayed outside off-stump. He appeared set to make hay while the sun shone, but a lapse in concentration saw him chasing a wide delivery from Kagiso Rabada, only to edge it behind.

For Karunaratne, the pressure is mounting. A Test century has eluded him this year, and his modest average of 32 after ten matches leaves much to be desired. The weight of expectation hangs over him like a dark cloud, and a big knock is overdue.

Pathum Nissanka and Dinesh Chandimal dug in, surviving a few hairy moments before tea. The pair has a mountain to climb, especially as Sri Lanka aim for a first-innings lead on a pitch expected to crack and crumble by day four.

Chandimal, despite his gritty second-innings effort in Durban, looked like a fish out of water against the pace attack. On the other hand, Nissanka showed poise, leaving well and defending stoutly, offering a glimmer of hope for the visitors.

Earlier, Sri Lanka’s bowlers had their tails up, hoping to mop up the South African innings before they breached the 300-run mark. But those hopes went up in smoke as the pacers fell into the short-ball trap, playing right into South Africa’s hands.

The quicks managed to send Keshav Maharaj back for a duck, but Kyle Verreynne’s masterclass with the bat turned the tables. His audacious stroke play was poetry in motion, and his unbeaten 105 off 133 balls, laced with 12 fours and three sixes, left Sri Lanka licking their wounds.

Verreynne’s crucial partnerships with Kagiso Rabada (56 runs) and Dane Paterson (33 for the last wicket) ensured South Africa pushed the total beyond the 350 mark, leaving Sri Lanka to rue missed opportunities.

Lahiru Kumara was the pick of the bowlers, bagging four wickets, while Asitha Fernando and Vishwa Fernando shared five scalps between them. But the inability to finish off the tail took the wind out of Sri Lanka’s sails.