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Royal has an edge over S. Thomas’
Skipper Dasis Manchanayake and Ramiru Perera put on a similar performance in the second innings to help Royal gain a healthy 341-run lead against arch-rivals S. Thomas’ at the end of day two in the 144th ‘Battle of the Blues’ being played at SSC ground.
Royal declared their inning at the overnight score of 326 for 8 and bundled out the Thomians for just 153 runs in 55 overs on day two. The Royalists went straight for the jugular with their bowlers ripping through the Thomian batting lineup, reducing them to 94-4 by lunch.
Apart from Senadhi Bulankulama (40) and Mahith Perera (30) none of the other batters was able to pose a threat to the Royalists, as they continued to dominate with the ball and eventually bowled out the Thomians for 153 runs.

Bulan Weeratunga was the pick of the bowlers taking 3 for 26, with Ranuka Malaviarachchi, Sandesh Ramanayaka and Sineth Jayawardena sharing two wickets apiece.
Royal with a comfortable lead of 173 runs, were off to a similar start in their second innings as in the first innings, losing openers Sineth Jayawardena (4) and Ovina Ambanpola (5) cheaply.
With Royal in some sort of trouble, skipper Dasis Manchanayake once again came to the rescue with another blistering 57 runs off 49 deliveries including 6 boundaries to review the innings to a certain extent.
With things going well for the Royalists, Akash Fernando got the breakthrough to send skipper Manchanayake back to the pavilion with a peach of a delivery to gain back the momentum towards the Thomians.
However, Ramiru Perera continued from where he left off in the first innings with another watchful unbeaten 46 runs off 34 deliveries including 3 boundaries and 2 sixes to steady Royal’s second innings.
With the scoreboard reading at 168-4 umpires called for stumps with Ramiru Perera on 46* and Sanvidu Senartharachchi on 11*.
Akash Fernando shone with the ball claiming all 4 Royal wickets that fell to end with figures of 4-59.
රාජකීය තෝමස්ට වඩා ඉදිරියෙන් සිටී
නායක දාසිස් මංචනායක සහ රමිරු පෙරේරා දෙවැනි ඉනිමේදී ද එවැනිම දස්කම් දැක්වීමට රාජකීය පිලට සහය වූයේ 144 වැනි ‘බ්ලූස් සටන’ තරගයේ දෙවැනි දිනය අවසානයේදී පරම ප්රතිවාදී එස්. තෝමස් පිලට එරෙහිව ලකුණු 341ක නිරෝගී ඉදිරියක් ලබා ගැනීමටය. SSC පිටියේදී.
ලකුණු 326කට කඩුලු 8කට ලකුණු 326ක් ලබා සිටියදී රාජකීය විදුහල සිය ඉනිම ප්රකාශ කළ අතර දෙවැනි දිනයේ දී තෝමස් පිලට ඕවර 55කදී ලකුණු 153කට දැවී ගියේය. රාජකීයයන් ඔවුන්ගේ පන්දු යවන්නන් සමඟ කෙලින්ම ජුගුලර් වෙත ගිය අතර, ඔවුන් දිවා ආහාරය වන විට ලකුණු 94-4 දක්වා පහත හෙලමින් තෝමියානු පිතිකරු පෙළ ඉරා දැමූහ.
සේනාධි බුලන්කුලම (40) සහ මහීත් පෙරේරා (30) හැරුණු විට සෙසු කිසිදු පිතිකරුවෙක් රාජකීයයන්ට තර්ජනයක් එල්ල කිරීමට සමත් නොවූයේ ඔවුන් දිගින් දිගටම පන්දුවෙන් ආධිපත්යය දැරූ අතර අවසානයේ තෝමස් පිල ලකුණු 153කට දවාලීමට සමත් විය.
පන්දු යැවීමේදී බුලාන් වීරතුංග ලකුණු 26 කට කඩුලු 3 ක් දවාගත් අතර රනුක මලවිආරච්චි, සන්දේශ් රාමනායක සහ සිනෙත් ජයවර්ධන කඩුලු 2 බැගින් බෙදී ගියහ.
