Will it be Australia’s sixth or India’s third?
The defending champions crashed out. The runners-up in 2019 failed to make it to their third consecutive final. Proteas choked once again. Afghanistan showed grit but failed to make it, and after 47 matches of exciting and dramatic events, it’s a battle between the 2003 finalists—India and Australia–in front of a legion of home fans. [...]
Winning a World Cup ‘an unparalleled feeling that reverberates through time’
Winning a World Cup is more than just lifting a trophy. It’s an unparalleled feeling that reverberates through time, inspiring cricketers across borders and generations. Having experienced this euphoria after the dramatic 2019 World Cup final at Lords, I can attest to the transformative power of such a moment. Cricketing legends like Clive Lloyd, Kapil [...]
Cummins expects to ‘silence a big crowd’
Nothing is more intimidating than playing against a team that has all the support on its side. The pitch is expected to be a slow-turner, much to the liking of the home team. Australia, having played all their 10 games in different conditions, wouldn’t mind this. “No doubt playing on your own wicket in your [...]
From refugees to ‘unstoppables’
Belief, hard work and talent define Afghanistan’s meteoric rise in international cricket. From competing in the ICC World Cricket League Division V in 2008 to gaining Test status in 2017—with their first World Cup appearance in 2015—to winning four of their nine games in 2023, their journey has been swift and relentless. Despite the challenges [...]
COPE meetings at stalemate after its Chairman accused of being bias on SLC
The conduct of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) came in for severe criticism from members of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) on Tuesday (14) when the Committee considered the special audit report into the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup 2022 in Australia. Senior officials of SLC, led by its President Shammi Silva and Chief Executive [...]
Aravinda de Silva – fourth Sri Lankan in ICC Hall of Fame
Aravinda de Silva, probably the best batter produced by Sri Lanka in the history of cricket, became the fourth from the island nation to be inducted into the International Cricket Council (ICC) Hall of Fame. The ICC inducted de Silva, India’s Virender Sehwag and Diana Edulji into the ICC Hall of Fame as the Class [...]
St. Joseph’s and Lumbini reach L/O finals
St. Joseph’s College and Lumbini Vidyalaya booked the two berths to the finals of the Schools Under-19 Division I Tier ‘A’ and Tier ‘B’ Limited Over Tournament respectively, after their wins in the semi-finals played yesterday. St. Joseph’s beat De Mazenod College by 4 wickets while Lumbini overcame Ananda College by 48 runs in the [...]
Bloomfield down Air Force to record third win
Bloomfield coasted to a comfortable 8-wicket win over Air Force with a day to spare in the Major Club 3-day Tournament encounter concluded at the Air Force ground in Katunayake yesterday. The win saw Bloomfield chalking up their third outright win of the tournament. Moors SC was on top against NCC as they have already [...]
Devapathiraja emerge Girls’ U-19 champions
Devapathiraja Maha Vidyalaya, Rathgama emerged champions of the Girl’s Under-19 Division I Limited Over Tournament with a 4-wicket win over defending champions Rathnavali Balika Vidyalaya, Gampaha in the final played at the Thurstan College ground. Devapathiraja were runners-up last year and this time out they had a successful run in the tournament as they ended [...]
WADA sends Russian anti-doping agency case to arbitration
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said it has submitted to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) objections from Russia’s anti-doping agency, RUSADA, about its non-compliance status. RUSADA last month disputed WADA’s allegation of non-compliance relating to “Russian federal sports legislation discovered following an audit in September 2022”. The Russian agency was suspended over the [...]
Illingworth and Kettleborough to take charge of WC final
The English duo of Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough will be the on-field umpires for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 final between India and Australia in Ahmedabad today. This will be the second time Kettleborough would be in the middle for the showpiece occasion. The 50-year-old previously stood alongside Kumar Dharmasena in the [...]
Sri Lanka should adopt ‘sports science’ culture – Nishanthe Piyasena
Sri Lanka should adopt the culture of ‘sports science’ if its athletes are to compete on par with their international counterparts, highlighted Nishanthe Piyasena, the Chef de Mission of the country’s 19th Asian Games contingent. Identifying sports injuries and placing a proper plan to have athletes fully fit and recovered for major international events became [...]
Entries open for 71st National Championships
Entries are now accepted for the 71st National Badminton Championships which is scheduled to be held from December 4 to 10 in Colombo. Organised by Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB), the championship promises to be a thrilling showcase of talent while a prize pool of Rs. 2million will be up for grabs. The week-long tournament will [...]
Defending champs India seeking to retain title
The ACC Men’s U-19 Asia Cup, conducted by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), to be hosted by United Arab Emirates (UAE), is scheduled to be held from December 8 to 17 with the participation of eight Asian youth teams. The tournament, slated to get underway on December 8 with the clash between defending champions India, [...]
PCB appoints Wahab Riaz as Chief Selector
Pakistan have appointed former fast bowler Wahab Riaz as their chief selector for the men’s team. The 38-year-old, who only retired from international duty in August to focus on franchise cricket, will work alongside the recently-appointed men’s team director Mohammad Hafeez. “The decision to involve former players is commendable,” said Wahab, who replaces Inzamam-ul-Haq. Pakistan [...]
Florington Dian Frido: The young aquatic trailblazer in 2023
In the world of swimming, records are not just broken; they are shattered by those who dare to dream big and possess the unwavering determination to turn their dreams into reality. Florington Dian Frido, a name that will soon be etched in the annals of history, was born on December 6, 2008, and is a [...]
Fostering sportsmanship: The crucial role of Royal Institute in shaping ethical athletes
In the competitive realm of sports, schools play a pivotal role in shaping not just skilled athletes but also individuals with a strong foundation in sportsmanship. The impact of a school on sportsmanship extends far beyond the scoreboard, influencing character development, teamwork, and values that resonate throughout a lifetime. Royal Institute believes in fostering and [...]
SLIIT’s swimmer Galina shines at Hangzhou Asian Para Games
In an outstanding display of talent and perseverance, Galina Basnayake, a second-year student in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), brought honour to Sri Lanka by securing a silver medal in the Women’s 400m Freestyle S9 category at the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, [...]
Royalist Sulaiman sets two new School Games swimming records
Sulaiman Shihar from Royal College, Colombo established two new records in the Under-14 age group at the All-Island School Games Swimming Championship 2023 concluded at Sugathathasa Swimming Pool earlier this weeek. The 13-year-old swimmer broke the records in Boy’s 50-metre and 100-metre backstroke events within two successive days. Suliaman clocked a new record time of [...]