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In a remarkable achievement, Kamindu Mendis has become the first-ever player to slam fifty-plus scores in eight consecutive Test matches.

The stylish southpaw attained the phenomenal batting feat during Sri Lanka’s ongoing Test match against New Zealand at Galle International Stadium.

Coming at number five, Kamindu Mendis showcased exemplary skills to notch up his fourth half-century in Test cricket.

After Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva won the toss and opted to bowl, the hosts had a disastrous start to their first innings, losing Pathum Nissanka cheaply.

However, former skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and ace batter Dinesh Chandimal helped them recover from the early setback. The duo stitched a valuable stand of 122 runs for the second wicket before Karunaratne’s run out brought the Kiwis back into the game.

Although Chandimal departed soon after completing his century, Kamindu Mendis joined forces with Angelo Mathews, keeping Sri Lanka ahead of their counterparts on day 1. The in-form batter brought up a sublime half-century, with the hosts finishing on 306 for three at stumps on day 1.

Since making his Test comeback, Kamindu Mendis has been a force to reckon with the bat for Sri Lanka.

In the recently concluded England series, the left-handed batter oozed his class, playing a pivotal role in the visitors’ impressive performance.

His recent performance in the second Test match against New Zealand has made him the first player in over 147 years of Test history to score more than fifty runs in each of his first eight Test matches.

This impressive feat brings a fresh perspective to Mendis’ career and highlights his potential as a significant player in the sport.

Prior to this match, he had already set the bar high, succeeding in scoring more than fifty runs in each of his previous seven matches. Mendis surpassed the previous record held by Pakistani batsman Saud Shakeel, who managed to achieve this in seven consecutive Tests.

Mendis made his Test debut against Australia in Galle in 2022, where he impressed everyone with a solid score of 61 runs. Despite not being included in the Test squad for some time following his debut, he made a significant comeback this year during the Sylhet Test against Bangladesh, where he achieved a remarkable feat of scoring centuries in both innings.

He continued to showcase his talent by scoring 92 runs in the Chittagong Test, followed by an impressive 113 runs during the Manchester Test against England. Further solidifying his place, he scored 74 runs at Lord’s and 64 runs in the Oval Test.

--Agencies

Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets to win the only test match between the two nations, in Colombo.

Afghanistan, batting first, were bundled out for a modest 198 runs. Opening batsman Rahmat Shah top-scored with a fighting 91, but the Sri Lankan bowling attack, led by the pace of Vishwa Fernando (4 wickets) and the spin of Asitha Fernando and Prabath Jayasuriya (3 wickets each), proved too strong.

In reply, Sri Lanka piled on a mammoth 439 runs, building a commanding lead. Veteran Angelo Mathews anchored the innings with a masterful 141, while Dinesh Chandimal provided valuable support with a fluent 107. Opener Dimuth Karunaratne also chipped in with a solid 77. Despite Naveed Zadran's four-wicket haul for Afghanistan, the Sri Lankan batting line-up proved too deep and diverse.

Set an improbable target of 443, Afghanistan could only manage 296 in their second innings. While young Ibrahim Zadran impressed with a fighting 114 and Rahmat Shah continued his good form with a brisk 54, the Sri Lankan bowling attack maintained their stranglehold.

Chasing 56 runs to win, Sri Lanka reached target in less than 10 overs, winning the game by 10 wickets and a day to spare.

Sri Lanka secured their first Women’s Asia Cup title win on Sunday, beating India with a clinical run-chase in front of home fans. This was also just the second time in their nine final appearances that India failed to win the Women’s Asia Cup.

The previous such instance was in 2018, when Bangladesh beat India by three wickets.

Samarawickrama was the Player of the Match in the Final, while Chamari Athapaththu was the Player of the Tournament for her 304 runs and three wickets in the event.

Sri Lanka women’s skipper Chamari Athapaththu has been named as the Captain of the ICC Women’s T20I Team of the Year for 2023.

According to the ICC, the veteran Sri Lankan started the year with a Player of the Match performance in Cape Town in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, smashing 68 off 50 balls to help Sri Lanka beat South Africa by three runs.

The big upset win set the tone for a remarkable year for Sri Lanka women and Athapaththu was at the forefront of it all.

