Sports Bulletin

Bipin Dani Sri Lanka's top order batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksha has promised "to reconsider" his retirement plan. The promise has been conveyed to the Hon.sports minister Namal Rajapaksa, who again on Wednesday made the request, this time in person. The meeting was arranged by Kris Balthazaar , who is a Professional at Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, Senior member of Municipal Council, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. "I, as a childhood friend of Hon. sports minister and also friend of Bhanuka, arranged a meeting at Temple Trees Colombo, which is the official residence of the Hon. Prime Minister'', Kris Balthazaar, said exclusively over the telephone from Colombo. Earlier the minister had also officially requested the batter to reconsider his decision. "In the meeting, which lasted for about 45 minutes, Bhanuka did raise the fitness issues. But his primary concern was also the family. He wants to devote more time with his family". "Bhanuka being a key member of the team, the minister does not want him to retire, especially considering the World Cup next year". "Even if Bhanuka reverses his decision, there will be no exception (for him or for any players) on fitness issues". "Bhanuka has asked for a day's time to discuss it with the family and is expected to convey his decision in the next 24-hours", the common friend added. "If Bhanuka decides to revoke his decision, he may be given a fresh contract. But yes, the ultimate decision will lie with the selectors. The minister never interferes in team selection",   emphasized Kris Balthazaar.

Islamabad (Sports Desk):-The warm-ups are over and it is time for the main event to begin as the ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup gets underway on Friday. Hosts West Indies will hope to put their indifferent form in the warm-ups behind them as they kick things off in the Group D curtain-raiser against Australia at Providence Stadium, Guyana. Floyd Reifer’s side slipped to heavy defeats against India and South Africa in the build-up, failing to cross the 200-barrier with the bat on both occasions. However, the coach is not concerned about his side’s ability to score big, saying: “I think the batting comes down to the mindset of the players in terms of spending some more time at the crease and building some more partnerships. “I would say the warm-up games that we have played were two low-scoring games, so I wouldn’t want to put too much emphasis on that. “Yes, we know as a batting unit there are certain things we want to accomplish, guys building on starts and these are things we are discussing. “I’m confident in the lads, we have a talented bunch of cricketers, we have some good batters here, it’s just a matter for us now to just do the one percenters right and then we will respond with some consistency.” Australia also have plenty of questions to answer after a nine-wicket defeat to India in their only warm-up encounter but with two progressing from Group D, which also includes Scotland and Sri Lanka, their captain Cooper Connolly is still bullish about his side’s chances. “[The India defeat] was a reality check for us against one of the strongest sides, maybe the favourite,” said Connolly, who was part of the Australia side that lost in the quarter-finals in South Africa two years ago. “But our team is checking out really well and I feel like we’re in good shape for the first game. “We can’t start off really easy, we’ve got to beat the West Indies and come out with a strong mindset. Hopefully we can knock them over.” Scotland were bowled out for 138 in a seven-wicket defeat to Ireland in their warm-up game but beat Uganda in their opening hit out and will be looking to carry the momentum from their win against the Baby Cricket Cranes into the group stages. Captain Charlie Peet said: “We are not here to make up the numbers, we are just going to try and enjoy the experience and be the best versions of ourselves that we can be.” Sri Lanka will be a threat for everyone after two very impressive warm-up wins over Uganda and Ireland, racking up 510 runs across both games. They will look to continue that good