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Royal dominate day one thanks to Manchanayake, Ramiru centuries

Centuries from skipper Dasis Manchanayake and Ramiru Perera helped Royal College, Colombo dominate the opening day against arch-rivals S. Thomas’ College at stumps on day one of the 144th ‘Battle of the Blues’ which commenced at SSC Cricket Grounds, Colombo today.
Put into bat first on a green deck on an overcast morning, Royal was off to a poor start losing 4 wickets for just 63 runs.
Despite a shaky start Royal College rebuild their innings thanks to a record-breaking 229-run partnership between skipper Dasis Manchanayake and Ramiru Perera for the fifth wicket to revive their innings and slowly crawl their way back into the game
The 229-run partnership also re-wrote history as the highest partnership for the 5th wicket in the history of the ‘Battle of the Blues’.
Skipper Dasis Manchanayake led from the front, top scoring with a brilliant 137 runs off 150 deliveries including 17 boundaries while Ramiru Perera also played a similar inning as he scored 15 fours and 2 sixes during his 186-ball 128 to help their team go past the 300-run mark.
The duo batted cautiously to take Royal to a decent position until Royal’s skipper was bamboozled by a peach of a delivery from Kavindu Dias, to once again give the advantage to the Thomians.
With the scoreboard reading at 5-292, a desperate effort to score some quick runs towards the end proved fatal as Royal lost a few quick wickets that set batter Ramiru Perera to end day one on 326-8 after 74 overs.
Savindu Seneratharachchi (8) and Bulan Weeratunga (2) were at the crease when umpires called for stumps.
Besides Ramiru’s and Dasis Manchanayake’s knocks, Royal College’s scorecard was not that impressive as none of the other batters was able to pose a threat to the Thomian bowlers.
Right-arm medium pacer Akash Fernando shone with the ball claiming 4-55, while Kavindu Dias bagged 3 wickets.
The match will continue tomorrow for day 2.
මංචනායක, රමිරු ශතකවලට පින්සිදු වන්නට රාජකීය ආධිපත්ය දිනය පළමු දිනය
කොළඹ SSC ක්රිකට් පිටියේ අද ආරම්භ වූ 144 වැනි ‘බ්ලූස් සටනේ’ පළමු දිනය වූ අද තරගය නතර කරන විට නායක දාසිස් මංචනායකගේ සහ රමිරු පෙරේරාගේ ශතක හේතුවෙන් කොළඹ රාජකීය විද්යාලය පළමු දිනයේදී පරම ප්රතිවාදී S. තෝමස් විද්යාලයට එරෙහිව සිය ආධිපත්යය දැරීමට සමත් විය.
වලාකුළු සහිත උදෑසනක හරිත තට්ටුවේ පළමුවෙන් පන්දුවට පහර දුන් රාජකීයයන් ලකුණු 63 කට කඩුලු 4 ක් දැවී දුර්වල ආරම්භයක් ලබා ගත්තේය.
ආරම්භය බිඳවැටුණද රාජකීය විද්යාලය සිය ඉනිම යළි ගොඩනැංවූයේ නායක දාසිස් මංචනායක සහ රමිරු පෙරේරා පස්වැනි කඩුල්ලට ගොඩනැගූ වාර්තාගත ලකුණු 229ක සබඳතාවයට ස්තුතිවන්ත වන්නටය.
ලකුණු 229ක සබඳතාව ‘Battle of the Blues’ ඉතිහාසයේ 5 වැනි කඩුල්ල වෙනුවෙන් ගොඩනැගුණු ඉහළම සබඳතාව ලෙස ඉතිහාසය යළිත් ලියැවීය.
නායක දසිස් මංචනායක පන්දු 150කදී හතරේ පහර 17ක් සමඟින් විශිෂ්ට ලකුණු 137ක් ලබා ගනිමින් පෙරමුණේ සිට ඉහළම ලකුණු ලාභියා වූ අතර රමිරු පෙරේරා ද එවැනිම ඉනිමක් ක්රීඩා කරමින් පන්දු 186කදී හතරේ පහර 15ක් සහ හයේ පහර 2ක් සමඟින් ලකුණු 128ක් රැස්කරමින් තම කණ්ඩායම පසුකර ගියේය. ලකුණු 300 ලකුණ.
කවිඳු ඩයස්ගේ පන්දුවකට පීච් පහරකින් රාජකීය නායකයා දැවී යන තුරුම ඔවුන් දෙදෙනා ප්රවේශමෙන් පන්දුවට පහර දුන්නේ තෝමියානුවන්ට වාසියක් ලබා දෙමිනි.
ලකුණු පුවරුව 5-292 ක් වන විට, අවසානය දක්වා වේගවත් ලකුණු කිහිපයක් ලබා ගැනීමට මංමුලා සහගත උත්සාහයක් මාරාන්තික බව ඔප්පු වූ අතර, රාජකීය විදුහලට ඉක්මන් කඩුලු කිහිපයක් අහිමි වූ අතර එමඟින් පිතිකරු රමිරු පෙරේරා පළමු දිනය නිමා කිරීමට ඕවර 74 කින් ලකුණු 326-8 ක් ලබා ගත්තේය.