She finished with 470 runs in the year, scoring at a quicker-than-usual strike rate of 130.91. With 15 sixes in the year, she also hit a personal high in Women’s T20Is.

In the second half of the year, Athapaththu hit a purple patch, recording an unbeaten 80 in 47 balls in Colombo to help Sri Lanka pull back a win in the three-match series against New Zealand.

Athapaththu’s assault blew the White Ferns attack away as Sri Lanka went on to chase 141 with all 10 wickets to spare.

She then went on to play a pivotal role in Sri Lanka’s series triumph over England in England.

The remaining members of the team are Beth Mooney (wk) (Australia), Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa), Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Nat Sciver-Brunt (England), Amelia Kerr (New Zealand), Ellyse Perry (Australia), Ash Gardner (Australia), Deepti Sharma (India), Sophie Ecclestone (England), and Megan Schutt (Australia).

Read more : https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/world-cup-stars-dominate-icc-women-s-t20i-team-of-the-year-for-2023 (NewsWire/ ICC)

Sri Lankan sprinter Aruna Dharshana won gold in the Men’s 400m event at the Taiwan Athletics Open 2024.

Dharshana claimed first place in the final on Saturday (01) with a timing of 45.82 seconds.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Tharushi Karunarathne also won gold in the Women’s 400m event with a timing of 52.48 seconds at the Taiwan Athletics Open – 2024.

Taiwan Athletics Open is a bronze-level tournament on the World Athletics Continental Tour with crucial ranking points.

India’s seamers tore through Sri Lanka’s batting lineup, who had no answer to the swing and seam exploits of Bumrah, Siraj and Shammi.

Registering a 302-run win against Sri Lanka after piling up a mammoth total of 357-8, India becomes the first team to qualify for the Semi Finals of the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

Mohammed Shami took four wickets after Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah rattled the top-order of Sri Lankan batting line-up at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

Siraj scalped three wickets after Bumrah struck on the first ball of the innings to put Sri Lanka under pressure and Shami only added to the problems of the Kusal Mendis-led side, who were totaled out for a paltry score of 55 runs.

This was Sri Lanka’s second successive lowest score against India after the islanders were bowled out for 50 in the Asia Cup final, in the run-up to the World Cup.

India, who are unbeaten in the tournament, cruised into the semifinals.

Kohli made 88 while opener Shubman Gill hit 92 as India completed a seventh win in seven games.

The pair were out in quick succession after they had shared a stand of 189 following the second-ball exit of India captain Rohit Sharma. But Shreyas Iyer kept the runs coming at the Wankhede Stadium with a blistering 82 off just 56 balls including six superbly struck sixes.

He eventually holed out off Dilshan Madushanka, the left-arm quick finishing with 5-80, as he became the leading bowler at the World Cup with 18 wickets.

Rohit leg-glanced Madushanka’s first ball of the match for four after India were sent into bat.

But Madushanka’s second ball cut off the seam before crashing into Rohit’s off stump.

Sri Lanka could have had India three wickets down early on but missed both Gill and Kohli.

Gill was on eight when a diving Charith Aslanka dropped a difficult catch at backward point following a slashing drive off Madushanka.

Next over, Kohli was reprieved on 10 when Dushmantha Chameera was unable to cling on to a return catch off a leading edge

Those misses proved costly, Kohli completing a run-a-ball fifty featuring eight boundaries.

Gill, keeping pace with Kohli, reached the landmark in 55 balls before hitting the first six of the match when he pulled Chameera over midwicket.

But the 24-year-old fell in sight of a hundred when caught behind by wicketkeeper and Sri Lanka skipper Kusal Mendis trying to uppercut Madushanka.

adaderana

Sri Lanka's Samitha Dulan set a new WORLD RECORD in the Men's Javelin Throw F44 category at the Kobe 2024 Para Athletics World Championships.

He also won SILVER in the F64 category.

In the F64 category he recorded a distance of 66.49 meters.

The GOLD medal was won by Indian athlete Sumit with a final distance of 69.50 meters.

South Africa defeated New Zealand 12-11 in the Rugby World Cup final to win their fourth title and become the dominant force in tournament history.

Captained by their first black Test captain Siya Kolisi, the Springboks overcame a numerical disadvantage for the majority of the match after New Zealand captain Sam Cane was red-carded for a high tackle in the 27th minute.

