News
Sri Lanka topped Group B with a commanding win against Scotland
Sri Lanka completed their group stage on a high when they defeated spirited Scotland by 82 runs to continue their unbeaten run with four victories out of four matches in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers on June 27, Tuesday.
The win also helped Sri Lanka to end their group stage on top of the points table.
Half-centuries from Nissanka and Charith Asalanka set Scotland a target of 246 runs. Still, some brilliant bowling across the Sri Lankan attack saw Scotland collapse, despite a valiant unbeaten 56 from Chris Greaves.
Invited to bat first in a difficult and tired wicket at the Queens Sports Club in Harare, Scotland did well to restrict Sri Lanka to just 245 runs at the break.
The Scottish team got early inroads picking up two wickets in the first powerplay. Sri Lanka however got back into the game, courtesy of three middle-order partnerships, which helped them put something respectable on board.
Opener Pathum Nissanka top scored with 75 runs off 85 balls, while Charith Asalanka hit 63 off 65.
Scotland slid to 73-5 in reply and was eventually dismissed for just 163 after two runouts in the same over sealed their fate despite an enterprising 56 not out from Greaves.
Mahesh Theekshana was the pick of the bowlers claiming 3-41, while Wanindu Hasaranag ended with figures of 2-42.
Theekshana was awarded the Player of the Match award after picking three wickets for 41 runs in 10 overs. Earlier in the game, Theekshana had contributed with the bat as well scoring 16 runs from 21 balls.
“When I batted, the wicket was a bit sloppy. We wanted to bowl stump to stump, and with our variation, we knew we could get them out. For the first two or three balls, I kept it wider, but then I kept it wicket to wicket. I think my strength is bowling with the new ball, my team is using that well. We knew we had 10 overs to bat when I walked out, so I wanted to play till the end and get that extra 20-30 runs”, said Mahesh Theekshana at the post-match presentation.
Commenting on the day’s performance Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka went on to say,
“All the boys are excited for the next round. These two points were very crucial. The wicket was not easy to bat on compared to the other wickets. Credit to Nissanka and Asalanka. Collapses happen. We play positive cricket. Playing positively and getting out is not a problem for us. Theekshana and Hasaranga always do the job for us. DDS and I are there to bowl for the fifth bowling option. Chameera is also injured”.
Meanwhile in the other encounter between Ireland and the UAE, Ireland batter Paul Stirling played a monstrous 162-run knockoff 134 balls to power his side to 349/4 in 50 overs against UAE in the ICC World Cup 2023 qualifiers. The bowlers then put on a clinical show to fold UAE for just 210 runs.
ස්කොට්ලන්තයට එරෙහිව විශිෂ්ට ජයග්රහණයක් ලබා ගනිමින් ශ්රී ලංකාව B කාණ්ඩයේ පෙරමුණ ගැනීමට සමත් විය
ජූනි 27 වෙනි අඟහරුවාදා පැවති ICC ක්රිකට් ලෝක කුසලාන සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ තරඟාවලියේ තරඟ හතරකින් ජයග්රහණ හතරක් සමඟින් ඔවුන්ගේ අපරාජිත බව අඛණ්ඩව පවත්වා ගෙන යාම සඳහා ස්කොට්ලන්තය ලකුණු 82 කින් පරාජය කරමින් ශ්රී ලංකාව සිය කණ්ඩායම් අදියර ඉහළ මට්ටමක අවසන් කළේය.
මෙම ජයග්රහණය ශ්රී ලංකාවට ප්රසාද ලකුණු සටහනේ ඉහළින්ම සිය කාණ්ඩ වටය අවසන් කිරීමට ද ඉවහල් විය.
නිශ්ශංක සහ චරිත් අසලංකගේ අර්ධ ශතක හේතුවෙන් ස්කොට්ලන්තයට ලකුණු 246ක ඉලක්කයක් හිමිවිය. කෙසේ වෙතත්, ක්රිස් ග්රීව්ස් නොදැවී ලකුණු 56ක් ලබා සිටියද, ශ්රී ලංකා ප්රහාරය හරහා සමහර දක්ෂ පන්දු යැවීම් නිසා ස්කොට්ලන්තය බිඳ වැටුණි.
හරාරේ හි ක්වීන්ස් ක්රීඩා සමාජයේ දුෂ්කර හා වෙහෙසකර කඩුල්ලක් තුළ පළමුව පන්දුවට පහර දීමට ආරාධනය කළ ස්කොට්ලන්තය, විවේකය වන විට ශ්රී ලංකාව ලකුණු 245 කට සීමා කිරීමට හොඳින් ක්රියා කළේය.