විනිසුරුවන් කඩුල්ලට කැඳවන විට සවිඳු සෙනරආරච්චි (8) සහ බුලාන් වීරතුංග (2) ක්රීඩාගාරයේ සිටියහ.
රමිරුගේ සහ දසිස් මංචනායකගේ දස්කම් හැරුණු විට රාජකීය විදුහලේ ලකුණු පුවරුව එතරම් ආකර්ෂණීය නොවූයේ සෙසු පිතිකරුවන් කිසිවකුට තෝමියන් පන්දු යවන්නන්ට තර්ජනයක් එල්ල කිරීමට නොහැකි වූ බැවිනි.
දකුණත් මධ්යම වේග පන්දු යවන ක්රීඩක ආකාෂ් ප්රනාන්දු ලකුණු 4-55ක් ලෙසින් පන්දුවෙන් දස්කම් දැක්වූ අතර කවිඳු ඩයස් කඩුලු 3ක් දවා ගත්තේය.
තරගය අද 2 වැනි දිනටත් පැවැත්වේ.
மஞ்சநாயகி, ராமிரு நூற்றாண்டுகளுக்கு ராயல் டாமினியன் நாள் முதல் நன்றி
இன்று கொழும்பு SSC கிரிக்கெட் மைதானத்தில் ஆரம்பமான 144வது ‘Battle of the Blues’ போட்டியின் முதல் நாள் ஆட்டம் முடிவடையும் போது, அணித்தலைவர் தாசிஸ் மஞ்சநாயக்க மற்றும் ரமிரு பெரேராவின் சதங்கள், கொழும்பு ரோயல் கல்லூரிக்கு எதிரான ஆரம்ப நாள் ஆட்டத்தின் போது பரம எதிரிகளான S. Thomas’ கல்லூரிக்கு எதிராக ஆதிக்கம் செலுத்த உதவியது.
ஒரு மேகமூட்டமான காலையில் பச்சை டெக்கில் முதலில் பேட் செய்த ராயல் வெறும் 63 ரன்களுக்கு 4 விக்கெட்டுகளை இழந்து மோசமான தொடக்கத்தைத் தந்தது.
ஆட்டமிழந்த ஆரம்பம் இருந்தபோதிலும், ஐந்தாவது விக்கெட்டுக்காக அணித்தலைவர் தாசிஸ் மஞ்சநாயக்க மற்றும் ரமிரு பெரேரா ஆகியோர் இணைந்து 229 ஓட்டங்களை இணைத்ததன் மூலம் றோயல் கல்லூரி மீண்டும் இன்னிங்ஸைக் கட்டியெழுப்பியது.
229 ரன் பார்ட்னர்ஷிப், ‘பேட்டில் ஆஃப் தி ப்ளூஸ்’ வரலாற்றில் 5வது விக்கெட்டுக்கு அதிகபட்ச பார்ட்னர்ஷிப்பாகவும் வரலாற்றை மீண்டும் எழுதியது.
அணித்தலைவர் தாசிஸ் மஞ்சநாயக்க முன்னணியில் இருந்து 150 பந்துகளில் 17 பவுண்டரிகள் அடங்கலாக 137 ஓட்டங்களைப் பெற்று சிறந்த ஸ்கோரைப் பெற்றுக் கொண்டார், அதேபோன்று ரமிரு பெரேராவும் இதேபோன்ற இன்னிங்ஸை விளையாடினார், அவர் தனது 186 பந்துகளில் 128 ஓட்டங்களைப் பெற்று 186 பந்துகளில் 128 ஓட்டங்களைப் பெற்றார். 300 ரன் மார்க்.
கவிந்து டயஸின் பந்து வீச்சில் ராயல் கேப்டன் மூங்கில் விழுந்து, தோமியன்களுக்கு மீண்டும் சாதகமாக அமையும் வரை, இருவரும் கவனமாக துடுப்பெடுத்தாடி றோயலை ஒரு நல்ல நிலைக்கு கொண்டு சென்றனர்.
ஸ்கோர்போர்டு ரீடிங் 5-292 என்ற நிலையில், இறுதியில் சில விரைவான ரன்களை எடுப்பதற்கான அவநம்பிக்கையான முயற்சி ஆபத்தானது, ஏனெனில் ராயல் சில விரைவான விக்கெட்டுகளை இழந்தார், இதனால் பேட்டர் ரமிரு பெரேரா முதல் நாள் முடிவில் 74 ஓவர்களில் 326-8 ரன்களை எடுத்தார்.
நடுவர்கள் ஸ்டம்புகளுக்கு அழைப்பு விடுத்தபோது சவிந்து செனரதாராச்சி (8) மற்றும் புலன் வீரதுங்க (2) ஆகியோர் கிரீஸில் இருந்தனர்.
