Sports
Hello MCG, my dear old friend
Passing the Richmond train station, heading towards Flinders Street, either side of the railway track you find two iconic structures that have a rich sporting history. On one side is Rod Lever Arena, the venue for the Australian Open, the first Grand Prix of the year. On the other side of course is the Melbourne Cricket Ground. A ground that’s dear to all cricket fans.
Apart from hosting the first-ever Test match, MCG has been the home for some iconic cricket encounters including two World Cup finals.
There have been several noted games involving Sri Lanka as well; many memorable ones, some painful ones and a few controversial too.
The Boxing Day Test match of 1995 staged at this ground can not be easily forgotten. Although the game has earned notoriety for the no-balling of Muttiah Muralitharan, Asanka Gurusinha showcased his grit posting a back to the wall hundred. Following on, his six-hour vigil produced 143 runs.
An ODI that Sri Lanka played here in 2010 is called the Melbourne Miracle. Chasing 240 to win, Sri Lanka were facing an embarrassing defeat at 107 for eight. Fans had vacated their seats as only final nails were to be delivered on the coffin.
Then, Angelo Mathews, just 23 at that point, produced a blinder. A World Record 132 runs followed between Mathews and Lasith Malinga taking Sri Lanka to the brink of victory. There was still a twist in the tale as Malinga was run out with the scores levelled. In walked last man Murali.
Mathews still had two balls left in the over. He couldn’t score the winning run and tensions grew. There were doubts in Sri Lankan minds.
Murali now had to face the music in the new over. It was his last tour of Australia and the final game at MCG. He had an opportunity to not to make the humiliation 15 years ago his top memory of the iconic ground.
Shane Watson had the ball and the field was up. Murali flicked the ball past the short fine-leg fielder to score the winning boundary and Sri Lankans were overjoyed. This was a historic tour because Sri Lanka went on to win the next game in Sydney to secure their first ever series win on Australian soil.
Sri Lanka’s maiden appearance at MCG was in 1985 in the Benson & Hedges Series. It was a memorable game too and for the first time, the world had got to know about a certain Aravinda de Silva.
Just 19 at that time, Aravinda finished off a thrilling run chase bringing joy to some 15,000 Sri Lankan expatriates who had turned up at the ground to see their team perform.
Allan Border, the Australian captain had entrusted the final over to Craig McDermott, Aravinda completed the run chase on his own inimitable style, with a six with four balls to spare.
Rex
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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