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Sri Lanka aims to bounce back and level series

Published

3 years ago

March 16, 2023

Editor

The touring Sri Lankan side will need nothing less than a monumental effort to bounce back in the second Test and level the series when they meet high-riding New Zealand on Friday (17) at Basin Reserve, Wellington.

Sri Lanka’s hopes of reaching the finals of the World Test Championship have already been done and dusted after a heart-breaking defeat in the first Test. The visitors will, however, look to end the series on a high, especially considering their performance in the first Test.

The visiting side showed plenty of character in the first Test and very nearly came out on top. With a slightly better performance, they could well pose a challenge again in this game.

From a batting perspective, if Sri Lanka gets to bat on day one, the conditions will be ideal for the likes of Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mednis and Angelo Mathews to pile on the runs.

Dimuth has been brilliant with his foot movement. Mendis too has looked assured in the middle and a brilliant century from Angelo Mathews must have made him more confident going into the second Test.

Sri Lanka will also be hoping for another strong showing from their pacers Kasun Rajitha, Asitha Fernando and Lahiru Kumara to do the talking with the ball.

There are still some areas of concern. The Lankans have been unable to fix their middle order problem for one. Though their batters Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva have been getting the starts and going into the 30s, they have not been able to translate them into a big knock. However, the middle order will depend more on veteran Angelo Mathews who has a brilliant record against New Zealand.

Sri Lanka will likely make one change to their playing XI with Niroshan Dickwella, who had a bad day at the office in the previous outing, probably losing his spot to Nishan Madushka/ Chamika Karunaratne.

Time is running out for Dickwella as youngsters like Nishan Madushka and Milan Rathnayake are waiting in the wings, despite his being in prime form.

Having wasted so many opportunities in his 54-Test career with a below-par average of 30.97 it will be interesting to see what call is taken by the Sri Lankan team management.

New Zealand, on the other hand, is coming into this match after winning a cliffhanger in the first Test in Wellington last week. The hosts are a superior side in the head-to-head competition in the red ball format between the two teams.

New Zealand is also likely to make a change to their playing XI with Doug Bracewell coming in for the injured Neil Wagner.

Probable squad:

New Zealand: Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Doug Bracewell, Tim Southee (captain), Matt Henry, Blair Tickner.

Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne (captain), Oshada Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Nishan Madushka, Kasun Rajitha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando.

ශ්‍රී ලංකා පිලේ අරමුණ වී ඇත්තේ නැවතත් ඉදිරියට පැමිණ තරගාවලි සම කිරීමය

සංචාරක ශ්‍රී ලංකා පිලට සිකුරාදා (17) වෙලින්ටන්හි බේසින් රිසර්ව්හි දී හයි රයිඩින් නවසීලන්තය මුණගැසෙන විට දෙවැනි ටෙස්ට් තරගයෙන් ආපසු පැමිණ තරගාවලිය සම කිරීමට දැවැන්ත උත්සාහයක් අවශ්‍ය වනු ඇත.

ලෝක ටෙස්ට් ශූරතාවලියේ අවසන් මහා තරගයට පැමිණීමේ ශ්‍රී ලංකා කණ්ඩායමේ බලාපොරොත්තුව පළමු ටෙස්ට් තරගයේ දී හද කම්පා කරවන සුළු පරාජයකින් පසුව දැනටමත් සිදු කර දූවිලි ගසා දමා ඇත. කෙසේ වෙතත්, නරඹන්නන්, විශේෂයෙන්ම පළමු ටෙස්ට් තරගයේ ඔවුන්ගේ දක්‍ෂතා සැලකිල්ලට ගනිමින්, තරගාවලිය ඉහළ මට්ටමකින් අවසන් කිරීමට බලාපොරොත්තු වේ.

ආගන්තුක කණ්ඩායම පළමු ටෙස්ට් තරගයේ දී බොහෝ චරිත පෙන්නුම් කළ අතර ඉතා ආසන්නව ඉහළට පැමිණියේය. තරමක් හොඳ කාර්ය සාධනයක් සමඟ, ඔවුන්ට මෙම ක්‍රීඩාවේදී නැවත අභියෝගයක් එල්ල කළ හැකිය.

