Sports
Athapaththu 102 helps Sri Lanka seal T20 World Cup Qualifier final
Captain Chamari Athapaththu’s 102 off 63 balls helped Sri Lanka win the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier against Scotland in Abu Dhabi.
As a result, Sri Lanka will slot into Group A alongside Australia, India, New Zealand and Pakistan, while Scotland will be part of Group B alongside South Africa, England, West Indies and Bangladesh in the World Cup proper in October.
After Scotland asked Sri Lanka to bat, Athapaththu lost her opening partner Vishmi Gunaratne in the third over. Harshitha Samarawickrama was the next one to depart in the sixth over, after being pinned in front by Katherine Fraser. Kavisha Dilhari at No. 4 then contributed 15 off 13 balls before being stumped off Abtaha Maqsood.
Athapaththu, meanwhile, continued to pile on the runs single-handedly, contributing 83 runs in her 106-run stand with Nilakshika Silva. She brought up her century in the 19th over, off 60 balls. Athapaththu hit 13 fours and four sixes in her 63-ball stay before falling to Rachel Slater with four balls remaining in Sri Lanka’s innings. A six by Silva off the penultimate ball then set Scotland a target of 170.
In return, Scotland got off to a decent start in the chase, with openers Saskia Horley and Megan McColl hitting three fours between them before the collapse began. After Horley was run-out in the third over, left-arm medium pacer Udeshika Prabodhani produced a double-wicket maiden in the fourth.
Sri Lanka’s spinners then took over, stifling Scotland in the middle overs. Priyanaz Chatterji fought hard with a 34-ball 30, but didn’t find much help at the other end, as Scotland eventually fell 68 runs short.
Before they met on Tuesday, both Sri Lanka and Scotland had already booked their spot at the T20 World Cup proper, set to be played in Bangladesh later this year, after beating UAE and Ireland, respectively, on Friday.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka Women
169 for 5 in 20 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 102, Nilakshika Silva 26*, Kavisha Dilhari 15; Priyanaz Chatterji 1-34, Rachel Slater 2-35, Katherine Fraser 1-18, Abatha Maqsood 1-27) beat Scotland Women 101 for 7 in 20 overs (Sasika Horley 10, Lorna Jack 12, Priyanaz Chatterji 30, Rachel Slater 15*, Chloe Able 11*; Udeshika Prabodhani 3-13, Inoshi Priyadharshani 1-13, Sugandika Kumari 1-17, Kavisha Dilhari 1-25) by 68 runs
Six-a-side school cricket is set to make a high-profile return to Moratuwa when the Old Boys’ Association of Prince of Wales’ College stages the Prince of Wales’ College 150th Anniversary Inter-School Sixes Cricket Tournament on August 29 and 30 at the De Soysa Stadium.
The two-day tournament is one of the major sporting attractions of the College’s historic 150th anniversary celebrations and
will bring together 16 leading school cricket teams for a knockout competition.
The tournament is aimed at reviving the excitement of six-a-side cricket, a format renowned for its fast pace and spectator-friendly nature, which has not featured regularly in major inter-school competitions in recent years.
The Old Boys’ Association believes the 150th anniversary provides the ideal opportunity to bring the format back to the forefront while celebrating Moratuwa’s deep-rooted passion for cricket.
Cricket has long held a special place in the hearts of Moratuwa’s residents, while Prince of Wales’ College boasts a proud cricketing tradition that has produced several outstanding players who have gone on to represent Sri Lanka at the highest level.
The organizers expect more than 5,000 cricket enthusiasts from Moratuwa and surrounding areas to witness the tournament over the two days, turning the event into a major festival of school cricket.
The opening ceremony on August 29 is scheduled to be attended by Kusal Mendis, one of the leading cricketers produced by Prince of Wales’ College and a member of the Sri Lankan national team.
The tournament will feature 16 schools, including Royal College Colombo, St. Joseph’s College Darley Road, Thurstan College Colombo, S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia, Dharmasoka College Ambalangoda, Prince of Wales’ College Moratuwa, Moratu Maha Vidyalaya, D.S. Senanayake College Colombo, Sri Sumangala College Panadura, Richmond College Galle, Mahanama College Colombo, St. Sebastian’s College Moratuwa, St. Peter’s College Bambalapitiya, Wesley College Colombo, Ananda College Colombo and Mahanama College Panadura.
With the competition being played on a knockout basis, the compact format is expected to produce plenty of attacking cricket and give emerging players an opportunity to showcase their skills in front of a large crowd.
Apart from the competitive aspect, the tournament is also intended to promote sportsmanship, friendship and fellowship among the participating schools.
The tournament will conclude on August 30 with a ceremonial awards presentation, with the participation of Eran Wickramaratne, distinguished invitees, representatives of participating schools, past pupils and members of the cricketing community.
The Old Boys’ Association has also expressed its appreciation to the corporate sector and event sponsors whose support has helped make the tournament possible.
Their contribution, according to the organizers, reflects the continuing partnership between Prince of Wales’ College, its alumni and the corporate community in supporting educational, sporting and development initiatives.
The six-a-side tournament is therefore expected to provide not only two days of entertaining school cricket, but also a fitting sporting celebration of 150 years of Prince of Wales’ College.
India 503/9 decl (Devdutt Padikkal 117, Dhruv Jurel 115; Asitha Fernando 4-106, Prabath Jayasuriya 2-132) drew with Sri Lanka 290 (Sonal Dinusha 103, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 80; Prasidh Krishna 3-52, Manav Suthar 3-85) and 429/9 f/o (Sonal Dinusha 133*, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 92; Ravindra Jadeja 3-94, Manav Suthar 3-121)
American golfer Matt Gogel has been suspended for six months for betting on golf tournaments, the PGA Tour has said.
The 55-year-old competes on the PGA Tour Champions circuit which is reserved for professional golfers aged 50 and older.
Gogel did not bet on events in which he was participating but admitted to unknowingly violating PGA Tour policy by placing “small recreational wagers” in 2024 and 2025.
“I would never knowingly violate the integrity of the game of golf,” Gogel said in a statement.
“I made an honest mistake and I look forward to playing in 2027 on the PGA Tour Champions.”
He had two top-10 finishes across 18 PGA Tour Champions events in 2026 and was most recently in action during the Rogers Charity Classic in Calgary, Alberta where he finished tied 30th last week.
Gogel, who has earned more than $760,000 (£559,000) in prize money from Champions events, won the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in 2002 – his only victory in 179 starts on the PGA Tour.
His suspension came into effect on 23 August and lasts until 22 February.
[BBC Sports]
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