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Harshitha, Nilakshi’s fifties help Sri Lanka to bag the series 2-1.

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2 years ago

May 13, 2023

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Bangladesh Women’s Tour of Sri Lanka 2023

Harshitha Samarawickrama and Nilakshi de Silva’s half-centuries steered Sri Lanka to a 44-run win over Bangladesh in the third and final T20I worked off at SSC grounds, Colombo on Friday (12).
Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka posted 158-3 in their allotted 20 overs on the back half centuries from Harshitha and Nilakshi, and in reply, Bangladesh was restricted to 114-7.

The Lionesses were off to a shaky start when they lost opener Vishmi Gunaratne (2) cheaply. After the early breakthrough, the vice-captain joined skipper Chamari Athapaththu in the middle and the duo looked to revive the innings by slowly building up a 27 runs partnership, but it was cut short when Nahida Akter delivered to send Chamari back to the pavilion for 32 runs.

At one stage it looked like Sri Lanka could settle for a score between 120-130, but Samarawickrama’s assured knock of 51 not out, coupled with de Silva’s unbeaten 63 at the other end took them to a competitive total.

Harshitha and Nilakshi smashed the Bangladesh bowlers all over the park and put on an unbeaten 102 runs partnership for the 3rd wicket.
In reply, Bangladesh were off to a similar start, losing their first three wickets inside the first 10 overs.

With the scoreboard reading at 50-3, the visitors looked to change gears and play some aggressive cricket, but their strategy was short-lived as they kept on losing wickets to Sri Lanka spinners.
The visitors were struggling to set up any form of meaningful partnership and wickets continued to fall at regular intervals throughout the innings.

Sobhana Mostary and skipper Nigar Sultana were the only batters to impress with 30 and 31 runs respectively, but their efforts were insufficient to take their team over the line.

Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoka Ranaweera and Kawya Kavindi were the picks of the bowlers sharing two wickets apiece, while Sugandika Kumari captured one.

The win also saw Sri Lanka come from behind to bag the series 2-1.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka: 158-3 (20) (Nilakshi de Silva 63, Harshitha Samarawickrama 51, Rebeya Khan 1-20, Nahida Akter 1-37, Fahima Khatun 1-37)
Bangladesh: 114-7 (20) (Nigar Sultana 31, Sobhana Mostary 30, Udeshika Prabodhani 2-17, Kawya Kavindi 2-28, Inoka Ranaweera 2-17)

හර්ෂිත, නිලක්ෂිගේ අර්ධ ශතක ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවට තරගාවලිය 2-1ක් ලෙස ජය ගැනීමට ඉවහල් විය.

බංග්ලාදේශ කාන්තා ශ්‍රී ලංකා සංචාරය 2023

හර්ෂිත සමරවික්‍රම සහ නිලක්ෂි ද සිල්වාගේ අර්ධ ශතක හේතුවෙන් ශ්‍රී ලංකාව සහ බංග්ලාදේශය අතර පැවැති තෙවැනි සහ අවසන් විස්සයි20 තරගය සිකුරාදා (12) කොළඹ SSC ක්‍රීඩාංගණයේ දී නිමාවට පත් වූ අතර එහිදී ශ්‍රී ලංකාව ලකුණු 44 ක ජයක් අත්කර ගත්තේය.
පළමුවෙන් පන්දුවට පහර දීමට තීරණය කළ ශ්‍රී ලංකා කණ්ඩායම නියමිත පන්දුවාර 20 අවසානයේ හර්ෂිත සහ නිලක්ෂිගේ අර්ධ ශතක මත ලකුණු 158-3ක් රැස් කළ අතර පිළිතුරු ලෙස බංග්ලාදේශය ලකුණු 114-7කට සීමා විය.

ආරම්භක පිතිකරු විශ්මි ගුණරත්න (2) අඩු වියදමකින් දැවී ගිය විට සිංහයන්ගේ ආරම්භය බිඳ වැටුණි. ආරම්භක පිතිහරඹයෙන් පසු උපනායිකාව නායිකා චමරි අතපත්තු මැදට එක් වූ අතර ඔවුන් දෙදෙනා සෙමෙන් ලකුණු 27ක සබඳතාවක් ගොඩනඟා ගනිමින් ඉනිම පණ ගැන්වීමට බලාපොරොත්තු වූ නමුත් චමරිව නැවත මණ්ඩපයට යැවීමට නහිද අක්ටර් විසින් පන්දුවට පහරදීමත් සමඟ එය බිඳ වැටුණි. ලකුණු 32 යි.

