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Lumbini’s Kaushalya smashes double century in 173 balls

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Shahan Kaushalya scored a double century as Lumbini posted 377 for six wickets at stumps.

Under 19 Cricket

by Reemus Fernando

Shahan Kaushalya excelled with a five wicket haul and a double century as Lumbini took complete control of the Under 19 match against President’s College, Rajagiriya at Colts ground on Monday.

Kalushalya’s five wicket haul was key to dismissing President’s for 84 runs.

In their reply, Lumbini reached 377 for six wickets at stumps with Kaushalya top scoring with 206 runs.

Kaushalya hammered 31 fours and three sixes in his knock which came in 173 balls.

His was not the only century of the day as Sri Lanka Under 19 captain Sineth Jayawardena scored a century against St. Thomas’, Matara for them to post 251 runs in their Division I Tier ‘A’ match at Reid Avenue.

At Darley Road an unbeaten half century by Kaveesha Piyumal helped St. Anthony’s College, Katugastota top 200 runs against St. Joseph’s. The home team were 132 for five wickets at stumps on day.

In a Division I Tier ‘B’ match between Ananda and St. Joseph Vaz’s a fifth wicket stand of 183 runs between Kithma Withanapathirana (130) and Kenul de Zoysa (100) was the highlight as Ananda went on to post 366 runs for eight wickets declared.

Match Scores and Results

Lumbini dominate at Colts Ground

Scores:

President’s

84 all out in 37.4 overs (Daham Usindu 23; Shahan Kaushalya 5/20)

Lumbini

377 for 6 in 62 overs (Bimsara Weerasinghe 57, Shahan Kaushalya 206, Praveen Maneesha 31, Pasindu Maheesha 42; Sithum Oshanda 3/78)

Ananda amass 366 runs for eight wickets at Kadirana

Scores

Ananda

366 for 8 decl. in 79 overs (Kithma Withanapathirana 130, Kenul de Zoysa 100, Ravishan Perera 35; Himal Ravihansa 3/91, Vishwa Rajapaksa 2/75)

St. Joseph Vaz’s

52 for 2 in 12 overs

Hard fought first innings win for Moratu MV at Karandeniya

Scores:

Moratu MV

246 all out in 85.2 overs (Deneth Sithumina 99n.o., Nidharshana Fernando 62; Vihanga Indusara 2/28, Sandaru Malshan 2/35, Darshaka Sandeep 4/55) and 39 for 1 in 18 overs

Devapathiraja

219 all out in 104.1 overs (Gimhan Rasanjana 59, Vihanga Indusara 31; Himash Tharushka 3/29, Nishitha Fernando 2/56, Vihanga Nimsara 3/51)

Dharmapala 147, St. Sylvester’s 125/7 at Pannipitiya

Scores:

Dharmapala

147 all out in 56 overs (Thimoth Pathinayake 31n.o.; Isuru Gunasekara 3/25, Nimesha Silva 3/42)

St. Sylvester’s

125 for 7 in 41.4 overs (Adithya Waduge 35; Chithum Baddage 3/37)

Tier ‘A’

Sineth century helps Royal at Reid Avenue

Scores:

Royal

251 all out in 83.2 overs (Sineth Jayawardena 102, Ovina Ambanpola 46, Ramiru Perera 57; Manuga Guruge 3/23, Pesandu sanjana 2/55)

St. Thomas’ Matara

23 for 1 in 12 overs

Mahanama take first innings advantage at Kirimandala Mawatha

Scores:

Maris Stella

137 all out in 48.1 overs (Levin Fernando 32, Hasidu Perera 25, Ramith Bandara 24; Chamika Heenatigala 4/28, Inuka Karannagoda 2/25)

Mahanama

193 for 6 in 43 overs (Dulnith Sigera 65, Inuka Karannagoda 51n.o., Rashmika Perera 27, Koojana Perera 22; Nilesh Perera 3/53)

