Sports

With their 187-run win against the West Indies today (25), Sri Lanka has climbed to the top of the World Test Championship points table.

The ICC shared a photo of the WTC points table as it stands currently, with the caption, "Sri Lanka on top. The ICC #WTC23 points table after the first #SLvWI Test."

The Lankans leapfrogged India, despite having only one win under their belt as compared to India's two, which came on the unfinished tour of England.

That is because of their higher percentage of points, which is 100 percent as they have won the only Test they have played so far in this cycle.

India have won two Tests, lost one and drawn one, which puts their PCT at 54.17, Pakistan are third as they have a PCT of 50, having won one and lost one of the two matches they have played.

The Norwegian women’s beach handball team has been fined for refusing to play in bikini bottoms during a game in the sport’s Euro 2021 tournament.

The team wore thigh-length elastic shorts during their bronze medal match against Spain in Bulgaria on Sunday to protest against the regulation bikini-bottom design that the sport's Norwegian federation president called “embarrassing.”

The team was fined 1,500 euros total ($1,700) for “improper clothing,” according to a statement from the European Handball Association's Disciplinary Commission.

While male players are allowed to play in tank tops and shorts no longer than 4 inches above the knee, women are required to wear midriff-baring tops and bikini bottoms “with a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg” and a maximum side width of 4 inches, according to International Handball Federation regulations.

"It's not [appropriate clothing for] the activity when they are playing in the sand," Norwegian Handball Federation President Kåre Geir Lio told NBC News by phone from Oslo. The women's team trains and competes in "what they want, like the boys" at home in Norway, but is subject to the International Handball Federation's clothing rules when playing abroad, he said.

The team had petitioned to wear the shorts its players train in from the start of the tournament, Lio said, but was threatened by the EHA with a fine or disqualification. By Sunday's bronze medal game the women decided to make a statement.

"It was very spontaneous. We thought, 'Let's just do it now, and then see what happens,'" player Katinka Haltvik told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

"I got a message 10 minutes before the match that they would wear the clothing that they were satisfied with. And they got our full support," Lio said.

The team received support at home and abroad on social media.

"This is completely ridiculous! How many attitude changes are needed in the old-fashioned international patriarchy of sports?" tweeted Norway's Minister of Culture in response to news that the team had been fined.

Norway has campaigned since 2006 for shorts to be officially considered acceptable in beach handball, and will submit a motion to change the rules in an extraordinary congress of the IHF in November, said Lio.

Haltvik hopes it will make the sport more inclusive. "It shouldn't be the case that people don't want to take part because of the outfit," she told NRK in April.

Efforts to regulate official female attire in other beach sports have proven controversial. The Qatar Volleyball Association's initial proposal to ban players from wearing bikinis during an international beach volleyball tournament hosted by the country this year was met with threats of boycott from some players.

The International Volleyball Federation updated its own uniform rules in 2012. In this month's Tokyo Olympics, female beach volleyball players can choose to play in shorts and T-shirts, as well as bikinis or one-piece bathing suits.

(NBC)

Sri Lankan great Mahela Jayawardene, former South Africa all-rounder Shaun Pollock and ex England batter Janette Brittin will be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame before the T20 World Cup final gets underway here on Sunday.

The three cricketers will be formally inducted by fellow ICC Hall of Famer, Sir Clive Lloyd, before the much-anticipated final between New Zealand and Australia starts at the Dubai International Stadium.

The ICC Hall of Fame recognises the achievements of the legends of the game from cricket’s long and illustrious history. 106 players have been inducted since its launch in 2009, with Brittin, Jayawardene and Pollock as the latest inductees.

Brittin, who died in 2017, was a mainstay of the England Test team for 19 years and paved the way for women’s cricket between 1979 and 1998.

Jayawardene retired as one of Sri Lanka’s greatest ever players, a key member of the team that won the T20 World Cup in 2014 and reached four other major ICC finals.

Pollock was one of the finest bowling all-rounders the game has ever seen and was the first player to achieve the 3,000 run and 300 wicket double in both Test and ODI cricket.

