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Sri Lanka aims to bounce back and level series

Published

2 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.

News

Isipathana Clinches U19 Knockout Crown with Dramatic Final Victory Over Trinity

Published

15 hours ago

May 18, 2025

Editor

Isipathana Clinches U19 Knockout Crown with Dramatic Final Victory Over Trinity

Isipathana College emerged triumphant in the final of the 2025 Under-19 Schools Rugby Knockout Tournament, edging out Trinity College 12-9 in a nail-biting showdown at Sugathadasa Stadium. With this hard-fought win, Isipathana secured their 13th President’s Trophy title, further solidifying their legacy as one of Sri Lanka’s rugby powerhouses.

Early Advantage for Isipathana

The defending champions struck first with an impressive opening try, setting the tone for a high-stakes encounter. Avishka Hiran calmly added the conversion, giving Isipathana an early 7-0 lead.

Trinity responded with composure, as fly-half Shan Altaf slotted two well-taken penalties, reducing the deficit to a single point. Despite sustained pressure from both sides and chances that went begging, neither team could breach the opposition’s line again in the first half. The teams went into the break with Isipathana narrowly ahead, 7-6.

Grit and Discipline in the Second Half

The second half saw a continuation of the intense battle, but Trinity was handed a blow when Disal Thomas was sin-binned for persistent team infringements. Despite having a numerical advantage, Isipathana squandered a couple of penalty opportunities, as the kicking duties switched between players with no success.

Tensions escalated when Kaveen Jayasinghe was shown a yellow card for a biting offense, a disciplinary lapse that handed momentum back to Trinity. Fly-half Altaf seized the opportunity, delivering a beautifully executed drop goal to hand Trinity their first lead of the game, 9-7.

Late Heroics Seal the Title

As time ticked down and the match appeared to be slipping away, Isipathana found inspiration. Avishka Hiran, showing great awareness and timing, delivered a clever offload to Yuvindu Kodithuwakku, who powered his way past three defenders to score the match-winning try.

The conversion was missed, but it mattered little as the green shirts held on for a 12-9 victory, sealing back-to-back Knockout Championships.

Match Summary:

Full Time: Trinity College 09 (3 Penalties) – Isipathana College 12 (2 Tries, 1 Conversion)
Try Scorers: Adithya Madushan, Yuvindu Kodithuwakku (Isipathana)
Conversion: Avishka Hiran (Isipathana)
Penalties/Drop Goal: Shan Altaf (Trinity) – 2 Penalties, 1 Drop Goal

Glory for Isipathana, Lessons for Trinity

Isipathana’s ability to absorb pressure and respond in key moments underlined their championship pedigree. While Trinity displayed grit and tactical discipline, they were ultimately undone by missed opportunities and a lack of execution in the final stages.

As the curtains fall on the 2025 U19 Schools Rugby Knockout, Isipathana College once again stands tall, crowned champions in a finale that showcased the depth, drama, and raw emotion of school rugby in Sri Lanka.

Athletics

Ritzbury Celebrates Sri Lanka’s Rising Track Stars and Coaches for Historic Medal Haul at Asian Youth Athletics Championship 2025

Published

4 days ago

May 15, 2025

Editor

Ritzbury, one of Sri Lanka’s leading supporters of youth athletics, proudly honoured five exceptional athletes and their coaches for their remarkable performances at the 6th Asian Youth Athletics Championship 2025, held in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The felicitation ceremony was held on May 2nd at Cinnamon Life, Colombo, under the banner of Ritzbury’s signature initiative, Mawbimata Weerayek (A Hero to the Nation).

Out of the eight Sri Lankan medalists at the continental event, five belong to the Mawbimata Weerayek program, showcasing the success of Ritzbury’s long-term investment in grassroots athletic development. These young athletes, who carried the nation’s hopes with pride, were not only felicitated with awards but also received financial support to further their sportingu journeys.

Among the honourees was M.G.T. Abhisheka Premasiri, who brought home Sri Lanka’s only Gold medal in the Girls’ 800m and added a Silver in the medley relay. Dananjana Sewmini Fernando shone with two Silvers—one in the 100m sprint and another in the medley relay. Meanwhile, H.D. Shavindu Avishka (800m), G.D. Lahiru Achintha (1500m), and J.H.P. Nethya Sampath (High Jump) earned Bronze medals, contributing to Sri Lanka’s highest-ever medal tally at the championship.

Recognising the vital role of coaching, Ritzbury also paid tribute to the five national coaches behind this success: Buddhika Nuwan, Anuradha Nanayakkara, R.H.M. Jude Chinthaka, K.H.A.D.S.I. Kularathna, and Suranjith Senarath. Their guidance, discipline, and preparation were applauded as critical to transforming potential into podium finishes.

Speaking at the event, Kamal Geeganage (CEO) and Niluksha Bastiansz (General Manager – Marketing, CBL Foods International) expressed their pride and reaffirmed Ritzbury’s long-standing commitment to national athletics. They highlighted that the Mawbimata Weerayek program, launched in 2019, now supports 65 young talents across Sri Lanka with financial aid and mentorship, aiming to elevate Sri Lankan athletics on both national and international stages.

With their eyes now set on bigger global competitions, these young athletes symbolize a bright future for Sri Lankan athletics. Initiatives like Mawbimata Weerayek not only bring recognition but also lay the foundation for long-term sporting excellence.

News

Trinity and Isipathana Set Up Thrilling Showdown in President’s Trophy Rugby Final

Published

5 days ago

May 14, 2025

Editor

The stage is set for a blockbuster finale in the Sri Lanka Schools Under-19 President’s Trophy Knockout Rugby Tournament as Trinity College and Isipathana College stormed into the final with convincing wins in their respective semi-finals. The much-anticipated final will take place on May 18 at 3:45 PM at the Sugathadasa Stadium.

Quarterfinal Recap:

Zahira College earned automatic qualification to the semi-finals after St. Peter’s withdrew from the tournament.

Trinity College secured a 24-15 win over S. Thomas’ College with a dominant display, scoring three tries, three conversions, and a penalty.

Royal College overcame DS Senanayake College with an emphatic 41-24 win, showcasing their attacking firepower.

Isipathana College proved too strong for Wesley College, triumphing 24-10 to book their spot in the semis.

Semi-final Highlights:

Trinity College vs Zahira College: Trinity continued their fine form, beating Zahira 29-12. Their win came through four tries, three conversions, and a penalty, underlining their dominance in the tournament.

Isipathana College vs Royal College: In a fiercely contested battle, Isipathana edged past Royal 24-17 with three tries, three conversions, and a crucial penalty.

With both teams displaying exceptional skill and resilience throughout the tournament, the final promises to be a thrilling encounter between two powerhouses of school rugby.

Final Match Details:

Trinity College vs Isipathana College

Date: May 18, 2025

Venue: Royal College Sports Complex

Kick-off: 3:45 PM

Stay tuned to Sri Lankan Sports TV for live updates, post-match analysis, and exclusive coverage of the President’s Trophy final