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46th Mustangs Trophy One-Day Encounter

Published

3 years ago

March 28, 2023

Editor

Rehan, Uvindu shine in Royals’ comfortable 7-wicket win

Half-centuries from Rehan Peris and Uvindu Weerasekara helped Royal College outplay arch-rivals S. Thomas’ College by 7 wickets and bag the 46th Mustangs Trophy one Day Encounter worked off at SSC Grounds, Colombo on Friday (24).

Batting first, the boys from Mt Lavinia were bundled out for 165 runs despite Senadhi Bulankulama’s lone cameo, and in reply, Royal achieved the target in just 37 overs.

Senadhi Bulankulama and Thishen Ehaliyagoda walked out to open the innings for S. Thomas’, but their partnership was short-lived, with Thishen being the first wicket to fall for just 5 runs.

One down batter Dineth Gunawardena also lasted just 19 balls as he was run out courtesy of a brilliant fielding effort from Bulan Weerathunga.

Adding salt to their wounds, their skipper Romesh Mendis also bit the dust when he walked back to the pavilion for just 2 runs to make things worse for the Thomians.

S. Thomas found themselves in a tight spot at ( ), but a desperate effort from Senadhi Bulankulama and Mahith Perera, who rotated the strike, saw them slowly reviving their innings.

However, the Royal bowlers didn’t allow any breathing space for the opposition to settle down, as they continued bowling good lines and lengths to put constant pressure on the Thomians.

Senadhi Bulankulama was the only batter to trouble the Royal bowling attack, and apart from him none of the other batters posed a threat to the Royalists.

Bulankulama went on to score a fighting 133 ball 66 runs including 4 boundaries, while Mahith Perera contributed 28 runs before the Thomians were bowled out for a below-par score of 165 runs inside 48.2 overs.

Bulan Weerathunga, Sandesh Ramanayaka and skipper Dasis Manchanayake shone with the ball claiming two wickets each, while Anush Polonnowita, Ranuka Malaviarachchi and Ramiru Perera chipped in with a wicket each.

In reply, it was a walk in the park for the Royalists as they achieved the target in just 37 overs.

Rehan Peris was the hero in the chase top scoring with a blistering 69 runs off 107 deliveries including 7 boundaries and a six, while middle-order batter Uvindu Weerasekara smashed a 68 ball 50 runs with 4 boundaries and 2 sixes to take their team home comfortably.

The win also saw Royal whitewashing the Thomians, as they also won the 144th ‘Battle of the Blues’ annual cricket encounter played for the Rt. Hon. D.S Senanayake Memorial Shield recently.

46 වැනි මස්ටැංග්ස් කුසලාන එක්දින හමුව

රෙහාන් සහ උවිඳු රාජකීයයන් කඩුලු 7ක පහසු ජයග්‍රහණයකින් බැබළේ

රෙහාන් පීරිස් සහ උවිඳු වීරසේකරගේ අර්ධ ශතක හේතුවෙන් රාජකීය විද්‍යාලය කඩුලු 7කින් පරම්පරාගත ප්‍රතිවාදී S. තෝමස් විද්‍යාලය අභිබවා ගොස් 46 වැනි මස්ටැංග්ස් කුසලාන එක්දින තරගය සිකුරාදා (24) කොළඹ SSC පිටියේදී නිමාවට පත්විය.

ප්‍රථමයෙන් පන්දුවට පහරදුන් ගල්කිස්ස බාලකයෝ ලකුණු 165කට දැවී ගිය අතර, සේනාධි බුලන්කුලමගේ හුදකලා ආරාධිතයා නොතකා, පිළිතුරු ලෙස රාජකීය විදුහල ඕවර 37කදී එම ඉලක්කය සපුරා ගත්තේය.

S. තෝමස් වෙනුවෙන් ඉනිම ආරම්භ කිරීමට සේනාධි බුලන්කුලම සහ තිශේන් ඇහැලියගොඩ පිටව ගිය නමුත් ඔවුන්ගේ සබඳතාව කෙටිකාලීන වූ අතර තිෂේන් පළමු කඩුල්ල ලෙස ලකුණු 5ක් පමණක් දැවී ගියේය.

බුලාන් වීරතුංගගේ විශිෂ්ට පන්දු රැකීමේ ප්‍රයත්නයෙන් දැවී යාමෙන් එක් පහළ පිතිකරු දිනෙත් ගුණවර්ධන ද දැවී ගියේ පන්දු 19ක් පමණි.