එක් අවස්ථාවකදී ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට ලකුණු 120-130 අතර සෑහීමට පත් විය හැකි බවක් පෙනෙන්නට තිබුණද, සමරවික්‍රම නොදැවී ලකුණු 51ක් ලබා ගැනීමත්, අනෙක් අන්තයේ දී ද සිල්වා නොදැවී ලකුණු 63ක් ලබා ගැනීමත් සමඟින් ඔවුන් තරගකාරී මුළු ලකුණු සංඛ්‍යාවක් කරා රැගෙන ගියේය.

හර්ෂිතා සහ නිලක්ෂි බංගලාදේශ පන්දු යවන්නන් උද්‍යානය පුරා බිඳ දමමින් 3 වැනි කඩුල්ලට නොදැවී ලකුණු 102ක සබඳතාවක් ගොඩනැගූහ.
පිළිතුරු ඉනිම ක්‍රීඩා කළ බංගලාදේශය පළමු ඕවර 10 තුළදී ඔවුන්ගේ පළමු කඩුලු ත්‍රිත්වය ද දැවී ගියේ එවැනිම ආරම්භයක් ලබාගනිමිනි.

ලකුණු පුවරුව 50-3ක් ලෙස කියවීමත් සමඟ අමුත්තන් ගියර් වෙනස් කර ආක්‍රමණශීලී ක්‍රිකට් ක්‍රීඩා කිරීමට බලාපොරොත්තු වූ නමුත් ශ්‍රී ලංකා දඟපන්දු යවන්නන්ට දිගින් දිගටම කඩුලු අහිමි වීම නිසා ඔවුන්ගේ උපාය කෙටි කාලීන විය.
නරඹන්නන් ඕනෑම ආකාරයක අර්ථවත් සබඳතාවක් පිහිටුවීමට දැඩි වෙහෙසක් දරමින් සිටි අතර ඉනිම පුරාවටම නියමිත කාල සීමාවන්හිදී කඩුලු බිඳ වැටෙන්නට විය.

සෝභනා මොස්ටාරි සහ නායක නිගාර් සුල්තානා පිළිවෙලින් ලකුණු 30ක් සහ 31ක් ලබා ගත් එකම පිතිකරුවන් වූ නමුත් ඔවුන්ගේ උත්සාහය තම කණ්ඩායම සීමාව ඉක්මවා යාමට ප්‍රමාණවත් නොවීය.

පන්දු යැවීමේදී උදේශිකා ප්‍රබෝධනී, ඉනෝකා රණවීර සහ කාව්‍යා කාවින්දි කඩුලු 2 බැගින් බෙදී ගිය අතර, සුගන්දිකා කුමාරි එක් කඩුල්ලක් දවා ගත්තාය.

මෙම ජයග්‍රහණයත් සමඟින් ශ්‍රී ලංකා පිල තරග 2-1ක් ලෙසින් තරගාවලිය ජය ගැනීමට ද සමත් විය.
කෙටි ලකුණු:
ශ්‍රී ලංකාව: 158-3 (20) (නිලක්ෂි ද සිල්වා 63, හර්ෂිතා සමරවික්‍රම 51, රෙබෙයා ඛාන් 1-20, නහිදා අක්ටර් 1-37, ෆාහිමා ඛාතුන් 1-37)
බංග්ලාදේශය: 114-7 (20) (නිගර් සුල්තානා 31, සෝභනා මොස්තාරි 30, උදේශිකා ප්‍රබෝධනී 2-17, කාව්‍යා කාවින්දි 2-28, ඉනෝකා රණවීර 2-17)

ஹர்ஷிதா, நிலக்ஷியின் அரைசதங்கள் இலங்கை 2-1 என தொடரை கைப்பற்ற உதவியது.