Jayawardene follows Kumar Sangakkara and Muttiah Muralitharan into the Hall of Fame.

“It’s a very special honour to follow in the footsteps of legends Sanga and Murali from Sri Lanka and so many other great cricketers of the past.

“I am very grateful for the recognition and would like to enjoy and share the moment with all those that have helped me on my journey, including my family, friends, coaches, team-mates and, most importantly, Sri Lanka cricket fans who passionately supported and inspired me during my career,” he said.

Pollock added: “It’s an amazing honour to be included in the Hall of Fame alongside the very illustrious company that has already been inducted.

“It’s a real cherry on the top or maybe even a book end of what has been a thoroughly enjoyable cricketing experience and I’d like to thank my teammates who played such a massive part along the journey.”

Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga has become the world’s top T20 bowler by ICC rankings.

With eight wickets in the Super 12s stage (the most by anyone), the wily leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga has also taken this year’s tally to 34 scalps, a new world record for most wickets in a calendar year in Men’s T20Is.

Hasaranga and South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi are going neck to neck for this record this year. Shamsi has 32 victims in 2021, the second highest in a calendar year.

Hasaranga, who is playing in his first T20 World Cup, is having a memorable tournament with both bat and ball.

He took three wickets for 21 runs against England and also scored 34 off 21 balls. In the previous match, against South Africa in Sharjah, he became only the third bowler, after Brett Lee in 2007 and Curtis Campher in 2021, to take a hat-trick in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

The leg-spinner also had taken a hat-trick on his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in Galle in 2017.

Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury have finalised the date for their undisputed heavyweight championship clash and will meet in a specially-created stadium, says promoter Eddie Hearn.

Sri Lanka Navy Leading Women Sailor Gayanthika Abeyrathna set two new Sri Lanka records in women’s 1500m and 5000m at the 99th National Athletics Championships held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium.

The Asian Gold Medalist set these two new records in respective events held on 30th and 31st October 2021.

Accordingly, Leading Women Sailor Gayantika Abeyratne set the new national record in the women’s 1500m in 4 minutes and 9.12 secs (4: 9.12), beating Nimali Liyanarachchi’s previous record of 4 minutes and 15.86 secs (4: 15.86) set in 2019.

Further, this morning (31st October) she won the women’s 5000m in 15 minutes and 55.84 secs (15: 55.84), setting a new Sri Lanka record by breaking the previous record of 16 minutes and 17.82 secs (16: 17.82) set by Nilani Rathnayake in 2019.

The women athlete has brought much credit to the Navy as well as the motherland throughout her athletic career.

She has won a gold medal in the women’s 800m at the 2017 Taipei City Asian Grand Prix in Taipei, a silver medal in the women’s 800m at the 2017 Asian Championships in India, a gold medal in the women’s 1500m at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and a bronze medal in the women’s 800 meters at the same championship.

She joined Sri Lanka Navy in 2010 and has represented Sri Lanka Navy in athletics over the years. For her exceptional talents in the sporting arena, she has won the award for the Best Sportswoman from Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne at the Navy Colours Night in 2021. She is coached by Mr. GL Sajith Jayalal, Director, National Institute of Sports Science.

International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-corruption tribunal found him guilty of breaching its code, the sport's governing body said on Wednesday (28).

Sri Lankan Rugby legend Chandrishan Perera, who had provided an invaluable service to uplift the sport in the country, has passed away this evening (24).

He had reportedly passed away after being admitted to a hospital in Negombo.

A former star rugby player who had also captained the Sri Lankan national rugby team, Perera is a well-known sporting icon of the country.

He later went on to play a big role in the administration of the sport in Sri Lanka and has also served as a rugby coach and as a commentator.

Chandrishan had an early education at St. Peter’s College and moved on to England where he studied law and criminal psychology before being spotted for his sporting talents.

The rugby veteran had been diagnosed with a rapidly progressing case of Parkinson’s disease a few years back and as of recently had been confined to a wheelchair.