ලකුණු 173ක පහසු ඉදිරියෙන් සිටි රාජකීය විදුහල පළමු ඉනිමේදී මෙන්ම දෙවැනි ඉනිමේදීද ආරම්භක පිතිකරුවෝ වන සිනෙත් ජයවර්ධන (4) සහ ඕවිනා අඹන්පොළ (5) අඩුවෙන් දැවී ගියහ.
රාජකීය විද්යාලය යම් අපහසුතාවයකට ලක්ව සිටියදී, නායක දාසිස් මංචනායක නැවතත් පන්දු 49 කදී හතරේ පහර 6 ක් ඇතුළුව ලකුණු 57 ක් ලබා ගනිමින් තවත් පිබිදීමක් ලබා ගනිමින් ඉනිම යම් දුරකට සමාලෝචනය කිරීමට සමත් විය.
රාජකීය ක්රීඩකයන්ගේ තත්ත්වය හොඳින් සිදු වීමත් සමඟ ආකාෂ් ප්රනාන්දු නායක මංචනායකව පීච් පහරක් සමඟින් නැවත මණ්ඩපයට යැවීමට පෙරළියක් ලබා ගත්තේ තෝමියානුවන් දෙසට වේගයක් ලබා ගැනීම සඳහා ය.
කෙසේ වෙතත්, රමිරු පෙරේරා ප්රථම ඉනිමේ නතර කළ ස්ථානයේ සිට තවත් අවධානයෙන් පසුවූයේ පන්දු 34 කදී හතරේ පහර 3 ක් සහ හයේ පහර 2 ක් ඇතුළුව නොදැවී ලකුණු 46 ක් ලබා ගනිමින් රාජකීය දෙවන ඉනිම ස්ථාවර කිරීමට ය.
ලකුණු පුවරුව 168-4ක් වෙද්දී විනිසුරුවන් කඩුල්ලට කැදවූ අතර රමිරු පෙරේරා ලකුණු 46කින් සහ සංවිදු සෙනාර්ථආරච්චි ලකුණු 11යි.
ආකාෂ් ප්රනාන්දු පන්දුවෙන් බැබළුණේ අවසානයේ වැටුණු රාජකීය කඩුලු 4ම 4-59 ලෙස සටහන් කරමිනි.
றோயல் தோமஸ் விட முன்னிலை.
அணித்தலைவர் தாசிஸ் மஞ்சநாயக்க மற்றும் ரமிரு பெரேரா ஆகியோர் இரண்டாவது இன்னிங்ஸில் இதேபோன்ற ஆட்டத்தை வெளிப்படுத்தினர், 144வது ‘பேட்டில் ஆஃப் தி ப்ளூஸ்’ போட்டியின் இரண்டாம் நாள் முடிவில், பரம எதிரிகளான எஸ். தாமஸுக்கு எதிராக ராயல் ஆரோக்கியமான 341 ரன்கள் முன்னிலை பெற உதவியது. SSC மைதானத்தில்.
8 விக்கெட்டுக்கு 326 ரன்கள் எடுத்திருந்த நிலையில் ராயல் இன்னிங்ஸை டிக்ளேர் செய்து, தோமியன்ஸை 55 ஓவர்களில் 153 ரன்களுக்கு ஆட்டமிழக்கச் செய்தது. தோமியன் பேட்டிங் வரிசையை கிழித்தெறிந்த தங்கள் பந்துவீச்சாளர்களுடன் ராயல்ஸ்டுகள் நேராக ஜுகுலருக்குச் சென்றனர், மதிய உணவுக்குள் அவர்களை 94-4 ஆகக் குறைத்தனர்.
