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Thirty-year record, Sri Lanka beats Australians and sealed the series with one match to spare!!
The fourth ODI between Sri Lanka and Australia was played yesterday at the R Premadasa Stadium. The opening two matches of the previous three matches were played in Pallekele and the third match was played in Colombo. Despite losing the tournament’s first match, “Yaksha Pataw” returned to the Premadasa Stadium today with a vital victory momentum by winning the second and third matches and preparing for a record victory.
After winning the ODI series between the two countries in Australia in 2012 against Australia, Sri Lanka has not been able to defeat them so far. Also, the Sri Lankan team has not been able to defeat the Kangaroos in Sri Lanka since 1992.
The Australians won the toss and elected to field. Wanindu Hasaranga was named in the Sri Lanka squad to replace the injured Dushmantha Chameera with only one change Sri Lanka came to the match.
Even though Sri Lankans lost three wickets for 34 runs, Charith Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva put on 101 for the fourth wicket. Dhananjaya scored 60 off 61 balls while Charith scored his maiden ODI century scoring 110 off 106 balls. At the end of 49 overs, Sri Lanka was all out for 258 and set a target of 259 for Australians.
Although in the chase Chamika Karunaratne did not allow Australia to get off to a flourishing start, David Warner was able to stay on the pitch at one end and establish a stable partnership from time to time, pushing the victory towards Australia. However, the Sri Lankan bowlers were able to take wickets from the other end of the pitch whereas Warner alone at one end. Chamika Karunaratne took two wickets for 19 runs in five overs, with each spinner taking at least one wicket to put pressure on the Australians.
Sri Lankan bowlers set a target of 19 runs in the final over to win the match, the skipper Dasun Shanaka took the responsibility on his own to bowl the final over of the match. The Australians scored only 14 off the first five balls of the final over and expected to score 5 runs in the final ball. Fortunately, Dasun was able to get rid of the final wicket of the match in the last ball the match and seal the match and series. Sri Lanka won the match by 4 runs. Sri Lanka won the five-match ODI series 3-1 with one match to spare.
තිස් වසරක වාර්තාවක් අලුත් වේ, ශ්‍රී ලංකාව ඕස්ට්‍රේලියානුවන්ව වේලාසනම පරදවයි.
ශ්‍රී ලංකාව සහ ඕස්ට්‍රේලියාව අතර පැවත්වෙන සිව්වන එක්දින තරඟය අද කොළඹ ආර්. ප්‍රේමදාස ක්‍රීඩා පිටියේදී පැවත්විණි. මීට පෙර පැවති තරඟ ත්‍රිත්වයෙන් ආරම්භක තරඟ ද්විත්වය පල්ලෙකැළේදීත් තෙවන තරඟය කොළඹදීත් පැවත්විණි. තරඟාවලියේ පළමු තරඟය පරාජයට පත් වූවත් දෙවන සහ තෙවන තරඟ ජයග්‍රහණය කරමින් ප්‍රබල අන්දමින් නැවත තරඟාවලි ජයක් පෙනෙන මානයට අවතීර්න වූ “යක්ෂ පැටව්” අද ප්‍රේමදාස පිටියට පැමිණියේ වාර්තාගත ජයක් සඳහා සූදානමින්.
ඕස්ට්‍රේලියානුවන්ට එරෙහිව ඕස්ට්‍රේලියාවේදීම 2012 වසරේදී දෙරට අතර එක්දින තරඟාවලිය ජයගැනීමෙන් පසු මේ වන තෙක් ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට ඔවුන්ව පරාජය කිරීමට හැකි වී නොතිබිණි. එමෙන්ම 1992 වසරෙන් පසු මෙරටදී කැන්ගරුවන්ව පරාජය කිරීමටද ශ්‍රී ලංකා කණ්ඩායමට හැකියාවක් ලැබී නොතිබිණි.
තීරණාත්මක සිව්වන තරඟයේ කාසියේ වාසිය ඕස්ට්‍රේලියානුවන් හිමි කරගත් අතර ප්‍රථමයෙන් පන්දු රැකීමට ඔවුන් තීරණය කළහ. ශ්‍රී ලංකා කණ්ඩායම එක් වෙනස්කමක් පමණක් සිදු කරමින් වනිඳු හසරංගව සංචිතයට කැඳවා තිබුණේ ආබාධයට ලක් වූ දුෂ්මන්ත චමීර වෙනුවටයි.
