Sports
Sprinters carry weight of expectation

by Reemus Fernando
Asian Junior Championship medallist Madushani Herath will not be a part of the team when Sri Lanka Junior athletics team leave for India today to take part in the South Asian Junior Athletics Championship which will be held from September 11 to 13 in Chennai.
The leading athlete in the region in the girls triple jump, the Nannapurawa MV Bibila athlete will mot take part in the three day event due to an injury. She was part of the team which participated in the World Junior Championship in Lima, Peru.
In her absence the sprinters led by Ananda College’s Merone Wijesinghe are expected to carry the weight of expectation. The 53 member team are inclusive of four relay teams.
Athletes and their events
Boys
Merone Wijesinghe (100m, 4x100m)
Induwara Weeraratne (100m, 4x100m)
Indusara Vidushan (200m, 4x100m)
Kaushan Thamel (200m, 4x100m)
Ayesh Mihiranga (4x100m)
Supun Hansaja (4x100m)
Jathya Kirulu (400m, 4x400m)
Shashintha Silva (400m, 4x400m)
Wimansa Rajakaruna (4x400m)
Hasindu Nethsara (4x400m)
Damsith Kumarasiri (4x400m)
Mark Roshen (4x400m)
Shavindu Avishka (800m)
Dineth Liyanage (800m)
Sanuka Mihisara (1500m)
Prashan Buddika (1500m)
Jeyakanthan Vithushan (3000m)
Kavindu Madushan (3000m)
Sandun Koshala (110m hurdles)
Vishwa Tharuka (110m hurdles)
Tharusha Mendis (high jump)
Lesandu Arthavidu (high jump)
Thevindu Sandil (long jump)
Daham Diyath (long jump)
Kavinda Dissanayaka (triple jump)
Hansaka Sandeepa (triple jump)
Ranhinda Alwis (shot put)
Cristiyan Dabare (discus throw)
Bathiya Dilhara (javelin)
Girls
Shanella Seneviratne (100m, 4x100m)
Dhanani Kodituwakku (100m, 4x100m)
Ransini Perera (200m, 4x100m)
Dhananjana Sithmini (4x100m)
Sewmini Liyanage (4x100m)
Dilmi Imasha (4x100m)
Jithma Wijetunga (200m, 400m, 4x400m)
Takshima Nuhansa (400m, 4x400m)
Maheema Pravindi (4x400m, 4x400m)
Sashini Bhagya (4x400m)
Himashani Senevirathne (800m, 4x400m)
Charuni Pramudika (4x400m)
Tharushi Abhisheka (800m, 1500m)
Dulanjana Pradeepani (1500m, 3,000m)
M.S. Gunathilaka (100m hurdles)
AI. Lellipitiya Arachchi (100m hurdles)
Nethra Samadi (high jump)
Thimeshi Jayaratne (high jump)
Adithya Fernando (long jump)
Dilki Nehara (triple jump)
Malkethmi Silva (shot put)
Savindhaya Jayamaha (discus throw)
Nisansala Madubashini (javelin).
Nehansa Paranaliyanage (100m hurdles)
Sports
Australia crush Sri Lanka to seal 2-0 series sweep

Rex Clementine in Galle
Australia wrapped up a dominant 2-0 sweep of the Test series against Sri Lanka, romping to a comprehensive nine wicket victory before lunch on day four at Galle on Sunday. It was a ruthless display from the world’s No. 1 Test side, who hardly put a foot wrong throughout the series.
Chasing a modest target of 75, openers Travis Head and Usman Khawaja put on 38 for the first wicket, looking at ease on a surface that had played tricks throughout the game. However, Prabath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka’s tireless workhorse, provided the breakthrough, drawing an edge from Head, who was snapped up behind the stumps.
Marnus Labuschagne strode in at number three and posted his highest score in the series and together with Khawaja knocked off the target.
With three runs required for the win, Dimuth Karunaratne, playing his 100th and last Test match, was called up to bowl his part-time off-spin and Labuschagne flicked his third delivery to mid-wicket to level the scores and with another flick in the next ball sealed the win.
The tourists had already stamped their authority on Galle’s dustbowl, having bulldozed Sri Lanka by an innings and 242 runs in the first Test – handing the hosts their heaviest defeat in Test history. This time, the contest was more drawn out, but the result was never in doubt.
The final rites were performed with 16 minutes to lunch, triggering jubilant celebrations among the Australian faithful, who far outnumbered the locals in the stands. Many fans perched themselves atop the historic Dutch Fort – built by the Portuguese in 1588 and fortified by the Dutch in the 17th century – soaking in the sun and the spectacle. One banner, unfurled along the ramparts, read “Shane Warne Stand”, a tribute to the late leg-spinning maestro who had claimed his 500th Test wicket at this very ground. Another banner fired a warning shot: “South Africa, you’re next!” – a nod to the upcoming World Test Championship final at Lord’s in June, where Australia and South Africa will battle for the coveted mace.
Australia once again proved why they are perched atop the Test rankings, delivering a clinical performance from start to finish. Fully aware that Galle’s turning pitches can be as treacherous as a snake pit, the visitors had left nothing to chance. They had set up a week-long training camp in Dubai, honing their skills against turning tracks, and that meticulous preparation paid dividends.
The batting unit put up a masterclass – registering a double hundred and four centuries in the series. With scoreboard pressure firmly on Sri Lanka, Australia’s spinners turned the screws. Not a single Sri Lankan batter managed a century across the two Tests, with Kusal Mendis’ unbeaten 85 standing as the highest individual score.
Resuming the fourth morning at 211 for eight, Sri Lanka’s hopes of prolonging the inevitable fizzled out within 26 minutes. The tail wagged only momentarily, adding a mere 20 runs before the final two wickets fell.
Matthew Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon shared the spoils, but it was the unassuming Kuhnemann who stole the show. Playing just his fifth Test, the left-arm spinner finished as the leading wicket-taker of the series with 16 scalps, outshining the seasoned Lyon. There were no magic tricks – no rabbits pulled out of hats – just unwavering discipline. He bowled a relentless line and length, letting the pitch do the talking. That he did so just weeks after breaking his right thumb only added to the magnitude of his achievement.
Sri Lanka’s slim hopes of resistance rested on Kusal Mendis and for a while, he gave them a glimmer. Following up his first-innings half-century, he notched another fifty, reaching the milestone with a crisp punch through the covers off Lyon. But his joy was short-lived. Off the very next ball, Lyon extracted extra bounce, catching Mendis in two minds – an attempted flick ended up as a simple catch to Steve Smith at short fine leg.
Smith, as safe as houses in the field, etched his name into the record books. By completing that catch, he became only the fifth player in Test history to bag 200 grabs, joining an elite club featuring Rahul Dravid, Joe Root, Mahela Jayawardene, and Jacques Kallis.
Sports
Smith: Adapting to Galle’s tough conditions was the game-changer

