Sports
Three Davapathiraja players in Sri Lanka Under-19 pool

by Reemus Fernando
In a notable move cricket selectors have retained three players from Devapathiraja College, Ratgama and a player from Madampa Central, Ambalangoda when pruning the 75-member pool to a squad of 26 for the upcoming youth cricket tours including next year’s ICC Youth World Cup.
Batsmen Pawan Sandesh and Jeewaka Shasheen and off-spinner Sasanka Nirmal who were part of the Devapathiraja team that featured in the Under-19 Division I Tier ‘B’ final early this year have been picked in the squad alongside Madampa Central, Ambalangoda leg-spinner Malsha Tharupathi.
It is not the first time that Devapathiraja has produced cricketers for Youth teams but it is the first time after the school was promoted to the Division I category in the 2018/19 season.
When Devapathiraja make a notable presence, for the first time in many years the Sri Lanka Under-19 pool does not have a single player from Lovers’ Quarrel rivals Richmond or Mahinda.
In the pool announced by Sri Lanka Cricket yesterday Trinity paceman Matheesha Pathirana, St. Joseph’s spinner Dunith Wellalage, Nalanda all-rounder Raveen de Silva, St. Anthony’s paceman Chamindu Wickramasinghe and Thomian Yasiru Rodrigo are the players with previous Sri Lanka Under-19 team experience.
Pathirana, who bowls with a round arm action, is the only player from the last Youth World Cup.
Pathirana, who also featured in the just concluded SLC Invitational tournament, has the company of two of his Trinity teammates Pawan Pathiraja, a batsman and pacie Vibahavith Ehelapola in the squad while Wellalage has wicketkeeper batsman Sadeesh Jayawardena and all-rounder Shavon Danial joining him from the Darley Road School.
Three players each has also been picked from St. Anthony’s, Katugastota and St. Peter’s, Bambalapitiya, while two each have been selected from Nalanda Colombo and S. Thomas’ Mount Lavinia.
One player each has been selected from Royal Colombo, Thurstan, D.S. Senanayake Colombo, Maliyadeva Kurunegala, St. Thomas’ Matara and St. Sylvester’s Kandy.
SLC yesterday said that the 26-member squad was selected ” in preparation for the upcoming Inbound Tours, U19 Asia Cup, and the U19 World Cup.”
The Members of the National Selection Committee were present during the entirety of the ‘Residential Training Program,’ taking a closer look at every individual player.
Under 19 Squad:
Sadeesh Jayawardena (St. Joseph’s), Shavon Danial (St. Joseph’s), Dunith Wellalage (St. Joseph’s), Pawan Pathiraja (Trinity), Matheesha Pathirana (Trinity), Vibahavith Ehelapola (Trinity), Traveen Mathews (St. Anthony’s), Chamidu Wickramasinghe (St. Anthony’s), Lahiru Abeysinghe (St. Anthony’s), Lahiru Dewatage (St. Peter’s), Danal Hemananda (St. Peter’s), Wanuja Kumara (St. Peter’s), Pawan Sandesh (Devapathiraja), Jeewaka Shasheen (Devapathiraja), Sasanka Nirmal (Devapathiraja), Ryan Fernando (S. Thomas’, Mount Lavinia), Yasiru Rodrigo (S. Thomas’), Raveen de Silva (Nalanda, Colombo), Vinuja Ranpul (Nalanda), Abhishek Liyanarachchi (D.S. Senanayake), Sadisha Rajapaksa (Royal), Matheesa Weerasingha (Maliyadeva, Kurunagela), Malsha Tharupathi (Madampa Central, Ambalangoda), Harindu Jayasekera (St. Thomas’, Matara), Bawantha Jayasinghe (Thurstan) and Maleesha Silva (St. Sylvester’s).
Sports
Second ODI between New Zealand and Sri Lanka abandoned

The second ODI between New Zealand and Sri Lanka has been called off due to rain in Christchurch.
Sports
Lahiru takes five wickets as Joes take lead

