By A Special Sports Correspondent

CR & FC kept their league title hopes alive by beating Sri Lanka Air Force Sports Club by 27 points to 16 in a closely contested inter-club league tournament match played at Ratmalana on Sunday.

The winners collected their points through four tries, two conversions and a penalty. Air Force collected their points through a try, a conversion and three penalties. The winners led 12-6 at half time.

Havelocks Sports Club did well to beat Sri Lions SC by a massive 43 points to 13 in their domestic rugby encounter on Saturday at Havelock Park and secure the top slot in the points table.

Kandy SC will have to wait another week patiently because last week they didn’t have a game. For the record Kandy SC are placed second ahead of CR & FC and CH & FC who placed third and fourth respectively.

Havelocks were too good for Sri Lions SC in all departments of the game and raked in their points through seven tries, four conversions while the visiting team collected their points through two tries and a penalty. Azmir Fajudeen was at his brilliant best scoring two tries while players like Sudesh Jayawickreme, Jayathu Rajarathne, Shehan Silva and Harusha Perera touched down once each. Havies led 31-3 at half time. Both second half tries for Sri Lions SC came off hooker Prasath Madushanka.

Also on Saturday, CH & FC edged out Army Sports Club by 19 points to 17 in their match played at Race Course. CH collected their points through three tries and two conversions while Army responded with three tries and one conversion.

In another game of the domestic tournament played on Friday, Police edged out Navy SC by 23 points to 20. Both sides scored three tries each, but Police pulled off victory with an extra penalty. This match was played at Welisara.

The ITF Asia 14 and Under Development Championships, which is the Regional Qualifying Event 2025 commenced at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association courts yesterday. The week one tournament will run till January 23. The week two tournament will be held from January 19 to 23.

Competing nations are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

Tournament Director –

Nithiyananthan Sylan.

Referee –

Dharaka Ellawala

The trials to pick the boys and girls teams were held from November 20 to December 3 at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association hard courts.

Sri Lanka boys team
(From left) Pradeep Goonasekara (General secretary SLTA), Revaan Amarasinghe,
Yudheerya Atapattu, Dinusha Wijesuriya (Captain), Damsath Peiris, Parvesh Sivapalan and
Iqbal Bin Issack (President SLTA).

Boys team:

Damsath Peiris (no 1 player) from Ananda College, Colombo, Yudheerya Atapattu (no 2 player) from Maliyadewa College, Kurunegala, Parvesh Sivapalan from S. Thomas’ College, Bandarawela, Revaan Amarasinghe from S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia.

Girls team:

Annaya Norbet (no 1 player) from Holy Family Convent, Colombo 04, Sahansa Damsiluni (no 2 player) from Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo, Eliza Kahagalla of Holy Family Convent, Colombo 04 and Sayli Basnayake from Ladies College, Colombo.

Captain –

Dinusha Wijesuriya.

Under 19 Division I Cricket

by Reemus Fernando

Skipper Rivith Jayasooriya held the top order batting together with a valuable century as Prince of Wales posted 251 runs against Lumbini on day one of the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ tournament match at Colts ground on Monday.

Jayasooriya scored 14 fours and a six in his knock which came in 146 balls.

He put on a first wicket stand of 80 runs with Palingu Perera before Praveen Maneesha and Dinal Sewmina troubled the middle and lower order batsmen to restrict the Cambrians to 251 runs.

In reply, Lumbini were rocked by Prasanna Lakmina who took three wickets in his second over to leave the hosts struggling at three wickets down for ten runs at stumps.

In a Tier ‘B’ match, De Mazenod were dismissed for 159 runs before Isipatana reached 168 for five wickets at stumps.

Match Details

Tier ‘A’

Prince of Wales 251, Lumbini 10/3 at Colts

Scores

Prince of Wales

251 all out in 85.4 overs (Rivith Jayasooriya 112, Palingu Perera 30, Nethul Anuhas 23, Deneth Sithumina 21, Pasan Cooray 29n.o.; Dinal Sewmina 4/52, Praveen Maneesha 4/89)

Lumbini

10 for 3 in 7 overs (Prasanna Lakmina 3/02)

Tier ‘B’

De Mazenod 159, Isipatana 168/5 at BRC

Scores

De Mazenod

159 all out in 44.4 overs (Thisanga Semith 25, Dinosh Jelon 28, Praneeth Vithanage 24; Dimuthu Tharaka 2/29, Chanul Dinoth 3/30, Dasith Senal 2/27)

Isipatana

168 for 5 in 50 overs (Navindu Hettiarachchige 27, Ruchith Rodrigo 59, Lesandu Kalpage 28n.o., Maleesha Sandaruwan 21n.o.; Sharith Sudeena 4/73)