News

Mathews shine in SL’s thumping win Vs Afghanistan

Published

1 year ago

February 20, 2024

Editor

Afghanistan tour of Sri Lanka (Second T20I)

Sri Lanka emerged victorious over Afghanistan by a margin of 72 runs in the second T20I and secured a unassailable 2-0 lead in the 3-match series.

Angelo Mathews, who recently made his T20I comeback, played a pivotal role for the Sri Lankan team with his contributions both with the bat and ball.

Batting at No.7, Mathews displayed an aggressive approach and scored an unbeaten 42 runs off just 22 balls, including 2 fours and 4 sixes. His impressive knock helped Sri Lanka reach a total of 187 for 6 in 20 overs in Dambulla international cricket stadium.

Earlier Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis provided a solid start by adding 45 runs in 3.5 overs for the opening wicket.

However, despite getting good starts, Nissanka, Mendis, and Dhananjaya de Silva failed to capitalize on their innings. Sadeera Samarawickrama scored 51 runs off 42 balls with 5 fours, but couldn’t accelerate the scoring rate throughout the innings.

Among the Afghan bowlers, Mohammad Nabi stood out with figures of 4-0-25-2. Azmatullah Omarzai also took 2 wickets but conceded runs at an economy rate of 10.

Chasing the challenging target, Afghanistan faced early setbacks and found themselves struggling at 31 for 5 in 4.3 overs.

Mohammed Nabi and Karim Janat tried to stabilize the innings by adding 39 runs off 29 balls. Nabi, who had earlier impressed with the ball, contributed 27 runs off 17 balls. Janat also showed promise with his knock of 28 runs off 23 balls before being dismissed by Wanindu Hasaranga.

Hasaranga finished with impressive figures of 4-0-19-2. However, it was Mathews who was awarded the Player of the Match for his all-round performance, which included picking up 2 wickets.

The two sides will next meet in the 3rd T20I scheduled to be played on Wednesday (21) at the same venue.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka 187/6 in 20 overs (Sadeera Samarawickrama 51, Angelo Mathews 42*; Mohammed Nabi 2-25) beat Afghanistan 115 all out in 17 overs (Karim Janat 28, Mohammad Nabi 27; Angelo Mathews 2-9, Wanindu Hasaranga 2-19) by 72 runs

Football

Sri Lanka Schools National Championship 2024: Super Eight Round Concludes – Semifinalists Confirmed!

Published

2 days ago

February 21, 2025

Editor

The Super Eight Round of the Sri Lanka Schools National Championship 2024 (Under 20 Division 1 Boys Football Tournament) has ended on a high note, producing four standout teams that will battle for a place in the final. Below is a comprehensive look at the match results, final points tables, and key highlights from the tournament so far.

Match Results Overview

St. Joseph’s College 4-0 Darussalam College
Kalutara Muslim Central 2-3 Alighar National School
Hameed Al Husseine College 1-0 Al Falah College
Zahira College 4-0 St. Patrick’s College
St. Joseph’s College 1-1 Alighar National School
Darussalam College 7-0 Kalutara Muslim Central
Al Falah College 0-3 Zahira College
St. Patrick’s College 0-4 Hameed Al Husseine College
Alighar National School 5-1 Darussalam College
St. Joseph’s College 1-0 Kalutara Muslim Central
Zahira College 2-0 Hameed Al Husseine College
Al Falah College 3-2 St. Patrick’s College

Group A Standings

Rank	Team	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Points
1	Alighar National School	3	2	1	0	9	4	+5	7
2	St. Joseph’s College	3	2	1	0	6	1	+5	7
3	Darussalam College	3	1	0	2	8	9	-1	3
4	Kalutara Muslim Central College	3	0	0	3	2	11	-9	0

Top Two (Advancing to Semifinals):