පිතිකරණ දෘෂ්ටිකෝණයෙන්, ශ්‍රී ලංකාව පළමු දිනයේ පන්දුවට පහර දීමට ගියහොත්, දිමුත් කරුණාරත්න, කුසල් මෙඩ්නිස් සහ ඇන්ජලෝ මැතිව්ස් වැනි ක්‍රීඩකයින්ට ලකුණු රැස් කිරීමට සුදුසු කොන්දේසි වනු ඇත.

දිමුත් ඔහුගේ පාද චලනයෙන් විශිෂ්ටයි. මෙන්ඩිස් ද මැද භාගයේදී සහතික වී ඇති අතර ඇන්ජලෝ මැතිව්ස්ගේ විශිෂ්ඨ ශතකයක් දෙවන ටෙස්ට් තරගයට යාමට ඔහුට වඩාත් විශ්වාසදායක විය.

කසුන් රාජිත, අසිත ප්‍රනාන්දු සහ ළහිරු කුමාර යන වේග පන්දු යවන්නන්ගෙන් පන්දුවෙන් කතා කිරීම සඳහා තවත් ප්‍රබල දස්කම් දැක්වීමක් ශ්‍රී ලංකාව බලාපොරොත්තු වනු ඇත.

තවමත් සැලකිලිමත් විය යුතු අංශ කිහිපයක් තිබේ. ශ්‍රී ලංකා ක්‍රීඩකයින්ට ඔවුන්ගේ මැදපෙළ ගැටලුව එකකට විසඳා ගැනීමට නොහැකි වී තිබේ. ඔවුන්ගේ පිතිකරුවන් වන දිනේෂ් චන්දිමාල් සහ ධනංජය ද සිල්වා ආරම්භය ලබා ගනිමින් 30 දශකය දක්වා පැමිණියද එය විශාල පහරක් බවට පරිවර්තනය කිරීමට ඔවුන්ට නොහැකි වී තිබේ. කෙසේ වෙතත්, නවසීලන්තයට එරෙහිව විශිෂ්ට වාර්තාවක් තබා ඇති ප්‍රවීණ ක්‍රීඩක ඇන්ජලෝ මැතිව්ස් මත මැද පෙළ වැඩි වශයෙන් රඳා පවතිනු ඇත.

නිශාන් මධුෂ්ක/ චාමික කරුණාරත්න හමුවේ ඔහුගේ ස්ථානය අහිමි වීමට බොහෝ දුරට ඉඩ ඇති අතර, පෙර තරගයේදී කාර්යාලයේ නරක දවසක් ගත කළ නිරෝෂන් දික්වැල්ල සමඟින් ශ්‍රී ලංකාව ඔවුන්ගේ ක්‍රීඩා කරන XI හි එක් වෙනසක් සිදු කරනු ඇත.

නිශාන් මධුෂ්ක, මිලාන් රත්නායක වැනි යොවුන් ක්‍රීඩකයින් ප්‍රමුඛ පෙළේ සිටියත් දික්වැල්ලට කාලය ගෙවෙමින් තිබේ.

30.97 ට වඩා අඩු සාමාන්‍යයක් සහිතව ඔහුගේ 54-ටෙස්ට් ක්‍රිකට් දිවියේ බොහෝ අවස්ථා අපතේ හරින ලද ශ්‍රී ලංකා කණ්ඩායම් කළමනාකාරීත්වය කුමන ඇමතුමක් ගන්නේද යන්න සිත්ගන්නාසුළු වනු ඇත.

අනෙක් අතට, නවසීලන්තය මෙම තරගයට පැමිණෙන්නේ පසුගිය සතියේ වෙලින්ටන්හිදී පැවැති පළමු ටෙස්ට් තරගයෙන් ක්ලිෆ්හැන්ගර් ජය ගැනීමෙන් පසුවය. කණ්ඩායම් දෙක අතර රතු පන්දු ආකෘතියේ හිසට හිස තරගයේ දී සත්කාරක කණ්ඩායම සුපිරි කණ්ඩායමකි.