ආරම්භයේදීම ප්‍රබල තරඟයක් ලබාදුන් ඕස්ට්‍රේලියානු පිළ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ මුල් පෙළ පිතිකරුවන් තිදෙනාම මුලු ලකුණු සංඛ්‍යාව 34ක් වන විට ක්‍රීඩාගාරයට හරවා යැවූ අතර සිව්වන කඩුල්ල සඳහා ලකුණු 101ක සබඳතාවක් පිහිටවීමට චරිත් අසලංක සහ ධනංජය දි සිල්වාට හැකි විය. ධනංජය පන්දු 61න් ලකුණු 60ක් ලබාගද්දී චරිත් සිය මංගල එක්දින ශතකය වාර්තා කරේ පන්දු 106ට ලකුණු 110ක් රැස් කරමින්. පන්දුවාර 49ක් අවසානයේ සියල්ලන් දැවී ශ්‍රී ලංකා කණ්ඩායම ලකුණු 258ක් රැස් කරගත් අතර ඕස්ට්‍රේලියානුවන්ට හිමි වූ ඉලක්කය ලකුණු 259ක්.
ඕස්ට්‍රේලියාවට සාර්ථක ආරම්භයක් ලබාගැණීමට චාමික කරුණාරත්න ඉඩ ලබා නොදුන්නත් ඩේවිඩ් වෝර්නර් එක් අන්තයක සිටිමින් විටින් විට ස්ථාවර සබඳතා පිහිටුවීමට සමත් වූයේ ජයග්‍රහනය ඕස්ට්‍රේලියාව වෙත නැඹුරු කරම්නින්. කෙසේවෙතත් එක් අන්තයක වෝනර් තනිකරම්නින් අනෙක් අන්තයෙන් කඩුලු දවාගැනීමට ශ්‍රී ලංකා පන්දු යවන්නන්ට හැකියාව ලැබුණි. විශිෂ්ට පන්දු යැවීමක නිරත වූ චාමික කරුණාරත්න පන්දුවාර 5ක් ලකුණු 19ට යොමු කරමින් තීරණාත්මක කඩුලු ද්විත්වයක් බිඳ හෙලූ අතර කණ්ඩායමේ සෑම දඟ පන්දු යවන්නෙක්ම එක් කඩුල්ලක් බැගින් හෝ රැගෙන ඕස්ට්‍රේලියානු පිළට පීඩනයක් එල්ල කිරීමට සමත් වූහ.
තරඟයේ අවසන් පන්දුවාරයට ලකුණු 19ක ඉලක්කයක් ඕස්ට්‍රේලියානු පිළට හිමි වූ අතර එම පන්දුවාරය යොමු කීරීමේ වගකීමලබාගත්තේ නායක දසුන් ශානක විසින්ය. අවසන් පන්දුවාරයේ ප්‍රථම පන්දු 5ට ලකුණු 14ක් රැස් කරගැනීමට ඕස්ට්‍රේලියානුවන් සමත් වූ අතර අවසන් පන්දුවට හිමි වූ ඉලක්කය ලකුණු 5ක්. අවසන් පන්දුවෙන් ඕස්ට්‍රේලියානු අවසන් කඩුල්ල දවාගනිමින් තරඟය අවසන් මොහොතේ ජයග්‍රහණය කිරීමට ශ්‍රී ලංකා පිළට හැකියාව ලැබුණේ ලකුණු 4න්. මේ අනුව තරඟ 5න් සමන්විත එක්දින තරඟාවලිය එක් තරඟයක් ඉතුරු කරමින්ම 3-1ක් ලෙස ජයග්‍රහණය කළේ ශ්‍රී ලංකා කන්ඩායමයි.
முப்பது வருட சாதனை, ஆஸ்திரேலியர்களை வீழ்த்தி ஒரு போட்டி மீதம் உள்ள நிலையில் தொடரை கைப்பற்றிய இலங்கை!!
இலங்கை மற்றும் அவுஸ்திரேலியா அணிகளுக்கு இடையிலான நான்காவது ஒருநாள் போட்டி நேற்று ஆர் பிரேமதாச மைதானத்தில் நடைபெற்றது. முந்தைய மூன்று போட்டிகளின் தொடக்க இரண்டு போட்டிகள் பல்லேகலவிலும் மூன்றாவது போட்டி கொழும்பிலும் நடைபெற்றது. போட்டியின் முதல் போட்டியில் தோல்வியடைந்த போதிலும், இரண்டாவது மற்றும் மூன்றாவது போட்டிகளில் வெற்றி பெற்று சாதனை வெற்றிக்கு தயாராகி இன்றியமையாத வெற்றி வேகத்துடன் “யக்ஷா படவ்” இன்று பிரேமதாச மைதானத்திற்கு திரும்பியது.