Alighar National School
St. Joseph’s College

Group B Standings

Rank	Team	P	W	L	GF	GA	GD	Points
1	Zahira College	3	3	0	9	0	+9	9
2	Hameed Al Husseine College	3	2	1	5	2	+3	6
3	Al Falah College	3	1	2	3	6	-3	3
4	St. Patrick’s College	3	0	3	2	11	-9	0

Top Two (Advancing to Semifinals):

Zahira College
Hameed Al Husseine College

Summary & Semi-Final Preview

Alighar National School and St. Joseph’s College finished level on points at the top of Group A. Their draw against each other kept the race tight, but both teams delivered strong performances in the remaining matches to secure 7 points each.
Zahira College dominated Group B with three consecutive wins, scoring 9 goals and conceding none. Hameed Al Husseine College followed suit, showcasing solid defense and earning 6 points to claim the second semi-final berth.
Darussalam College, Kalutara Muslim Central, Al Falah College, and St. Patrick’s College showed fighting spirit but fell short in the quest for the knockout stage.

Semi Finals

Alighar National School will face Hameed Al Husseine College in the Semi Finals
Zahira College will face St. Joseph’s College in the Semi Finals

The semi-finals promise high-octane clashes as the top contenders face off. Stay tuned to Sri Lankan Sports TV for exclusive match previews, live coverage, and post-match analysis as we approach the grand finale of the Sri Lanka Schools National Championship 2025.

News

World Rugby Sets Final Deadline for Sri Lanka Rugby Governance Reforms

Published

2 days ago

February 21, 2025

Editor

World Rugby has extended Sri Lanka Rugby’s (SLR) deadline until June 15, 2025, to address its governance issues, warning that failure to comply will result in immediate sanctions, including a possible ban from international competitions.

Acknowledging the persistent efforts of Sri Lanka’s Competent Authority and Director General of Sports, Professor (Rear Admiral) Shemal Fernando, World Rugby remains firm on its conditions. SLR must implement a revised constitution and conduct elections within the next four months to meet international standards.

To oversee these reforms, a Working Taskforce has been formed, featuring representatives from World Rugby, Asia Rugby, the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka, and the Sri Lankan government. Led by Asia Rugby, this task force is responsible for guiding SLR through the required changes.

The reform process consists of two key phases. The initial phase focuses on reviewing voting eligibility, finalizing constitutional amendments, and organizing a Special General Meeting (SGM). The next phase involves adopting the new constitution at the SGM, followed by elections monitored by World Rugby, Asia Rugby, and local sports authorities.

SLR has faced repeated scrutiny over governance failures, prompting multiple interventions from international rugby bodies. With this deadline set, Sri Lanka Rugby has one final opportunity to align with global governance standards and secure its future in international rugby.

Football

Sky Market Travels Joins Hands with Sri Lanka Schools’ Football

Published

3 days ago

February 19, 2025

Editor

Sky Market Travels, a leading travel agency, has partnered with Sri Lanka Schools’ Football to contribute to the development of school football in the country.

As a first step, Sky Market Travels (Pvt) Ltd has joined as a sponsor for the Sri Lanka Schools’ National Championship 2024 Under-20 Division One tournament, organized by the Sri Lanka Schools’ Football Association.

This prestigious tournament, featuring 20 of Sri Lanka’s top school teams, has long been a vital platform for young players to showcase their talent at the national level. By stepping in as a sponsor, Sky Market Travels is playing a key role in supporting the future of Sri Lankan school football.

The event was attended by the President of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka, Jaswar Umar, the Head of the Coach Education Department and former National Team Captain, Sampath Perera, Elite Youth Manager Dudley Steinwal, Members of Schools’ Football Association, and the Managing Director of Sky Market Travels (Pvt) ltd Mohamed Faroos, the President of the Negombo Poruthota Soccer Fans Rizwan, and its Manager Nufri.

With this partnership, Sky Market Travels has taken a significant step in uplifting school football and providing aspiring young footballers with better opportunities to excel at the national level.