சேனாதி புலங்குளம (40) மற்றும் மஹித் பெரேரா (30) ஆகியோரைத் தவிர மற்ற துடுப்பாட்ட வீரர்கள் எவரும் ராயல்ஸ்டுகளுக்கு அச்சுறுத்தலாக இருக்கவில்லை, அவர்கள் தொடர்ந்து பந்தில் ஆதிக்கம் செலுத்தி இறுதியில் தோமியன்ஸை 153 ரன்களுக்கு ஆட்டமிழக்கச் செய்தனர்.
பந்து வீச்சில் புலன் வீரதுங்க 26 ஓட்டங்களுக்கு 3 விக்கெட்டுகளை வீழ்த்தினார், ரணுக மளவியராச்சி, சந்தேஷ் ராமநாயக்க மற்றும் சினெத் ஜயவர்தன ஆகியோர் தலா 2 விக்கெட்டுகளைப் பகிர்ந்தனர்.
173 ரன்கள் முன்னிலையுடன் ராயல், முதல் இன்னிங்ஸைப் போலவே தனது இரண்டாவது இன்னிங்ஸிலும் தொடக்க ஆட்டக்காரர்களான சினெத் ஜெயவர்தன (4), ஓவினா அம்பன்பொலா (5) ஆகியோரை மலிவாக இழந்தது.
ராயல் ஒருவித சிக்கலில் சிக்கிய நிலையில், கேப்டன் தாசிஸ் மஞ்சநாயக்க மீண்டும் 49 பந்துகளில் 6 பவுண்டரிகள் உட்பட 57 ரன்கள் எடுத்து இன்னிங்ஸை ஒரு குறிப்பிட்ட அளவிற்கு மதிப்பாய்வு செய்தார்.
ராயல்ஸ்டுகளுக்கு விஷயங்கள் நன்றாக நடந்ததால், ஆகாஷ் பெர்னாண்டோ, கேப்டன் மஞ்சநாயக்காவை மீண்டும் பெவிலியனுக்கு அனுப்பி, ஒரு பந்து வீச்சில் மீண்டும் தோமியன்களை நோக்கி வேகத்தை பெற செய்தார்.
இருப்பினும், ரமிரு பெரேரா முதல் இன்னிங்ஸில் 34 பந்துகளில் 3 பவுண்டரிகள் மற்றும் 2 சிக்ஸர்கள் அடங்கலாக ஆட்டமிழக்காமல் 46 ரன்கள் எடுத்து முதல் இன்னிங்ஸில் அவர் விட்ட இடத்திலிருந்து தொடர்ந்தார்.
ஸ்கோர்போர்டு ரீடிங் 168-4 என்ற நிலையில் நடுவர்கள் ஸ்டம்புகளுக்கு அழைப்பு விடுத்தனர், ரமிரு பெரேரா 46* ரன்களிலும், சன்விது சென்னார்தாராச்சி 11* ரன்களிலும் இருந்தனர்.
ஆகாஷ் பெர்னாண்டோ பந்தில் பிரகாசித்த 4 ராயல் விக்கெட்டுகளையும் 4-59 என்ற புள்ளிகளுடன் இறுதியில் வீழ்த்தினார்.
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SLR Unveils National Coaching Staff for 2026 Season
Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) has officially named the coaching and support staff for the national XV-a-side and sevens teams ahead of the 2026 international rugby season, which begins next month with the tour of the New Zealand Under-85kg team to Sri Lanka.
Dushanth Lewke has been appointed as the Head Coach of the national XV-a-side squad for the upcoming international campaigns. He will be supported by forwards coach Henry Terance and assistant coach Lasintha De Costa. The team’s support staff will include Tharanga Premakumara as physiotherapist and Vishvamithra Jayasinghe overseeing strength and conditioning.
Lewke previously served as the forwards coach of the national XV-a-side team during the 2025 Asia Rugby Championship. He also enjoyed a highly successful domestic season, guiding his club CR & FC to a historic double by winning both the League title and the Clifford Cup.
Sri Lanka’s XV-a-side international calendar will begin with the New Zealand Under-85kg tour scheduled for April. Later in the year, Sri Lanka will compete in the Asia Rugby Top 4 tournament alongside South Korea, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates.
