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Stirling stars with 162 as Ireland end campaign with big win

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Paul Stirling swings one away over midwicket
An assured hundred from Paul Stirling along with half-centuries of contrasting natures from Andy Balbirnie and Harry Tector laid the platform for a convincing 138-run win as Ireland ensured they did not go down without a single win in the World Cup Qualifier.
But that was the fate UAE – another team knocked out of contention before this game – could not prevent as they slipped to 211 all out on a good batting track.
UAE captain Muhammad Waseem gave them a commanding start in their reply but once he was gone due to a freak run-out, the chase petered out despite a handful of cameos.
Stirling stamped his authority from ball one. With some swing on offer early on, Junaid Siddique pitched it up and Stirling leaned into the drive, caressing it away through the covers. That was an ominous sign of things to come from the big-hitting opener. Stirling stayed watchful through the first ten overs, even as Andy McBrine started to pick up the pace after a slow start. Sanchit was introduced in the attack after seven overs and made an immediate impact, trapping McBrine lbw with a length ball that seamed in from outside off.
But Stirling immediately put the pressure back on the bowlers with two back-to-back fours in the next over by Ali Naseer. He brought up his half-century off 56 deliveries. Balbirnie, coming into the match with scores of 12, 0 and 7 in his last three games, was a touch slow as he took on the role of an anchor while Stirling kept the scoreboard ticking.
Stirling reached his century off 98 balls in the 34th over, slogging Aayan Afzal Khan over midwicket to get to his 14th ODI hundred. Balbirnie reached his fifty off the final delivery of that over and both batters hit a six each off Karthik Meiyappan in the next.
Basil Hameed was brought on as UAE looked for wickets and Stirling greeted him with three sixes. Stirling and Balbirnie added 184 from 178 balls for the second wicket. After Balbirnie fell to Naseer in the 39th over, Tector came in and kept the runs coming along with Stirling.
Stirling then crossed the 150-run mark with a six off Siddique. He tried to take on a slot ball from Sanchi Sharma but a good catch by Meiyappan at deep midwicket ended his marathon knock, which comprised 15 fours and a career-best eight sixes.
But there was no relief for UAE, as Tector put them to the sword, bringing up his half-century off just 30 balls. He became Sanchit’s third victim of the game in the penultimate over, but George Dockrell and Tucker took 16 runs off the last over to set up a 350-run target.
In the chase, Waseem dominated the opening stages, hitting 45 of the 58 runs scored before he got out. A length ball from Barry McCarthy shot up and hit him on the gloves. The ball rolled towards cover, but Waseem was grimacing from the blow and started walking towards the square leg umpire while signalling for a physio, not realising that the ball was not yet dead. Balbirnie was sharp to what was happening and, seeing Waseem wandering outside his crease, swooped in and threw the stumps down.
His opening partner Aryansh Sharma was soon done in for his lack of footwork, cutting a short and wide delivery from McCarthy straight to point. Little, returning for another spell, sent back Vriitya Aravind and Ethan D’Souza in consecutive overs. McBrine put Ireland in command with two wickets in the 21st.
Sanchit, who was UAE’s best bowler, also impressed with the bat as he and Hameed added 70 runs for the seventh wicket, but they could just take them to a respectable total, with Ireland’s score never in threat of being chased down. They both hit three sixes each before Hameed skied a sweep off Dockrell to deep backward square. Sanchit was quick to follow, miscuing Curtis Campher to long-on before the Ireland bowlers mopped up the tail to complete a consolation win.
Brief scores:
Ireland 349 for 4 (Paul Stirling 162, Andy Balbirnie 66, Harry Tector 57, Andy McBrine 24; Sanchit Sharma 3-46) beat UAE 211 in 39 overs (Muhammad Waseem 45, Sanchit Sharma 44, Basil Hameed 39;  George Dockrell 2-32, Andy McBrine 2-34) by 138 runs
(Cricinfo)


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US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development

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The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.

The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.

While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball.  The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court.  The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country.  Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.

“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung.  “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”

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Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees

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SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.

MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.

“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.

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CIPM successfully concludes 8th Annual Symposium

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Left to right, Prof. Arosha Adikaram - Chairperson of the Symposium, UAC Obeyesekere – Chief Executive Officer, CIPM Sri Lanka, Guest of Honor - Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer, MAS Holdings PVT Ltd., Sri Lanka, Ken Vijayakumar, President, CIPM Sri Lanka, Priyantha Ranasinghe,Vice President, CIPM Sri Lanka, Col. Saman Jayawickrama (Retd) – Secretary, CIPM Sri Lanka, Dr Dilanjalee Weerathunga – Co Chairperson of the Symposium

The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.

Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.

The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.

Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.

The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.

The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.

The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.

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