News
Shanto, Mushfiqur shine as Bangladesh go up 1-0 in ODI series against Sri Lanka
Bangladesh clinched a convincing six-wicket win, courtesy of an unbeaten century by captain Najmul Hossain Shanto in the first one-day international (ODI) of a three-game series against Sri Lanka in Chittagong on Wednesday (14).
Najmul’s remarkable innings of 122 not out from 129 deliveries, along with Mushfiqur Rahim’s unbeaten 73, drove Bangladesh to a total of 257-4 in 44.4 overs after dismissing Sri Lanka for 255 runs.
Despite facing early batting difficulties, Bangladesh was in a tough spot at 23-3 following early dismissals by Dilshan Madushanka and Pramod Madushan.
Nevertheless, Najmul’s partnership with Mahmudullah Riyad (37) stabilized the innings before Mushfiqur joined him for a crucial fifth-wicket partnership of 165 runs.
Earlier Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis won the toss and chose to bat first. The team got off to a strong start as Avishka Fernando and Pathum Nissanka built a solid foundation with a 71-run partnership for the opening wicket.
Pathum Nissanka, who returned from a hamstring injury, continued his impressive performance by scoring a quick 36 runs off 28 balls, which included 5 boundaries and a six. Avishka Fernando also contributed with 33 runs off 33 balls to stabilize the Sri Lankan innings.
Nevertheless, Tanzim Shakib’s comeback to the attack was crucial for Bangladesh as he took out both openers in consecutive overs, leaving Sri Lanka struggling at 2-72.
Sri Lanka faced further setbacks when Sadeera Samarawickrama (3) fell to Tanzim Shakib’s bowling, reducing them to 84-3.
With Bangaldesh bolwers clearly on top, Skipper Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka then built a steady partnership of 44 runs before Charith was bowled by Mahedi Hassan Miraz in the 25th over.
At 128-4, Kusal Mendis found a reliable partner in Janith Liyanage, and together they cautiously built a crucial partnership of 69 runs for the fifth wicket.
During this partnership, Kusal Mendis reached his 29th ODI half-century, scoring 59 runs off 75 balls, including 5 boundaries and a six. However, Taskin Ahmed put an end to the partnership by dismissing Kusal Mendis.
From there onwards Sri Lanka never recovered as their middle order fell like a pack of cards with the likes of Wanindu Hasaranga (13), Maheesh Theekshana (1), Pramod Madushan (08) all departing cheaply to leave Sri Lanka in a spot of bother.
However, When the chips were down, Janith Liyanage who is playing his 5th ODI game show maturity in the middle and played a crucial role for Sri Lanka as he batted sensibly and scored a fighting 67 runs off 69 deliveries, including 3 boundaries and 2 sixes.
His contribution helped Sri Lanka surpass the 250 runs mark.
At one stage it looked like Sri Lanka could reach a total above 300 but a brilliant death bowling display denied Sri Lanka’s counter attack.
Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Shakib, were the standout bowlers snaring three wickets apiece, while Mehidy Hassan Miraz picked up a wicket.
The win saw Bangladesh go up 1-0 in the three match series with two games to spare.
The two sides will next meet in the second ODI game on Friday at the same venue.
Brief scores:
Bangladesh 257 for 4 (Najmul Hossain Shanto 122, Mushfiqur Rahim 73, Dilshan Madushanka 2-44)
Sri Lanka 255 all out (Janith Liyanage 67, Kusal Mendis 59, Tanzim Shakib 3-44, Shoriful Islam 3-51, Taskin Ahmed 3-60)
Football
Sri Lanka Schools National Championship 2024: Super Eight Round Concludes – Semifinalists Confirmed!
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 | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zahira College | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | +9 | 9 |
| 2 | Hameed Al Husseine College | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 6 |
| 3 | Al Falah College | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 3 |
| 4 | St. Patrick’s College | 3 | 0 | 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.
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.
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.
Sri Lanka Schools National Championship 2024: Super Eight Round Concludes – Semifinalists Confirmed!
World Rugby Sets Final Deadline for Sri Lanka Rugby Governance Reforms
Sky Market Travels Joins Hands with Sri Lanka Schools’ Football
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