South Africa took a 9-3 lead into half-time thanks to three penalties from Handre Pollard. New Zealand rallied in the second half, with Richie Mo'unga kicking a penalty before Beauden Barrett scooped up a loose ball and slid in for a try to cut the lead to 12-11.

Both teams pushed for a decisive score in the final quarter, but neither could find one. Jordie Barrett missed a long-range penalty in the 73rd minute, and the Springboks held on for a thrilling victory.

This victory means that the Springboks have won half of the eight Rugby World Cups they have taken part in. They were absent from the first two editions due to the apartheid government, but they have since become one of the most successful teams in the tournament's history.

Under Kolisi's leadership, the Springboks have also become a symbol of unity and hope for South Africans of all races. Their victory in the Rugby World Cup final is a significant moment in the country's history, and it is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the players and coaches involved.

New Zealand's Four-Year Reign as Head Coach Ends Just Short of the Ultimate Prize

Ian Foster's four-year reign as New Zealand head coach comes to an end just short of the ultimate prize. The All Blacks were under pressure in the build-up to the Rugby World Cup after dipping below their usual high standards.

Foster's team started the tournament well, winning their first three pool matches. However, they were beaten by England in the semi-final, and they were then narrowly defeated by South Africa in the final.

Foster's future as head coach is now uncertain. He is likely to come under pressure from the New Zealand Rugby Union to resign, especially given that the All Blacks have not won the Rugby World Cup since 2011.

Sri Lanka Women’s Cricket Team Captain Chamari Athapaththu says now is not the right time to talk about whether or not she will retire from international cricket.

In response to recent reports regarding her plans to retire from the game, Athapaththu expressed that she has not reached a final decision on the matter as of yet.

“.. Maybe or maybe not. I haven’t decided on that yet..,” she said.

Athapaththu made these remarks while speaking to reporters after the Sri Lanka Women’s team returned to Sri Lanka this morning (09), following the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier final held in Abu Dhabi.

Meanwhile, the star all-rounder expressed that the national team aims to perform well in the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup.

During the final qualifier match against Scotland, a sensational century from Athapaththu helped Sri Lanka join Australia, India, New Zealand and Pakistan in Group A of the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup 2024 as Qualifier 1.

Scotland will feature in Group B alongside hosts Bangladesh, England, South Africa and the West Indies as Qualifier 2.

This year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup which will be played in Bangladesh from 03 to 20 October.

Sri Lanka's Tharushi Karunaratne won the GOLD medal in the Women's 800m spritn at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

She clocked a time of 2 minutes 3 point two zero seconds to win Gold.

Incidentally, this is Sri Lanka's first medal in the 800m at an Asian Games.

India won Silver, and China claimed the Bronze medal.

This is also Sri Lanka's first ever Gold Medal in athletics at the Asain Games after 2002.

Sri Lanka’s top order batter Pathum Nissanka on Friday (Feb.09) stroked the maiden double-century hit by a Sri Lankan cricketer in ODI format.

Nissanka scored 210 off just 139 balls to register the first-ever individual double century for the Lions.

The 25-year-old will go down in the ODI history as the 12th player to hit a double-century in international cricket.

A short while ago, the star opener played a delightful knock against Afghanistan in the first ODI at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

Sri Lanka were 370/2 when Nissanka reached this historic milestone.

Meanwhile, Nissanka also broke the record 189 runs scored by Sanath Jayasuriya against India in Sharjah in 2000, which remained the highest ODI score amassed by a Sri Lankan for over 20 years.

This also re-writes the history as the highest number of runs scored by a Sri Lankan player at a home playground breaking the record.

The title to hold the highest score in the world’s ODI history is held by Rohit Sharma, who slammed 264 against Sri Lanka in 2014.

Sri Lanka won an Asian Games medal in athletics for the first time in 17 years earlier this evening.

Sri Lanka’s Nadeesha Dilhani Lekamge bagged silver in the women’s javelin throw in the ongoing Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou, China.

Sri Lanka’s Nadeesha Lekamge bagged silver with a personal-best throw of 61.57m.

Incidentally, this is Sri Lanka's first ever Asian Games medal in athletics after Susanthika Jayasinghe won a medal back in 2006.

India's Annu Rani claimied the gold medal in the women’s javelin throw event while Huihui Lyu of China won bronze.