Rex Clementine in Galle
Australia broke a 14-year hoodoo in Sri Lanka, sealing a commanding 2-0 series triumph on Sunday in Galle. The visitors had already inflicted Sri Lanka’s worst-ever Test defeat in the series opener – an innings and 242-run hammering at the same venue last week. They wrapped things up with a clinical nine-wicket win, putting an emphatic full stop to their dominance.
Since Ricky Ponting’s men clinched a 1-0 victory in 2011, Australia had struggled on Sri Lankan soil. They were whitewashed 3-0 in 2016 and settled for a 1-1 draw in 2022. But for Steve Smith, this tour was about unfinished business. Having led the side during that 2016 humiliation, he returned determined to set the record straight. Stepping up in the absence of Pat Cummins, Smith led from the front with twin centuries, steering Australia to a series win and earning the Player of the Series award.
“I thought it was a really good series, and we hit the ground running from the outset. The batters had clear plans, and the way they adapted to conditions was superb. Everyone had their own methods and stuck to them for long periods, which paid off handsomely. Our spinners bowled well, and Mitchell Starc, our lone quick, played his role to perfection. A great series win,” Smith said.
The Aussies had done their homework, with a week-long training camp in Dubai helping them fine-tune their game against spin. “We worked out a few things there,” Smith explained. “Guys like Khawaja, Carey, and Inglis are good sweepers of the ball, while Marnus and I prefer coming down the wicket. Head, on the other hand uses the crease, creates angles to disrupt bowlers. Everyone stuck to their strengths, and that’s been the key to our success.”
For Sri Lanka, it was another tale of woe. Under-fire skipper Dhananjaya de Silva, feeling the heat after four consecutive losses and a barren run with the bat, admitted that his side’s batting had let them down.
“The first innings is always crucial, and we didn’t make the most of it. A total of 260 isn’t going to win you Test matches. Losing four wickets in an hour in the first innings put us on the back foot, and from there, we were always chasing the game,” de Silva conceded.
With this win, Australia not only exorcised the demons of 2016 but also sent a strong message ahead of future subcontinent challenges. For Sri Lanka, however, it’s back to the drawing board.
Sports
Rasara among top performers at season opening athletics event

A national record performance in the women’s 10,000 metres by Kelaniya University undergraduate Rasara Wijesuriya and a national youth record performance in the 1,500 metres by emerging talent Savindu Avishka of Dhammissara National School were among top performances in the season opening track and field event at Diyagama on Sunday.
Rasara broke Hiruni Wijayaratne’s national record (33:55.04 secs) with a feat of 33:39.60 second.
The meet was given a positive start by olympian Sumeda Ranasinghe who cleared a distance of 82.56 metres to win the men’s javelin throw. National record holder Rumesh Tharanga was placed second with a feat of 79.58 metres.
Shavindu Awishka who won a South Asian junior medal last year established new national under 18 record with a performance of 3:58.24 seconds in the 1,500 metres. Lahiru Achintha from St. Aloysius’ College Ratnapura bettered the previous record with a feat of 3:59.24 seconds.
High jumper Lesandu Arthavidu equalled Sri Lanka under 20 record in high jump with a feat of 2.18 metres. Arthavidu equalled Manjula Kumara Wijesekara’s record set in 2002.
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