ස්කොට්ලන්ත කණ්ඩායම පළමු පවර්ප්ලේ කඩුලු 2ක් දවා ගනිමින් වේලාසනින්ම පිවිසිණ. කෙසේ වෙතත්, ශ්රී ලංකාව නැවතත් ක්රීඩාවට පිවිසියේ, මැදපෙළ හවුල්කාරිත්ව තුනක අනුග්රහයෙනි, එය ඔවුන්ට ගෞරවනීය දෙයක් නැව්ගත කිරීමට උපකාරී විය.
ආරම්භක පිතිකරු පැතුම් නිශ්ශංක පන්දු 85කදී ලකුණු 75ක් ලබා ගත් අතර චරිත් අසලංක ලකුණු 65ක් ලබා ගත්තේ ය.
පිළිතුරු ලෙස ස්කොට්ලන්තය ලකුණු 73-5 දක්වා පහත වැටුණු අතර අවසානයේ ග්රීව්ස් නොදැවී ලකුණු 56ක් ලබා සිටියදී එකම ඕවරයේදී දුවද්දී දැවී යෑම් දෙකක් ඔවුන්ගේ ඉරණම මුද්රා තැබීමෙන් පසුව ලකුණු 163කට දැවී ගියේය.
පන්දු යවන්නන් අතරින් මහේෂ් තීක්ෂණ ලකුණු 3-41කට හිමිකම් කියූ අතර වනිඳු හසරනාග් ලකුණු 2-42කින් අවසන් විය.
ඕවර 10කදී ලකුණු 41කට කඩුලු 3ක් දවාගත් තීක්ෂණ තරගයේ වීරයා සම්මානයෙන් පිදුම් ලැබීය. මීට පෙර තරගයට පිත්තෙන් ද දායකත්වය ලබාදුන් තීක්ෂණ පන්දු 21කින් ලකුණු 16ක් රැස් කළේය.
මේ අතර අයර්ලන්තය සහ එක්සත් අරාබි එමීර් රාජ්යය අතර පැවති අනෙක් තරගයේදී අයර්ලන්ත පිතිකරු පෝල් ස්ටර්ලින් පන්දු 134 කදී ලකුණු 162 ක් රැස්කරමින් තම කණ්ඩායම 2023 අයිසීසී ලෝක කුසලාන සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ තරගාවලියේදී එක්සත් අරාබි එමීර් රාජ්යයට එරෙහිව ඕවර 50 කදී ලකුණු 349/4 ක් ලබා ගැනීමට සමත් විය. පසුව පන්දු යවන්නන් සායනික දර්ශනයක් පෙන්වූයේ එක්සත් අරාබි එමීර් රාජ්යය ලකුණු 210කට නවතා දැමීමටයි.
Cricket
Sri Lanka name squads for full-format West Indies tour
Sri Lanka Cricket has announced the national squads for the upcoming multi-format tour of the West Indies, with selectors blending experienced campaigners and emerging talent across the Test, ODI and T20I squads.
The tour, which begins later this month, will feature white-ball and red-ball cricket, with the ODI series scheduled first before the teams move into the T20I and Test contests. The Sri Lankan squad is set to depart tomorrow, May 26, for what is expected to be a challenging overseas assignment in Caribbean conditions.
Senior batter Pathum Nissanka has been included in all three squads alongside wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Mendis and all-rounder Kamindu Mendis, underlining their importance to Sri Lanka’s plans across formats.
In Test cricket, Dhananjaya de Silva will continue to lead the side, while Kamindu Mendis has been named vice-captain. The squad also includes experienced names such as Dinesh Chandimal, Prabath Jayasuriya and fast bowlers Asitha Fernando and Lahiru Kumara.
Selectors have also rewarded several emerging players, with Lahiru Udara, Sonal Dinusha and Isitha Wijesundara earning places in the Test squad as Sri Lanka looks to build depth ahead of future international commitments.
For the ODI and T20I squads, Kusal Mendis has been entrusted with captaincy duties, while Kamindu Mendis will serve as deputy in both formats. The inclusion of power hitters such as Dasun Shanaka and explosive opener Lasith Croospulle signals Sri Lanka’s intention to adopt an aggressive approach in limited-overs cricket.
Spin will once again be spearheaded by Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage, while the pace attack features Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga and Binura Fernando.
The tour is expected to provide Sri Lanka with a crucial opportunity to test combinations in unfamiliar conditions against a traditionally strong Caribbean outfit. With several senior players returning alongside promising youngsters, selectors appear focused on balancing immediate success with long-term squad development.
Test Squad
Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Dinesh Chandimal, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Kamindu Mendis (Vice-Captain), Sonal Dinusha, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (Captain), Milan Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Isitha Wijesundara.
ODI Squad
Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Pavan Rathnayake, Kusal Mendis (Captain), Janith Liyanage, Charith Asalanka, Kamindu Mendis (Vice-Captain), Milan Rathnayake, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Asitha Fernando, Pramod Madushan.
