Cricket

England Under-19s continued their dominance in the second Youth Men's Test against Sri Lanka at Cheltenham, thanks to a record-breaking performance by Rocky Flintoff. The 16-year-old became the youngest player to score a century for England Under-19s, hitting an impressive 106 to help the Young Lions post a mammoth 477 in their first innings.Flintoff, who recently signed his first professional contract with Lancashire, faced 181 balls and struck nine fours and two sixes. He added a crucial 78 for the sixth wicket with Jack Carney, ensuring England extended their lead to 324 runs.Sri Lanka's bowlers, led by Vihas Thewmika and Praveen Maneesha, stuck to their task but were unable to contain England's relentless batting.In their second innings, Sri Lanka showed more resilience but still face an uphill battle to save the game. Mahith Perera and Dinuru Kalupahana added 88 for the fifth wicket, but England's bowlers, led by Harry Moore and Farhan Ahmed, made crucial breakthroughs to leave the tourists 78 runs behind at the close of play.Moore, a 17-year-old Derbyshire prospect, played a key role with two wickets, while Ahmed also took two. Spinner Charlie Barnard chipped in with a wicket as England reasserted their superiority.Sri Lanka's bowlers, Thewmika and Maneesha, returned figures of 3 for 82 and 3 for 112 respectively in the first innings, but found conditions less favorable in the second innings.England's victory in this match will give them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The final match will be played at Lord's from August 17-20.

England's Under-19 cricket team gained the upper hand on the opening day of the second Youth Men's Test against Sri Lanka at Cheltenham. Despite losing 25 overs to rain, England's bowlers, led by Naavya Sharma, dismissed Sri Lanka for 153 inside 46 overs.Sharma, a Middlesex pace bowler, delivered an incisive display, claiming career-best figures of 5 for 44. Harry Moore, making his debut, impressed with 2 for 38, while spinner Charlie Barnard contributed 2 for 35.Sri Lanka's innings was anchored by Gayana Weerasinghe, who scored a defiant 77 from 111 balls, hitting eight fours and a six. However, England's disciplined bowling and fielding performance prevented Sri Lanka from building substantial partnerships.In reply, England openers Jaydn Denly and Archie Vaughan put on a 54-run partnership before Vaughan was dismissed for 27. Denly remained unbeaten on 57 from 59 balls, with 10 fours, as England reached stumps on 73 for 1, trailing by 80 runs.England captain Hamza Shaikh won the toss and elected to field, a decision that proved fruitful as Sharma and Moore quickly reduced Sri Lanka to 27 for 4. Noah Thain and Moore continued the onslaught, leaving Sri Lanka reeling at 70 for 6.Weerasinghe's resistance, supported by Manuja Chanthuka, helped Sri Lanka reach 153. However, Sharma returned to claim two quick wickets, and Barnard wrapped up the innings with two more.England's openers made a solid start to their reply, with Denly leading the charge. The home side will look to build a meaningful lead when they resume their innings on the second day.

Sri Lanka's middle order staged a valiant fightback on the opening day of the first Youth Men's Test against England in Wormsley, despite the hosts' early dominance.England's bowlers exploited the bowler-friendly conditions to claim four wickets in the opening hour, with Alex French and Naavya Sharma accounting for the first three. Rocky Flintoff then ran out Sharujan Shanmuganathan in a comical mix-up.However, Sri Lanka's captain Dinura Kalupahana and Diniru Abeywickramashingha forged an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 74 to guide their team to a respectable 177 for 5 at the close of play.England captain Hamza Shaikh's decision to bowl first was vindicated as French removed both openers inside the first half-hour. Freddie McCann held on to edges from Sadew Samarasinghe and Pulindu Perera at second slip.Gayana Weerasinghe provided a brief moment of respite for Sri Lanka with a six over the leg-side rope, but Sharma dismissed him in his next over. Sharma, who was a late call-up to the squad, then celebrated again as Flintoff ran out Shanmuganathan.Sri Lanka were reeling at 49 for 4 when rain forced the players off for over two hours. In the shortened middle session, Leicestershire's Green grabbed the only wicket with his first ball of a new spell when Perera edged to Carney.After a second break, Sri Lanka's batters adopted a more aggressive approach. Abeywickramashingha led the charge with six boundaries in his unbeaten 35 from 41 balls, putting pressure back on England's bowlers.Kalupahana, who reached his half-century from 98 balls, also started to accelerate, hitting Farhan Ahmed over the ropes. He was unbeaten on 70 when a third rain delay ended play.Sri Lanka will be hoping to continue their fightback on day two, while England will be looking to regain the initiative and press for victory.

England's Under-19 team emerged victorious in the decisive third match of their one-day series against Sri Lanka, securing a four-run victory under the Duckworth-Lewis method. Skipper Luc Benkenstein's masterful century and a disciplined bowling performance proved pivotal in their triumph.Despite a dropped catch in the early stages, England's openers failed to capitalize, with Freddie McCann falling cheaply. However, Benkenstein and Charlie Allison formed a formidable partnership, amassing 184 runs in 29 overs. Benkenstein's aggressive batting, including seven fours and five sixes, propelled him to a century in just 98 deliveries. Allison also contributed a valuable 87 runs.Sri Lanka's bowlers fought back in the closing overs, restricting England to 268 for 9 in their allotted 45 overs. Vihas Thewmika emerged as the standout bowler, claiming four wickets for 33 runs.In response, Sri Lanka's chase was led by Gayana Weerasinghe's polished 80 and Mahith Perera's half-century. However, England's seamers chipped away at the Sri Lankan batting lineup, with Harry Moore, McCann, and Alex Green claiming crucial wickets.Weerasinghe and Perera kept Sri Lanka's hopes alive with a 64-run partnership, but England's bowlers struck at crucial moments. Weerasinghe was caught by Benkenstein, while Perera was brilliantly run out by McCann's direct hit.Despite Diniru Abeywickramasingha's late resistance, Sri Lanka fell short of their target, handing England the series victory.

Sri Lanka's Under-19 team secured a resounding 65-run victory over England's Under-19s in the first of three one-day internationals at Chelmsford.Sri Lanka's middle-order trio of Dinura Kalupahana, Sharujan Shanmuganathan, and Mahith Perera played pivotal roles in their team's success. Kalupahana's aggressive 52 off 37 balls, Shanmuganathan's steady 57 off 75 balls, and Perera's composed 58 off 60 balls propelled Sri Lanka to a formidable total of 294 for 6.England's chase got off to a promising start with a 90-run partnership between Noah Thain and Luc Benkenstein. Thain anchored the innings with a well-crafted 58 off 69 balls, while Benkenstein provided the fireworks with two sixes in his 51 off 50 balls.However, England's hopes were dashed when Thain and Benkenstein departed in quick succession. Praveen Maneesha then dealt a devastating blow to England's batting, claiming three wickets in seven deliveries, including Thain and Haydon Mustard.Rocky Flintoff, the son of former England captain Andrew Flintoff, was among Maneesha's victims. Middlesex's Noah Cornwell also made a significant contribution with three wickets for 54 runs, including the dismissals of Sri Lanka's openers.Despite a defiant 26 from Harry Moore, England fell well short of their target, finishing on 229 all out with 27 balls remaining.