ආබාධයකට ලක් වූ නීල් වැග්නර් වෙනුවෙන් ඩග් බ්‍රේස්වෙල් පැමිණීමත් සමඟ නවසීලන්තය ඔවුන්ගේ ක්‍රීඩා කරන XI හි වෙනසක් කිරීමට ද ඉඩ තිබේ.

විය හැකි සංචිතය:

නවසීලන්තය: Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Doug Bracewell, Tim Southe (නායක), Matt Henry, Blair Tickner.

ශ්‍රී ලංකාව: දිමුත් කරුණාරත්න (නායක), ඕෂද ප්‍රනාන්දු, කුසල් මෙන්ඩිස්, ඇන්ජලෝ මැතිව්ස්, දිනේෂ් චන්දිමාල්, ධනංජය ද සිල්වා, නිශාන් මධුෂ්ක, කසුන් රාජිත, ප්‍රභාත් ජයසූරිය, ලහිරු කුමාර, අසිත ප්‍රනාන්දු.

ශ්‍රී ලංකා පිලේ අරමුණ වී ඇත්තේ නැවතත් ඉදිරියට පැමිණ තරගාවලි සම කිරීමය

විය හැකි සංචිතය:

இலங்கை மீண்டும் முன்னேறி தொடரை சமன் செய்வதை நோக்கமாகக் கொண்டுள்ளது

வெலிங்டனில் உள்ள பேசின் ரிசர்வ் மைதானத்தில் வெள்ளிக்கிழமை (17) ஹை ரைடிங் நியூசிலாந்தை சந்திக்கும் போது, சுற்றுப்பயணம் மேற்கொண்டுள்ள இலங்கை அணிக்கு இரண்டாவது டெஸ்டில் மீண்டும் எழுச்சி பெற்று தொடரை சமன் செய்ய மகத்தான முயற்சியைத் தவிர வேறொன்றும் தேவையில்லை.

உலக டெஸ்ட் சாம்பியன்ஷிப்பின் இறுதிப் போட்டிக்கு செல்லும் இலங்கையின் நம்பிக்கை ஏற்கனவே முதல் டெஸ்டில் இதயத்தை உடைக்கும் தோல்விக்குப் பிறகு தூள்தூளாகிவிட்டது. இருப்பினும், பார்வையாளர்கள், குறிப்பாக முதல் டெஸ்டில் அவர்களின் செயல்திறனைக் கருத்தில் கொண்டு, தொடரை அதிக அளவில் முடிக்க விரும்புவார்கள்.

வருகை தருபவர்கள் முதல் டெஸ்டில் ஏராளமான குணங்களை வெளிப்படுத்தினர் மற்றும் கிட்டத்தட்ட முதலிடம் பிடித்தனர். சற்று சிறப்பாக செயல்பட்டால், இந்த விளையாட்டில் அவர்கள் மீண்டும் ஒரு சவாலாக இருக்க முடியும்.

பேட்டிங் கண்ணோட்டத்தில், இலங்கை முதல் நாள் பேட்டிங் செய்ய கிடைத்தால், திமுத் கருணாரத்னே, குசல் மெட்னிஸ் மற்றும் ஏஞ்சலோ மேத்யூஸ் போன்றவர்கள் ரன்களை குவிக்க சிறந்த சூழ்நிலை இருக்கும்.

திமுத் தனது கால் அசைவில் அசத்தியுள்ளார். மெண்டிஸும் நடுப்பகுதியில் உறுதியாகத் தோன்றினார் மற்றும் ஏஞ்சலோ மேத்யூஸின் அற்புதமான சதம் அவரை இரண்டாவது டெஸ்டில் அதிக நம்பிக்கையடையச் செய்திருக்க வேண்டும்.

பந்து வீச்சாளர்களான கசுன் ராஜித, அசித்த பெர்னாண்டோ மற்றும் லஹிரு குமார ஆகியோரிடமிருந்து மற்றொரு வலுவான ஆட்டத்தை இலங்கை எதிர்பார்க்கிறது.