For the men’s sevens programme, Shamly Nawaz and Amjad Buksh have been appointed as co-coaches, while Dansha Dayan will join the setup as an intern coach. Dilan Zoysa will manage strength and conditioning responsibilities and Shafin Majid will serve as the team physiotherapist.

The women’s national programme will be led by head coach Leonard De Zilwa with M. Saldeen appointed as assistant coach. Nimesh De Silva will take on the role of team physiotherapist.
Cricket
92nd Battle of the Saints Set for March at SSC
The stage is set for one of Sri Lanka’s most cherished school cricket rivalries, as St. Joseph’s College and St. Peter’s College prepare to renew their historic contest in the 92nd Battle of the Saints. The three-day encounter will be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) ground on 19, 20 and 21 March, with the prestigious Rev. Fr. Maurice J. Le Goc Trophy up for grabs.
Adding to the excitement, the 52nd Joe–Pete Limited Overs Encounter for the Rev. Fr. Peter A. Pillai Trophy will take place on 25 April, also at SSC. Dialog Axiata PLC continues its proud tradition of powering this iconic fixture for the tenth consecutive year, underscoring its commitment to nurturing the champions of tomorrow.
This year, St. Joseph’s will be led by Rishma Amarasinghe, while St. Peter’s will take the field under Enosh Peterson, who starred as Man-of-the-Match in last year’s limited overs clash. The rivalry remains finely balanced: St. Joseph’s has 12 outright wins, their last in 2008, while St. Peter’s boasts 10, most recently in 2016. A remarkable 68 encounters have ended in draws, reflecting the competitive spirit that defines this fixture. The 2025 edition, contested as a three-day match for the first time, fittingly ended in a draw.
In the shorter format, St. Joseph’s holds a narrow edge with 25 victories compared to St. Peter’s 23, alongside two no-results and one tie. The 51st encounter saw St. Peter’s clinch a thrilling four-wicket win to retain the Rev. Fr. Peter A. Pillai Memorial Shield.
Beyond the numbers, both schools carry a proud legacy of producing cricketing greats who have represented Sri Lanka at the highest level. Josephian alumni include Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews, Chaminda Vaas, Dunith Wellalage, Thisara Perera, and Sadeera Samarawickrama, while Peterites have given the nation stars such as Roy Dias, Rumesh Ratnayake, Russel Arnold, Angelo Perera, and Janith Liyanage.
Speaking ahead of the match, Rev. Fr. Rohitha Rodrigo of St. Peter’s emphasized that the fixture represents more than competition, symbolizing brotherhood, character, and the highest standards of school cricket. Rev. Fr. Ranjith Andradi of St. Joseph’s echoed the sentiment, highlighting the values of discipline, teamwork, and fellowship that unite generations of players and supporters.
Dialog’s Group Chief Marketing Officer, Lasantha Thverapperuma, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to the Big Match season, calling it a cornerstone of Sri Lanka’s sporting heritage and wishing both teams success in what promises to be another memorable chapter in this storied rivalry.
Cricket
LPL Player Draft Postponed Amid Middle East Tensions
The Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026 has encountered an unexpected delay, with organizers confirming that the highly anticipated player draft will not take place this month due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East. While the draft has been pushed back, the tournament itself remains firmly on schedule, set to run from 8 July to 8 August 2026.
Despite the setback, excitement around the sixth edition of the league continues to build. Several prominent international cricketers have already expressed their interest in participating, reinforcing the LPL’s growing stature in the global cricket calendar.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is also exploring the possibility of expanding the list of venues for this year’s competition. The Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo has emerged as a strong candidate following the installation of floodlights, which now allow the historic venue to host day-night fixtures. If included, SSC would join the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, and Dambulla International Stadium, easing logistical challenges and giving fans in the capital another opportunity to witness the action.
Although no official confirmation has been made, discussions are ongoing, and SSC is increasingly seen as a likely addition to the venue lineup.
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