form into their opener against the Scots in Guyana on Friday. Defending champions Bangladesh are aiming to defend the crown they won in 2020 but have had mixed preparations after beating Zimbabwe but losing to Pakistan - who look to be the early favourites in Group C - in the build-up. Their opening Group A game is against England in St Kitts and Nevis on Sunday and skipper Rakibul Hasan, who was part of the victorious 2020 squad, insists they are starting to adjust to the Caribbean conditions. He said: “The conditions in St Kitts are not that tough, we have been here for two weeks now, so we have adjusted to the conditions and also playing two practice games is good preparation for us, so we are looking forward to playing England and hopefully we can get off to a good start.” England have shown some good form the warm-ups racking up 359 for seven in the 281-run victory over Papua New Guinea. George Thomas and captain Tom Prest were both dismissed in the 90s but will be hoping to push on and reach batting milestones in the tournament proper, where they will also face the UAE and Canada. Prest said: “We’ve come over here with the intention of winning the tournament. That’s kind of our ultimate goal as a side. “Bangladesh is our first game - that should be a great test for us. Obviously, they won the last World Cup, but we’re very hopeful we can get out of the group stage and then into the knockout tournament.” Group B explodes into life when India and South Africa face off on Saturday with both having seen off the tournament hosts in their preparations. The two big-hitters will also face Uganda and Ireland, who also play each other on Saturday. The Irish could be a surprise package and are led by Tim Tector, the third consecutive Tector brother, after Jack and Harry, to captain his country at this tournament. He said: “We have Uganda first up and our focus is on that first, we are pretty confident for that game but you’ve got to take it one game at a time. “India will be a different challenge in itself – none of us have ever played a game on TV before so that part about it will be a bit different. “There’s always going to be a few nerves about playing those big games, but I think when the time comes and when we step over the rope we will be ready to go. “Hopefully, we beat Uganda in the first game and then if we win one of the other two games we will be in the Super League and that will be a massive achievement for Cricket Ireland but if not we will go to Trinidad and try and get as far as we can in the plate.”

Bipin Dani New Zealand's middle order batter Ross Taylor, who retired from international Test cricket on Tuesday has joined the bowlers' club grabbing the wicket with his last delivery in a Test match.   Taylor's victim in just three balls he bowled in the second Test against Bangladesh was the first Test hero Ebadot Hossain. Taylor joins Australia's Glenn McGrath and Sri Lanka's Muthiah Muralitharan in taking a wicket off his last ball in Test cricket. "We welcome batter in our club. Taylor is a batter and it was fun for him to take the wicket ", Murali, speaking exclusively over telephone from Colombo said on Tuesday morning. With Bangladesh trailing by 395 runs, Kiwi skipper Tom Latham enforced follow-on and his team's inning victory ensured Taylor (who scored 28 runs in the first innings) had no chance to bat for the last time in the second innings. Latham, however, obliged fans' demand and brought Taylor to bowl in his last innings. It was obvious for Tayor to retain the ball with which he took the last ball wicket in his farewell Test. Murali, however, is not in the possession of his last 800th Test wicket ball. "The said ball is with Mahela Jayawardene. It is with him because before the Test match I had promised him to give", Murali said. Both Murali and Ross Taylor had announced their retirement days before they played their respective Tests.  

