Sports
Sri Lions make first kill in domestic rugby beating CH 25-21
By A Special Sports Correspondent
Sri Lions Sports Club struck gold in the fourth week of the Inter-club league rugby tournament by pulling off their maiden win this season with a victory over CH&FC in a closely contested game at Race Course on Saturday (4). Incidentally this is their first season in domestic rugby after getting clearance from the rugby authorities in Sri Lanka to play in domestic rugby tournaments conducted by Sri Lanka Rugby. Sri Lions beat CH&FC 25-21.
The side led by Kevin Dixon dominated both sessions of the game and collected their points through three tries, two conversions and two penalties while the host side responded with three converted tries. The winners led 10-7 at half time.
This certainly will be a morale booster for Sri Lions SC who were searching for that illusive win this season. The winners dazzled through a team effort, but the players who made the difference on the field were Kavisha Induranga, Chanaka Chandimal and Shehan Dias who breached the CH defence once each. Dixon contributed immensely with his spot kicks, knocking over two conversions and two penalties.
CH were also in the game till the very end, producing tries at crucial junctures and keeping the spectators guessing about the final result of the game. Ravindu Anjula, Chamath Kilan and Nirosh Perera scored a try each for the host team.
Also on Saturday, Kandy SC recorded a memorable come from behind victory over Havelocks SC in their match played at Havelock Park. Kandy SC were trailing 20-17 till the last quarter of the game began. But Nigel Ratwatte with intelligent thinking and with a lion hearted display for his team orchestrated a move on the blind side to send winger Dinal Ekanayake over the goal line for a match winning try. Ratwatte himself added the extra points to the try. The other try scorers for Kandy SC were Mohamed Akeel and Tharinda Ratwatte.
The try scorers for Havies were Jayathu Rajarathne and Azmir Fajudeen. Havies place kicker Samuel Maduwantha slotted in two conversions and two penalties.
For the record, Kandy SC collected their points through three converted tries and a penalty while Havies responded with two tries, two conversions and two penalties.
In the other two matches played on Friday, CR&FC vanquished Army Sports Club by 38 points to 10 while Air Force Sports Club edged out Sri Lanka Navy Sport Club by 29 points to 24 in their match played at Welisara. CR could be rated as the second-best side in the tournament and raked in their points through six touchdowns. Four of the tries were converted by Mushin Doray.
After four weeks of rugby, Kandy SC occupy the first place in the points table followed by CR&FC, Havelocks SC and Sri Lanka Air Force in second, third and fourth places respectively. Sri Lions SC move to seventh place in the points table with their maiden win this season.
South Africa won the second Test comfortably by 10 wickets in the final session on Day 4 in Cape Town and thereby, clinched the series 2-0 against Pakistan. The hosts comfortably chased down the paltry target of 58 in just over seven overs. This was after Pakistan surmounted 478 in their second innings, a remarkable effort with the bat after being enforced to follow-on. The victory has ensured that South Africa were unbeaten in Tests in the 2024/25 season with nine wins and a draw.
DSS spark to life after Aravinda’s pep talk
by Reemus Fernando
D.S. Senanayaka College Colombo have been struggling during the third term matches of the Under 19 Division I cricket tournament. They were the lowest placed team in their group according to the year end points table. But yesterday they were a totally different batting unit as the scored 316 for nine wickets declared against Nalanda in their fifth tournament match at DSS ground.
It is now their highest score of the season. While Shanal Binuksha (76), Sohan Yapa (24), and Chanul Athale (46) made useful contributions in the top order, number nine batsman Dilash Kumaranayake hammered an unbeaten 101 runs in 88 balls inclusive of 11 fours and six sixes for the home team to post 316 for nine wickets declared.
Has the relegation scares made the struggling batting unit realized their true potential?
“Aravinda de Silva delivered a pep talk yesterday. He made the boys realize that they were there to enjoy the game of cricket. I think that has transformed the team,” coach Keerthi Gunarathna told The Island.
” There’s a long way to go hope they will keep on fighting,” he said.
The batting legend Aravinda de Silva, an old boy of D.S. Senanayaka has met the cricketers on Gunarathna’s request.