கவலைக்குரிய சில பகுதிகள் இன்னும் உள்ளன. இலங்கை வீரர்களால் மிடில் ஆர்டர் பிரச்சனையை சரி செய்ய முடியவில்லை. அவர்களது துடுப்பாட்ட வீரர்களான தினேஷ் சந்திமால் மற்றும் தனஞ்சய டி சில்வா ஆகியோர் தொடக்கங்களைப் பெற்று 30 களுக்குள் சென்று கொண்டிருந்தாலும், அவர்களால் அவற்றை பெரிய ஆட்டமாக மாற்ற முடியவில்லை. இருப்பினும், மிடில் ஆர்டர் நியூசிலாந்திற்கு எதிராக சிறந்த சாதனை படைத்த அனுபவமிக்க ஏஞ்சலோ மேத்யூஸையே அதிகம் சார்ந்திருக்கும்.

நிஷான் மதுஷ்கா/ சாமிக கருணாரத்னவிடம் தனது இடத்தை இழக்க நேரிடும்.

நிஷான் மதுஷ்கா மற்றும் மிலன் ரத்நாயக்க போன்ற இளம் வீரர்கள் டிக்வெல்ல சிறந்த ஃபார்மில் இருந்த போதிலும், அவர் களமிறங்கக் காத்திருப்பதால், டிக்வெல்லவுக்கு நேரம் ஓடிக்கொண்டிருக்கிறது.

அவரது 54-டெஸ்ட் வாழ்க்கையில் 30.97 க்கும் குறைவான சராசரியுடன் பல வாய்ப்புகளை வீணடித்துள்ள நிலையில், இலங்கை அணி நிர்வாகத்தால் என்ன அழைப்பு எடுக்கப்பட்டது என்பதைப் பார்ப்பது சுவாரஸ்யமாக இருக்கும்.

மறுபுறம், நியூசிலாந்து, கடந்த வாரம் வெலிங்டனில் நடந்த முதல் டெஸ்டில் கிளிஃப்ஹேங்கரை வென்ற பிறகு இந்த போட்டிக்கு வருகிறது. இரு அணிகளுக்கும் இடையிலான சிவப்பு பந்து வடிவத்தில் தலை-தலை போட்டியில் புரவலன்கள் சிறந்த அணி.

காயம் அடைந்த நீல் வாக்னருக்குப் பதிலாக டக் பிரேஸ்வெல் வருவதால், நியூசிலாந்து அவர்களின் ஆடும் லெவன் அணியில் மாற்றம் செய்ய வாய்ப்புள்ளது.

சாத்தியமான அணி:

நியூசிலாந்து: டாம் லாதம், டெவன் கான்வே, கேன் வில்லியம்சன், ஹென்றி நிக்கோல்ஸ், டேரில் மிட்செல், டாம் ப்ளூன்டெல், மைக்கேல் பிரேஸ்வெல், டக் பிரேஸ்வெல், டிம் சவுத்தி (கேப்டன்), மாட் ஹென்றி, பிளேர் டிக்னர்.

இலங்கை: திமுத் கருணாரத்னே (கேப்டன்), ஓஷதா பெர்னாண்டோ, குசல் மெண்டிஸ், ஏஞ்சலோ மேத்யூஸ், தினேஷ் சண்டிமால், தனஞ்சய டி சில்வா, நிஷான் மதுஷ்கா, கசுன் ராஜித, பிரபாத் ஜெயசூர்யா, லஹிரு குமார, அசித பெர்னாண்டோ.

Football

Sri Lanka’s Performance at AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers: Full Technical Review and Group A Outlook

Published

16 hours ago

November 26, 2025

Editor

Sri Lanka’s U-17 national football team continues its AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers campaign in Group A, delivering a mix of promising moments and clear tactical challenges. After three matches, Sri Lanka sits on three points with one win and two defeats, and the remaining fixtures against China PR and Timor-Leste will determine their final group standings.

Strong Start: Sri Lanka Defeat Brunei 4–0

Sri Lanka opened the qualifiers with an impressive 4–0 victory over Brunei Darussalam. The team showcased fast transitional play, effective pressing in the attacking third, and confident finishing. Their use of wide areas and quick movement off the ball allowed Sri Lanka to control the pace of the match. The defensive unit had limited pressure but remained well-organised. This result highlighted Sri Lanka’s ability to dominate against opponents of similar ranking.