ඔවුන්ගේ තුවාලවලට ලුණු එකතු කරමින් ඔවුන්ගේ නායක රොමේෂ් මෙන්ඩිස් ද ලකුණු 2ක් පමණක් ලබා නැවත මණ්ඩපයට යන විට දූවිල්ල හපමින් තෝමස් පිලේ තත්ත්වය තවත් නරක අතට හැරිණි.

එස්. තෝමස් () හි දී දැඩි අසීරුතාවයකට පත් වූ නමුත්, පහර භ්‍රමණය කළ සේනාධි බුලන්කුලම සහ මහීත් පෙරේරාගේ මංමුලා සහගත උත්සාහය නිසා ඔවුන් සෙමෙන් සිය ඉනිම පණ ගන්වනු දක්නට ලැබිණි.

කෙසේ වෙතත්, රාජකීය පන්දු යවන්නන් ප්‍රතිවාදීන්ට කිසිදු හුස්ම ගැනීමේ ඉඩක් ලබා දුන්නේ නැත, මන්ද ඔවුන් තෝමියානුවන් මත නිරන්තර පීඩනයක් ඇති කිරීම සඳහා හොඳ රේඛා සහ දිග දිගේ පන්දු යවන බැවිනි.

රාජකීය පන්දු යැවීමේ ප්‍රහාරයට බාධා කළ එකම පිතිකරුවා සේනධි බුලන්කුලම වූ අතර ඔහු හැරුණු විට සෙසු කිසිදු පිතිකරුවෙක් රාජකීයයන්ට තර්ජනයක් වූයේ නැත.

බුලංකුලම පිල පන්දු 133කදී හතරේ පහර 4ක් සමඟින් ලකුණු 66ක් ලබා ගත් අතර මහීත් පෙරේරා ලකුණු 28කට දායක වූ අතර තෝමස් පිල ඕවර 48.2කදී ලකුණු 165කට අඩුවෙන් දැවී ගියේය.

පන්දු යැවීමේදී බුලන් වීරතුංග, සන්දේශ් රාමනායක සහ නායක දාසිස් මංචනායක කඩුලු 2 බැගින් දවාගත් අතර අනුෂ් පොළොන්නෝවිට, රනුක මලවිආරච්චි සහ රමිරු පෙරේරා කඩුල්ල බැගින් ද බිඳ දැමූහ.

පිළිතුරු ලෙස රාජකීය ක්‍රීඩකයින්ට එය උද්‍යානයේ ඇවිදීමක් වූ අතර ඔවුන් එම ඉලක්කය පන්දුවාර 37 කදී සපුරා ගත්හ.

රෙහාන් පීරිස් පන්දු 107කදී හතරේ පහර 7ක් සහ හයේ පහරක් සමගින් ලකුණු 69ක් රැස්කරමින් විශිෂ්ට පිතිහරඹයක නිරත වූ අතර මැදපෙළ පිතිකරු උවිඳු වීරසේකර පන්දු 68කදී හතරේ පහර 4ක් සහ හයේ පහර 2ක් සමඟින් ලකුණු 50ක් රැස්කරමින් තම කණ්ඩායම පහසුව කරා රැගෙන ගියේය. .

මෙම ජයග්‍රහණයෙන් රාජකීයයන් තෝමියානුවන්ට සුදු හුනු ගෑම ද දක්නට ලැබුණි, ඔවුන් Rt වෙනුවෙන් ක්‍රීඩා කළ 144 වැනි ‘Battle of the Blues’ වාර්ෂික ක්‍රිකට් තරගයද ජයග්‍රහණය කළේය. ගරු. D.S සේනානායක අනුස්මරණ පලිහ මෑතකදී.

46வது முஸ்டாங்ஸ் டிராபி ஒருநாள் சந்திப்பு

ரெஹான், உவிந்து ஆகியோர் ராயல்ஸ் 7 விக்கெட் வித்தியாசத்தில் வெற்றி பெற்றனர்

ரெஹான் பெரிஸ் மற்றும் உவிந்து வீரசேகர ஆகியோரின் அரை சதங்களின் மூலம் றோயல் கல்லூரியின் பரம எதிரிகளான எஸ். தோமஸ் கல்லூரியை 7 விக்கெட்டுகள் வித்தியாசத்தில் வீழ்த்தி 46வது முஸ்டாங்ஸ் டிராபி ஒருநாள் என்கவுன்டர் வெள்ளிக்கிழமை (24) கொழும்பு SSC மைதானத்தில் நடைபெற்றது.