Islamabad (Sports Desk):-Australia might have suffered a heavy defeat to India in their sole 2022 ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup warm-up match but skipper Cooper Connolly believes the side are in good shape ahead of the tournament. Despite the captain making 117 in Tuesday’s clash in Guyana, the Aussies were beaten by nine wickets by the four-time ICC U19 CWC champions. And Connolly, who was part of the Australia team that went out in the quarter-finals two years, is confident that the team will be ready for their opening game against the hosts, the West Indies, in Providence on Friday. He said: “I think as a team we are shaping up quite well. [The India defeat] was a reality check for us against one of the strongest sides, maybe the favourite. But our team is checking out really well and I feel like we’re in good shape for the first game. “We can’t start off really easy, we’ve got to beat the West Indies and come out with a strong mindset. Hopefully we can knock them over. “From the last World Cup, the aim was to make this. I looked forward to the opportunity that I might play in two, and then another thing was to get the captaincy. That’s unbelievable, I’m so proud of myself and mum and dad back home are really proud so I’m ready to go and lead my country. “I feel like we’re pretty strong in all areas, but our batting and spin bowling is going to be pretty dominant for us and I feel like our pace can take early wickets up front.” Defending champions Bangladesh were comfortable winners in their most recent warm-up game against Zimbabwe, with their opening Group A game coming against England in St Kitts and Nevis on Sunday. Skipper Rakibul Hasan, who was part of the victorious 2020 squad, revealed that the squad is starting to adjust to the conditions in the Caribbean. He said: “The conditions in St Kitts are not that tough, we have been here for two weeks now, so we have adjusted to the conditions and also playing two practice games is good preparation for us, so we are looking forward to playing England and hopefully we can get off to a good start. “We are focussed on our game, yes we are defending champions, but we are looking forward to our game, so we are focussed on that and how well we prepare ourselves for the upcoming game and how we can get to the next stage of the competition “Our senior team has done well in New Zealand which is inspiration for us, so hopefully we will do well in the tournament.” Bangladesh are not the only team looking to their senior men’s side for inspiration, with Pakistan having captured the imagination on the way to the semi-finals of the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. And those displays have clearly rubbed off on the younger generation, with captain Qasim Akram saying: “The fighting quality the senior team showed at the T20 World Cup in the UAE was an effort that inspired the entire nation including our players. “We want to continue that inspiration for others because we have an example to emulate in this tournament. “They showed great passion and it was a big inspiration to see the team do well and gives us motivation.” Qasim is appearing in his second ICC U19 Men’s CWC, and like Rakibul, believes that the wickets will suit Pakistan, who are in Group C along with Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea and Zimbabwe. He added: “The team so far has adjusted very well to the conditions and the wickets. “The pitches are quite similar to those in Karachi, as they offer turn and generally similar to what we see across most of Pakistan. “The pitches feel familiar which is helping the team prepare well and I feel we have adapted well to the conditions.” Joining Bangladesh and England in Group A are Canada, who will kick off their tournament against the United Arab Emirates, a team they faced twice in the tournament two years ago. And Mihir Patel, the Canada skipper and only remaining member of the squad from 2020, is desperate to get off to a flying start against the UAE as they search for more consistency against the best teams. He said: “It’s one win and one loss for us against the UAE so we’re looking to make it two to one. Winning the first game always gives the boys confidence so that is something we’ve been looking forward to doing. “I think our strength is the depth of our team, we have a really balanced team. Our batting order bats really low and we have a lot of bowling options so we don’t rely heavily on one or two players. Our players have shown capability that they can get things done, but it’s about doing it for a longer period of time and making sure we make the right decisions at the right time.”

