Dinesh Chandimal has scored an unbeaten 63 as Sri Lanka struggled to 136-5 at lunch on Day 3 in reply to Australia's imposing first innings of 654 in the first cricket test.

Australia's Usman Khawaja struck a maiden double hundred and Josh Inglis got a century on his test debut against Sri Lanka to power the tourists to a mammoth 654 for six before they declared their first innings on day two of the opening test on Thursday.

Afghanistan's exiled women cricketers will be the first beneficiaries of a new refugee fund started by the Marylebone Cricket Club, the MCC said on Friday. Hundreds of athletes fled Afghanistan after the Taliban reclaimed power in 2021 and effected sweeping restrictions on women in the country.

Afghanistan women's cricket team will take the field in an exhibition match in Australia, but their cricketing plight remains in a stalemate.

Afghanistan's women cricketers will be the first beneficiaries of a new global refugee fund announced on Friday by the London-based Marylebone Cricket Club. Afghanistan's women cricketers get MCC help Hundreds of female athletes fled Afghanistan as the Taliban took over in August 2021,