Sports
Sachini wins as Niklesha, Ashvini warm up for FIDE world online Chess Olympiad
Inaugural Sri Lanka Women Chess Grand Prix 2020
Four time national champion Sachini Ranasinghe won the women’s title at the Inaugural Sri Lanka Women’s Chess Grand Prix 2020 as school chess players Tharushi Niklesha and Ashvini Pavalchandran warmed up for the forthcoming FIDE World Online Chess Olympiad at the event concluded on Sunday.
WIM Sachini Ranasinghe (Nf3 Chess Club) was crowned the champion as she accumulated 9 ½ points despite conceding defeat at the hands of Tharushi Sandeepani of Devi Balika Vidyalaya.
A four times women’s National Champion (2009, 2011, 2012, 2013), Ranasinghe played in four FIDE Chess Olympiads (in 2010 in Russia, 2012 in Turkey, 2016 in Azerbaijan and 2018 in Georgia. She was awarded the Trophy, Gold Medal and a cash award of Rs. 30,000.00 for her performance.
WFM Dinushki Premanath of University of Moratuwa made a notable come back scoring six straight victories to finish with an aggregate of eight points after a relatively poor performance in the first four rounds. Dinushki was the National Champion in 2010 and 2018 and has played in couple of Chess Olympiads (in 2012 and 2018). Dinushki won the silver medal with a shared prize of Rs. 12,000.00.
WCM Tharushi Niklesha (Visakha Vidyalaya) and WIM Nelunika Methmani (University of Sri Jayawardenapura) also finished with eight points each, tying with Dinushki, but had to satisfy with the bronze medal and the fourth place respectively according to the tie breaker. Tharushi lost her final round game to Janandani Abeysinghe of NSBM Green University and Nelunika Methmani drew with Ashvini Pavalchandran of Wycherly International School. Tharushi received the bronze medal and both of them were awarded a shared prize of Rs. 12,000.00. Ashvini Pavalchandran who will compete at the IDE World Online Chess Olympiad later this week was placed fifth with 7 ½ points and she was awarded Rs. 4,000.00.
The event conducted by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka was held on July 25, 26, 27, 31 and August 1 and 2 at the Chess Federation Headquarters, Delkanda, Nugegoda.
Luxman Wijesuriya, General Secretary of South Asian Chess Council and Commonwealth Chess Association and a Vice President of Asian Chess Federation was the chief guest at the awards ceremony.
Sri Lanka chess enthusiasts will now shift their focus onto the FIDE World Online Chess Olympiad
which commences on August 7.
Sri Lanka will compete in level three with national champion Harshana Thilakarathne and Isuru Alahakoon competing in the men’s open category.
FIDE world online Chess Olympiad is a National Chess Team event. While Dewnethmie Dahampriya and Pavalachandran Ashvini compete in the open women’s category the Under-20 boys and girls participants are Susal de Silva and Gihansa Jayaweera.
Sri Lanka survived an early onslaught to qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup Super Eights, leaving Australia right at the exit door and hoping for a miracle.
The returning captain Mitchell Marsh and the returning-to-runs Travis Head were brutal in taking Australia to 104 in the first 50 legal deliveries, but some spectacular fielding and spin bowling helped Sri Lanka take 10 for 77 off the last 70 balls.
In front of a partying full house in Pallekele, Sri Lanka’s two most prolific batters, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis, brought out both the axe and paper cuts to slice through the chase. Nissanka, who had earlier dropped Glenn Maxwell and then dismissed him with a stunner, went on to score an unbeaten hundred and take Sri Lanka home with two overs to spare.
