Vishmi Gunaratne produced a composed unbeaten half-century while Dewmi Vihanga starred with the ball as Sri Lanka ‘A’ Women secured a dominant 56-run victory over New Zealand ‘A’ Women in the second unofficial ODI at the Dambulla International Stadium on Saturday.
Batting first in the 20-over encounter, the hosts recovered from a few middle-order setbacks to post an imposing 152 for 5, with Vishmi anchoring the innings brilliantly.

Sri Lanka made a lively start through Sanjana Kavindi, who attacked the New Zealand bowlers early with a quickfire 27 off 20 balls, striking six boundaries before falling to Jess Watkin.
Vishmi then took charge of the innings, combining caution with timely aggression to keep the scoreboard moving. The left-hander found strong support from Vimoksha Balasuriya, who added 33 off 27 deliveries with two fours and two sixes during an important middle-order stand.

Although Sri Lanka lost a cluster of wickets late in the innings, Dewmi Vihanga’s explosive finish gave the innings further momentum. Dewmi blasted an unbeaten 14 from only three balls, including a six and two boundaries, helping the hosts finish strongly at the death.
New Zealand ‘A’ began the chase poorly and struggled to recover after losing wickets regularly against disciplined Sri Lankan bowling.

Captain Jess Watkin was dismissed in the opening over before Chamudi Praboda removed both Kate Anderson and JA Watkins to leave the visitors under pressure.

The innings never gained stability as Sri Lanka tightened their grip through the middle overs. Dewmi Vihanga then delivered the decisive blows, dismissing Tash Wakelin, Bella Armstrong and the dangerous Emma Black to effectively end New Zealand’s hopes.

Emma Black provided the lone resistance with an aggressive 28 off 20 balls, but the visitors were eventually bowled out for 96 in 19.5 overs.

Dewmi finished with impressive figures of 3 for 19 while Chamudi Praboda supported well with 2 for 15 as Sri Lanka ‘A’ completed a comprehensive all-round performance.

Former national selector and ex-fast bowler Pramodya Wickramasinghe has sought an official explanation from the Sports Ministry and Sri Lanka Cricket following reports that his tenure as chairman of the national selection panel had been cut short ahead of schedule.

In a letter sent on May 21 to Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage, Wickramasinghe said he had only been verbally informed about discussions surrounding a move to end his appointment early and reorganize the Selection Committee structure.

The development comes just a day before the appointment of a new national selection panel by the Sports Ministry on Thursday, effectively replacing the existing committee.

Wickramasinghe stated that his appointment had originally been approved in December 2025 for a fixed two-year term. He noted that, despite widespread reports regarding the restructuring, he had not received any formal written communication confirming the termination of his role.

In his letter, Wickramasinghe requested that either the ministry or Sri Lanka Cricket provide official written notification outlining the decision and the administrative grounds for ending his contract before its expiry.

He stressed that proper communication was essential to maintain transparency and professionalism during the transition process.

“In order to ensure that all administrative transitions are handled with the utmost transparency, adherence to proper protocol, and mutual respect, I kindly and respectfully request that your office or Sri Lanka Cricket provide me with formal, written notification of this decision,” Wickramasinghe stated in the letter.

The former selection chief further said that receiving formal confirmation would allow him to complete his duties in an orderly manner and ensure that official records accurately reflected the end of his tenure.

Sri Lanka Cricket’s interim administration has launched a major clean-up operation after uncovering what officials describe as extensive financial mismanagement within the governing body.

Speaking at his first press conference since taking charge last month, interim president Eran Wickramaratne announced that a forensic audit had been ordered to examine the organisation’s accounts in detail.

According to Wickramaratne, the scale of the suspected irregularities exceeded initial expectations, prompting urgent calls for structural reforms and tighter oversight within Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

The current administration was appointed by the government of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake following the resignation of the previous elected committee in April. The move sparked concerns over possible disciplinary action from the International Cricket Council (ICC), which prohibits political interference in cricket boards.

Sri Lanka Cricket had previously faced a two-month suspension from the ICC in 2023 under similar circumstances.

However, Wickramaratne said discussions with the global governing body had been positive and cooperative.

“Our engagement with the ICC has been constructive from the beginning,” he said. “We have kept the process transparent, and they have encouraged reforms carried out through proper and open procedures.”

The interim administration is now working on introducing a new constitution designed to strengthen governance and prevent individuals or groups from holding influence over the board for extended periods.

The resignation of former SLC president Shammi Silva and his committee cleared the way for the latest restructuring effort, which comes amid wider criticism over the board’s management and the national team’s recent performances.

Sri Lanka’s early exit from this year’s T20 World Cup jointly hosted with India intensified public frustration and added pressure for change within the country’s cricket establishment.