Sports
Wellalage grabs four for none as Sri Lanka cruise to crushing win
ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup Warm-up matches
Sri Lanka Under 19s completed their ICC Under 19 World Cup preparations with a crushing 231-run win as the bowlers led by Dunith Wellalage produced a remarkable display to bowl out Uganda for just 46 runs in Guyana on Wednesday.
The St. Joseph’s College, Darley Road spinner Wellalalge was the pick of the bowlers. He finished with figures of four for none from his three overs as he raced through the Ugandan middle and lower order in the final preparation match ahead of Friday’s match of the tournament proper.
Just one batsman (Brian Asaba) reached double figures for Uganda as they were bowled out in the 22nd over.
Opening bowlers Yasiru Rodrigo and Chamindu Wickramasinghe took two wickets each to rattle the top order cheaply. Uganda were four wickets down for ten runs in the eighth over before Wellalalge came up with his four wicket haul.
Electing to bat first opener Chamindu Wickramasinghe was bowled second ball by Pascal Murungi for a duck. A 96-run partnership between Shevon Daniel (46) and Sadisha Rajapaksa (75 retired not out) got the innings back on track, while Yasiru Rodrigo’s unbeaten 32 (in 34 balls, 2x4s) helped Sri Lanka to 277 for eight from their 50 overs. Sakuna Liyanage hammered a quick fire 23 runs in 16 balls (3x4s, 1x6s).
For his run-a-ball 46 runs Daniel scored three fours and a six, while Rajapaksa’s 75 runs (90 balls) included nine fours.
Sri Lanka Under 19s will meet their Scotland counterparts in the first match of the ICC Under 19 World Cup today. Then they will meet Australia U19s in the second match on January 17. The final group match for Sri Lanka is against the hosts.
Scores:
Sri Lanka U19s
277 for 8 in 50 overs (Shevon Daniel 46, Sadisha Rajapaksa 75rtd. n.o., Dunith Wellalage 16, Pawan Pathiraja 21, Sakuna Liyanage 23, Yasiru Rodrigo 32n.o., Wanuja Kumara 15n.o.; Pascal Murungi 2/63, Yunusu Sowobi 2/52, Joseph Baguma 2/25)
Uganda U19s
46 all out in 21.2 overs (Brian Asaba 13; Yasiru Rodrigo 2/06, Chamindu Wickramasinghe 2/05, Dunith Wellalage 4/00)
In the other matches, the Proteas earned a three-wicket win in Guyana, England beat Papua New Guinea by 281 runs and Ireland registered a seven wicket win over Scotland.
Captain’s knock from Van Heerden sees South Africa past the hosts
In a low-scoring affair in Georgetown, it was South Africa captain and wicket-keeper George Van Heerden who set up a three-wicket win over the West Indies.
Matthew Boast (3-9) and Michael Copeland (2-14) had made early inroads for the South Africans after putting in the West Indies, reducing them to 61 for six.
Home skipper Ackeem Auguste then mounted some resistance, making 52 as he and Carlon Bowen-Tuckett (45) added 63 for the seventh wicket.
After Auguste was caught off the bowling of Andile Simelane, Bowen-Tuckett marshalled the tail before going hit wicket with the Windies being bowled out for 189.
Dewald Brevis hit 50 in reply for South Africa, including a 68-run partnership for the fourth wicket with his captain before falling to Onaje Amory.
McKenny Clarke (3-34) took three quick wickets, but Van Heerden’s unbeaten 61 ensured there were no late nerves for South Africa, who open their campaign against India on Saturday in Group B.
Top order fires England to big win
A 161-run opening partnership set England on their way to a mammoth 281-run win over Papua New Guinea in Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis.
Ahead of an opening clash with defending champions Bangladesh, England made the most of being put into bat as George Thomas (90) and Jacob Bethell (78) built the perfect platform.
Neither man could make it to three figures, but once they had departed, skipper Tom Prest took up the charge on his way to a 77-ball 91.
Like Thomas and Bethell, he fell short of a century but a quickfire 46 not out from James Sales carried England all the way to 359 for seven in their 50 overs.
That was always going to be out of reach for PNG, with Sales building on his batting with three early wickets on his way to three for 14.
Fateh Singh then picked up two for two including top-scorer Christopher Kilapat for 19 and PNG were eventually bowled out for 78 in 27.4 overs.