பங்களாதேஷ் பெண்கள் இலங்கை சுற்றுப்பயணம் 2023

ஹர்ஷித சமரவிக்ரம மற்றும் நிலக்ஷி டி சில்வாவின் அரைசதங்களால் இலங்கை அணி பங்களாதேஷ் அணிக்கு எதிரான மூன்றாவதும் இறுதியுமான டி20 போட்டியில் இலங்கை அணி 44 ஓட்டங்களால் வெற்றியீட்டியது.
முதலில் துடுப்பெடுத்தாடத் தீர்மானித்த இலங்கை, ஹர்ஷிதா மற்றும் நிலக்ஷி ஆகியோரின் அரைச் சதங்களின் அடிப்படையில் தமக்கு நிர்ணயிக்கப்பட்ட 20 ஓவர்களில் 158-3 ஓட்டங்களைப் பெற்றது, பதிலுக்கு, பங்களாதேஷ் 114-7 என மட்டுப்படுத்தப்பட்டது.

தொடக்க ஆட்டக்காரர் விஷ்மி குணரத்னேவை (2) மலிவாக இழந்தபோது சிங்கங்கள் அதிர்ச்சியான தொடக்கத்தில் இருந்தன. ஆரம்ப முன்னேற்றத்திற்குப் பிறகு, துணைத் தலைவர் கேப்டன் சாமரி அதபத்துவை நடுவில் இணைத்தார், இருவரும் மெதுவாக 27 ரன்களின் பார்ட்னர்ஷிப்பை உருவாக்கி இன்னிங்ஸை மீட்டெடுக்க முயன்றனர், ஆனால் சாமரியை மீண்டும் பெவிலியனுக்கு அனுப்ப நஹிடா அக்டர் கொடுத்தபோது அது துண்டிக்கப்பட்டது. 32 ரன்கள்.

ஒரு கட்டத்தில், இலங்கை 120-130 என்ற புள்ளிகளுக்கு இடையில் ஒரு ஸ்கோரைத் தீர்த்துவிடலாம் என்று தோன்றியது, ஆனால் சமரவிக்ரமவின் உறுதியான ஆட்டமிழக்காமல் 51 ரன்களும், மறுமுனையில் டி சில்வாவின் ஆட்டமிழக்காமல் 63 ரன்களும் சேர்ந்து அவர்களை ஒரு போட்டித் தொகைக்கு அழைத்துச் சென்றது.

ஹர்ஷிதாவும், நிலக்ஷியும் வங்கதேச பந்துவீச்சாளர்களை பார்க் முழுவதும் அடித்து நொறுக்கி, 3வது விக்கெட்டுக்கு 102 ரன்களை ஆட்டமிழக்காமல் சேர்த்தனர்.
பதிலுக்குத் துடுப்பெடுத்தாடிய பங்களாதேஷ் அணி, முதல் 10 ஓவர்களுக்குள் தனது முதல் மூன்று விக்கெட்டுகளை இழந்தது.

ஸ்கோர்போர்டு 50-3 ஆக இருந்த நிலையில், பார்வையாளர்கள் கியர்களை மாற்றிக்கொண்டு சில ஆக்ரோஷமான கிரிக்கெட்டை விளையாடினர், ஆனால் அவர்கள் இலங்கை சுழற்பந்து வீச்சாளர்களிடம் விக்கெட்டுகளை இழந்து கொண்டே இருந்ததால் அவர்களின் உத்தி சிறிது காலம் நீடித்தது.
பார்வையாளர்கள் எந்தவொரு அர்த்தமுள்ள பார்ட்னர்ஷிப்பையும் அமைக்க சிரமப்பட்டனர் மற்றும் இன்னிங்ஸ் முழுவதும் சீரான இடைவெளியில் விக்கெட்டுகள் தொடர்ந்து விழுந்தன.

சோபனா மோஸ்டரி மற்றும் அணித்தலைவர் நிகர் சுல்தானா ஆகியோர் முறையே 30 மற்றும் 31 ரன்களுடன் மட்டுமே சிறப்பாக ஆடினர், ஆனால் அவர்களது முயற்சிகள் தங்கள் அணியை எல்லைக்கு மேல் கொண்டு செல்ல போதுமானதாக இல்லை.

பந்துவீச்சாளர்களில் உதேஷிகா பிரபோதனி, இனோகா ரணவீர மற்றும் காவ்யா காவிந்தி ஆகியோர் தலா 2 விக்கெட்டுக்களைப் பகிர்ந்ததோடு, சுகந்திகா குமாரி ஒரு விக்கெட்டையும் கைப்பற்றினர்.