Competitive but Costly Defeat: Bahrain 2–1 Sri Lanka

Against Bahrain, Sri Lanka produced a competitive performance but were undone by defensive inconsistencies. Bahrain repeatedly exploited the spaces between fullbacks and centre-backs, taking advantage of gaps during transitions. Sri Lanka struggled to track midfield runners, allowing Bahrain to create sustained pressure. Despite these issues, Sri Lanka produced quality attacking sequences, including a well-worked equaliser. Goalkeeper Mohamed Kathafi delivered several key saves to keep Sri Lanka in the contest. This match illustrated both the team’s potential and the areas requiring structural improvement.

Bangladesh Expose Sri Lanka’s Structural Weaknesses

Bangladesh outplayed Sri Lanka in a 5–0 defeat, using a high-pressing system that Sri Lanka struggled to manage. The defensive line dropped too deep, creating large spaces in midfield that Bangladesh exploited. Sri Lanka were unable to build out from the back or maintain possession under pressure. Fatigue and gaps between lines contributed to the widening scoreline in the second half. This performance underscored the need for stronger defensive compactness, improved press resistance, physical conditioning, and better management of transitions.

Overall Assessment

Sri Lanka’s strengths lie in quick counter-attacks, energetic wing play, and reliable goalkeeping. However, weaknesses remain evident in defensive organisation, ball retention under pressure, central creativity, and physical match endurance. The campaign continues to provide critical experience for long-term youth development.

Upcoming Match Analysis

Sri Lanka vs China PR

China PR enters the fourth match with exceptional form, scoring 30 goals and conceding none. Their physicality, structured build-up, and high press are expected to challenge Sri Lanka heavily. Based on form and tactical profiles, China are strong favourites to secure a large-margin victory.

Sri Lanka vs Timor-Leste

Sri Lanka’s final fixture against Timor-Leste offers a favourable opportunity. Timor-Leste have conceded heavily in all matches and have yet to score or collect a point. Sri Lanka will likely control transitions and attacking phases, making this a realistic chance to secure a second win in the group.

Projected Final Group A Standings Based on Current Form

Rank	Team	P	W	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	China PR	5	5	0	~40	0	+40	15
2	Bangladesh	5	4	1	~23	6	+17	12
3	Bahrain	5	3	2	~10	8	+2	9
4	Sri Lanka	5	2	3	~8	18	-10	6
5	Timor-Leste	5	0	5	~2	28	-26	0
6	Brunei	5	0	5	~0	32	-32	0

A win against Timor-Leste would confirm Sri Lanka’s place in the top four and provide a positive conclusion to their AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifying campaign.

Football

Under-16 Division II Football Championship 2025 Kicks Off in Negombo

Published

18 hours ago

November 26, 2025

Editor

Negombo, November 26–27, 2025 — The Sri Lanka Schools Football Association (SLSFA) has officially commenced the Under-16 Division II National Football Championship 2025, bringing together schools from all corners of the island for two days of intense competition in Negombo.

A total of 21 schools are grouped into seven groups (A–G), with matches taking place across four venues:

St. Mary’s College Ground
Kurana Mejaraaj Ground
Don Bosco Ground
Katunayaka 18 Kanuwa Ground

The tournament will be played in a first-round group stage, followed by a 2nd round knockout stage, leading to the crowning of the Division II champions.

Group Allocations & Schools (First Round)

Group A – St. Mary’s College Ground

Aligar National School – Batticaloa
Abdul Majeed – Kinniya
Stafford International School – Colombo

Group B – St. Mary’s College Ground

Zahira College – Mawanella
Vidyialoka College – Galle
Gateway College – Kandy

Group C – Kurana Mejaraaj Ground

St. Mary’s College – Chilaw
Zahira College – Matale
Gateway College – Colombo

Group D – Don Bosco Ground

Maris Stella College – Negombo
Maliyadeva Model School – Kurunegala
Al Minhaj National School – Nuwara Eliya

Group E – Don Bosco Ground

Jailani National School – Balangoda
Arafa National School – Weligama
Al-Falal College – Negombo