ரமிரு மற்றும் தாசிஸ் மஞ்சநாயக்கவின் ஆட்டமிழக்க, ரோயல் கல்லூரியின் ஸ்கோர் கார்டு அவ்வளவு சுவாரஸ்யமாக இருக்கவில்லை, ஏனெனில் மற்ற துடுப்பாட்ட வீரர்கள் எவரும் தோமியன் பந்துவீச்சாளர்களுக்கு அச்சுறுத்தலாக இருக்க முடியவில்லை.
பந்து வீச்சில் வலது கை நடுத்தர வேகப்பந்து வீச்சாளர் ஆகாஷ் பெர்னாண்டோ 4-55 என பிரகாசிக்க, கவிந்து டயஸ் 3 விக்கெட்டுகளை கைப்பற்றினார்.
இன்று 2-வது நாளாக ஆட்டம் தொடரும்.
Football
Stafford vs. Colombo International: The Second Edition of the Big Match Kicks Off!
Football fever returns as Stafford International School and Colombo International School gear up for the second edition of their highly anticipated Big Match! This year, the rivalry intensifies with four matches across different age and gender categories:
✅ U15 Girls
✅ U15 Boys
✅ U20 Girls
✅ U20 Boys
🏆 Stafford International’s Rising Stars:
- U15 Girls: Defending TISSL U14 and Colombo SLSFA District champions, featuring standout players like Keshalee Ranatunga and Sonja Ratanayake (just 10 years old!).
- U15 Boys: All-Island U14 runners-up out of 462 schools, led by goalkeeper Yash Amarasekara, who was named Best U14 GK in Sri Lanka.
- U20 Girls & Boys: Both teams finished as TISSL runners-up, boasting stars like Raya Rikaz, Yumna Safraz, Adnaan Ameen, and Nidurshan Mohan.
🏆 Colombo International’s Key Players:
- U15 Girls: TISSL U16 runners-up, featuring top defender Khadeeja Niyas and striker Ozra.
- U20 Girls: TISSL U20 runners-up, with Fioni Dedhia named Goalkeeper of the Tournament.
- U20 Boys: Defending Big Match champions, looking to retain their title behind stars like Krishwen and Habib.
👀 Who will come out on top this time? Watch the action LIVE at the link below! 🎥👇
#BigMatch2025 #SchoolFootball #SriLankaFootball #StaffordVsCIS #RivalryRenewed
Cricket
Shammi Silva Re-Elected as Sri Lanka Cricket President for Fourth Consecutive Term
Shammi Silva has been re-elected as the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) president for the 2025-27 term, marking his fourth consecutive tenure at the helm of the nation’s cricket governing body. Silva secured the position uncontested at the 64th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Colombo on Monday.
A Controversial Yet Dominant Tenure
Silva’s leadership has not been without controversy. His previous term saw a high-profile clash with former Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe in 2023, which led to an interim committee being appointed after Sri Lanka’s poor performance in the ICC ODI World Cup. This move resulted in ICC suspending SLC, which led to Sri Lanka losing the hosting rights for the U19 Men’s World Cup, which was later held in South Africa.
Despite these setbacks, Silva regained control after a court ruling reinstated his administration, and he was later appointed as the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in December 2023, replacing Jay Shah.
Challenges & Future Outlook
Sri Lanka Cricket has long been seen as a powerful and influential body, with internal politics often shaping its leadership. With financial mismanagement concerns highlighted in the Auditor General’s report, Silva’s administration faces the challenge of restoring credibility and ensuring better governance.
With the ICC ban lifted, Sri Lanka looks to rebuild its cricketing structure and improve performance on the international stage. The focus now shifts to upcoming bilateral series, the Asia Cup, and preparations for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Stay tuned for more updates on Sri Lanka Cricket and the latest in the world of sports!
Cricket
Stephen Fleming Defends MS Dhoni’s Batting Position Amid Criticism
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming has defended MS Dhoni’s late entry in the batting order, stating that the legendary wicketkeeper-batsman cannot play an extended innings at full intensity due to lingering knee concerns.
The 43-year-old Dhoni faced criticism after coming in at No. 9 during CSK’s 50-run loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Chepauk. In the next match against Rajasthan Royals on March 30, 2025, he batted at No. 7 when CSK required 54 off 25 balls but managed just 16 off 11 as his team fell short by six runs.
Fleming’s Explanation on Dhoni’s Role
Fleming emphasized that Dhoni carefully assesses the match situation before deciding when to bat.
“It’s all about timing. MS judges his body and situation. His knees aren’t what they used to be, so he can’t bat for 10 overs at full intensity. He will step in based on the game’s demands,” Fleming explained at the post-match press conference.
The CSK coach reiterated that Dhoni remains too valuable to the team for his leadership and wicketkeeping and that sending him in too early could be a strategic misstep.
“From around the 13th or 14th over, he assesses the situation and decides. He trusts other batters early on but steps up when needed.”
CSK’s Struggles in the Powerplay Cost Them the Match
Fleming also pinpointed CSK’s poor powerplay performance as a key reason for their loss against Rajasthan Royals. While RR blasted 79/1 in the powerplay, CSK only managed 42/1,
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