Sports Bulletin ISLAMABAD:-Bangladesh, India and Pakistan all recorded impressive victories as the warm-up matches for the 2022 ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup continued on Tuesday with the tournament just around the corner. India produce impressive run-chase to beat Australia The two most successful teams in the history of the tournament took the field against each other on Tuesday in Guyana, ahead of the finals beginning later this week. And it was India who got a confidence boost going into their opener with South Africa on Saturday, taking a nine-wicket win over the Aussies. Australia won the toss and were able to post 268 runs, with 18-year-old captain Cooper Connolly taking centre stage. The all-rounder made a wonderful century which included 18 boundaries at a strike rate of 93.60, which only finally ended after an excellent delivery from Raj Bawa in the 46th over. The other end was less fruitful for the Aussies, but Tobias Snell also impressed (35 from 35) to help his team towards their final total. India’s response was sublime, Hanooor Singh led the way with a century which included 16 fours, supported by Shaik Rasheed’s 72. Both players unfortunately retired hurt, but captain Yash Dull was able to lead his team comfortably over the line, with 15 deliveries in reserve. Bangladesh win warm-up contest with Zimbabwe After winning the toss and electing to bat, Bangladesh posted a decent total of 277, particularly after a tricky start when opener Iftakher Hossain edged to slip in the third over departing for just 1. But Aich Mollah got his side back on track, making 82 from 82 deliveries with three sixes along the way. Wicketkeeper Mohammad Fahim also chipped in with a timely 33, before captain Rakibul Hasan went after the Zimbabwe attack, hitting 36 before being run-out. Tailender Ripon Mondol then managed a quickfire 39 from 26 balls to take the 2020 champions up to their final total. Zimbabwe’s reply didn’t start on solid ground when opener Panashe Taruvinga went for a duck. The next man in Steven Saul, launched a counter-attack, scoring 39 from 45 deliveries, but once he outside edged to Fahim his team were facing an uphill task. They were eventually bowled out for 110 runs. England edge tight contest with the UAE England produced a middle-order rally to beat UAE in an exciting finish by two wickets. Batting first, the UAE posted a credible 191-9 in their innings, even with losing openers Kai Smith for a duck and Shival Bawa for just eight runs. However, Dhruv Parashar and captain Alishan Sharafu hit a combined 62 to keep Emiratis in the contest. Josh Boyden was the pick of England’s bowlers with figures of 5-42. But Sharafu’s team refused to go quietly, with tailenders Adihya Shetty and Jash Giyanani scoring 21 and 15 respectively. Set 192 to win, England’s response got off to a bad start when George Thomas was bowled by Sharafu with the first ball of the innings. Lancashire rookie George Bell then took centre stage to steer England back on track. Arriving at the crease with his team 23-3, Bell produced a wonderful 75 not out from 120 balls. Assisted by James Sales (29) and Tom Aspinwall (33) the 19-year-old helped his team secure a narrow two-wicket win ahead of their next warm-up game against Papua New Guinea on Wednesday. Pakistan top order shine in win over Canada Pakistan put an impress display against Canada as they build up to their Group C opener against Papua New Guinea on Saturday. The men in Green won the toss and put the Canadians into bat in Conaree and quickly reduced them to 31-4. Ethan Gibson offered some resistance with a stubborn 55, but Mihir Patel’s team were eventually bowled out for 164. Pakistan’s response started poorly when Haseebullah departed for just 3, but his opening partner Mohammad Shehzad scored 67. He was joined at the crease by Abdul Faseeh whi hit 72 unbeaten, to help his team to an eight-wicket victory.