இந்த வெற்றியின் மூலம் இலங்கை அணி 2-1 என தொடரை கைப்பற்றியது.
சுருக்கமான மதிப்பெண்கள்:
இலங்கை: 158-3 (20) (நிலக்ஷி டி சில்வா 63, ஹர்ஷிதா சமரவிக்ரம 51, ரெபேயா கான் 1-20, நஹிடா அக்டர் 1-37, ஃபஹிமா காதுன் 1-37)
பங்களாதேஷ்: 114-7 (20) (நிகர் சுல்தானா 31, சோபனா மோஸ்டரி 30, உதேஷிகா பிரபோதனி 2-17, காவ்யா கவிந்தி 2-28, இனோகா ரணவீர 2-17)

Football

Sri Lanka Women Finish Qualifiers with 0 Goals, 20 Conceded – Who Will Take Responsibility?

Published

3 days ago

July 5, 2025

Editor

Colombo, July 3 – Sri Lanka Women’s National Football Team wrapped up their AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers campaign with a third straight defeat — a 2-0 loss to Laos — confirming their position at the bottom of Group F, with 0 wins, 0 goals scored, and 18 conceded in just three games.

But beyond the scorelines lies a far more serious issue: a complete collapse of women’s football development in Sri Lanka. And this time, the blame does not lie on one individual — but on a system that has failed the sport, from top to bottom.

Match-by-Match Recap

Match 1: Sri Lanka 0 – 10 Uzbekistan

Possession: 30%
Shots on Target: 0
xG: 0.0 vs Uzbekistan’s 3.60
A game that exposed a lack of preparation, structure, and fitness from the very start.

Match 2: Sri Lanka 0 – 8 Nepal

Possession: 50%
Defensive errors gifted goals, including a hat-trick by Sabitra Bhandari.
xG: Nepal 3.76 vs Sri Lanka 0.60
Tactical breakdown: Midfield collapsed under pressure, backline failed to close space.

Match 3: Sri Lanka 0 – 2 Laos

Possession: 50%
Shots on Target: 5
xG: 2.56 (Laos) vs 1.08 (Sri Lanka)
A more balanced performance, but defensive lapses in the 73rd and 90+2 minutes led to defeat. Sri Lanka couldn’t convert chances despite their best game statistically.

Final Group Standings – Group F

Team	MP	GF	GA	GD	Points
🇳🇵 Nepal	2	17	0	+17	6
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	2	17	0	+17	6
🇱🇦 Laos	2	2	16	-14	0
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	3	0	20	-20	0

Tactical Issues Across All Matches

No clear formation or transition play.
Lack of defensive coordination — players failed to track runners, especially on the flanks.
No attacking identity — only 1.08 xG across three games.
In-game management absent — few substitutions or tactical shifts despite being outplayed.

While public criticism often targets the President of the Football Federation, this decline in women’s football runs deeper:

Who Is Accountable? Not Just the President

Women’s Football Committee:

Failed to organize any domestic tournament in recent years.
Selected the squad via open trials, with no league performance data to back selections.
No consistent training camps or fitness programs.

Executive Committee:

Remains silent on the recurring failures.
No inquiries, reviews, or structural reforms have followed Sri Lanka’s repeated humiliations — including the U20 Women’s SAFF defeat earlier this year.

Technical & Development Staff:

No tactical framework or youth development.
No modern coaching methods or international exposure for players.

The Bigger Problem: Silence and Stagnation

Sri Lanka is not just losing matches — it’s losing direction. The current state of women’s football is not the result of one bad campaign. It’s the product of years of neglect, political appointments, and a failure to treat women’s football with equal priority.

Even now, there is no explanation from the Executive Committee on how the women’s team was prepared or what plans exist for recovery.

Time for a Reset, Not Excuses

If Sri Lanka is serious about competing in international football, the following must be addressed:

✅ A national women’s league
✅ Provincial and school-level competitions
✅ Professional coaching staff and structured fitness programs
✅ Regular international friendlies and camps
✅ Transparent selection processes based on performance, not politics

🔚 Conclusion

Sri Lanka’s 2026 AFC campaign should not just be remembered for the scorelines — but as a call for change. It is time for every stakeholder — from the Women’s Committee to the Executive — to reflect, respond, and rebuild.