In the absence of Matheesha Pathirana, who walked off with a calf injury in his first over, their spinners contributed six wickets to go with excellent closing from Dushmantha Chameera. Australia’s lead spinner Adam Zampa, among the best T20 spinners of all time, took no wicket and was lucky to go for only 41 in his four overs.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 184/2 in 18 overs [Pathum Nissanka 100*, Kusal Mendis 51, Pavan Rathnayake 2*; Marcus Stoinis 2-41] beat Australia 181/10 in 20 overs [Mitchell Marsh 54, Travis Head 56, Josh Inglis 27, Glenn Maxwell 22; Dushmantha Chameera 2-56, Maheesh Theekshana 1-37, Dushan Hemantha 3-37, Dunith Wellalage 1-33, Kamindu Mendis 1-19] by eight wickets
[Cricinfo]
A win against Canada in their first T20I against them on Tuesday will firm up New Zealand’s spot in the Super Eight. This result will also knock out Canada; South Africa have already qualified for the next round from Group D with three wins in as many games.
New Zealand have faced Canada just three times in international cricket so far – each time in ODI World Cups. Their most recent meeting coming in the 2011 edition in Mumbai. They have won all three games and are poised to make it 4-0 against Canada in World Cups, despite the absence of Lockie Ferguson. The fast bowler has returned home for the birth of his first child and is expected to link up with the side ahead of the Super Eight. In Ferguson’s absence, Kyle Jamieson, who wasn’t even in the main squad in the first place, is set to make his T20 World Cup bow.
As for Canada, they had their moments against South Africa and UAE but they have failed to convert those into wins. On Friday in Delhi, they had UAE at 66 for 4 in the 13th over in a chase of 151, but they left the door ajar for Aryansh Sharma and Sohaib Khan to sneak home. Canada can’t afford such slip-ups against New Zealand – and then Afghanistan – if they are to notch up a win in this World Cup.
Kyle Jamieson doesn’t quite have Ferguson’s express pace, but can bang it away on a hard length and stifle the opposition batters. He also has some slower variations in his repertoire and his high-arm release could pose a big threat, especially to batters who are facing him for the first time.
Once known as “Vettori” in Canada’s club cricket circuit, Saad Bin Zafar will run into the team that was once captained by one of his heroes. The Canada left-arm spinner often attacks the stumps and keeps it tight, as his economy rate of 6.02 across 67 T20Is suggests. At 39, Saad knows he won’t be playing the game for long and will be eager to cause a few upsets on the big stage.
Jamieson is set to slot in for Ferguson unless New Zealand want to give veteran legspinner Ish Sodhi a game.
New Zealand (probable): Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (capt), Jimmy Neesham, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy
Canada are likely to play the same XI that lost to South Africa and UAE.
Canada (probable): Dilpreet Bajwa (capt), Yuvraj Samra, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva (wk), Harsh Thaker, Saad Bin Zafar, Jaskaran Singh, Dilon Heyliger, Kaleem Sana, Ansh Patel
[Cricinfo]
Sri Lanka fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana left the field four balls into his first over, after collapsing to the ground clutching his left calf, and did not return to the field during Sri Lanka’s bowling innings against Australia. Having briefly received treatment from the Sri Lanka physiotherapist immediately after sustaining the injury, Pathirana hobbled off the field with assistance from support staff.
He then spent the majority of the innings being treated in the dressing room. Sri Lanka will likely send him off for scans as soon as the match finishes.
“Matheesha Pathirana experienced discomfort in his left leg calf while bowling during the match and was unable to continue,” a statement read. “He will not bowl further in this game. A scan will be conducted tomorrow to determine the extent of the injury.”
Pathirana had begun well against Australia, bowling two dot balls and giving away three runs (including a wide) in those first four deliveries. The last two balls of the over were delivered by Dasun Shanaka, who gave away a four and bowled a dot.
Pathirana is the quickest bowler in Sri Lanka’s attack, and a key part of their death-bowling plans for the tournament in particular. He is also the second Sri Lanka bowler to come under an injury cloud, with Wanindu Hasaranga already having been ruled out of the World Cup with a hamstring injury of his own.
After this game against Australa, Sri Lanka have another group match to play, against Zimbabwe. They have not earned qualification for the Super Eights yet.
(Cricinfo)
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