Gurukula in box seat at Uyanwatta

Scores:

St. Servatius’

132 all out in 26.3 overs (Risinu Kithmuka 52; Thathsara Eshan 5/23, Poorna Kalhara 3/27)

Gurukula

302 for 6 in 70 overs (Poorna Kalhara 33, Mohomed Mursad 62, Denura Dimansith 80, Thathsara Eshan 61; Viran Chamuditha 4/94)



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England face Australia in the battle of champions

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Jos Buttler has Jofra Archer back to bolster the England bowling attack [Cricinfo]

The first truly heavyweight clash of this expanded T20 World Cup format comes freighted with both history and subplots. A rematch of the 2010 World T20 final at Kensington Oval, the match pits Jos Buttler’s defending champions – who are aiming to become the first team to retain the trophy – against the Australian winning machine, victors at the 2021 edition and current world title-holders in Test and ODI cricket. And that’s before you throw in the Ashes for afters.

Already there is added pressure on England, after the rain in Bridgetown led to a share of the points in their opener against Scotland (and that having conceded 90 runs from 10 overs without taking a wicket in a tepid bowling display). Lose to their oldest rivals and it will leave their Super 8 prospects open to being waylaid by the perils of net run-rate calculations, or worse.

The Scotland match was the third abandonment in five suffered by England, after a rain-affected home series against Pakistan, which has clearly hampered their readiness for this campaign after almost six months without playing T20 together. It does not take much for a side to click in this format – and England looked in decent shape when they did get on the field against Pakistan – but Buttler will be anxious for things to go their way on Saturday, if only to avoid further questions referencing the team’s disastrous ODI World Cup defence last year.

Australia, under the laidback leadership of Mitchell Marsh  would love nothing more than to add to the English sense of jeopardy – having helped bundle them out of the tournament in India on the way to taking the crown. Their head to head record is less impressive in T20 however, with England having won six of the last seven completed encounters, as well as that 2010 final.

Despite a wobble with the bat, Australia avoided mishap against Oman earlier in the week, the experience of David Warner and Marcus Stoinis shining through in difficult batting conditions. Surfaces in the Caribbean – not to mention those games staged in the USA – have already had teams scratching their heads; rather than the “slug-fest” England had prepared for, following a high-scoring tour of the Caribbean in December, it looks as if boxing smart may be the way to go.

Speaking of Warner, this could be the last time he faces up against England in national colours – and another match-winning contribution would likely reduce the chances of them meeting again in the knockouts. On the other side of the card is Jofra Archer, fresh from an emotional maiden outing at Kensington Oval and ready to take on Australia for the first time in any format since 2020. Can Mark Wood fire up England’s campaign, as he did during last summer’s Ashes? Will Pat Cummins be back to harass the old enemy once again? Seconds out, it’s almost time to rumble.

Cummins is set to return after being rested for the Oman game, which saw Mitchell Starc leave the field with cramp. Starc is understood to be fine and could keep his place – which would likely see Nathan Ellis miss out. Marsh is still not fit to bowl, with Australia likely to continue with the allrounder combination of Stoinis and Maxwell to give them cover.

Australia (probable XI): David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (capt), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis (wk), Tim David, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis/Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

The one change England may consider is Reece Topley coming in for Wood, with the expectation that there will be some rotation among the seamers through the course of the tournament.

England (probable XI): Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (capt & wk), Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook,  Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid,  Reece Topley/Mark Wood

[Cricinfo]

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South Africa up against their bogey team in batter-unfriendly New York

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Paul van Meekeren with Sybrand Engelbrecht after Netherlands' win over South Africa in the 2023 ODI World Cup [ICC]

Once is coincidence, twice is a clue, and three times is proof.

To paraphrase Agatha Christie, that is the narrative around South Africa’s meeting with Netherlands at this T20 World Cup.

