Latest News

Tanvir five-for spins Bangladesh to series-levelling win

Published

2 weeks ago

2025/07/6

Priyan

Tanvir Islam delivered a telling spell in just his second ODI [Cricinfo]

Left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam ripped out Sri Lanka’s middle order after Bangladesh’s batters had scrapped together a workable 248, thanks to gritty half-centuries from Parvez Hossain Emon and Towhid Hridoy.

The defining period of Sri Lanka’s chase was the patch between the tenth and 30th overs, when they lost five wickets for 57 runs off 122 balls. Although Janith Liyanage produced a valiant 78 off 85 balls, the lower order was simply left with too much to accomplish. They eventually fell short by 16 runs.

Sri Lanka’s loss was despite a scorching 56 off 31 balls by Kusal Mendis, who had smote his way to a 20-ball fifty – the fastest ever for men’s ODIs at this venue, and the fourth fastest ever by a Sri Lanka battter (Kusal is also third on this list). Seam bowler Asitha Fernando had also been impressive, taking 4 for 35 in his nine overs. In fact, Sri Lanka had bowled out Bangladesh as early as the 46th over.

But ultimately, Bangladesh put on the more impressive team performance. Though their best batting partnership was worth only 63, Emon, Hridoy and later Tanzim Hasan Sakib made valuable contributions that kept the total ticking even while wickets fell. Sakib’s contribution, a stroke-filled 33 not out off 21 balls, proved invaluable in the end.

All told, it was Sri Lanka’s middle-order collapse that defined the outcome. Tanvir, the hero of that passage, had in fact begun quite poorly, conceding 22 runs in his first two overs with Kusal hitting him for three fours and a six. But captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz persisted with him inside the powerplay, and Tanvir rewarded him with Nishan Madushka’s wicket in the tenth over, as the batter sent an outside edge aerially to backward point after Tanvir had beaten him in the flight.

His work through the middle overs was much more impressive. He took the key wicket of Kusal, who came down the track hoping to clip through midwicket, only for Tanvir to slip one into his front pad. The lbw appeal was turned down on the field but was reviewed successfully by Bangladesh. Kusal had been easily the most fluent batter on this track.

Next over, Tanvir had Kamindu Mendis chipping tamely to midwicket, the ball perhaps stopping on the batter. Then later, in his final over, he had Dunith Wellalage caught bat-pad. In between the Tanvir wickets, Mehidy and offspin allrounder Shamim Hossain also imposed themselves. Shamim’s economy rate was especially impressive – he gave away only 22 in nine overs, and took the wicket of the in-form Charith Asalanka.

Later, Liyanage began to hit out in the company of the tail and found success with his big hits, much to the Khettarama crowd’s joy. He even struck two death-overs sixes down the ground to keep the required rate manageable. Had he batted till the end, Sri Lanka may have won, but Mustafizur Rahman duped him with a slower one and had him caught and bowled with 21 runs to get off 17 balls. Though Dushmantha Chameera had protected his wicket well until that point, this was too much for the last pair.

In Bangladesh’s innings, their best partnership came early on. Tanzid Hasan was out edging an Asitha slower ball in the third over, but Emon took the reins in a brisk 63-run partnership to which Najmul Hossain Shanto’s contribution was only 14. Emon preyed on errors of length especially. He hit three sixes, two of them over deep midwicket, and scored 72% of his runs on leg side.

Hridoy was more cautious than Emon had been, with Asitha, in particular, taking out other batters in the middle order. But he still prospered mostly square of the wicket, hitting just two offside fours in an innings in which he struck at 73.

Shamim and Jaker Ali also scratched out 20s, as Wanindu Hasaranga, Asitha, and Chameera combined through the late middle overs to make regular breakthroughs. No. 8 batter Sakib struck the ball most cleanly of all Bangladesh’s batters as Sri Lanka hunted for the final few wickets. He hit two sixes down the ground off Hasaranga, before Hasaranga caught Mustafizur in front, later in that 46th over of the innings.

The victory brought Bangladesh level with Sri Lanka in the three-match series. The decider will be played in Pallekele on Tuesday.