T20I Squad
Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Lasith Croospulle, Pavan Rathnayake, Kusal Mendis (Captain), Kamindu Mendis (Vice-Captain), Dasun Shanaka, Milan Rathnayake, Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara.
Cricket
New Zealand secure consolation win but Sri Lanka clinch series
New Zealand ‘A’ Women signed off their tour with a narrow five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka ‘A’ Women in the third and final T20 played at the Dambulla International Cricket Stadium on Monday.
Despite the defeat, Sri Lanka secured the three-match series 2-1 after winning the opening two encounters convincingly.
Asked to bat first, Sri Lanka endured a disappointing outing with the bat and were bundled out for just 78 in 16.5 overs. The home side never recovered after losing early wickets, with only skipper Sathya Sandeepani and Sanjana Kavindi reaching double figures in the top order.
Kavindi struck 15 runs with three boundaries before falling to Jess Watkin, while Sandeepani battled for 16 off 23 deliveries. Sumudu Nisansala added 15 runs, but the Sri Lankan innings continued to crumble against disciplined New Zealand bowling.
Jess Watkin starred with the ball, producing an outstanding spell of 4 for 4 in 2.5 overs to rip through the middle and lower order. Kayley Knight claimed two wickets, while Fran Jonas, Bella Armstrong and Marama Downes chipped in with one wicket apiece.
Chasing a modest target of 79, New Zealand also found batting difficult on the slow surface but managed to reach the target in 18.5 overs with five wickets in hand.
Prue Catton anchored the innings with an unbeaten 30 off 38 balls, holding the innings together after Sri Lanka struck regularly. Kate Anderson contributed 17 runs, while Kate Gaging remained unbeaten on seven at the finish.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers fought hard to defend the small total. Sachini Nisansala and Pramudi Methsara picked up two wickets each, while Chamudi Praboda accounted for New Zealand captain Jess Watkin.
However, Catton’s composed knock guided the visitors home as New Zealand earned a consolation win to end the tour on a positive note.
Cricket
KKR Bring in Luvnith Sisodia as Replacement for Injured Matheesha Pathirana
Kolkata Knight Riders have drafted in Karnataka wicketkeeper-batter Luvnith Sisodia as a replacement for Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana ahead of their crucial final league-stage fixture against Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026.
Pathirana has been ruled out of the remainder of the tournament after suffering a hamstring injury during KKR’s victory over Gujarat Titans last weekend. The Sri Lankan speedster, one of the franchise’s marquee signings at the auction, was bought for a massive INR 18 crore but endured an injury-plagued campaign.
The 23-year-old had already missed the early stages of the season due to a left calf injury sustained during Sri Lanka’s Super Eight campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Although he eventually joined the squad in mid-April after recovering, his comeback proved short-lived.
Making his first appearance for KKR against Gujarat Titans, Pathirana bowled just 1.2 overs before leaving the field in visible discomfort with a left hamstring problem. Subsequent medical assessments confirmed that he would take no further part in the tournament.
In response, KKR have turned to Luvnith Sisodia, a promising left-handed wicketkeeper-batter from Karnataka. Sisodia has featured in 13 T20 matches at the domestic level but is still awaiting his IPL debut.
The youngster is no stranger to the IPL environment, having previously spent time with Royal Challengers Bengaluru before being picked up by KKR during the 2025 mega auction. His inclusion also strengthens Kolkata’s wicketkeeping options following injuries to Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who was sidelined after suffering a concussion and finger fracture earlier in the campaign.
KKR’s playoff hopes remain slim but alive heading into their final round-robin encounter. The defending champions will first need Rajasthan Royals to lose against Mumbai Indians. Even then, Kolkata must secure a convincing victory over Delhi Capitals to improve their net run rate sufficiently and overtake Punjab Kings for a place in the Eliminator.
-
Football1 year agoSri Lanka Schools National Championship 2025: Super 8 Fixtures and Grouping
-
News1 year ago2025 Schools Rugby Season Set to Thrill Fans with Knockout and League Action
-
Cricket12 months agoNuwan Thushara Shines as RCB Storms into IPL 2025 Final
-
Cricket1 year agoSri Lanka’s Greatest Cricketers: Top Batters and Bowlers of All Time
-
Live5 years agoLive Broadcast of Syria vs Sri Lanka | AFC U23 Asian Championship Qualification
-
News12 months agoMajor Shake-Up in Sports Governance: New 2025 Regulations Reform National Sports Bodies in Sri Lanka
-
Football1 year agoFFSL Rebrands Division-1 as ‘League-One’ with a Bold New Vision
-
Football1 year agoSri Lanka Announces U19 Football Squad for SAFF Championship 2025