Karachi (Sports Report):-A total of 270 boys from across the country will be engaged in National Under-13 and National Under-16 tournaments in Karachi and Multan from Friday, 14 January. The participating players will have a massive and unprecedented incentive to pursue during the tournament as up to 40 top performers from the two events will secure year-long contracts with monthly retainers. The players will be coached by a panel of high performance coaches in summer camps at the NHPC Lahore (National High Performance Centre) and academies across the country. Academic scholarships will also be provided to these players. Twelve teams will participate in the National U16 One-Day Tournament 2021-22 (45 overs) which will be played at five venues in Multan from 14 to 25 January.  The teams have been divided into two pools with all six Cricket Associations fielding two sides (one in each pool). Balochistan, Central Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Northern, Sindh and Southern Punjab Whites will form Pool A while Balochistan, Central Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Northern, Sindh and Southern Punjab Blues will constitute Pool B. The top sides from each pool will compete in the 25 January final which will be played at the Multan Cricket Stadium. Six teams will participate in the National U13 One-Day Tournament 2021-22 (25 overs) which will be played at three venues in Karachi from 14 to 24 January.  One side each from Balochistan, Central Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Northern, Sindh and Southern Punjab will compete in the group stage, each team will play the other once in the round-robin format.  The top sides will proceed to compete in the 24 January final which will be played at the UBL Sports Complex, Karachi.  National U13 One-Day Tournament squads: Balochistan: Abu Bakar, Adnan Ahmed, Ahsan Ullah, Asim-ur-Rehman, Faiq Ali, Hamza Khan, Ikram Ullah, Khan Wali, Malik Awais, Muhammad Asif, Mohammad Dawood, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Suleman , Saleem Jan, Tufail Ahmed Central Punjab: Arham Danish, Asad Naeem, Awais Zubair, Fasih Tousaeef, Hassan Ashraf, Hussnain Abbas, Mohammad Ali Sabir, Mohammad Essa Baloch, Rayyan Arshad, Sajjid Mir, Sarmad Nawaz, Sayyar Khan, Taj Mohammad, Ubaid Ullah, Zaryan Ali Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Abdullah, Adnan Khan, Akbar Ali, Atta Ullah, Ikram Ullah, Mohammad Sohail, Mohammad Adeel Khan, Mohammad Talha, Nafees Akhtar, Naveed, Rizwan Ali, Saeed Afridi, Shazad Ahmed, Shoaib, Zain Ul Abideen Northern: Abdul Ahad, Abdul Munim, Abu Bakar Minhas, Akhtar Gull, Bilal Bashir, Mohammad Asad Abdullah, Mohammad Ismail Ranjha, Mohammad Yousaf, Malik Muhammad Khizar, Mohammad Muneeb, Mohammad Musa Hasan, Mohammad Sohaib, Mohammad Zohaib Abbas, Saad Abraiz Abbasi, Salar Nazeer Sindh: Abdul Hayee, Abdul Wahab, Abdullah (Sr), Adnan Nawaz, Ahsan Khan, Ali Sher, Ghulam Ahmed, Hammad Alam, Kifayat Ullah, Mohammad Abdullah Javed, Mohammad Anas, Mohammad Azaan, Mohammad Khan, Sheikh Intiysaam, Syed Mohtashim Southern Punjab: Abdullah Latif, Abdur Rehman, Ali Haider, Faizan Riyasat, Hasnain Sajid, Hayat Khan, Mohammad Abdullah, Mohammad Babar Arshad, Mohammad Huzaifa, Mohammad Qasim Ahmad, Mohammad Usman, Maaz Ahmed, Mohsin Malik, Mohammad Umar, Talal Ahmed Khan National Under-16 One-Day Tournament 2021-22 squads: Balochistan Blues: Abdul Saboor, Anwar Shah, Bakhtiyar Khan, Gohar Khan, Hafeez Ullah, Innam Ullah, Mubashir Shah, Mohammad Adil, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Asfand, Musharaf Hussain, Sumair Ahmed, Syed Yasir Shah, Talha Shakir, Zohaib Khan Balochistan Whites: Arslan Khan, Aurangzeb, Ayaz Gul, Eshrat Ul Ibbad, Faisal Razzaq, Imran Sadiq, Mohammad Shahid, Mohammad Umar, Muzamil Ali, Shehariyar Ahmed, Siraj Ahmed, Syed Waqas Ahmed, Umair Ahmed, Usman Ghani, Zakir Shah Central Punjab Blues: Ali Hamza, Ali Raza, Areeb Arif, Faraz Ahmed, Farhan Yousaf, Ghulam Haider, Hamza Zahoor, Hunain Amir, Mohammad Hammad Asif, Mohsin Ali, Momin Qamar, Mohammad Saim, Mohammad Usman, Obaid Shahid, Rana Mohammad Sarfaraz Tariq Central Punjab Whites: Aaliyan Suleman, Abu Suffiyan , Ahmed Yaar Khan, Ali Hasan Baloch, Ali Hassan , Ali Raza, Arslan Riz, Danish Saeed, Faham Ul Haq, Kaif Ali, Mohammad