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Wellalage’s four, Shadab hat-trick help Colombo Strikers to a winning start

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Shadab Khan picked up the first hat-trick of LPL 2024 [SLC]

Four wicket hauls by Dunith Wellalage and Shadab Khan including a hat-trick helped Colombo Strikers beat Kandy Falcons by 51 runs in the third match of LPL 2024 played at Pallekelle on Tuesday [02] night.

Brief scores:
Colombo Strikers 198/7 in 20 overs [Muhammed Wasseem 32, Sadeera Samarawickrama 48, Thisara Perera 38, Shadab Khan 20, Chamika Karunaratne 25*; Dasun Shanaka 1-25, Kasun Rajitha 2-56, Dushmantha Chameera 1-46, Wanidu Haaranga 2-30, Agha Salman 1-10] beat  Kandy Falcons 147 in 15.5 overs [Dinesh Chandimal 38, Andre Fletcher 24, Wanidu Hasaranga 25, Angelo Mathews 25; Binura Fernando 1-26, Dunith Wellalage 4-20, Shadab Khan 4-22, Glenn Phillips 1-28] by 51 runs



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Reddy, Patil and Harmanpreet help India overcome Pakistan

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Harmanpreet Kaur was back at No. 4, stroking a crucial 29 [Cricinfo]

India’s net run rate (NRR) ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 game against Pakistan was -2.90. They had to win and win big against Pakistan for that to become positive and move up in the points table.  On a hot afternoon in Dubai, though, India achieved only one of those tasks – beating Pakistan by six wickets to earn two points and open the account with a sluggish chase.

The win was set up by Arudhati Reddy and Shreyanka Patil who combined for five of the eight wickets Pakistan lost. Pakistan huffed and puffed to 105 on the back of Nida Dar’s 28. But on a slow, spin-friendly surface, Pakistan also used their spinners well and denied India the launchpad: they eventually got home in the 19th over with only five fours hit – three by Shafali Verma and one each by Harmanpreet Kaur and S Sajana, playing for the injured Pooja Vastrakar. Back at her familiar No. 4 spot after being promoted to one-down in the opening game, Harmanpreet was the only India batter with a strike rate over 100, in the top six.

On the eve of the contest, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana spoke about using the power game to hit hard at their rivals. The openers tried to use their feet in a bid to walk the talk after Pakistan opted to bat. Gull Feroza tried to use her feet to counter Renuka Singh’s swing but was undone in the opening over. Muneeba Ali also used the crease so much that the runs hardly justify those. She used even the slightest of width to go over the in-field, like she did twice against Renuka inside the powerplay.

In the absence of Vastrakar, who was out with a niggle, Reddy had to shoulder additional seam-bowling responsibility and was brought on in the fourth over of the game. Immediately she induced a false stroke, with Sidra Amin chipping one towards mid-off. In her next over, Reddy delivered the perfect blow, getting Muneeba to scoop one straight to short fine leg only for S Asha to grass a sitter. A couple of balls later, though, Reddy struck by having Omaima Sohail miscue one to mid-off.

A few quiet overs saw Muneeba being stifled, and Patil pounced on the chance to get among the wickets. Anticipating a charge from the Pakistan opener, she threw one wider outside off, past which Muneeba walked and Richa Ghosh did the rest. Dar found it slightly tough to keep the scorecard ticking on her own and losing partners regularly did not help.

Reddy first trapped Aliya Riaz in front – the DRS not coming to the Pakistan allrounder’s aid after Hawk-Eye showed it to be clipping leg – before Patil dismissed Tuba Hassan for a three-ball duck. Sana showed a bit of intent and struck successive fours off Asha but fell to a terrific catch by Ghosh. She looked to slog the legspinner out of the ground but Ghosh dived to her right to pluck a one-handed stunner. Reddy then bowled Dar to pick up her third.

For India to get their NRR in the positive, they had to overhaul the 106-run target in 11.2 overs. However, India endured a boundary-less powerplay, with Shafali and Smriti Mandhana struggling to put away spin. Mandhana hit some crisp strokes but found the fielders in nine of the ten balls leading to her dismissal. In a bid to break free, she chipped one tamely to backward point.

On cue, Sana kept spin on for 13 of the first 15 overs. They frustrated Shafali with lack of speed, as a result of which, she missed putting some of the juicy full tosses away. India ended their boundary drought in the eighth over when Shafali welcomed Tuba with a pull through midwicket. She hit a couple of more fours before holing out to long-on.

At the other end, Jemimah Rodrigues – batting at No. 3 ahead of Harmanpreet – kept manoeuvring the field and helping India inch closer. However, boundaries were hard to come by and, when India lost her and Ghosh off successive balls, it seemed Pakistan could do the unthinkable. Harmanpreet then almost saw India home in the company of Deepti Sharma. However, she sprained her neck while turning awkwardly to avoid being stumped and walked back retired hurt. Sajana then came out to hit the winning four that helped India maintain their upper hand over Pakistan in women’s T20Is.