McGuire has Scotland in a spin
Five wickets from Nathan McGuire fired Ireland to a seven-wicket victory over Scotland in Georgetown.
The off-spinner helped reduce Scotland to 138 all out with his 5-33, removing top-scoring duo Tomas Mackintosh (26) and Muhaymen Majeed (24) in the space of three balls.
Muzamil Sherzad chipped in with two for 17 as Scotland struggled after electing to bat.
In reply, an unbeaten half-century from opener David Vincent (51 not out) made it a comfortable chase, despite Oliver Davidson’s three for 27.
Sprinter Aruna Dharshana, whose participation at the upcoming Asian Athletics Championship was in doubt due to an injury, proved his fitness for next week’s event with an impressive performance at the fitness test conducted in Colombo on Wednesday.
Dharshana completed 300 metres in a time of 33.41 seconds at the Sugathadasa Stadium to the satisfaction of track and field authorities.
Sri Lanka Athletics announced Dharshana’s effort as ‘successful’ after the 26-year-old completed the test. That will make him eligible for his pet event the 400 metres and the two relay events, the men’s 4×400 metres and the 4×400 metres mixed relay.
He had to prove his fitness for the event in South Korea following an injury he sustained at the recently held World Relays in China.
Dharshana was a key member of the team that established a new championship record in winning the men’s 4×400 metres relay at the last edition. He was also part of the team that won silver in the mixed relay.
The Asian Championship is vital for all track and field athletes as it opens a valuable opportunity to improve their world rankings and earn qualifying standards for the World Championships which will be held in Tokyo, Japan later this year.
by Reemus Fernando
Gateway College proudly celebrates the achievement of nine outstanding students who have been selected to represent Sri Lanka in three major sporting disciplines – football, squash and athletics. This remarkable milestone highlights the school’s commitment to holistic education, where excellence is pursued both inside and outside the classroom.
Gateway encourages every student to discover and nurture their talents with the support of expert coaches, modern facilities and a school culture that values discipline, passion, and perseverance. These international selections are a reflection of that vision in action.
In football, Gateway remains the only international school competing in Division 1 of the All-Island Schools’ Football League. Three talented players — Aidan Francis Perera, Nadal Aaron Senapala, and Anuk Shahil Dassanayake — have been chosen to represent Sri Lanka at the SAFF U19 Football Championship in India.
In squash, Gateway continues its proud tradition of producing national-level players. Five students have qualified to compete at the Asian Junior Individual Squash Championships in South Korea: Taveesha Goonasekera (Girls U13), Manuth Dassanayake and Dillon Perukanda (Boys U15), and Sithumli Mendis and Chanumi Thebuwanna (Girls U15).
On the track, Shanuka Costa flew the Sri Lankan flag at the Asian Youth Athletics Championship in Saudi Arabia. He finished fourth in the Medley Relay and reached the semi-finals in the 400m — a performance that speaks volumes about his potential and dedication.
These young athletes are not only ambassadors of Gateway but also of Sri Lanka. Their achievements stand as a testament to what is possible when talent meets opportunity. Gateway College congratulates them all and wishes them continued success as they take their next steps on the global stage.
Sri Lanka A will travel to Australia for a multi-format series against Australia A in July, marking the return of first-class cricket to Darwin for the first time since 2006.
This series includes three 50-over matches and two four-day games, all to be played at the Marrara Cricket Ground and Marrara Stadium in Darwin.
All five matches will be streamed live on Kayo Sports and cricket.com.au, offering fans the chance to follow the action closely.
Peter Roach, CA Head of Cricket Operations and Scheduling said:
“It’s fantastic to confirm a multi-format series which gives the next crop of emerging cricketers excellent development opportunities throughout the Australian winter.
“Darwin’s dry season weather between May and September offers both the Northern Territory and Australian Cricket an incredible winter opportunity which allows cricket to be played in Australia all-year round.
Hosting these matches, and especially a match at Marrara Stadium, gives significant status to the series ahead of the 2025-26 international season.
Schedule
July 4:
First 50-over Match (D/N)
July 6:
Second 50-over Match
July 9:
Third 50-over Match
July 13–16:
First Four-Day Match
July 20–23:
Second Four-Day Match
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