Tayyab, Mohammad Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Yasin Bilal, Nauman Ali, Shahbaz Javaid Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Blues: Abdul Raheem, Abdur Rehman, Ahmed Hussain, Asfandyar, Hamza Izhar, Luqman Khan, Mohammad Umair Khan, Mian Yousaf Shah, Mohammad Ali, Shahzeb Khan, Usama Khan, Usman Khan, Zain Shah, Zubair Ahmed, Zulkarnain Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Whites: Abeel Khan, Adil Waheed, Ilham Khan, Khubib Khalil, Mohammad Awais, Mohammad Shayan, Mohammad Ansar Ullah, Mohammad Shoaib, Mohammad Haroon, Mohammad Umer, Mohammad Zubair, Naveed Ul Hassan, Riaz Ullah, Shayan, Usama Bangash Northern Blues: Abbas Hussnain, Abu Zar, Bilal Ahmed, Hassan Ijaz, Mohammad Hassan Khan, Mohammad Waleed Iqbal, Mohammad Zain Jameel, Mohammad Arshad, Mohammad Asim Kamal, Mohammad Bilal, Mohammad Nabeel, Murtaza Rehman, Raja Hamza Waheed, Shameer Ali, Syed Ali Mehdi Northern Whites: Abdullah, Ali Ashfaq, Arsh Zaman, Arslan Ali, Awais Amin, Azaan Kabir, Hussnain Nadeem, Irshad Ahmed, Mohammad Ammar Yasir, Muhammad Abdullah Sajid, Mohammad Ahmed, Mohammad Asmat Ullah, Shahbaz Khan Hurara, Shahmeer Nisar, Yazdaan Abbas Rizvi Sindh Blues: Abdul Hadi, Abdul Moiz, Ahmed Muhiuddin, Farhan Zaman, Hameed Karim, Huzaifa Ahsan, Mohammad Talha Khanji, Mawaz Zahid, Musa Azad, Naveed Ahmed Khan, Saad Baig, Saad Mahboob, Saif Ullah Khan, Sufyan Usmani, Yahya Shah Sindh Whites: Abdul Rehman Khan, Haroon Arshad, Humza Qureshi, M Danish, Mohammad Ahmed, Maaz Shah, Musab Ahmed, Nauman Ali, Owais Rehem Shah, Sajam Mohammad, Shahzad Khan, Shahzaib Ali, Shiraz Khan, Syed Rehan Ali Shah, Wajid Ali Southern Punjab Blues: Haseeb Javed, Inam Ullah, Mohammad Abdullah, Mohammad Aqib Arshad, Mohammad Jan Sher, Mohammad Saqib, Mohammad Ahmed, Raja Shehroz, Rana Adeel Mushtaq, Sameer Ahmed Minhas, Sameer Akhtar, Shahzad Ahmed, Suleman Ahmed, Waleed Raza, Zain Arshad Southern Punjab Whites: Abdul Rasool, Abdullah Tauqeer, Ali Husnain Badshah, Bilal Khan, Fahad Kashif, Haseeb Ahmed, Mohammad Farhan, Mohammad Hamid, Mohammad Noman Asif, Mohammad Umair, Rana Haseeb Nazim, Rao Kaleem Haider, Shahaz Saeed, Sohaib Akram, Taha Shabbir

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UAE):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced Ajaz Patel as the winner of the ICC Men’s Player of the Month Award for December 2021. New Zealand’s, Ajaz Patel made history in December, when he picked up 10 wickets in an innings against India at Wankhede, becoming only the third player in Tests to achieve that feat after Jim Laker and Anil Kumble. The left-arm spinner played just one Test in the month, where he picked up 14 wickets at an average of 16.07. Patel picked up all 10 wickets in the first innings against India and in the second innings, he picked up four wickets, including that of openers Mayank Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara. Patel finished with figures of 14/225, which are the best bowling figures in a Test match in 2021. Commenting on Patel’s performance, ICC Voting Academy member JP Duminy said: “What a historic achievement! Taking 10 wickets in an innings is a feat which needs to be celebrated. There’s no doubt that Ajaz's performance is a milestone that will be remembered for years to come.”

Islamabad (Sports Desk):-Ireland have been fined 40 per cent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate against the West Indies in the first ODI in Kingston on Saturday. Richie Richardson of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after Andrew Balbirnie’s side was ruled to be two overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration. In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20 per cent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time. In addition, as per Article 16.12.2 of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League Playing Conditions, a side is penalised one point for each over short. Consequently, Ireland will lose two points from their points tally during the Super League. Balbirnie pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing. On-field umpires Joel Wilson and Nigel Duguid, third umpire Gregory Brathwaite and fourth umpire Leslie Reifer leveled the charge.  