முதலில் துடுப்பெடுத்தாடிய கல்கிசையைச் சேர்ந்த சிறுவர்கள் சேனாதி புலங்குளமவின் தனி ஆட்டத்தை மீறி 165 ஓட்டங்களுக்கு ஆட்டமிழந்தனர், பதிலுக்கு றோயல் வெறும் 37 ஓவர்களில் இலக்கை அடைந்தது.

சேனாதி புலங்குளம மற்றும் திஷேன் எஹலியகொட ஆகியோர் S. தோமஸ் இன் இன்னிங்ஸைத் தொடங்குவதற்கு வெளியேறினர், ஆனால் அவர்களது பார்ட்னர்ஷிப் சிறிது காலம் நீடித்தது, திஷேன் 5 ரன்களுக்கு முதல் விக்கெட்டாக வீழ்ந்தார்.

ஒன் டவுன் பேட்டர் தினேத் குணவர்தனவும் 19 பந்துகளுக்கு மட்டுமே நீடித்து, புலன் வீரதுங்கவின் சிறப்பான பீல்டிங் முயற்சியால் ரன் அவுட் ஆனார்.

அவர்களின் காயங்களுக்கு உப்பு சேர்த்து, அவர்களின் கேப்டன் ரொமேஷ் மெண்டிஸும் 2 ரன்களுக்கு பெவிலியனுக்கு திரும்பி நடந்தபோது தூசி கடித்தார், தோமியன்களுக்கு விஷயங்களை மோசமாக்கினார்.

எஸ். தோமஸ் ( ) இல் ஒரு இறுக்கமான இடத்தில் தங்களைக் கண்டார், ஆனால் சேனாதி புலங்குளம மற்றும் மஹித் பெரேரா ஆகியோரின் அவநம்பிக்கையான முயற்சியால் ஸ்டிரைக்கைச் சுழற்றினார், அவர்கள் மெதுவாக தங்கள் இன்னிங்ஸை மீட்டெடுத்தனர்.

இருப்பினும், ராயல் பந்துவீச்சாளர்கள் எதிரணியை நிலைநிறுத்துவதற்கு எந்த சுவாச இடத்தையும் அனுமதிக்கவில்லை, ஏனெனில் அவர்கள் தொடர்ந்து நல்ல கோடுகள் மற்றும் நீளங்களை வீசியதால் தோமியன்களுக்கு நிலையான அழுத்தம் கொடுக்கப்பட்டது.

சேனாதி புலங்குளம மட்டுமே றோயல் பந்துவீச்சு தாக்குதலுக்கு சிக்கலை ஏற்படுத்தினார், அவரைத் தவிர மற்ற எந்த பேட்டர்களும் ராயல்ஸ்டுகளுக்கு அச்சுறுத்தலாக இருக்கவில்லை.

புலங்குளம போராடி 133 பந்துகளில் 4 பவுண்டரிகள் உட்பட 66 ரன்கள் எடுத்தார், அதே நேரத்தில் மஹித் பெரேரா 28 ரன்கள் எடுத்தார், தோமியன்ஸ் பந்துவீச்சில் 48.2 ஓவர்களுக்குள் 165 ரன்கள் குறைவாக இருந்தது.

பந்து வீச்சில் புலன் வீரதுங்க, சந்தேஷ் ராமநாயக்க மற்றும் அணித்தலைவர் தாசிஸ் மஞ்சநாயக்க ஆகியோர் தலா இரண்டு விக்கெட்டுகளையும், அனுஷ் பொலொன்னோவிட்ட, ரணுக மளவியராச்சி மற்றும் ரமிரு பெரேரா ஆகியோர் தலா ஒரு விக்கெட்டையும் கைப்பற்றினர்.

பதிலுக்கு, 37 ஓவர்களில் அவர்கள் இலக்கை அடைந்ததால், ராயல்ஸ்டுக்கு இது பூங்காவில் ஒரு நடை.

ரெஹான் பெரிஸ் 107 பந்துகளில் 7 பவுண்டரிகள் மற்றும் ஒரு சிக்ஸர் உள்ளடங்கலாக 69 ஓட்டங்களை விளாசினார், அதே சமயம் மத்திய வரிசை வீரர் உவிந்து வீரசேகர 68 பந்துகளில் 4 பவுண்டரிகள் மற்றும் 2 சிக்ஸர்களுடன் 50 ஓட்டங்களை விளாசினார். .

