News

South Africa crushes Sri Lanka with bowling masterclass

Published

7 months ago

June 4, 2024

editor

A bowling masterclass from South Africa lit up New York as wickets tumbled in the first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 game to be held in the city.

Nortje and Baartman make immediate impact

The brilliance of Ottneil Baartman and Anrich Nortje ripped Sri Lanka apart in New York, with Baartman taking a wicket with his very first ball and conceding just nine runs from his four overs, and Nortje posting extraordinary figures of 4/7 from 4 overs.

And while the chase of 78 was far from straightforward for South Africa, it was the Proteas who eased to victory and got their campaign off to a winning start.

South Africa keep their cool in steady chase

Faced with a target of just 78 to win their tournament opener, South Africa inched their way to victory in Nassau County as the Sri Lanka bowlers ensured the first-ever T20 World Cup match in New York was a low-scoring thriller.

Quinton de Kock anchored the chase with 20 from 27 balls – a knock that illustrated just how tough it was for even experienced international stars to score on a surface that offered plenty for quicks and spinners alike.

Nuwan Thushara and Dasun Shanaka made the powerplay breakthroughs that Sri Lanka desperately required after reaching just 77 all out in their first innings.

And a double strike from Wanindu Hasaranga to remove De Kock and Tristan Stubbs (13 from 28) gave the Lankans hope.

But 78 was never likely to be enough to deny South Africa’s powerful batting lineup, and the double-act of Heinrich Klaasen (19* from 22) and David Miller (6* from 6) completed the job with 3.4 overs and six wickets to spare.

How Sri Lanka unravelled in New York opener

Earlier, Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first, but found the going tough early on, as South Africa’s bowlers extracted extra bounce from the wicket.

Baartman struck with his first ball to remove Pathum Nissanka, before Keshav Maharaj stepped in with two wickets in an over to leave the innings in tatters.

The introduction of Nortje as the fifth bowler saw no let-up for the Lankan batters, as the Protea pacer returned phenomenal figures of 4/7 in his four overs, ending any lingering hopes of a first-innings recovery.

Kagiso Rabada took 2/21, while Baartman ended with an excellent economy of 2.25 in his four overs.

Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis and Angelo Mathews were the only batters to reach double figures in a hugely disappointing display from Sri Lanka, whose innings ended with a run-out as they posted just 77 in 19.1 overs.

Sri Lanka will look to bounce back when they resume their Group D campaign against Bangladesh in Dallas on Saturday 8 June, while South Africa can consolidate their position in the qualification spots when they play the Netherlands in New York on the same day.

(ICC)

News

5 Acting Ministers appointed

Published

6 hours ago

January 13, 2025

editor

With President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s departure from the country for a State Visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, five acting ministers have been appointed to oversee key ministries under the president’s purview.

Acting ministers have been appointed for three ministries under the President’s purview: the Ministry of Digital Economy, the Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development. Additionally, acting ministers have been assigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism, as well as the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation.

The acting ministers are as follows :

Acting Minister of Digital Economy – Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne
Acting Minister of Defence – Deputy Minister of Defence Aruna Jayasekera
Acting Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development -Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando
Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism – Deputy Minister of Foreign Employment Arun Hemachandra
Acting Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation – Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Dr. Prasanna Kumara Gunasena

(President’s Media Division)

News

Tsunami warning after huge earthquake in Japan

Published

7 hours ago

January 13, 2025

editor

Japan was hit by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake on Monday causing two small tsunamis to form.

The quake was at a depth of 23 miles and mainly hit the southwestern Kyushu region, said the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre.

The quake struck at 9.19 pm local time, according to the agency.

Tsunami warnings were issued shortly after for Miyazaki Prefecture, where the temblor was centred, in the southwestern island of Kyushu.

A warning was also issued for the nearby Kochi Prefecture.

Masamasa Sato, chief of the crisis management department of Takanabe Town Hall in Miyazaki Prefecture, said: “The shaking was so strong that it was difficult to stand for about 20 to 30 seconds.”

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned of possible tsunami waves of up to one metre (three feet) and urged the public to stay away from coastal waters.

“Tsunami can strike repeatedly. Please do not enter the sea or go near coastal areas,” the JMA said on X.

Two small tsunamis of around 20 centimetres were detected at two ports in the region, the weather agency said.

Local media reported no immediate injuries, with live television feeds from the region on public broadcaster NHK showing no visible damage as well as calm seas, vessels operating and traffic running normally.

(heraldsun.com.au)

News

Teachers – Principals to be among highest paid professionals

Published

7 hours ago

January 13, 2025

editor

The government is taking significant steps to address salary disparities in the education sector and elevate five key education services, including teachers and principals, to be among the 10 highest-paid professions in the country, Deputy Minister of Labour Mahinda Jayasinghe said.
Speaking at an event held in Maharagama, the Deputy Minister outlined the government’s commitment to improving remuneration and addressing long-standing salary issues in the education sector.

“We will present the first budget next month, and there will be an increase in the salaries of public servants in that budget. Do not have any doubts about that,” said Jayasinghe, emphasizing the government’s efforts to prioritize public sector wage reforms.

He also acknowledged the persistent concerns about salary disparities in the education sector. “Many people are asking about the two-thirds salary disparity for teachers. We are already conducting the necessary preliminary discussions to resolve this issue,” he added.

Highlighting the government’s plans for educators, the Deputy Minister noted that five services—teachers, principals, educational administrators, teacher educators, and teacher advisors—are being considered for inclusion among the top 10 salary scales.

“Discussions are currently underway to not only address the salary scales but also to improve the quality of these services. Our goal is to enhance the standards of education through appropriate salary adjustments,” he stated.

(adaderana.lk)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by adaderana.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)