Islamabad (Sports Desk):-Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates and Scotland all recorded impressive victories in the warm-up matches of the 2022 ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup continued in the West Indies. In Guyana, Sri Lanka notched a 128-run triumph over Ireland and Scotland were winners by 107 runs over Uganda, while the biggest win of the day came in St Kitts for UAE, as they were 250-run victors over Papua New Guinea. Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s scheduled warm-up match against England was postponed due to delays in the Afghanistan squad obtaining the necessary visas to enter the West Indies. Sri Lanka shine in shortened match Despite overnight rain in Guyana shortening the match between Sri Lanka and Ireland to 43 overs per side, Shevon Daniel helped lead the Sri Lankans to an impressive 128-run victory. Ireland won the toss and elected to bowl but opener Daniel attacked from the off as he scored 75 from 72 balls, including eight fours and a six. Opening partner Chamidu Wickramasinghe being run out for five and No.3 Sakuna Liyanage being trapped LBW by pick of the Irish bowlers Nathan McGuire (2/40) couldn’t slow Daniel, who retired not out with the score at 122 for two. The middle order picked up the slack from there as Sadisha Rajapaksa (22), Pawan Pathiraja (25) and Ranuda Somarathne (33) all had cameos to push the Sri Lanka total to 233 for seven from 43 overs – with three of the dismissals being run outs. In response, the Ireland top order failed to build a foundation with Wickramasinghe clean bowling both opener Liam Doherty and captain Tim Tector to end with figures of two for seven from four overs before Wanuja Sahan (3/5) picked up the mantle to cheaply dismiss Philippus le Roux, Scott MacBeth and McGuire. No.3 Joshua Cox was the lone source of Irish resistance as he resiliently made 44 from 86 balls but with wickets tumbling at the other end, there was little he could do to stop his side being dismissed for 105 from 31.4 overs – Jamie Forbes the last man out when he was bowled by Matheesha Pathirana for a duck. The 128-run triumph was the perfect tonic for Sri Lanka as they continue preparations for a group that includes Australia, hosts West Indies and Scotland at the upcoming ICC U19 Men’s CWC. UAE lay down a marker United Arab Emirates impressed with both bat and ball as they recorded a dominant 250-run victory over Papua New Guinea in Basseterre. Having lost the toss and been asked to bat, UAE opener Kai Smith set about punishing that decision with a brilliant innings of 145 that came off just 139 balls. Smith plundered 19 fours and a six as he built three big partnerships with his top-order teammates, starting with an opening stand of 72 alongside Shival Bawa, before Bawa was caught by Malcolm Aporo off the bowling of John Kariko for 23. Dhruv Parashar came to the crease and made 52 in a partnership of 133 before a third-wicket stand of 77 with Punya Mehra (41 off 25) took the UAE total towards 300. Smith finally perished for 145 with just 13 balls remaining in the innings and the score on 298 before UAE took their final total up to 321 for five from 50 overs. Their bowlers then capitalised on that mammoth target as Papua New Guinea were reduced to 22 for four, with Ali Naseer taking one for three with three maidens in a suffocating five-over spell, as fellow opener Nilansh Keswani (2/16) helped himself to a pair of wickets at the other end. PNG opener Peter Karoho (14 from 18) and No.6 Christopher Kilapat (27 off 40) were the only batters to reach double figures as Aayan Khan’s three for ten helped skittle them for just 71 from 28 overs and seal a 250-run triumph. Scotland impress to beat Uganda Scotland may only have been a late replacement for New Zealand in the 2022 ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup but they signalled their intention to make some noise in West Indies with a 107-run warm-up win over Uganda. Batting first, they posted a creditable total of 219 for nine from their 50 overs, with opener Charlie Tear steering the innings as he made 50. In fact, Scotland received useful runs all the way down the order as Sam Elstone hit 29, Jack Jarvis contributed 33 before being run out and Charlie Peet added 26 late on. The Ugandan bowlers did take wickets at regular intervals with Edwin Nuwagaba (3/29) and Juma Miyaji (2/30) doing most of the damage but the Scots still gave themselves a target to defend. Uganda made a promising start with the bat, reaching 41 for none in the ninth over but would go on to lose all ten wickets for just 71 runs thereafter. It was a run out that finally broke the opening partnership as Ronald Lutaaya departed for 17 before Oliver Davidson (3/14) dismissed three of the top five and another run out left them at 63 for five. Scotland skipper Jamie Cairns went on to get himself a three-wicket haul for the concession of just 15 runs as Cyrus Kakuru (top scorer with 25), Pius Oloka (5) and Miyaji (2) all fell to the slow left-armer. Nuwagaba was the last man out for five off the bowling of Lyle Robertson in a total of 112 as Uganda slipped to 107-run defeat in 31.2 overs. Scores in Brief Sri Lanka Under 19s beat Ireland Under 19s by 128 runs, Providence Stadium, Guyana Sri Lanka 233-7, 43 overs (Shevon Daniel 75 retired not out, Ranuda Somarathne 33; Nathan McGuire 2-40, Daniel Forkin 1-21) Ireland 104 all out, 31.4 overs (Joshua Cox 45 not out, Scott MacBeth 11; Wanuja Sahan 3-5, Chamidu Wickramasinghe 2-7) United Arab Emirates Under 19s beat Papua New Guinea Under 19s by 250 runs, Conaree Cricket Field, Basseterre, St Kitts United Arab Emirates 321-5, 50 overs (Kai Smith 145, Dhruv Parashar 52, Punya Mehra 41; Barnabas Maha 1-33, John Kariko 1-40) Papua New Guinea 71 all out, 28 overs (Christopher Kilapat 27, Peter Karoho 14; Aayan Khan 3-10, Adihya Shetty 2-10, Nilansh Keswani 2-16) Scotland Under 19s beat Uganda Under 19s by 109 runs, Everest Cricket Club Ground, Georgetown, Guyana Scotland 219-9, 50 overs (Charlie Tear 50, Jack Jarvis 33; Edwin Nuwagaba 3-29, Juma Miyaji 2-30) Uganda 112 all out, 31.2 overs (Cyrus Kakuru 25, Ronald Lutaaya 17; Oliver Davidson 3-14, Jamie Cairns 3-15)

Bipin Dani Sri Lankan all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva has pulled out from the squad for the upcoming series against Zimbabwe, it is learnt. According to the highly placed sources close to him, his wife has delivered a baby and the 30-year-old DDS has requested the board to excuse him to opt out of the tournament. "His request has been accepted and the replacement will be made", one of the sources confirmed. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), in consultation with the selectors have replaced four more players from the originally selected 18.  Avishka Fernando and Janith Liyanage have tested positive and two more players-Lahiru Kumara and Kalana Perera failed the fitness tests. The four, who were not in the original squad of 18, but added are : Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis and Nuwan Pradeep.   The squad :  Dasun Shanaka (likely captain), 2 Dinesh Chandimal, 3 Pathum Nissanka, 4 Minod Bhanuka, 5 Kusal Mendis, 6 Chamika Karunaratne, 7 Maheesh Theekshana, 8 Jeffery Vandersay, 9 Kamindu Mendis, 10 Nuwan Thushara, 11 Nuwan Pradeep, 12 Ramesh Mendis, 13 Praveen Jayawickrema, 14 Dushmantha Chameera, 15 Chamika Gunasekara, 16 Shiran Fernando,  17 Kamil Mishara and 18 Charith Asalanka. Dushmantha Chameera's selection is subject to his fitness clearance and another player may be chosen if he is not cleared by the doctors. The team will be managed by Chandima Maputana.