Sports
Sri Lanka to play four seamers at The Oval
Rex Clementine in London
Conditions and weather in London over the next week has forced Sri Lanka to leave out their champion spin bowler Prabath Jayasuriya and play four seamers for the third and final Test against England starting today (Friday) at The Oval.
This means, Vishwa Fernando who was dropped after the first Test will make a comeback. The final seamer’s slot was a toss up between Kasun Rajitha and Vishwa Fernando but the latter got the nod over Rajitha due to the left-arm option. Vishwa also represented Yorkshire in County Cricket this season.
Opening batsman Nishan Madushka got the axe due to his poor form. Pathum Nissanka will open batting with Dimuth Karunaratne while Kusal Mendis will return to the side and keep wickets and bat at number three.
There were also talk of Kamindu Mendis moving up to number three in the batting order. Although the selectors seemed to be keen on the move, captain Dhananajaya de Silva wasn’t fancying the idea saying, “That would be a tough call to ask him to bat that early. He is doing well at number seven and let him continue there for the time being, maybe in the long run we can think of it. We need to ask him as well how he feels about the idea.”
England are throwing in left-arm seamer Joshua Hull to the midst and he is set to make his debut today. With a handful of First Class games to his credit and not many eye-catching performances for Leicestershire, the tall fast bowler, who turned 20 two weeks ago, has been picked on promise rather than performance.
Sri Lanka’s training session at The Oval yesterday was called off due to rain.
England have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. However, the game is vital for Sri Lanka as World Test Championship points are up for grabs.
Sri Lanka
Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (Wicketkeeper), Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva (Captain), Kamindu Mendis, Milan Ratnayake, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando and Asitha Fernando.
England
Dan Lawrence, ?Ben Duckett. Ollie Pope (Captain), Joe Root, ?Harry Brook ?Jamie Smith (Wicketkeeper), ?Chris Woakes, ?Gus Atkinson, Olly Stone, Josh Hull and Shoaib Bashir.
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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