Sports
Lord’s is changing
Rex Clementine in London
When former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar delivered the Cowdrey Lecture at Lord’s in 2003, he drove home some pertinent points. The legendary opening batsman said, “There may be some among you who on receiving the invitation to this evening’s lecture must have seen who was going to speak and said “Oh! Yeah! Only if he is allowed through the gate!”
“For me, it’s a bit like getting an invitation to a party on 1st April; you don’t know whether it’s for real or if it’s an April Fool’s joke. Having now got to the podium which does afford me a better view than my natural height, I can see that you all did take the chance that I would be allowed in,” he went onto say.
“As you can see, I am here – let in by the stewards who over the years have become quite charming. No more does one hear “Oi! Where do you think you are going?” Instead, now we hear “Excuse me, sir, can I help you?” Now this is a tremendous change and the MCC needs to be complimented on the remarkable improvement in the attitude of those manning the various entrances at the ground,” Gavaskar added.
There was an awkward moment on day two of the ongoing Lord’s Test when Sidath Wettimuny tried to enter the press box to be interviewed by AFP’s Julian Guyer and the stewards would not let him in. Finally, after learning that this was the first Sri Lankan to score a hundred at Lord’s, not only did they let him in, but were profusely apologizing too.
Lord’s has seen lot of changes over the years. They had a first ever non British MCC President in Kumar Sangakkara not too long ago. It was a groundbreaking moment and when Sanga ended his term, he named Clare Connor as his successor. It was a historic moment as she was the first female to be President of MCC in its 234 year history.
Twenty years back when you came to Lord’s to cover your first Test match, you were told to wear a jacket and a tie. Not anymore. Nowadays, reporters turn up at Lord’s in shorts. Not the Sri Lankans, but the locals. At least in this case there should be some formality.
In India, they are going to ban reporters entering press box wearing team jerseys. It’s a good move. Maybe there’s something for Lord’s to think about too.
Lord’s has lost its significance somewhat in the modern day with the ICC office that was situated here now moved to Dubai. It was initiated by Jagmohan Dalmiya during his tenure as ICC President and came to effect during the tenure of Eshan Mani. A lot of people think that the headquarters were moved for political reasons, but in reality, Dubai was providing tax exceptions and it was a good call.
England and Wales Cricket Board headquarters are still at Lord’s though.
MCC continues to be the guardians of the Laws of Cricket and are responsible for drafting, debating and changing these laws. With cricket’s power bases shifting to India again, is MCC in danger of losing ? This is a question that comes to your mind.
With England and Australia playing ball with India, MCC’s role is somewhat diminishing, yes. But both members who enjoyed veto power at ICC once have been left with Hobson’s choice but to go along with India.
The appreciation of every boundary, every wicket, every catch or a milestone that you get at Lord’s is unparalleled and good cricket whether it comes from the home team or the opposition is appreciated here. That’s something unique about Lord’s.
MCC members getting into an altercation with Australian players at the Long Room during The Ashes last year was a blackmark for the famous club. But they acted swiftly banning one member for life and handing long suspensions for two others.
A few new stands have come up at Lord’s and while these facilities are fine and enjoyed by spectators, you also get the feeling that the iconic ground has lost its charm a little bit.All said and done, Lord’s remains a special place to watch cricket. Every fan should enjoy that experience.
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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