Match Details
Tier ‘A’
Mahanama fight back on 20 wickets day at BRC
Scores
Mahanama
168 all out in 47.4 overs (Chamika Heenatigala 32, Sithum Vihanga 38; Pasindu Maheesha 3/19, Dinal Sewmina 2/33, Praveen Maneesha 4/55) and 32 for no loss in 4 overs
Lumbini
144 all out in 40 overs (Bimsara Weerasinghe 36, Gimhana Wijayapura 33, Ashan Shanika 20; Anuka Wijewardana 4/25, Sithum Vihanga 4/36)
DSS score big against Nalanda at DSS ground
Scores
DSS
316 for 9 decl. in 91.3 overs (Shanal Binuksha 76, Sohan Yapa 24, Chanul Athale 46, Dilash Kumaranayake 101n.o. ; Hasith Rathnayake 2/80, Sadew Samarasinghe 4/61)
Nalanda
9 for no loss in 6 overs
Sebs make Maris Stella follow on at Negombo
Scores
St. Sebastian’s
212 all out in 56.5 overs (Kaveesha Perera 55, Adesh Almeida 40, Koshendra Fernando 37n.o.; Oshada Gunasinghe 4/67, Hasindu Perera 2/40, Kevin Kadigamuwa 3/43)
Maris Stella
107 all out in 30.4 overs (Oshada Gunasinghe 41n.o., Ramith Bandara 28; Malintha Silva 4/21, Adesh Almeida 3/35, Koshendra Fernando 3/32) and 25 for no loss in 6 overs
Thomians 109 for 2 after Bens’ 179 at Mount Lavinia
Scores
St. Benedict’s
179 all out in 63.5 overs (Eshan Edirisuriya 29, Janindu Nandasena 73, Aaron de Silva 3/25 Darien Diago 2/28)
S. Thomas’
109 for 2 in 36 overs (Dineth Goonewardene 55n.o., Avinash Fernando 35n.o.)
Tier ‘B’
Isipatana in complete control at Campbell Park
Scores
Wesley
91 all out in 32.4 overs (Anuga Pahansara 22, Rukshan Tharanga 25; Chanul Dinoth 5/29, Menula Sadev 3/25) and 13 for 3 in 10 overs (Dimuthu Tharaka 2/02)
Isipatana
233 all out in 54.3 overs (Navindu Hettiarachchige 35, Ruchith Rodrigo 48, Dilpa Ruwanaka 24, Ranmith Senarath 44, Chanul Dinoth 47; Dinuja Samararathne 6/63 Adhyaan Zain 3/68)
Isuru, Sanjana score centuries for Moratu Vidyalaya at Ambepussa
Scores
Moratu MV
300 for 6 decl. in 79 overs (Isuru Nidharshana 118, Visal Sri Sathsara 38rtd., Sanjana Senevirathne 104; Shehan Kumara )
St. Anne’s
34 for 1 in 19 overs (Wageesha Ranasinghe 24n.o.)
Traditional Matches
St. Peter’s dominate at Bambalapitiya
Scores
St. Aloysius’
140 all out in 42.5 overs (Charya Paranavithana 36; Dilana Damsara 5/35)
St. Peter’s
213 for 5 in 55 overs (Dilana Damsara 92, Asadisa de Silva 50n.o.)
3rd SAARC Snooker Championship
SAARC Snooker Championship conducted by Billiards and Snookers Association of Sri Lanka will commence at the Moors Sports Club billiards table in Colombo today.
The four-day championship organized by the South Asian Cue Sports Association will see 14 cueists from six nations competing for the prestigious M.J.M. Lafir Memorial Trophy.
It is the third edition of the tournament. The inaugural championship was hosted by Bangladesh in the year 2019. It was won by Asjad Iqbal of Pakistan when he defeated compatriot Mohammad Bilaal while the second edition was held in 2022. In 2022, Ishpreet Singh Chadha of India won defeating compatriot Brijesh Damani.
Malship Group along with Pyramid Wilmar, Olanda Villas, National Olympic Committee, Automobile Association and Crown Billiard International have come together to sponsor the event.
The tournament will witness the participation of 14 cueists with four from Sri Lanka and two each from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Nepal.
The hosts are represented by Susantha Boteju who has won 19 national snooker championship titles, Irshath Thaha the reigning national billiard, six red ball snooker and the national snooker champion, Murugesu Prathap and Mohamed Musharaf.
Pakistan fields three time world snooker champion Mohammad Asif who is also the reigning world snooker champion and Naseem Akhta. India will have Saurav Kothari and Paras Gupta, while Bangladesh are represented by Ahmed Nizam Uddin and Asif Imran. Afghanistan will field Salih Mohammad and Mohammad Rahim and Nepal’s pair are Ayush Gautam and Ankit Man Shrestha.
The opening ceremony is scheduled to be held at the Moors Sports Club billiards parlour at 9.00 a.m.
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