Sports
Hayman Trophy water polo encounter returns after lapse of two years
As the Dr. R. L. Hayman Trophy has been missing in action since 2019, the water polo game played across two legs between S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia and Royal College Colombo has resulted in players losing out on years of experience. With two coloursmen on the Royal side after their 2019 victory and no coloursmen for S. Thomas’, getting into the water, this game is all about pure talent and raw emotion.
The Hayman water polo matches are more commonly known for its name more than people know of water polo itself. With an electrifying atmosphere rivaled like no other game, the Hayman will draw massive crowds to the Sugathadasa Swimming Pool for the 29th encounter which starts today.
The history of the encounter is as legendary as the game can get. The ecstatic rivalry began in 1992 in memory of late Dr. R. L. Hayman, a past Sub Warden of S. Thomas’ College and donor of their swimming pool. The game since then has brought out great feats through those who have played it, including the 5-year undefeated spell for S. Thomas’ from 2013 to 2017. This was after the 5-year undefeated stint of the Royalists from 2005 to 2009 which was also the first time the Hayman trophy resided at Reid Avenue after lying at Mount Lavinia since the inception of this Royal-Thomian encounter. This encounter has evolved over the past encounters, as it is played with international referees to ensure up-to-date rules are enforced, which brings out the highest standards of the game. This level of standard has resulted in both schools producing players who have represented the nation and have brought glory to the country over the past years.
The last game, played in 2019, saw domination from the Royal side with greater control of the ball throughout the two legs, giving Royal an aggregate of a 21-17 victory. This was unlike 2018 where the game came down to the final minutes of the second leg and saw a Royal victory against a powerful Thomian side. This year the very same is expected of both teams going into two legs of the game within the next couple of weeks.
There is nothing short of glory for the victors of Hayman. The tally between the two schools stands 16-9 in favour of S. Thomas’. This year however, the Royalists are all about retaining the trophy and the Thomians are hungry to get it back.
This year’s encounter will commence at the Sugathadasa Swimming Pool with the Under 15 age group match beginning at 3:30pm and Under 19 age group match beginning at 5:30 pm. Tickets are available at the gates and pre-sold at Old Thomian Swimming Club (OTSC) and Royal College Swimming Pool. The Thomians are captained by Dirhean Dias at this edition. Royal were yet to announce the name of their captain when this edition was published.
S. Thomas’ Squad
Dirhean Dias (Captain), Aaqil Zuhair (Vice Captain), Chariya Kurukulasooriya (Secretary), Aidan Tissera, Yumal Bollegala, Seevali Gurusinghe, Migara Gurusinghe, Nithish Perera, Shreshta Anthonisz, Talib Mansoor, Santhush Kalansooriya, Nehemiah Krishnaswamy, Haritha Sugathadasa, Deshan de Mel, Anuk Wijegunaratne.
Royal Squad
Umindu Katugamapala, Yamith Jayakody, Thilanka Thushan, Lakindu Weerasinghe, Senuda Somakeerthi, Randa Ranathunga, Nadil Basnayaka, Banuka Jayathilaka, Damsara Akmeemana, Minusha Mewan, Thisul Fernando, Dimeetri Liyanage, Mihin Wanigasekara, Lisitha Munasinghe, Yasandu de Silva, Anuk Mahalekam, Anuga Handunpathirana, Vinuda Somakeerthi, Rahul de Silva, Talal Bary, Hithesh Jayawardana.
In the fifth T20I in Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand last year, the hosts had been dismissed for 92 chasing 135 in Christchurch. In the first T20I of this five-match series, that was a winning total for New Zealand after Kyle Jamieson and Jacob Duffy took apart a new-look Pakistan side.
The dropping of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan signalled that Pakistan were trying to step out of their comfort zone in T20 cricket, which is broadly very good. But on Sunday, they saw the risks that also come with it as they were bundled out for 91, their lowest total in New Zealand and their fifth-lowest in the format.
The Black Caps followed the WhiteFerns in bringing up comprehensive victories on a double-header day in Christchurch as Jamieson and Duffy shared seven wickets between them, the bounce they were able to generate being too much for the Pakistan batters.
