Cummins leads Australian rout of Sri Lanka
Australia thrashed a disappointing Sri Lanka by an innings and 40 runs in the first day-night Test in Brisbane on Saturday. Led by a brilliant display of fast bowling from Pat Cummins, the Australians dominated a Sri Lankan outfit that never came to terms with the pace and bounce of the Gabba wicket. They made [...]
Avishka, Kamindu script massive Sri Lanka ‘A’ win
A fine century by Avishka Fernando (139) – his second in the series and an excellent allround performance by reliable allrounder Kamindu Mendis (50 n.o. and 3 for 34) spearheaded Sri Lanka ‘A’ for an easy 202 run victory over Ireland A in the 4th ODI match played at the SSC Grounds yesterday. Having won [...]
Changes in the middle in all three categories
Notable changes occurred in all three categories of the Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2019 contest, as its 15th week came to a close. While the three leaders remain unchanged in the All-Island, Emerging and Girls’ schools categories, three new entrants each made their way in to the contest. [...]
Injured Lahiru Kumara out for six weeks
Fast bowler Lahiru Kumara has been ruled out for six weeks with a hamstring injury. Accordingly he will miss the second Test against Australia starting next week and the South African series starting next month. Kumar suffered the injury on Friday and had been off the field for the entire third session of play on [...]
Match-fixing laws by March
A draft Bill on the Prevention of Corruption and Match-Fixing in Sri Lanka which deems all sports-related corruption to be criminal offences attracting severe punishments has been sent to the Legal Draftsman’s Department for finalising. The sanctions include a jail term of up to five years, a fine not exceeding Rs 5mn, or both fine [...]
CH overcome spirited resistance from Police
The CH overcame some, at times, spirited resistance from the Police to post an ultimately comfortable 38 points (7 goals, 1 penalty) to 25 (2 goals, a try, 2 penalties) win at Police Park. Police did provide stern opposition, with winger Sachith Silva being particularly outstanding. He streaked through the field on two or three [...]
St. Sebastian’s, Richmond and Royal record early victories
St. Sebastian, Richmond and Royal College recorded outright wins in their respective inter-school cricket matches concluded yesterday. St. Sebastian’s crushed St. Joseph Vaz by an innings and 9 runs on the back of two impressive bowling performances by right-arm spinners Praveen Cooray and Nadeera Fernando who shared 14 wickets between them at Moratuwa. St. Joseph [...]
SSC dominate Army SC
SSC dominated proceedings against Army SC at the end of the third day’s play as they took a first innings lead in the Premier Super Eight match played at the CCC ground. Army SC resuming from their overnight score of 128 for 3 helped by a top knock of 133 by allrounder Dushan Vimukthi put [...]
Kandy demolish Navy
Kandy made a comeback to win big by demolishing the Navy at Nittawela yesterday 63-31. Kandy’s points came off eight goals and a penalty try. Navy scored through three goals and two tries. Kandy had been holding back for some time now. But yesterday they must have decided to fine tune their attack in preparation [...]
Kavishka 10 for 133
Trinity’s off-spinner Kavishka Senadeera took the star turn as his team defeated Wesley by an innings and 18 runs at Asgiriya. Shane Gunathilake top csored for the winners with 74, vice-skipper Pubudu Bandara and Abishek Anandakumar entered the 60s.Movin Subasingha and Kavindu Dissanayake accounted for five wickets. Senadeera with a match bag of 10 for [...]
Sports hostels to be taken over by military
The two sports hostels attached to the Sports Development Department and located at Torrington Square in Reid Avenue are likely to be handed over to the military, Sports Ministry sources revealed. The Ministry of Sports and the Sports Development Department have received a number of complaints that the two sports hostels have been utilised by [...]
Sameera’s unbeaten 155 propels Ragama CC
Sameera de Soysa’s career best knock of 155 propelled Ragama CC’s scoreboard helping his side to post a formidable score of 328 for 8 in reply to BRC’s 291 at the end of the second day’s play in the Premier Plate Championship cricket encounter played at Reid Avenue. Sameera’s knock which came off 301 balls [...]
‘Sri Lanka still a part of my heart’
He had just overseen Surrey’s return to the top tier in English county championships when he was invited by his former employer–Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC)–to come on board. It was a tough call for Graham Ford. But the opportunity to return to international level coaching was too good to reject. Ford had early reservations, given [...]
“Olympic Committee going gaga”: A Response
This is with reference to the above headlined letter sent by Jayantha Gunawardena, appearing in the ‘Reader’s Forum’ of the Sunday Times of January 13, The Chinese Ice Rink offered to the city of Colombo is an all-expense-covered gift from China. In the particular article he has referred to, National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka [...]
Amir recalled for South Africa Twenty20
Pakistan recalled fast bowler Mohammad Amir in the 15-man squad for next month’s three-match Twenty20 series against South Africa, while recent top performers missed out on selection. The 26-year-old left-armer was left out of the limited-over and Test squads after a poor showing in last year’s Asia Cup, but was brought back into both for [...]
Paine says Australia can build on win over Sri Lanka
Australian captain Tim Paine believes his team’s comprehensive win over Sri Lanka is a sign that the national side is well on it’s way to recovery. The Australians beat Sri Lanka by an innings and 40 runs in the first Test at the Gabba on Saturday, wrapping up the victory inside three days. The win [...]