Brief scores:
India Women 108 for 4 in 18.5 overs (Shafali Verma 32, Harmanpreet Kaur  29*, Jemima Rodrigues 23;  Fatima Sana 2-23, Sadia Iqbal 1-23, Omaima Sohail 1-17) beat Pakistan Women 105 for 8 in 20 overs  (Nida Dar 28; Renuka Singh 1-23, Deepti Sharma 1-24, Arundhati  Reddy 3-19, Shreyanka Patil 2-12, Asha Sobhana 1-24) by six wickets

[Cricinfo]

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President assures Justice for Easter Sunday victims

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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that the investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks will be expedited, and steps will be taken to ensure that such a tragedy will never occur again in the country. He assured that justice will be delivered to the victims.

The President made these remarks during a discussion held today (06) at St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya, Negombo, with the families of those killed and injured in the Easter Sunday attack.

President  Dissanayake visited the church during the morning and laid floral tributes at the memorial established in honor of the victims. To mark the occasion, a commemorative gift was also presented to the president.

During the discussion the President met with the families of the victims, who shared their concerns and difficulties with him directly. He highlighted that the Easter Sunday Attack which happened on 21st April 2019 was the most tragic disaster in the recent past and that it will not be allowed to be buried with time.

The President expressed his belief that one of the key factors influencing the people’s decision at the last presidential election was their hope for justice concerning the Easter Sunday attacks.

He emphasized that the aspirations of the citizens align with his own, stating that his goal is to deliver the justice and fairness the people seek in relation to the Easter Sunday attack. He assured that efforts have already begun to achieve this.

The President also stressed the importance of conducting the investigation without any preconceived conclusions or biases. He instructed the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security to ensure that the investigation is  transparent and impartial.

President Dissanayake acknowledged that there is a widespread belief in society that the Easter Sunday attacks may have been carried out to gain political mileage. He stated that if hundreds of innocent lives were sacrificed for political purposes, it would be a profound tragedy. He emphasized that if politics in the country has reached such an extreme, the first priority must be to eliminate this dangerous situation.

The President also highlighted growing suspicions that the government apparatus at the time may have been involved in the attacks. If such allegations are true, he warned, the country would remain in a dangerously unstable and insecure state. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to uncover the truth behind these events.

Additionally, he stressed that justice must be delivered to the victims of the tragedy, which claimed the lives of nearly 274 people and left many others injured, to honor the love and devotion of their families.

He also expressed his deep appreciation for the role played by the priests, who helped prevent an even greater social catastrophe in the aftermath of the attacks. The President extended his gratitude to them once again for their efforts.

The President further stated that if the bonds, trust, and harmony within society are weakened, and people begin to view others with anger and suspicion, it would pose a serious threat to the well-being of the community. In light of this, he emphasized the need for a fair and transparent investigation into the Easter Sunday attacks. He also noted that for the past five years, those who gathered on the streets on April 21 were driven by a hope for justice, which sustained them year after year.

His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, speaking at the event, shared that despite appealing to the Human Rights Commission in Geneva for justice for the Easter Sunday victims, no resolution has been achieved. He also pointed out that while the government has been working to provide necessary support to the victims, the public continue to seek the truth.

His Eminence Cardinal Ranjith said  that he believes the President will deliver on the promise of justice. He further expressed his belief that the President will take action to hold those responsible for the Easter Sunday attack accountable and ensure justice is served.

Rev.Fr. Manjula Niroshan, the mission in charge of Katuwapitiya Church, along with a large number of Easter attack victims and devotees, attended the event.

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Pakistan opt to bat with Baig unfit; Vastrakar out with niggle for India

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Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana got together at the toss [Cricinfo]

On a hot afternoon in Dubai, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana called it right and opted to bat against India in their Group A encounter of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Both teams made one change apiece owing to injuries. Diana Baig pulled up with what seemed like a calf injury against Sri Lanka, and was replaced by legspinner Syeda Aroob Shah. As a result, they have Sana and Aliya Riaz to rely on for seam bowling with as many as six spinners in the XI.

For India, Pooja Vastrakar had a niggle and hence, S Sajana was brought in the XI. The move slightly lengthens their batting but at the cost of a seam bowler. Sajana rose to prominence with a last-ball six for Mumbai Indians in the WPL 2024 opener.

The weather was 37 degrees and the fresh pitch the match was going to be played on was almost equidistant from the square boundaries – 61m and 60m either sides. The longest hit was straight down the ground, with 73m.

India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma,  Harmanpreet Kaur (capt),  Jemimah Rodrigues,  Richa Ghosh (wk),  Deepti Sharma,  S Sajana,  Arundhati Reddy,  Shreyanka Patil,  Asha Sobhana,  Renuka Singh

Pakistan:  Muneeba Ali (wk),  Gull Feroza,  Sidra Amin,  Omaima Sohail,  Nida Dar,  Tuba Hassan,  Fatima Sana (capt),  Aliya Riaz,  Syeda Aroob Shah,  Nashra Sandhu,  Sadiq Iqbal

[Cricinfo]

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