Sports
Sri Lanka tick all boxes in World Cup Qualifier
A ruthless performance by Sri Lanka showed the rest of the teams in the World Cup Qualifiers that former champions mean business after they brushed aside the United Arab Emirates with a comprehensive 175-run win in Bulawayo yesterday.
It was the kind of game where they ticked all the boxes with a commanding win. The openers provided the team a solid start before the middle order consolidated and the lower middle order finished things off expertly in piling up a gigantic 355 for six in 50 overs.
While defending the huge total, the quicks bowled with fire while the spinners made life difficult for UAE with Wanindu Hasaranga picking up career-best figures of six for 24. UAE were shot out for 180 inside 40 overs.
Since being recalled to the ODI side, after being sidelined for more than two years, Dimuth Karunaratne has hit a purple patch and he smashed 52 off 54 balls. It was his third consecutive half-century in ODI cricket. Pathum Nissanka too joined the party posting 57 as the openers laid a solid platform adding 95 runs.
Vice-captain Kusal Mendis then upped the tempo smashing 78 off 63 balls with ten fours. Sadeera Samarawickrama completed an entertaining 73 in 64 balls with nine boundaries.
The stage had been set for Charith Asalanka to play some shots and he finished on 48 not out in just 23 balls with five fours and two sixes. The seventh wicket unbeaten stand between the two former Richmond players Asalanka and Wanindu Hasaranga was worth 58 runs.
Hasaranga finished on 23 off 12 balls with three fours.
There had been some concern about Sri Lanka’s inability to finish things off well, but there were no such headaches yesterday as they smashed 108 runs in the last ten overs with the final five overs proving to be even better with 64 runs scored in that period.
After Lahiru Kumara provided the early breakthrough with the new ball, Wanindu Hasaranga made his presence felt with his maiden five wicket haul as UAE batters struggled to tackle spin.
Hasaranga became only the second Sri Lankan leg-spinner to claim a five-wicket haul after Upul Chandana.
Sri Lanka’s next game is on Friday where they will take on Nepal also in Bulawayo.
Tiny Cape Verde have become the history makers of World Cup 2026 by defying all odds to become the smallest country to earn a spot in the knockout stages of the competition.
Their improbable run through the group stage, with a third straight World Cup draw, was completed with a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia on Friday night to advance in the tournament.
Keeping goal for Cape Verde throughout has been Vozinha, 40, who has embodied the grit of his nation. “We are small, but we have big hearts and we are fighters,” said the goalkeeper, who last season played for Chaves in Portugal’s second tier.
The island nation off the western coast of Africa, which is making its debut on football’s grandest stage, already held 2010 champion Spain to a 0-0 draw – a shock in itself to begin their campaign.
They then came from behind to get a 2-2 result against Uruguay – the winners of the inaugural World Cup in 1930.
“The team was very eager to show this to the whole world,” Cape Verde coach Bubista said while draped in his country’s flag after the Saudi Arabia game.
“We are proud of having arrived at this stage. We have shown that we are a small country, but that we fight for the things that we want to achieve.”
Cape Verde’s three points put the team in second place behind Spain, which beat Uruguay on Friday night and won the group.
Cape Verde will play reigning World Cup champion Argentina in Miami on July 3.
[Aljazeera]
India suffered a potential injury scare ahead of the Test series in Sri Lanka, with their No.3 B Sai Sudarshan retiring hurt on 7 while playing for India A against Sri Lanka A during the third day of the first four-dayer in Galle. After scoring a century in the first innings, Sai Sudharsan retired hurt in the fourth over of India A’s second innings. By the end of the day’s play, however, India A had stretched their lead to 170.
Chhattisgarh opener Aayush Pandey and Devdutt Padikkal were unbeaten on 20 each at stumps.
India A had claimed a first-innings lead of 122 after dismissing Sri Lanka A for 330 in their first innings. Resuming from an overnight 113 for 2, they were guided by half-centuries from captain Sahan Arachchige (72) and Ashen Bandara (70). Nuwandi Fernando, who had passed his own fifty on day two, had his innings cut short on 84 on day three.
For India A, Auqib Nabi, who was the top wicket taker in the previous Ranji Trophy season and was a net bowler during India’s one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh, was the pick of the bowlers, returning 4 for 58 in 19.4 overs. Sri Lanka A lost their last five wickets for 30 runs, with Nabi taking four of those.
Left-arm fingerspin-bowling allrounder Harsh Dubey and Vidarbha fast bowler Yash Thakur picked up two wickets apiece. India A then closed out the day on 48 for 0.
Scores:
India A 48 for 0 in 17 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 20*, Ayush Pandey 20*) and 452 for 6 dec in 111.4 overs [Sai Sudarshan 132, Dhruv Jurel 141, Shaik Rasheed 63; Chamika Gunasekera 3-64, Dilum Sudeera 2-143] lead Sri Lanka A 330 in 101.4 overs (Nuwanidu Fernando 84, Ashen Bandara 70, Sahan Arachchige 72; Aaqib Nabi 4-58, YashThakur 2-51, Harsh Dubey 2-84) by 170 runs
[Cricinfo]
Teams that finished in the top four of each group at the ongoing T20 World Cup have secured their spots for the next edition of the tournament in 2028. From Group 1, Australia, India, South Africa and Bangladesh have qualified. England, West Indies, New Zealand and Sri Lanka join them from Group 2. Pakistan qualified as a result of being the tournament hosts; they finished fifth in the Group 2 table with just one win in five games.
Scotland missed out on a chance to directly qualify for the 12-team ICC event after losing to Sri Lanka on Friday.
The 10th spot will go to the next highest-ranked team on the T20I rankings table at the July 6, 2026 cut-off. As it stands, Ireland, ranked ninth, fill that spot. The remaining two places will be determined through a 10-team global qualifier, which will be supported by regional qualifiers.
Netherlands, ranked 14th, are likely to have to play in the qualifier to make the main event. So too Scotland (11th) and Ireland (9th) if they fall too far down the table.
The ICC also made a decision on the composition of teams at the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy, to be held next year in Sri Lanka. The hosts will be joined by the top five teams on the T20I rankings at the same July 6 cut-off. As it stands, the teams at the tournament will be Australia, England, India, New Zealand and South Africa.
[Cricinfo]
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