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Sri Lanka bag series with a game to spare.

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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.

Cricket

Sanga’s Royals win the last-over thriller to register back-to-back victory

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Rajasthan Royals held their nerve in a high-scoring contest to edge past Gujarat Titans by six runs, successfully defending 210 in a last-over thriller.

Batting first, Rajasthan posted an imposing 210/6, powered by a superb knock from Dhruv Jurel, who smashed 75 off 42 balls. He was well supported by Yashasvi Jaiswal (55 off 36) and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (31 off 18), as the Royals maintained a strong run rate throughout the innings. Late cameos from Shimron Hetmyer and others ensured a challenging total. For Gujarat, Kagiso Rabada was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets.

In reply, Gujarat Titans mounted a spirited chase led by Sai Sudharsan, who scored a fluent 73 off 44 balls. Contributions from Jos Buttler and Rashid Khan kept the chase alive, while a late flourish from Rabada brought the equation down to the wire.

However, the turning point came through Ravi Bishnoi, who delivered a match-winning spell of 4/41, derailing the middle order at a crucial stage. Despite needing just a handful in the final over, Rajasthan held their composure to restrict Gujarat to 204/8.

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St. Mary’s Crown Cup Champions

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A dramatic penalty shootout decided the fate of the Cup final as St. Mary’s SC overcame Saunders SC 3-1 after a 1-1 deadlock under lights at the Race Course grounds on Saturday.
The match sprang to life in the opening minutes, with St. Mary’s drawing first blood. Danjuma Gumbari struck in the third minute, finishing off a swift attacking move to hand his side an early lead.

Saunders SC wasted no time in responding, leveling the score just two minutes later. Clauvice Franck found the net in the fifth minute, taking advantage of space in the box to restore parity and set up an evenly balanced contest.

Following the early exchange, both teams settled into a competitive rhythm, battling for control in midfield while probing for openings. St. Mary’s looked composed in possession, whereas Saunders relied on quick counterattacks to trouble the opposition defense. Despite their efforts, neither side managed to break the deadlock during regulation time.

With the scoreline unchanged, the final moved into a penalty shootout. St. Mary’s SC kept their composure from the spot, with Danjuma Gumbari, S. Aarinkan, and John Lawani all converting successfully.

Saunders SC, however, faltered under pressure. Mohamed Zaid was the only scorer for his side, while two other attempts missed the target, ultimately sealing their defeat.

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Cricket

Pathum, Rizvi Shine as Delhi Capitals Outshine Mumbai Indians

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Delhi Capitals secured their second win of the IPL 2026 with a commanding 6-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium today. The highlight of the chase was the brilliant partnership between Pathum Nissanka and Sameer Rizvi, who tore through the Mumbai bowling attack with fearless stroke play.

Electing to bat first, Mumbai Indians managed a modest total of 162/6 in their 20 overs. Suryakumar Yadav top-scored with a fluent 51 off 36 balls, while Rohit Sharma contributed a brisk 35. Early wickets fell to Delhi bowlers, with Mukesh Kumar claiming two key scalps and Lungi Ngidi, Axar Patel, and Vipraj Nigam chipping in with one each. Extras also played a role, adding five to the total.

In response, Delhi Capitals faced early setbacks as KL Rahul and Nitish Rana fell cheaply. However, Pathum Nissanka counter-attacked with 44 off 30 deliveries, forming a match-turning 78-run partnership with Sameer Rizvi, who finished unbeaten on 90 from 51 balls with seven towering sixes. David Miller provided late support, ensuring Delhi chased down the target in 18.1 overs.

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