Under 19 Cricket
Off-spinner Lahiru Amarasekara produced a five-wicket haul as St. Joseph’s restricted Mahinda to 127 runs on day one of the Under 19 traditional cricket encounter at Galle on Monday.
Amarasekara was ably supported by spinner Yenula Dewthusa and Muditha Dissanayake who shared the other five wickets.
With wickets falling at regular intervals, batting opener Ranmina Hettiarachchi anchored the top order with a knock of 33 runs. Chandupa de Silva with 29 runs, Tharusha Dilshan (15) and Hiruna Gallalge (17) were the only other batsmen to reach double figures.
In their essay St. Joseph’s were comfortably placed at 132 for two wickets but back-to-back wickets in the last two overs placed them at 132 for four wickets at stumps.
At Welisara, Dinuka Tennakoon took five wickets but Maris Stella managed to post 268 runs as Shean Adithya top-scored with 83 runs. In reply Trinity were nine without loss.
Vihanga Nimsara and Rasindu Ilukshana were the heroes for Moratu Vidyalaya as their half-centuries helped them score 249 runs against St. Sylvester’s at Boyagane.
Match Details
At Galle: Mahinda 127, St. Joseph’s 132/4
Scores:
Mahinda
127 all out in 57 overs (Ranmina Hettiarachchi 33, Chandupa de Silva 29; Lahiru Amarasekara 5/34, Muditha Dissanayaka 2/23, Yenula Dewtusa 3/32)
St. Joseph’s
132 for 4 in 42.1 overs (Sadeesh Jayawardena 53, Naren Muralidaran 41; Shehan Hasaranga 2/39)
At Welisara: Maris Stella 268, Trinity 9/0
Scores:
Maris Stella
268 all out in 93.5 overs (Kaveen Fernando 26, Shean Adithya 83, Anshen de Silva 28, Ramith Bandara 33, Nethum Basnayake 26, Levin Fernando 22; Jayavi Liyanagama 2/40, Dinuka Tennakoon 5/74)
Trinity 9 for no loss in 4 overs
At Boyagane: Moratu Vidyalaya 249, St. Sylvester’s 5/1
Scores:
Moratu Vidyalaya
249 all out in 93.1 overs (Vihanga Nimsara 82, Rasindu Ilukshana 54; Isuru Gunasekara 2/28, Pansilu Bandara 2/50, Akila Wickramasinghe 3/48, Khanka Wickramasinghe 2/31)
St. Sylvester’s
5 for 1 in 4 overs.
Sports
Sowmiya clinches a triple crown, Silvijan bags a double

Northern Badminton Championship 2023
T. Silvijan Dalima was crowned men’s singles champion while S. Sowmiya clinched a triple crown at the Northern Badminton Championship 2023 in Kilinochchi during the weekend.
At the Provincial Indoor Stadium in Kilinochchi, Silvijan met K Thusan in the final clash in which the latter retired in the second set with scores reading 21-14, 16-11 in favour of the champion. L Hentry and K Kajan were the losing semi-finalists.
Meanwhile, S. Sowmiya won all three of her open events, the women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles with respective partners.
Sowmiya clinched the women’s singles crown with a 21-15, 21-13 win over R. Ragavi in the final following her doubles title win with B. Oliviya. Sowmiya and Oliviya overcame Athmika and M. Kavinaya 21-9, 21-15 to seal the women’s doubles crown.
Earlier, Sowmiya and Silvijan, the best singles duo in the tournament, also won the mixed doubles title by defeating R. Sulacsan and S . Thanojana 21-12, 21-16 in the final.
The men’s doubles final was won by L. R. Reminsan and T. Thusyanthan who beat G. Thanukanth and R. Yuthakaran with a 21-13, 21-9 score line.
The tournament, organised by the Northern Province Badminton Association, was conducted under the guidance of Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB). SLB President Rohan de Silva and a host of top officials were among the special guests at the presentation ceremony.
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