Brief scores:
Bangladesh 248 in 45.5 overs (Parvez Hosain Emon 67, Towhid Hridoy 51, Shamim Hossain 22, Jaker Ali 24, Tanzim Hasan Sakib 33; Asitha Fernando 4-35, Wanidu Hasaranga 3-60) beat Sri Lanka 232 in 48.5 overs (Janith Liyanage 78, Kusal Mendis 56, Kamindu Mendis 33, Tanzim Hasan Sakib 2-34, Tanvir Islam 5-39)by 16 runs

[Cricinfo]

All News Advertisement

Latest News

Naval and fishing communities are advised not to venture into the sea areas extending from Puttalam to Pottuvil via Colombo, Galle Hambantota for next 24 hours

Published

2 hours ago

2025/07/19

Priyan

Warning for strong winds and rough seas.
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre at 10.00 a.m. on 19 July 2025 for the period until 10.00 a.m. on 20 July 2025

The sea areas extending from Puttalam to Pottuvil via Colombo, Galle Hambantota will be rough or very rough with strong gusty winds up to (60-70) kmph.

The wave height (about 2.5 – 3.0 m) may increase in the sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Pottuvil via Colombo, Galle and Hambantota. Therefore, there is a possibility that nearshore sea areas extending from Puttalam to Pottuvil via Colombo, Galle and Hambantota, may experience surges due to sea waves.

Naval and fishing communities are advised not to venture into the sea areas extending from Puttalam to Pottuvil via Colombo, Galle Hambantota for next 24 hours.

The naval and fishing communities engaged in fishing and naval activities in the sea areas extending from Puttalam to Trincomalee via Mannar and Kankasanthurai are requested to be vigilant in this regard and to be attentive to future forecasts issued by the Department of Meteorology in this regard.

Latest News

Lyles and Bol seek third successive London victories

Published

6 hours ago

2025/07/19

Priyan

Noah Lyles wins in London [World Athletics]

Having provided some of the standout moments at the past two editions of the London Athletics Meet, world champions Noah Lyles and Femke Bol return to the Wanda Diamond League meeting in the British capital today (19) looking to work their magic once more.

For the third year in a row, Lyles will take on Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, the world athlete of the year. Just 0.03 separated them when they clashed over 200m in London two years ago, Lyles winning in 19.47. When they raced in London last year, both men emerged with 100m PBs, Lyles once again winning, 9.81 to Tebogo’s 9.88.

After a slightly delayed start to his Diamond League campaign, Lyles returned to action in Monaco last week and beat Tebogo over 200m, 19.88 to 19.97. The Olympic 100m champion will be keen to keep his London streak alive, but Tebogo will be fired up after their recent Monaco showdown.

On Saturday they will line up over 100m in a race that also includes South Africa’s Akani Simbine, who finished in between Lyles and Tebogo in London last year. World indoor champion Jeremiah Azu, world 100m bronze medallist Zharnel Hughes and Jamaican duo Oblique Seville and Ackeem Blake are also part of the high-quality line-up.

Bol is another athlete who has fond memories of this meeting. The Dutch 400m hurdler broke 52 seconds for the first time when winning in London in 2023, clocking a Diamond League record of 51.45. She improved on that when winning in London last year with 51.30.

Fresh from clocking a world-leading 51.95 in Monaco, Bol will take on a field that includes USA’s Jasmine Jones and Jamaica’s Andrenette Knight.

Having broken 10.80 in her past three Diamond League races over 100m, Olympic champion Julien Alfred moves up to the 200m in London, where she’ll be hoping to improve on her world-leading mark of 21.88. She’ll face 2019 world champion Dina Asher-Smith, Olympic finalist Daryll Neita, Spanish record-holder Jael Bestue and Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke.

In the men’s 400m, world leader Zakithi Nene takes on Matthew Hudson-Smith and Muzala Samukonga, the Olympic silver and bronze medallists respectively.

In the men’s discus, world record-holder Mykolas Alekna takes on the three men who, between them, have claimed every global title on offer from 2019 onwards.

Alekna, who won in Eugene at the start of the month, will take on two-time world champion Daniel Stahl, Olympic champion Roje Stona and 2022 world champion Kristjan Ceh, who has won his past nine competitions.