Jamieson, back in the T20I set up for the first time in nearly two years, set the tone for New Zealand with a wicket maiden, Mohammad Haris only able to help a short ball behind to wicketkeeper Mitch Hay.
Debutant Hasan Nawaz then got a leading edge off Duffy to Jamieson at deep third as Pakistan lost both openers without a run on the board. This was only the second time both Pakistan openers were dismissed for ducks.
Jamieson then had Irfan Khan edging behind in the third over as Pakistan slumped to 1 for 3 – their lowest score at the fall of the third wicket.
Tim Robinson then evoked rather fresh memories of Glenn Phillips from the Champions Trophy as he took a blinder at backward point to give Jamieson his third, with the scoreboard reading 11 for 4.
Pakistan were restricted to 14 for 4 in the powerplay, and it could have gotten worse immediately afterwards, but Tim Seifert dropped Khushdil Shah at point off the captain Michael Bracewell.
Agha then looked to drive a full ball from Zakary Foulkes the next over, only to get an edge but Daryl Mitchell shelled the chance in the slip cordon.
Agha and Khushdil used their second lives to arrest Pakistan’s free-fall. They finally looked to up the tempo in the tenth over, when Agha reverse-swept Ish Sodhi for four behind point and Khushdil smacked him over midwicket for Pakistan’s first six.
In the next over, Khushdil took Bracewell on for back-to-back sixes to try and put some pressure back on the bowlers. But it was a very short-lived phase of ascendancy for Pakistan.
Agha tried another reverse-sweep off Sodhi’s next ball, but he could only pick out deep backward point. Duffy was brought back into the attack for an over, and the move paid dividends as Khushdil slapped a short ball to backward point. Pakistan were 64 for 6 after 13.
Debutant Abdul Samad and Jahandad Khan then fell trying to play big shots before Duffy returned in the penultimate over to take the last two wickets, picking up from where he left off in the T20I series against Sri Lanka where he finished as the highest wicket-taker
Pakistan’s 91 is the fourth-lowest T20I score by any team in New Zealand.
After playing out the first over, Seifert got New Zealand going with a pull through midwicket off debutant Mohammad Ali. He then picked up three boundaries off Shaheen Afridi’s next over, including another pull in front of square.
Seifert gave the charge to Ali to pick up another boundary, before getting two off Jahandad’s first over, and the fifth of the innings. Finn Allen, largely a spectator until then, also joined the party as he lofted Jahandad down the ground for the first six of the chase.
Pakistan switched to spin and Seifert welcomed Abrar Ahmed with a massive hit over long-off. Abrar got the better of him with a carrom ball that Haris did well to hold on to behind the stumps off the bottom edge, but New Zealand by then had effectively won the match in the two powerplays.
Allen hit another six and two fours, while Robinson also got a six to his name as New Zealand completed the chase just one ball after the halfway mark of the innings.
Brief scores:
New Zealand 92 for 1 in 10.1 overs (Tim Seifert 44, Finn Allen 29*, Tim Robinson 18*; Abrar Ahmed 1-15) beat Pakistan 91 in 18.4 overs (Salman Agha 18, Khushdil Shah 32, Jahandad Khan 17; Jacob Duffy 4-14, Kyle Jamieson 3-8, Zakarie Foulkes 1-11, Ish Sodhi 2-27) by nine wickets
[Cricinfo]
At the recently concluded International Schools Athletic Championship (ISAC), Lyceum International School Wattala emerged as champions. However, during the competition, a protest was lodged, alleging that one of Lyceum Wattala’s athletes was on the payroll of the Sri Lanka Army and, therefore, ineligible to participate in ISAC. Following an inquiry, the athlete was disqualified, and the points he had earned were deducted from the school’s total. By that time, he had already won gold medals in the Long Jump, Triple Jump, and 4x100m relay.
Lyceum Wattala has built a reputation for excelling in sports, but many attribute this success to its large-scale recruitment of athletes through scholarships. Notably, the two champion athletes of this year’s ISAC had previously represented other schools. Further inquiries have now revealed that another athlete, who competed for Lyceum Wattala at ISAC 2025 and secured the Under-20 Champion title by winning the 400m, 110m hurdles, and 4x400m relay, is also on the payroll of the Sri Lanka Army.