News

Sri Lanka Set to Face UAE in Crucial Rugby Clash Tomorrow in Colombo

Published

5 days ago

July 4, 2025

Editor

The Sri Lanka national rugby team will lock horns with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a much-anticipated international rugby encounter set to take place today (July 4) at the iconic Racecourse Ground, Colombo.

As part of their final preparations, the Sri Lankan team held an intensive training session today under the watchful eyes of the coaching staff. The team looked sharp, focused, and ready to bring their A-game to home soil.

This clash promises to be a key test for the Tuskers as they look to strengthen their footing in the regional rugby scene and gain momentum ahead of upcoming international competitions. UAE, a rising force in Asian rugby, will also be eyeing a big performance away from home.

Both teams are expected to field strong lineups, and the match is anticipated to draw significant interest from local fans eager to witness top-tier rugby action.

📍 Match Info
🗓️ Date: July 4, 2025
📍 Venue: Racecourse Rugby Grounds, Colombo
🕒 Kick-off: TBA

Stay tuned for live updates, photos, and post-match coverage on Sri Lankan Sports TV.

Football

Sri Lanka Women Crushed 8-0 by Nepal in AFC Qualifiers – Tactical Collapse Raises Alarm

Published

6 days ago

July 2, 2025

Editor

Colombo, July 2 – Sri Lanka Women’s National Football Team suffered another brutal defeat in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers, going down 8-0 to a confident and clinical Nepalese side. Coming just days after a 10-0 hammering by Uzbekistan, this latest loss highlights deeper tactical, technical, and structural issues within Sri Lanka’s women’s football system.

Full-Time Score: Sri Lanka 0 – 8 Nepal

Half-Time: 0 – 4
Venue: Group F – AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers

Key Match Statistics

Stat	Sri Lanka Women	Nepal Women
Possession	50%	50%
Total Shots	4	26
Shots on Target	3	18
Shots off Target	1	8
Expected Goals (xG)	0.60	3.76
Corners	0	14
Fouls	4	6
Cards	0	0
Offsides	0	3

Tactical Breakdown – Why Sri Lanka Lost 8-0

Despite the possession being even at 50%, Sri Lanka was thoroughly outplayed. This is a classic case where possession stats mislead the reality on the pitch.

1. Poor Defensive Organization

Sri Lanka conceded 14 corners and 18 shots on target, indicating that Nepal constantly penetrated both flanks and delivered into the box unchallenged.
There was no compact defensive line, and Nepal exploited space behind Sri Lanka’s fullbacks repeatedly.

2. Ineffective Midfield Structure

While Sri Lanka held possession equally, it was largely passive and in non-threatening zones.
Nepal, on the other hand, converted their possession into 3.76 xG, showing how effective and vertical their transitions were.

3. Repeated Failures in Closing Down Key Players

Sabitra Bhandari scored a hat-trick within 26 minutes (14’, 36’, 40’) and was left unmarked multiple times.
Nepal’s attackers were given space and time to shoot – evident from the 18 shots on target.

4. No Offensive Threat

Sri Lanka managed only 4 shots in the entire game, with an xG of just 0.60.
With no corners and no real pressing, the team offered nothing going forward, allowing Nepal to push numbers up comfortably.

Back-to-Back Heavy Losses: Structural Failures Exposed

This defeat comes after a 10-0 loss to Uzbekistan, meaning Sri Lanka has now conceded 18 goals in two matches without scoring once.

This isn’t just a reflection of players’ on-field performance — it’s a glaring indictment of:

FFSL’s failure to conduct any women’s football league in years
A rushed team selection based on a short trial, without competitive match practice
No structured coaching program or international exposure
Lack of scouting, fitness programs, and tactical planning

Nepal, though not an Asian powerhouse, had better coaching structure, player chemistry, and clear tactics, which led to their dominance.

What’s Next for Sri Lanka?

If the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) and the Ministry of Sports continue to ignore these warning signs, Sri Lanka risks becoming irrelevant in women’s football on the Asian stage.

What’s needed:

✅ A proper national women’s league
✅ Regular youth-level competitions and scouting
✅ Appointing qualified coaching staff with modern tactical knowledge
✅ Consistent international exposure for players

Conclusion

An 8-0 defeat to Nepal isn’t just a bad result — it’s a mirror held up to a broken system. Unless real change is implemented beyond symbolic participation, these results will become Sri Lanka’s norm in women’s football.