கடந்த 2012ஆம் ஆண்டு அவுஸ்திரேலியாவுக்கு எதிராக இரு நாடுகளுக்கும் இடையில் அவுஸ்திரேலியாவில் இடம்பெற்ற ஒருநாள் தொடரை கைப்பற்றிய இலங்கையினால் இதுவரை அவர்களை தோற்கடிக்க முடியவில்லை. மேலும், 1992ஆம் ஆண்டு முதல் இலங்கையில் கங்காருக்களை இலங்கை அணியால் தோற்கடிக்க முடியவில்லை.
டாஸ் வென்ற ஆஸ்திரேலிய அணி பந்து வீச்சை தேர்வு செய்தது. இலங்கை அணியில் காயம் அடைந்த துஷ்மந்த சமீரவுக்கு பதிலாக வனிந்து ஹசரங்க ஒரே ஒரு மாற்றத்துடன் இலங்கை அணியில் சேர்க்கப்பட்டார்.
இலங்கை அணி 34 ஓட்டங்களுக்கு 3 விக்கெட்டுகளை இழந்திருந்தபோதும் சரித் அசலங்கா மற்றும் தனஞ்சய டி சில்வா ஆகியோர் நான்காவது விக்கெட்டுக்காக 101 ஓட்டங்களை குவித்தனர். தனஞ்சய 61 பந்துகளில் 60 ரன்கள் எடுத்தார், சரித் தனது முதல் ஒருநாள் சதத்தை 106 பந்துகளில் 110 ரன்கள் எடுத்தார். 49 ஓவர்கள் முடிவில் இலங்கை அணி 258 ரன்களுக்கு ஆல் அவுட்டாகி ஆஸ்திரேலிய அணிக்கு 259 ரன்கள் இலக்காக நிர்ணயித்தது.
துரத்தலில் சாமிக்க கருணாரத்ன அவுஸ்திரேலியாவை செழுமையாக ஆரம்பிப்பதற்கு இடமளிக்காத போதிலும், டேவிட் வார்னர் ஒரு முனையில் ஆடுகளத்தில் நிலைத்து நின்று, அவ்வப்போது நிலையான இணைப்பாட்டத்தை ஏற்படுத்தி வெற்றியை அவுஸ்திரேலியாவை நோக்கித் தள்ளினார். இருப்பினும், இலங்கை பந்துவீச்சாளர்கள் ஆடுகளத்தின் மறுமுனையில் இருந்து விக்கெட்டுகளை வீழ்த்த முடிந்தது, அதே நேரத்தில் வார்னர் மட்டும் ஒரு முனையில் இருந்தார். சமிக கருணாரத்ன ஐந்து ஓவர்களில் 19 ஓட்டங்களுக்கு இரண்டு விக்கெட்டுகளை வீழ்த்தினார், ஒவ்வொரு சுழற்பந்து வீச்சாளரும் குறைந்தது ஒரு விக்கெட்டையாவது வீழ்த்தி அவுஸ்திரேலிய அணிக்கு அழுத்தம் கொடுத்தார்.
கடைசி ஓவரில் 19 ரன்கள் கொடுத்தால் தோல்வி என்ற இலக்குடன் களமிறங்கிய இலங்கை கேப்டன் தசுன் ஷனக போட்டியின் இறுதி ஓவரை வீசும் பொறுப்பை தானே ஏற்றார். இறுதி ஓவரின் முதல் ஐந்து பந்துகளில் 14 ரன்கள் மட்டுமே எடுத்த ஆஸ்திரேலிய அணி, கடைசி பந்தில் 5 ரன்கள் எடுக்கும் என எதிர்பார்க்கப்பட்டது. போட்டியின் கடைசி பந்தில் ஆட்டத்தின் இறுதி விக்கெட்டை வீழ்த்தி போட்டியையும் தொடரையும் தசுன் கைப்பற்றினார். இந்தப் போட்டியில் இலங்கை அணி 4 ரன்கள் வித்தியாசத்தில் வெற்றி பெற்றது. ஐந்து போட்டிகள் கொண்ட ஒருநாள் தொடரை ஒரு போட்டி எஞ்சியுள்ள நிலையில் 3-1 என இலங்கை கைப்பற்றியது.
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
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.
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
Isipathana Clinches U19 Knockout Crown with Dramatic Final Victory Over Trinity
Ritzbury Celebrates Sri Lanka’s Rising Track Stars and Coaches for Historic Medal Haul at Asian Youth Athletics Championship 2025
Trinity and Isipathana Set Up Thrilling Showdown in President’s Trophy Rugby Final
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