The Dutch beat South Africa at the 2022 tournament and ended their semi-final hopes in a match where South Africa appeared to be sleep walking, and then beat them again at the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they exposed South Africa’s vulnerability in the chase. If they to do the treble, not only will Netherlands take the lead in Group D, but they will offer conclusive evidence of the threat they pose to Full Members, especially South Africa.

Of course, it will take some doing after South Africa’s opening performance against Sri Lanka,  where they reduced their opposition to their lowest T20I total and chased it down in fairly straightforward fashion thanks to the most stable middle-order of their white-ball era. In Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, South Africa have bankers and big-hitters and, for this match, they also have the advantage of experience. They’ve already played at Eisenhower Park, and have first-hand knowledge that run-scoring doesn’t come easily;Klassen said they are prepared to use their “cricket brains” and play “smarter cricket”.

But the conditions could be good news for Netherlands, who are not naturally a line-up of big hitters and build their innings on a foundation of turning ones into twos. In other words, they tend to take a slightly more conservative approach to batting, which may work well here, but they’ll be wary of the uneven bounce of the surface and will have to come up with plans to counterattack especially against South Africa’s seamers. Their own bowlers were exemplary in Dallas and will look to build on that performance against a line-up that will likely be more proactive than Nepal’s, but who they have managed to keep quiet not once, but twice in the past. Third time’s the charm, they say.

Anrich Nortje’s stunning return to form against Sri Lanka means South Africa may not have to tinker with the bowling combination, and Gerald Coetzee and Tabraiz Shamsi may have to wait their turns to get a game. The batting line-up should be unchanged, with no space for Ryan Rickelton yet.

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markam, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller,  Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada,  Ottneil Baartman, Anrich Nortje

Conditions in New York may tempt Netherlands to include an extra seamer and they have Kyle Klein in their squad. But it could come at the expense of a shortened batting line-up and they may not want to risk that.

Netherlands: Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Sybrand Engelbrecht,  Scott Edwards (capt, wk), Bas de Leede,  Teja Nidamanuru, Logan van Beek, Tim Pringle,  Paul van Meekeren,  Vivian Kingma

[Cricinfo]

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Mustafizur, Rishad, Hridoy dazzle in Bangladesh’s tight two-wicket win over Sri Lanka

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Mahmudullah's unbeaten 16 proved crucial as Bangladesh lost late wickets [ICC]

Nuwan Thushara’s last over brought Sri Lanka screaming back into the match,as he first bowled Rishad Hossain, and then nailed Taskin Ahmed in front of the stumps with a pinpoint swinging yorker. This left Bangladesh eight wickets down, with 12 runs still to get.

However, the experienced Mahmudullah was at the crease for Bangladesh, and despite some further nervy moments, pushed Bangladesh across the line off the last ball of the 19th over.

But this was a match chiefly decided by Bangladesh’s own outstanding bowling. Mustafizur Rahman was the best among them, using shorter lengths and his cutters efficiently, to claim figures of 3 for 17. Rishad Hossain’s three-for through the middle overs also kept Sri Lanka quiet.

Mustafizur was instrumental in Sri Lanka’s downward spiral through the middle overs, which culminated in a crash-and-burn end. Ultimately, their inability to find boundaries, or even rotate strike against good Bangladesh bowling resulted in their downfall. A score of 125 for 9 always seemed poor on a decent pitch, even if their bowlers made a match of it in the end.

Brief scores:
Bangladesh 125 for 8 in 19 overs (Towhid Hridoy 40, Litton Das 36; Dhanajaya de Silva 1-11,  Nuwan Thushara 4-18, Wanidu Hasaranga 2-32, Matheesha Pathirana 1-27) beat Sri Lanka124 for 9 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 47, Dhananjaya de Silva 21; Tanzim Hasan Sakib 1-24, Taskin Ahmed 2-25, Mustafizur Rahman  3-17, Rishad Hossain 3-22) by two wickets

[Cricinfo]

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