DFCC Bank in great escape
DFCC Bank were involved in a great escape, with a one wicket, last ball win over Hemas Group, thus registering their third successive win in the ongoing inaugural Coca Beverages Sri Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. sponsored – MCA ‘D’ division 40 Over League Tournament 2019, continued last week-end. DFCC, earlier beat NDB Bank by two wickets [...]
Sachin, Anusha and Sheron capture Omega Trophy in style
The exclusive Omega Trophy, sponsored by Chatham Luxury Watches, teed-off in grand style, two shot-gun starts, 139 players, morning and afternoon play in the three Member Team Scramble, stroke-play format at the Royal Colombo Golf Club Course, yesterday. A rare format where the 3 member team, formed among the members, Tee-off together and a special [...]
Our under performing cricket team
Since 2015 it has been a case of our team being drubbed. While this happened mainly on our foreign tours, of late we have been at the receiving end even at home. One aspect I observed that contributes to this situation was the lack of penetration by our opening / pace bowlers. This has been [...]
‘Divine’ Djokovic up for another epic against greatest rival Nadal
Only one of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic’s 52 meetings has been at the Australian Open. However, when it happened in 2012 it certainly left a mark, being the longest ever Grand Slam final when it ran to five hours and 53 minutes before the Serb prevailed 7-5 in the fifth set. That match will [...]
Nimnaka – a little bundle of talent
There is a slip of a lad, not yet seventeen, who has been bowling his team to many victories. Nimnaka Amodya Jayatilleka, the Antonian left-arm spinner, is running amok and destroying all and sundry that pad up to face him. Jayatilleka is no one season wonder. Last year, his first, saw him snare 96 victims, [...]
Is a decrepit Football Management, the bane of the Sport?
The incessant dialogue these days about football in general and football management in particular, is something that must attract the attention of the highest custodians of sports as a whole, thus placing the mantle squarely on the Ministry of Sports (MOS) itself. The recent appointment of the National Sports Council (NSC) also raises the query [...]
Netball in another tangle?
With very little reason to be proud about the local sports arena, it seems as if netball is in pursuit of a possible downfall as some successful and lucrative sports in the country, with the brewing of a potential administrative feud. It was after three decades that Sri Lanka netball happened to come in unison, [...]
End of Roger Federer era?
Greek, Stefanos Tsitsipas is the first New-Generation (New-Gen) player to beat Roger Federer in two successive encounters this year. This week, beating Federer in the pre-quarters of the Australian-Open has immortalised his name in Tennis. He has been registering his presence for a while. Now he is matured enough to win. Aging Federer showed signs [...]
2019 Shooting calendar released
The National Shooting Sports Federation (NSSF) released its event calendar for 2019, with the inclusion of 13 local and 11 international events. The NSSF calendar will flag off with the International Shooting Grand Prix scheduled for February 8 to 15 in Kuwait while locally it will be heralded with the Clay Target Shooting Club of [...]
Gihan Anjana stars in PABC Bank win
Gihan Anjana (6 for 21) and Umeshka Mendis (3 for 37) proved simply unplayable as they skittled out PABC Bank to give HNB Finance a comprehensive 108 runs win in the ongoing Eighth ‘BMW /Hyundai Trophy – Prestige Automobile (Pvt) Ltd., powered / MCA ‘C’ division 50 Over League Tournament 2019, continued last week end. [...]
Udesh, Tania win 131st Amateur Golf titles
Twenty four year old, M U Chanaka Perera engraved his name in history on the second oldest amateur golf championship trophy in the world, first played in 1891 March, named the “Amateur Golf Championship of Ceylon”, in the island of ‘Ceylon’ under the British empire. Perera thus joins an elite band of Golfers produced by [...]
The Bench: The last resort that makes the difference
The bench or replacements are the weapon of today’s Rugby. The 15 ‘starters’ have to prepare the way for the ‘finishers’, as Eddie Jones would call them. They are not replacements, when we see games fought to a win in the last 20 minutes. It is like the bowlers who bowl the last overs in [...]
Mercantile Services Cagers- Men, Women dunk them all
Mercantile Services emerged champions in the Men’s and Women’s categories at the 52nd Senior National Basketball Championship conducted by the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation (SLBF), and concluded at the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Indoor Sports Complex recently. Mercantile Services Men led by Gayan De Croos of Commercial Credit & Finance were unbeaten champions, overcoming [...]
Sri Lanka to host Adventure Race World Championships in December
The Adventure Racing World Championships will be held in Sri Lanka this December and ahead of entries opening in February teams are preparing for the most competitive and high profile expedition adventure race of the year, and the opportunity to visit a dream destination. The destination announcement was made ahead of last year’s World Championships, [...]
Havies should continue to snap at Kandy’s heels
Havelocks Sports Club (Havelocks), who are currently behind Kandy Sports Club (Kandy) in the table by a mere 3 points, will have to make sure they continue their winning streak (post Nittawela!). If they keep winning, with a bonus point to boot, they could be in a position to challenge Kandy in a winner-takes-all encounter [...]