Group F – Kurana Mejaraaj Ground

Uva College – Badulla
Malhara Suliya MV – Galle
Thopawewa National School – Polonnaruwa

Group G – Katunayake 18 Kanuwa Ground

Jinaraja Boys’ College – Gampola
Zahira College – Puttalam
Al Fahiriya – Panadura

Day 1 Match Schedule – 26 November 2025

St. Mary’s College Ground (Groups A & B)

8.00 AM: Aligar NS vs Abdul Majeed
9.30 AM: Zahira Mawanella vs Vidyialoka Galle
10.30 AM: Abdul Majeed vs Stafford IS
11.30 AM: Vidyialoka Galle vs Gateway Kandy
1.00 PM: Aligar NS vs Stafford IS
2.00 PM: Zahira Mawanella vs Gateway Kandy

Kurana Mejaraaj Ground (Groups C & F)

8.00 AM: St. Mary’s Chilaw vs Zahira Matale
9.30 AM: Uva College vs Malhara Suliya MV
10.30 AM: Zahira Matale vs Gateway Colombo
11.30 AM: Malhara Suliya MV vs Thopawewa NS
1.00 PM: St. Mary’s Chilaw vs Gateway Colombo
2.00 PM: Uva College vs Thopawewa NS

Don Bosco Ground (Groups D & E)

8.00 AM: Jailani NS vs Arafa NS
9.30 AM: Maris Stella Negombo vs Maliyadeva MS
10.30 AM: Arafa NS vs Al-Falal College
11.30 AM: Maliyadeva MS vs Al Minhaj NS
1.00 PM: Jailani NS vs Al-Falal College
2.00 PM: Maris Stella vs Al Minhaj NS

Katunayake 18 Kanuwa Ground (Group G)

8.00 AM: Jinaraja Boys’ College vs Zahira Puttalam
9.30 AM: Zahira Puttalam vs Al Fahiriya Panadura
10.30 AM: Jinaraja Boys’ College vs Al Fahiriya

Knockout Stage – Second Round

The winners of Groups A, B, C, D, E, F, and G will advance to the Knockout Stage scheduled after the completion of group matches

. Match pairings will be finalized based on group rankings.

A Platform for Young Talent

The Under-16 Division II Championship continues to be a pivotal tournament in identifying and elevating Sri Lanka’s rising footballers. Teams will fight for qualification to higher divisions and for national-level recognition.

Sri Lankan Sports TV will provide live updates, match scores, photos, and special coverage throughout the tournament.

Football

Sri Lanka Champions League Kicks Off – 14 Teams, New Format & A New Era for Domestic Football

Published

4 days ago

November 23, 2025

Editor

The Champions League, the second-tier elite tournament of Football Sri Lanka (FFSL), returns with a revamped structure and a renewed vision for elevating the domestic game. A total of 14 top clubs have been drawn into two competitive groups, setting the stage for one of the most dynamic football seasons in recent years.

Tournament Format

14 teams will compete in two groups.
The top 4 teams from each group will advance to the prestigious Super 8 Round.
In the Super 8, all eight teams will battle each other in a league format.
The team with the highest points at the end of the Super 8 will be crowned Champions League winners.

This structure ensures more high-level matches, stronger competition, and maximum exposure for players and clubs across the country.

A Message That Marks a New Era — Exclusive to Sri Lankan Sports TV

President of Football Sri Lanka, Jaswar Umar, delivered a powerful and forward-thinking message reflecting the transformation happening within the game:

“We have now invested and elevated the domestic game with a world-class Champions League experience, delivering top-level match operations, enhanced presentation, commercial partnerships, and live TV broadcasts for all matches—an unprecedented milestone for local football.

The tournament not only provides advanced facilities for teams, players, coaches, and referees, but also launches a major social initiative: the ‘No to Drugs’ campaign, using football to educate communities and inspire rejection of drugs.

The Champions League marks a new era and a transformative step forward for football in Sri Lanka.

I request all teams, players and coaches to take maximum benefits from the facilities given.

This is – One Game. One Heart.”
— Jaswar Umar, FFSL President