இந்த வெற்றியானது தோமியன்ஸை ஒயிட்வாஷ் செய்வதையும் ராயல் கண்டது, ஏனெனில் அவர்கள் Rtக்காக விளையாடிய 144வது ‘பேட்டில் ஆஃப் தி ப்ளூஸ்’ வருடாந்திர கிரிக்கெட் சந்திப்பையும் வென்றனர். கௌரவ. டி.எஸ் சேனநாயக்கா நினைவு கேடயம் சமீபத்தில்.

Cricket

England Stick with Brook for Sri Lanka Tour as World Cup Planning Intensifies

Published

5 hours ago

December 30, 2025

Editor

England Tour of Sri Lanka 2026

England have opted for continuity and stability by retaining Harry Brook as captain for their white-ball tour of Sri Lanka in 2026, as preparations intensify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup later that year.

The tour, which forms a key part of England’s World Cup build-up, will feature three One-Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals, with matches scheduled to be played in Colombo and Kandy. With Sri Lanka set to co-host the global tournament alongside India, the series is expected to serve as a valuable rehearsal under subcontinent conditions.

Balanced Squads with an Eye on the Future

England’s selections reflect a careful blend of experience and emerging talent. Josh Tongue has earned his maiden IT20 call-up following strong domestic performances, while Brydon Carse continues to cement his role as a versatile pace option across formats.

Fast bowler Jofra Archer remains part of England’s long-term World Cup plans and has been named in the provisional ICC Men’s T20 World Cup squad, though he will not travel to Sri Lanka as he continues his recovery from injury.

Will Jacks returns to the white-ball setup after missing England’s previous assignment, adding depth to both the batting and bowling units, while Zak Crawley’s recall to the ODI squad marks his return to the format after more than two years.

Experience Key in Subcontinent Conditions

Senior figures Jos Buttler and Joe Root provide leadership and experience, particularly important as England fine-tune combinations and roles in conditions similar to those expected during the World Cup.

Spin is expected to play a decisive role throughout the series, with Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson likely to shoulder major responsibility. England’s batting group will focus on adapting to slower surfaces, where shot selection and strike rotation will be critical.

Tour Schedule and World Cup Focus

England’s tour party is scheduled to depart on January 18, 2026, with the series getting underway at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. As the countdown to the World Cup continues, the Sri Lanka tour represents an important opportunity for England to build momentum, establish clarity in selection, and gain confidence under Brook’s leadership.

England Men’s IT20 Squad – Sri Lanka Tour & Provisional ICC Men’s T20 World Cup

Harry Brook (Captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer* (ICC Men’s T20 World Cup only), Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse* (Sri Lanka tour only), Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood

England Men’s ODI Squad – Sri Lanka Tour

Harry Brook (Captain), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Luke Wood

Cricket

Lasith Malinga Appointed Consultant Fast Bowling Coach for National Men’s Team

Published

10 hours ago

December 30, 2025

Editor

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced the appointment of former pace spearhead Lasith Malinga as Consultant Fast Bowling Coach for the Sri Lanka National Men’s Team, in a move aimed at strengthening preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Malinga’s appointment will be on a short-term basis, spanning a one-month period from 15 December to 25 January 2026. During this time, he will work closely with Sri Lanka’s national fast bowlers, focusing on preparation, skill development, and tactical execution as the team builds toward the global T20 showpiece.
One of the most successful fast bowlers Sri Lanka has ever produced, Malinga brings a wealth of international experience to the role. Renowned worldwide for his unique bowling action and exceptional ability in death overs, Malinga played a pivotal role in Sri Lanka’s success in limited-overs cricket, particularly in the shortest format of the game. His expertise is expected to be invaluable as Sri Lanka sharpens its bowling resources ahead of the World Cup.

Sri Lanka Cricket stated that the decision to bring Malinga on board is part of a broader strategy to leverage his proven knowledge of T20 cricket, especially in high-pressure situations. His guidance will aim to enhance consistency, accuracy, and match-awareness among the fast bowlers, key areas that often determine outcomes in T20 cricket.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India, adding further significance to the preparation phase. The tournament is scheduled to begin on 7 February 2026, with the opening match set to be played at the iconic Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo.

With home conditions playing a major role, Sri Lanka Cricket hopes Malinga’s involvement will provide the national side with a competitive edge as they prepare to compete against the world’s best teams on cricket’s biggest T20 stage.

