News
Sri Lanka bag series with a game to spare.
West Indies Women’s tour of Sri Lanka 2024
Sri Lanka secures ODI series victory against the West Indies after 16 years thanks to Vishmi Gunaratne’s half-century and Kavisha Dilhari’s impressive performance with both bat and ball. The five-wicket win in the second ODI in Hambantota puts Sri Lanka 2-0 up in the series with one game remaining, marking their first series win against the West Indies since 2008.
Shemaine Campbelle, the stand-in captain for the West Indies, won the toss and chose to bat first. Unfortunately, the team had a rough start as they lost key players like Stafanie Taylor and Campbelle herself within the first 15 overs. The West Indies were in deep trouble at 22/3 in the 13th over when Chedean Nation and Rashada Williams came together and formed a crucial 24-run partnership for the 4th wicket.
Sri Lanka’s Sugandika Kumari dismissed Rashada Williams, providing the 4th breakthrough for her team. The West Indies then lost a couple more wickets quickly and found themselves in a difficult situation at 54/6 in 23 overs. Aaliyah Alleyne and Afy Fletcher joined forces and managed to build another important partnership of 28 runs for the 7th wicket. However, Sri Lanka’s skipper Chamari Athapaththu dismissed Aaliyah Alleyne, securing the 7th breakthrough for her side.
In the end, the West Indies were bowled out for a mere 92 runs with 19 overs still remaining. This is their third-lowest total against Sri Lanka in the ODI format. Rashada Williams (24 off 62 balls), Aaliyah Alleyne (16 off 18 balls), and Afy Fletcher (16 off 20 balls) were the top performers with the bat for the West Indies. On the other hand, Kavisha Dilhari (6-0-20-4), Achini Kulasuriya (7-1-16-2), Sugandika Kumari (6-0-16-1), and skipper Chamari Athapaththu (2-0-8-2) were the standout performers with the ball for Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka, chasing a target of 93, faced early setbacks as they lost a couple of wickets, including their skipper Chamari Athapaththu, within the first six overs of the run chase. The partnership between Kavisha Dilhari and Vishmi Gunaratne then helped them edge closer to the target with a crucial 58-run stand for the 3rd wicket. Zaida James later claimed the wicket of Gunaratne in the 17th over, marking the 3rd breakthrough for the West Indies.
Gunaratne reached her well-deserved half-century before departing. Sri Lanka successfully achieved the target with five wickets in hand and 172 balls to spare. Gunaratne (50 off 50 balls) and Dilhari (28 off 38 balls) stood out with the bat for Sri Lanka. On the other hand, Ramharack, Connell, James, and Alleyne were the standout performers with the ball for the West Indies.
Dilhari’s all-round performance, taking 4 wickets for 20 runs and contributing 28 runs with the bat, was instrumental in guiding Sri Lanka to victory in the three-match ODI series against the West Indies after 16 years.
The two sides will next meet in the third and final ODI on Friday (21) at the Hambantota Stadium.
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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