In April 2019, the Sri Lanka Rugby community came together to honour the rugby legend at the Origins encounter at Havelock Park.

Sri Lanka slumped after opening batsman Danushka Gunathilaka was given out for obstructing the field and lost by eight wickets to the West Indies on Wednesday in the first one-day international.

Gunathilaka made 55 and put on 105 in an opening stand with captain Dimuth Karunaratne, which seemed to put Sri Lanka on course to a commanding total after it lost the toss and had been sent in.

Karunaratne was out for 52, caught and bowled by West Indies captain Kieron Powell with his second delivery.

The match became ill-tempered when, in the 21st over, Gunathilaka was judged to have obstructed the field when he trod on the ball while Powell was attempting to affect a run out.

Powell bowled a short ball which Gunathilaka fended away. Pathum Nissanka set off for a single but Gunathilaka, after advancing down the pitch, sent him back and stepped back into his own crease. As he did so, he stepped on the ball and knocked it backwards.

Pollard immediately appealed and on-field umpire Joe Wilson gave a soft signal of out before television umpire Nigel Guguid ruled that Gunathilaka had deliberately attempted to foil the run out. There seemed to be little evidence the batsman had acted deliberately.

Sri Lanka Cricket says that former Captain Mahela Jayawardena has been appointed as a consultant for the Sri Lanka National Team and the under-19 team.

Jayawardena has been appointed as a consultant for the U-19 team in a ‘honorary’ capacity, while he has been appointed as a consultant for the National team during the First Round of th ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Sri Lanka's spinners bamboozled world champions West Indies to claim a 43-run win in the second Twenty20 International at Coolidge Cricket Ground on Friday. Having lost by four wickets in the opening game on Wednesday, in a game where West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard launched six sixes in an over, the tourists successfully defended 160 on Friday to level the three-match series.

West Indies were all out for 117 in the 19th over as Sri Lanka ended an eight-game losing streak in T20.

The final match is at the same venue on Sunday (07).

Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga finished with 3-17, off-break bowler Akila Dananjaya, who was the victim of Pollard's midweek assault but also claimed a hat-trick, had 1-13.

Wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan took 3-10, including Pollard who made just 13.

West Indies were 45-1 before five wickets fell for just 21 runs.

Chris Gayle, who was out for a first ball duck on Wednesday in his first appearance in two years, made a patchy 16 when he fell to a catch by Ashen Bandara off Hasaranga.

Opener Lendl Simmons (21) was next out, lbw failing to pick a Hasaranga googly.

Nicholas Pooran, Jason Holder and Dwayne Bravo all followed quickly for single figure scores.

Dananjaya had earlier dismissed opener Evin Lewis for six. His impressive figures of 1-13 were in stark contrast to his 3-62 on Wednesday.

Hasaranga, just 23, added Fabian Allan to his list of victims with the West Indies then struggling on 89-7 in the 16th over.

With more than 22 an over required, Sandakan then got the big prize of Pollard, caught in the deep for just 13 having surprisingly opted to bat at number seven.

Sandakan then halted Obed McCoy's late cameo of 23 from seven deliveries with the tail-ender proving to be his team's top scorer.

Earlier, veteran all-rounder Bravo slammed the brakes on Sri Lanka with two wickets and a run-out.

Sri Lanka got off to a flying start after winning the toss and deciding to bat.

Openers Danusha Gunathilaka and Pathum Nissanka put on a blistering 94 off the first 10 overs.

But then 37-year-old Bravo was called into action and he responded by running out Nissanka for 37.

Gunathilaka followed just four balls later in the 11th over, caught by Kevin Sinclair off Bravo at mid-off.

The Sri Lankan opener went for a top score of 56 which featured four boundaries and two sixes.

Bravo also claimed the third wicket to fall when Simmons caught the experienced Dinesh Chandimal for just three.

The runs then dried up for Sri Lanka.

Having hit eight fours and three sixes in the first 10 overs, they managed just three more fours and one six in the second half of the innings.

That included an eight-over stretch where the ball never crossed the boundary ropes. (AFP)