News

How the Global Sports Economy Works — Lessons from the World and India, and What Sri Lanka Can Do Next

Published

1 day ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

Sport has evolved far beyond competition and entertainment. Across the world, it has become a multi-billion-dollar economic engine, generating employment, infrastructure development, tourism, media revenue, and sustainable athlete livelihoods. From Europe to Asia, nations that have invested strategically in sport now reap economic and social dividends. Sri Lanka, standing at a critical crossroads, has much to learn from these models.

The Global Sports Economy: More Than Just Matches

Globally, the sports industry is valued at over USD 500 billion, encompassing professional leagues, broadcasting rights, sponsorships, sports tourism, infrastructure, merchandise, sports science, and digital platforms.

Countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, China, and Australia treat sport as an industry rather than a recreational activity. Their success rests on four pillars:

Professional leagues and structured competitions
Strong private-sector partnerships
Athlete-centric commercial ecosystems
Policy support and long-term planning

Athletes in these systems benefit not only from prize money but also from contracts, endorsements, pensions, insurance, post-retirement opportunities, and education pathways, ensuring sport is a viable career rather than a short-term pursuit.

India’s Sports Economy: A Regional Case Study

India’s transformation over the past decade provides one of the most relevant case studies for Sri Lanka. Once heavily reliant on cricket alone, India has built a diversified sports economy through structured leagues and government–private collaboration.

The introduction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) revolutionised cricket economics, creating billions in revenue while supporting players, coaches, analysts, broadcasters, marketers, and venue operators. This model was replicated across other sports through leagues such as:

Indian Super League (Football)
Pro Kabaddi League
Premier Badminton League
Ultimate Kho Kho
Women’s Premier League (Cricket)

These leagues did more than entertain. They created year-round employment, improved grassroots scouting, professionalised coaching, and gave young athletes financial security and visibility.

Government initiatives like Khelo India and the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) complemented league structures by funding athlete training, sports science, nutrition, and international exposure. Importantly, athletes were treated as economic contributors, not beneficiaries of charity.

How Athletes Benefit in a Sports Economy

In mature sports economies, athletes benefit through:

Central contracts and league salaries
Sponsorship and brand endorsements
Medical insurance and injury cover
Access to sports science, analytics, and psychology
Education and dual-career support
Post-retirement roles in coaching, media, administration, and entrepreneurship

Sport becomes a sustainable profession, reducing dropout rates and improving performance standards.

Where Sri Lanka Stands Today

Sri Lanka possesses immense sporting talent across cricket, football, athletics, rugby, volleyball, combat sports, and school sports. However, the sports ecosystem remains fragmented, with limited commercial pathways for athletes outside elite cricket.

Key challenges include:

Lack of structured domestic leagues
Weak private-sector investment
Overdependence on government funding
Inadequate athlete welfare systems
Underutilisation of sports infrastructure
Limited sports tourism and event hosting

Most athletes face uncertainty beyond school or national-level participation, leading many to abandon sport prematurely.

What Sri Lanka Can Do to Build a Sports Economy

Sri Lanka does not need to reinvent the wheel. It needs policy alignment, institutional reform, and commercial courage.

1. Develop Tiered Professional Leagues

Introduce sustainable league structures in football, volleyball, rugby, athletics meets, women’s sports, and regional cricket. Even semi-professional leagues can stimulate local economies.

2. Encourage Private Investment

Create tax incentives, sponsorship protections, and long-term lease frameworks to attract corporate partners into sports ownership, marketing, and infrastructure.

3. Strengthen School-to-Club Pathways

Formalise school sports pipelines into club and league systems, ensuring talent progression and retention.

4. Protect Athletes as Professionals

Introduce minimum contracts, medical insurance, injury compensation, and retirement transition programmes.

5. Activate Sports Tourism

Leverage Sri Lanka’s geography to host regional tournaments, training camps, beach sports events, and international friendlies, boosting hospitality and local economies.

6. Modernise Governance

Ensure transparent administration, professional venue management, and data-driven decision-making to build investor confidence.

A Strategic Opportunity

Sri Lanka stands at a moment where sport can become an economic pillar, not merely a medal-driven activity. With regional competition intensifying and youth participation declining, the need to professionalise sport has never been more urgent.

Building a sports economy is not just about revenue — it is about nation-building, youth employment, health, unity, and global relevance. The global and Indian experiences prove that with vision and structure, sport can power both economic growth and athletic excellence.

For Sri Lanka, the question is no longer whether sport can drive the economy — but whether the country is ready to let it.

By B Aravinth