The men’s long jump is of a similarly high quality as the field includes all of the medallists from the 2024 Olympics, 2023 World Championships and 2025 World Indoor Championships.

World leader Miltiadis Tentoglou, winner of multiple major titles, takes on world indoor champion Mattia Furlani, Australia’s Liam Adcock, Swiss decathlete Simon Ehammer and leading Jamaican trio Tajay Gayle, Carey McLeod and Wayne Pinnock.

The women’s event, meanwhile, brings together two-time world champion Malaika Mihambo, world indoor champion Claire Bryant, European indoor champion Larissa Iapichino, 2023 European indoor champion Jazmin Sawyers and world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson.

Elsewhere in the jumps, Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh takes on 2022 world champion Eleanor Patterson in the women’s high jump, while world champion Katie Moon faces 2024 world indoor champion Molly Caudery in the women’s pole vault.

The three men who claimed the 800m medals at the 2023 World Championships will reunite over two laps in London.

Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who recently clocked a world-leading 1:41.44 in Monaco, will face world champion Marco Arop of Canada and world bronze medallist Ben Pattison. The field also includes Spanish record-holder Mohamed Attaoui and 2019 world champion Donavan Brazier.

Kenyan teenager Phanuel Koech has been one of the revelations of this season, having set a world U20 1500m record of 3:27.72 in Paris in what was just his second race over the distance, then following it with a 3:29.05 victory in Ostrava.

But the majority of the home crowd will be cheering on the likes of world champion Josh Kerr, British 3000m and 5000m record-holder George Mills and 2022 world champion Jake Wightman. Australia’s Cameron Myers and Portugal’s Isaac Nader will also fancy their chances, given their recent good form.

Two-time world champion Gudaf Tsegay returns to the scene of her 4:16.14 PB and headlines a women’s mile field that also includes Olympic silver medallist Jessica Hull and Ethiopian youngster Birke Haylom.

A closely matched women’s 800m field, meanwhile, features Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Georgia Hunter Bell, USA’s Addison Wiley, 2019 world champion Halimah Nakaayi and Olympic finalist Shafiqua Maloney.

[World Athletics]

Foreign News

Three killed in explosion at Los Angeles police training facility

Published

8 hours ago

2025/07/19

Priyan

[pic BBC]

Three officers were killed in an explosion at a law enforcement training facility in East Los Angeles, officials say.

The blast occurred at around 07:30 local time (15:30 BST) on Friday at the Biscailuz Center Academy Training facility, which houses the Sheriff’s department’s special enforcement bureau and arson explosives detail, including the bomb squad.

The exact cause of the explosion is still under investigation, but Sheriff Robert Luna of the LASD described it as “an isolated incident”. There were no additional injuries.

The three officers killed in the blast were “fantastic experts” and veterans of the department, each serving between 19 to 33 years, the sheriff said.

Authorities have not released the names of the deceased officers, citing the need to notify their families first. All three were assigned to the sheriff department’s arson explosives detail.

Friday’s incident represents the department’s largest loss of life in a single incident since its founding in 1857, Sheriff Luna said.

“We have to go back and investigate what happened from the very beginning,” he said. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting with the investigation.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi called the incident “horrific” and said federal agents had been deployed on the scene and “working to learn more”.

Authorities say the explosion took place in the parking lot of the facility’s special enforcement bureau.

According to the BBC’s US partner CBS, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s bomb squad responded to a Santa Monica garage on Thursday where at least one grenade was found.

The grenade was transported to the training facility on Friday, where officers were reportedly working to render it safe before it exploded, CBS reported citing police sources.

The area surrounding the facility was evacuated and has since been sealed off as investigators continue to work at the scene.

California Governor Gavin Newsom was briefed about the explosion and was “closely monitoring the situation”, his office said in a statement on X.

Newsom’s office added that state assistance has also been offered to help respond to the incident.

Kathryn Barger, Chief of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, wrote in a statement that she was “closely tracking the situation as we learn more about what occurred and the condition of those affected”.

“My heart is heavy, and my thoughts are with the brave men and women of the Sheriff’s Department during this difficult time,” she said.

[BBC]