Sports
Sri Lanka secure hard fought win against Proteas
By Rex Clementine
Sri Lanka went 1-0 up in the three match ODI series against South Africa with a hard fought 14 run win at RPS last night, but their win could be marred by a slow over rate fine and reduction of the points in the World Cup qualifiers as they nearly took four hours to complete 50 overs.
Sri Lanka have a terrible slow over rate problem and there was little urgency yesterday as Dasun Shanaka’s side went about things at their own pace. Akila Dananjaya was the biggest culprit moving about things like a European on a holiday in down south.
Despite the short coming, it was a fine effort by the batsmen to post a total of 300 and although South Africa threatened to chase it down, they fell short as the scoreboard pressure took to them.
There’s no better sight in Sri Lankan cricket at the moment than Avishka Fernando in full flow. Of course, there is the exceptional talent of Kusal Mendis, but currently he is ‘doing time’ for his excesses. Avishka was at his awesome best posting his third ODI hundred. Usually, when a team scores 300 at RPS, it’s good night Vienna. No team has chased down successfully a target in excess of 300 at this ground although it has hosted more than 130 ODIs.
Pushed out of the side for failing a fitness test in January, Avishka has been a breath of fresh air since making a comeback two months ago. Mickey Arthur’s fitness regime seems to be working as the opening batsman put up a fine show against a formidable attack. It took him 74 balls to reach his half-century but he stepped up the gas after reaching the milestone as the next 50 runs came off just 31 balls.
Avishka had set the stage for Sri Lanka to accelerate in the death overs and the last ten overs produced 90 runs.
Avishka added 57 runs for the first wicket with Minod Bhanuka (27) as the wicketkeeper was preferred over former captain Dinesh Chandimal. The centurion then added 79 runs for the third wicket with Dhananjaya de Silva (44) who looked comfortable at his new role of number four.
The 97 runs stand between Avishka and Charith Asalanka that came off 71 balls proved to be the turning point. Asalanka made 72 that came off 62 balls.
Aiden Markram gave South African a fine start smashing 96 off 90 balls. His dismissal slowed things up a bit. Rassie van der Dussen played the spin bowlers superbly with some fine reverse sweeps and sweeps. He made 59 and was dismissed trying to keep pace with the climbing required run rate.
The final week of the year is like a Roman feast for the Test cricket fan, and Boxing Day this year promises mouth-watering contests in Melbourne and Centurion but look this way too, will you? Bulawayo is set to host Zimbabwe’s first Boxing Day Test 8n 28 years too, and with unpredictable Afghanistan on the other side, a real tussle is expected between the two teams, who despite their recent underwhelming performances, would feel like they’re favourites. After all, the last time either side won a Test was against each other.
But that was way back 8n 2021. Since then, they have not found a way to win. And one look at the Zimbabwe and Afghanistan squads for this two-Test series suggests that they’re both looking to change that by taking a different direction for 2025 and beyond. A splattering of Test debutants are expected – theoretically, there could be as many 15 debuts across the two XIs – and this series could very well be the one that births a new generation.
Under 19 Cricket
by Reemus Fernando
Mahinda College, Galle took firm control of their two-day Under 19 Division I Tier ‘B’ cricket encounter as they reached 213 for nine wickets at stumps after restricting Moratu Vidyalaya to 96 runs at Galle on Wednesday.
After Arosha Udayanga grabbed five wickets to trouble the visitors, the home team topped 200 runs thanks to a century by open batsman Dulsith Darshana and a half century by Senuka Dangamuwa.
While Darshana scored 13 fours and a six in his 106 which came in 143 balls, Dangamuwa hammered nine fours and a six in his 50 which came in 51 balls.
Mahinda are in search of their first outright victory in the tournament proper after having earned first innings points in two out of the three matches in their group.
Moratu Vidyalaya too have completed three matches and have scored first innings points on one occasion.
Scores
Moratu Vidyalaya
96 all out in 45.2 overs (Sanjana Senavirathna 31, Shehara Fernando 20; Arosha Udayanga 5/35)
Mahinda
213 for 9 in 52 overs (Dulsith Darshana 106, Senuka Dangamuwa 50; Isuru Nidharshana 2/64, Nishitha Fernando 5/45)
by Reemus Fernando
Sri Lanka Athletics has suspended track and field official S. W. Nimalsiri for four years after a three member committee appointed by the sports governing body found him guilty of manhandling leading athletic official G.L.S. Perera within the Sri Lanka Athletics premises in Torrington.
“The executive committee of Sri Lanka Athletics decided to hand Nimalsiri a four year suspension after the three member committee concluded that he was guilty of manhandling the respected official,” Saman Kumara Gunawardhana, the secretary of Sri Lanka Athletics told The Island.
At the time of the suspension Nimalairi was a committee member of Sri Lanka Athletics and is the president of the Ace Athletics Club and secretary of the Colombo District Athletics Association.
The three member committee that inquired the incident involving Nimalairi and Perera was headed by retired district court judge Upali Samaraweera. Others in the committee were former director of sports Padma Siriwardana and disciplinary committee chairman of Sri Lanka Athletics Chandana Ekanayake.
Nimalsiri has also been suspended from officiating in track and field competitions.
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