The event promises a thrilling conclusion to the season as teams clash in a unique knockout format, making every match crucial in the battle for golf’s biggest payday as The Challenge Tour is in Italy
sports2 days ago
Kamindu Mendis maintained his red-hot form and struck a majestic 114 to power Sri Lanka to 302-7 on the opening day of the first Test in Galle on Wednesday.
Electing to bat in the first match of the two-Test series, Sri Lanka slumped to 106-4 but Kamindu's fourth Test hundred ensured the hosts breached the 300-mark.
Ramesh Mendis was batting on 14 at stumps with Prabath Jayasuriya yet to open his account at the other end at the Galle International Stadium.
Earlier, New Zealand speedster William O'Rourke (3-54) hectored the Sri Lankan top order bowling with unbridled aggression.
Dimuth Karunaratne (two) was done in by the extra bounce O'Rourke generated while Pathum Nissanka (27) succumbed to a searing yorker.
Angelo Mathews (36) combined with Dinesh Chandimal (30) to arrest the slide but had to leave the field after getting his right index finger bruised by an O'Rourke delivery.
New Zealand captain Tim Southee removed Chandimal, while his Sri Lanka counterpart Dhananjaya de Silva (11) fell to Glenn Phillips, who struck with his second delivery.
Mathews returned only to be dismissed by O'Rourke at the stroke of tea.
Kamindu went into the match with seven 50-plus scores in 10 test innings and got a reprieve on 21 when Phillips spilled a catch at midwicket.
The left-hander drove spinner Rachin Ravindra through cover to bring up his hundred, which earned the 25-year-old a standing ovation from his teammates in the dressing room.
He raised 103 runs with Kusal Mendis, who made 50 before his bizarre dismissal in the final session.
Kusal pulled a half-tracker from Phillips straight into the body of Tom Latham at short-leg. The ball hit Latham's arm and lobbed up for Southee, stationed at midwicket, to dive forward and take the catch.
Ajaz Patel ended Kamindu's stellar knock when the ball landed on footmarks and reared up. Kamindu, who had shaped for the cut shot, could only glove it to Daryl Mitchell, who moved across from slip to take the catch.
The event promises a thrilling conclusion to the season as teams clash in a unique knockout format, making every match crucial in the battle for golf’s biggest payday as The Challenge Tour is in Italy
sports2 days ago
Dynamic duo making waves in the UAE golf community with support for EGF Order of Merit events while balancing competition and social engagement
sports2 days ago
UAE women's cricket team turned their fortunes around with a memorable triumph in Namibia
sports2 days ago
Winners edge out Stuart Smith’s squad by a hair in a thrilling 21-team showdown at Yas Links Abu Dhabi as Jackson Bell wins Individual Title
sports3 days ago
Many City players, including Kevin De Bruyne, Manuel Akanji, and Bernardo Silva, have voiced concerns about the crammed calendar this season
sports3 days ago
Eleonora clinched the win at the Grand Prix Stuttgart & Region, with a decisive strong sprint
sports3 days ago
The F1 championship continues at the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend
sports3 days ago
The Northern Ireland star expresses disappointment in the loss but focuses on positives ahead at Wentworth
sports3 days ago