News

Sri Lanka edge South Africa to make it 1-1

Published

1 year ago

March 31, 2024

Editor

Sri Lanka women’s tour of South Africa

Kavisha Dilhari and Vishmi Gunaratne guided Sri Lanka women to a convincing seven-wicket victory over the Proteas in the second T20I at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on Saturday .

Dilhari’s unbeaten 45 off 28 balls, which included six boundaries, and Gunaratne’s unbeaten 65 off 57 balls (9×4, 1×6) were instrumental in the win. Despite being in a tough position at 62/3 in the 12th over, the duo combined for an unbeaten 76-run partnership in just 45 balls to secure the victory with seven balls to spare.

The Sri Lankan chase faced an early setback when Tumi Sekhukhune dismissed Chamari Athapaththu for 6 in the fifth over, but Dilhari and Gunaratne’s partnership turned the game in their favor.

Gunaratne kept the scoreboard ticking, but not at a very quick rate and when Chloe Tryon bowled Harshita Samarawickrama (12) towards the end of the 10th over, it left Sri Lanka on 56/2 at the halfway mark.

Hasini Perera (1) fell shortly after, caught by De Klerk off Sekhukhune’s bowling in the 12th over, putting Sri Lanka in a tough spot. However, Dilhari’s entry turned the game around for Sri Lanka with an outstanding player-of-the-match performance.

Earlier after winning the toss and elected to bat Sourh Africa were off to a shaky start when they lost Tazmin Brits early on.

Following a early breakthrough Bosch and Kapp formed a strong partnership of 58 runs, setting the stage for a potentially high score.
Kapp had a slow start, but a six in the eighth over seemed to free her up. In the tenth over, Bosch reached her fifty while Kapp hit two boundaries and a six. However, Bosch was dismissed on the last ball of the over. The second half of the innings was dominated by Sri Lanka, as the Proteas could only manage to add 51 runs and lost six wickets. This was due to some excellent bowling and poor running, which proved costly for the Proteas.

Brief Scores

Sri Lanka 138 for 3 (Gunaratne 65, Dilhari 45*, Tryon 1-14) beat South Africa 137 for 8 (Bosch 50, Kapp 44, Kulasuriya 2-26) by seven wickets

Football

Stafford vs. Colombo International: The Second Edition of the Big Match Kicks Off!

Published

17 minutes ago

April 2, 2025

Editor

Football fever returns as Stafford International School and Colombo International School gear up for the second edition of their highly anticipated Big Match! This year, the rivalry intensifies with four matches across different age and gender categories:

✅ U15 Girls
✅ U15 Boys
✅ U20 Girls
✅ U20 Boys

🏆 Stafford International’s Rising Stars:

U15 Girls: Defending TISSL U14 and Colombo SLSFA District champions, featuring standout players like Keshalee Ranatunga and Sonja Ratanayake (just 10 years old!).
U15 Boys: All-Island U14 runners-up out of 462 schools, led by goalkeeper Yash Amarasekara, who was named Best U14 GK in Sri Lanka.
U20 Girls & Boys: Both teams finished as TISSL runners-up, boasting stars like Raya Rikaz, Yumna Safraz, Adnaan Ameen, and Nidurshan Mohan.

🏆 Colombo International’s Key Players:

U15 Girls: TISSL U16 runners-up, featuring top defender Khadeeja Niyas and striker Ozra.
U20 Girls: TISSL U20 runners-up, with Fioni Dedhia named Goalkeeper of the Tournament.
U20 Boys: Defending Big Match champions, looking to retain their title behind stars like Krishwen and Habib.

👀 Who will come out on top this time? Watch the action LIVE at the link below! 🎥👇

#BigMatch2025 #SchoolFootball #SriLankaFootball #StaffordVsCIS #RivalryRenewed

Cricket

Shammi Silva Re-Elected as Sri Lanka Cricket President for Fourth Consecutive Term

Published

2 days ago

April 1, 2025

Editor

Shammi Silva has been re-elected as the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) president for the 2025-27 term, marking his fourth consecutive tenure at the helm of the nation’s cricket governing body. Silva secured the position uncontested at the 64th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Colombo on Monday.

A Controversial Yet Dominant Tenure

Silva’s leadership has not been without controversy. His previous term saw a high-profile clash with former Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe in 2023, which led to an interim committee being appointed after Sri Lanka’s poor performance in the ICC ODI World Cup. This move resulted in ICC suspending SLC, which led to Sri Lanka losing the hosting rights for the U19 Men’s World Cup, which was later held in South Africa.

Despite these setbacks, Silva regained control after a court ruling reinstated his administration, and he was later appointed as the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in December 2023, replacing Jay Shah.

Challenges & Future Outlook

Sri Lanka Cricket has long been seen as a powerful and influential body, with internal politics often shaping its leadership. With financial mismanagement concerns highlighted in the Auditor General’s report, Silva’s administration faces the challenge of restoring credibility and ensuring better governance.

With the ICC ban lifted, Sri Lanka looks to rebuild its cricketing structure and improve performance on the international stage. The focus now shifts to upcoming bilateral series, the Asia Cup, and preparations for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup.

Stay tuned for more updates on Sri Lanka Cricket and the latest in the world of sports!

Cricket

Stephen Fleming Defends MS Dhoni’s Batting Position Amid Criticism

Published

2 days ago

March 31, 2025

Editor

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming has defended MS Dhoni’s late entry in the batting order, stating that the legendary wicketkeeper-batsman cannot play an extended innings at full intensity due to lingering knee concerns.

The 43-year-old Dhoni faced criticism after coming in at No. 9 during CSK’s 50-run loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Chepauk. In the next match against Rajasthan Royals on March 30, 2025, he batted at No. 7 when CSK required 54 off 25 balls but managed just 16 off 11 as his team fell short by six runs.

Fleming’s Explanation on Dhoni’s Role

Fleming emphasized that Dhoni carefully assesses the match situation before deciding when to bat.

“It’s all about timing. MS judges his body and situation. His knees aren’t what they used to be, so he can’t bat for 10 overs at full intensity. He will step in based on the game’s demands,” Fleming explained at the post-match press conference.

The CSK coach reiterated that Dhoni remains too valuable to the team for his leadership and wicketkeeping and that sending him in too early could be a strategic misstep.

“From around the 13th or 14th over, he assesses the situation and decides. He trusts other batters early on but steps up when needed.”

CSK’s Struggles in the Powerplay Cost Them the Match

Fleming also pinpointed CSK’s poor powerplay performance as a key reason for their loss against Rajasthan Royals. While RR blasted 79/1 in the powerplay, CSK only managed 42/1,