Unethical practices of this nature create an unhealthy competitive environment and discourage underprivileged schools, which struggle to retain their talent. Lyceum is not the only international school offering scholarships to top athletes; other international schools have also followed suit. One such leading institution, known for its strong academic results, has extended its scholarship program to sports, aggressively recruiting high-achieving students from other schools.
This school has reportedly granted scholarships to several students and even gone as far as providing free textbooks, exam fees, and opportunities for foreign travel.
Rather than nurturing homegrown talent, these international schools seem more focused on acquiring ready-made athletes from other institutions. The era of developing skilled players appears to be fading, as these schools increasingly prioritize assembling teams over fostering individual talents.
Strong all-round performances fromSuzie Bates and Brooke Halliday along with a breakout bowling display from Bree Illing helped New Zealand breeze to a seven wicket win against Sri Lanka in Christchurch to level the series at 1-1.
New Zealand’s bowlers set the tone with a frugal display after winning the toss and electing to bowl, restricting Sri Lanka to 113 for 7 in their 20 overs before Bates and Halliday made 47 and 46 not out respectively as the hosts cruised home with seven wickets and nine balls to spare. Bates was named player of the match after also bowling four overs for just 16 runs while Halliday also took 1 for 12 with the ball in addition to posting her highest T20I score.
Illing made use of the early morning start picking up a wicket in the opening over and a second in the seventh as she bowled straight with the new ball to finish with figures of 2 for 18 in just her second T20I after going wicketless in her debut in game one of the series on Friday
Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu was well held as Eden Carson, Jess Kerr and Bates were rotated at the other end with the latter bowling a maiden to Athapaththu in her first over. The scoreboard pressure told when Kerr castled her for 23 off 29 in the following over, the ninth of the innings, with Sri Lanka stalled at 3 for 46.
That soon became 4 for 53 when debutant Flora Devonshire picked up a wicket in her first over in international cricket.
Sri Lanka steadied thanks to a 54-run stand between Manudi Nanayakkara and Nilakshika Silva. Nanyakkara made 35 from 32 with four boundaries while Silva made 20 from 22. But neither player could break free as Bates bowled four overs for just 16 runs while Halliday also took a wicket in her two overs for 11 runs. Kerr took a wicket in the final over to finish with figures of 2 for 29.
New Zealand’s chase started poorly with Georgia Plimmer caught behind in the second over for just 4. Emma McLeod followed suit in the seventh over for a sluggish 11 from 13 but Bates controlled the chase at the other. Safe in the knowledge she needed less than a run-a-ball, she struck just four boundaries and only faced consecutive dot balls once in her 46-ball innings before she was caught and bowled in 15th over with 29 still needed to win.
Halliday ensured they were knocked off with ease striking multiple boundaries in both the 16th and 18th overs as she made 46 not out from 40 balls to steer her side home and go past her previous T20I best of 38.
The series will be decided in the third T20I in Dunedin on Tuesday.
Brief scores:
New Zealand Women 117 for 3 in 18.3 overs (Suzie Bates 47, Emma McLeod 11, Brooke Halliday 46*; Inoshi Priyadarshini 1-19, Sugandika Kumari 1-16, Achini Kulasuriya 1-11)beat Sri Lanka Women 113 for 7 in 20 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 23, Harshith Samarawickrema 11, Kavisha Dilhari 12, Manudi Nanyakkara 35, Nilakshika Silva 20; Bree Illing 2-18, Jess Kerr 2-29, Flora Devonshire 1-12, Brooke Halliday 1-11) by seven wickets
[Cricinfo]
51 dead after North Macedonia nightclub fire
Pakistan 91 all out as post Babar-Rizwan era begins with a whimper
International Schools accused of poaching athletes for ISAC glory
-
Foreign News1 day agoSearch continues in Dominican Republic for missing student Sudiksha Konanki
-
News5 days agoAlfred Duraiappa’s relative killed in Canada shooting
-
Opinion7 days agoInsulting SL armed forces
-
Features4 days agoRichard de Zoysa at 67
-
Editorial6 days agoGhosts refusing to fade away
-
Features4 days agoSL Navy helping save kidneys
-
Features6 days agoThe Gypsies…one year at a time
-
Midweek Review5 days agoRanil in Head-to-Head controversy