Root hits double ton as England reach 555-8
CHENNAI AFP Feb 6, 2021: Joe Root scored 218 to become the first player to hit a double century in his 100th Test as England stormed past 550 in the opening Test against India on Saturday. The captain, who resumed on his overnight 128, hit a big six to pass 200 before departing in the [...]
Seeded players come out on top
Duminda Dilum, Thehan Wijemanne and Chathurya Nilaweera recorded easy wins while top seed Akila Vimukthi received a walk-over in the first round matches of the 105th Colombo Tennis Championships played at the SLTA Tennis Courts yesterday. In the Women’s Singles top seed Anika Seneviratne and her sister Alana Seneviratne received walkovers. Sethmi Sumanaweera and Savini [...]
Two-ton Asalanka runs riot
Skipper Charith Asalanka was in awesome form as he made back-to-back tons for Triggs XI in two matches on the second day of the Richmond Champions League T20 Cricket Tournament played at the Galle International Stadium yesterday. In the first match played in the morning, Asalanka cracked a 66-ball 115 which was the highest individual [...]
LPL event organiser defaults right fees again
Two months into the completion of the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is yet to recover the rights fee from the event organiser — Innovative Production Group (IPG). This is despite SLC having given them a grace period up until the completion of the five-team tournament to settle [...]
Howzat Aluthgamage! Aravinda, Sanga back in fray
It was like a slap in the face of fellow Cabinet Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage. Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa has appointed Aravinda de Silva and Kumar Sangakkara in the new, high-profile four-member Cricket Technical Advisory Committee. Others in the committee are the respected Roshan Mahanama and legendary spinner Muttiah Muralidaran. They will also function as the [...]
Cricketers violate health advice to attend wedding
Stay home until the PCR results are out, health professionals advise. But this is widely ignored. National cricketers are the latest violators, having attended the wedding of fellow player Sadeera Samarawickrema a few hours after undergoing PCR tests, thereby placing everyone that attended the ceremony at risk. Tests were carried out on cricketers and support [...]
Veteran administrator Rohini bats for development of women’s cricket
Veteran sports administrator Rohini Fernando has called for more recognition for women’s cricket in the country and discipline from those playing the game at all levels. One of the pioneers of women’s cricket in Sri Lanka, Rohini felt more should be done to lift the standard and status of women cricketers in the island. She [...]
Financial reasons compel 7s champions Kandy SC to opt out of Commanders Cup
Defending champions and the only outstation club, Kandy Sports Club is compelled to pull out due to financial constraints from the Dialog Commanders Cup Rugby 7s 2021 scheduled to take place in March at Ratmalana. The eight-team event will now see only seven teams and the vacant position is likely to be filled up by [...]
Schools cricket to get underway next month
The much looked forward to Under-19 inter-schools cricket season has received the green light with the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA) having finalised all arrangements to conduct the tournament from March. The confirmation letter of approval from the Ministry of Education is expected to be issued in the near future and the SLSCA has [...]
Akbar Brothers join hands with SSC to develop cricket infrastructure
An ardent supporter of local sports, Akbar Brothers Group of Companies, has entered into a three-year partnership with Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC), as their principal sponsor from 2021-2023 across all cricket formats. Established in 1899, SSC is the premier cricket club in the country. Over the years they have developed some of the finest cricketers [...]
Young guns on the double
The doubles pair play a key role in Davis Cup ties which comprises singles and reverse singles. It could be the decider in a tie between two nations. It is like the Achilles Heel for some countries. Sri Lanka usually had singles players who combined for the doubles match. Focusing on doubles by fielding a [...]
Can we reverse systemic failures in sports governance?
A few days ago, we celebrated 73 years of Independence and HE the President quite rightly pointed out that public officials must take full responsibility for matters that fall within their purview. Or they must go he did not say, because the occasion obviously called for a measure of solemnity! In a country where everything [...]
Emerging stars relishing new T10 format
After Sri Lanka Cricket barred its top international cricketers from playing in the Abu Dhabi T10 league, four young cricketers got the opportunity to play in the tournament. Dananjaya Lakshan (Northern Warriors), Matheesh Theekshana (Northern Warriors), Kevin Koththigoda (Maratha Arabians) and Matheesha Pathirana (Bangla Tigers) tried their hands at the new format that is being [...]
Devi Balika’s shooter Amandhika aims to bring glory to Sri Lanka
Devi Balika Vidyalaya schoolgirl Amandhika Amarasinghe is being touted as the next Olympic hope for Sri Lanka in the shooting sport. The 19-year-old shooting star was named the Best Athlete of the Year at the National Shooting Sport Federation (NSSF) Awards Ceremony in 2019. Amandhika, who represented Sri Lanka Schools at national meets, was adjudged [...]
Priyadarshani beats Jithara in a five-setter thriller to win Women’s Singles
Muthumali Priyadarshani of Sri Lanka Navy, beat Jithara Warnakulasooriya of Ladies’ College 3-2 in the Women’s Singles final of the All-Island Table Tennis Tournament played for the Mahipala Herath Challenge Trophy. The tournament was held at the Kegalle Municipal Council Indoor Stadium last week. Priyadarshani did not have an easy outing in the Women’s Singles [...]
141st Battle of the Blues ‘Play for a Cause’ endures its pledge to support four deserving schools
‘Play for a Cause’, the annual sustainability project of the ‘Battle of the Blues’, the annual cricket encounter between Royal College, Colombo, and S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia, as tradition would gift cricket equipment to four deserving schools that are deficient in cricket equipment. Girithalegama Maha Vidyalaya – Giritale, Sri Rathanajothi Vidyayathana – Pirivena, Trincomalee, [...]
Ranindu, Minul, Denuwan share lead
Three players — national chess champion Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage of Ananda College, former national chess champion, Minul Doluweera of Royal College and a national team player Theekshana Denuwan of Ananda College — shared the lead with 6 points each out of 7 games after the first session of the 8th Sri Lanka Chess Grand Prix [...]
Gateway College Kandy opens Sports Complex
The first phase of the sports complex of Gateway College in Kandy was declared open in Mapanawathura Road in close proximity to the school. The new complex provides for Athletics with a 100 metre track, cricket with three wickets, netball, futsal and tennis. Also included within the complex is a dormitory that can accommodate 36 [...]
Cycling Sunday launched with dedicated lane
Cycling Sunday, an initiative by Yasas Hewage of ‘Spinner’ was launched last Sunday with the support of Ministry of Youth and Sports from Kimbulawala, covering a distance of 22 kilometres on a dedicated cycle lane. Cycling Sunday, a global event which promotes cycling with the participation of all family members, flagged off from Kimbulawala at [...]
Next Olympic hope portal launched
The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka and Crysbro successfully handed over 14 scholarships and also launched the ‘Nextolympichope.com’ portal at a simple ceremony at the Olympic House. Under the programme the following athletes received their scholarship certificate and the cheques. They were Kanas Kumar Danushan (golf), Amandhika Amarasinghe (shooting), M. Tehan Sanchith Rayman (boxing), [...]
Krishan outsmarts Senura to win Men’s Singles title
Krishan Wickramaratne of Old Vidyartha Sports Club outsmarted Ananda College’s Senura Silva 3-1 to clinch the Men’s Single title of the All-Island Table Tennis Tournament played for the Mahipala Herath Challenge Trophy. Krishan did not get the start he expected as the first set looked highly intense before he claimed it 12/10. With that motivation [...]