Sports
Mendis puts Sri Lanka in Super 12s
Rex Clementine
in Geelong
Sri Lanka recovered from an upset tournament-opening loss to qualify for the second round of the ICC T-20 World Cup with a 16-run win over Netherlands yesterday in their last game of the preliminary stage. The former champions were under pressure after the lopsided loss to Namibia last Sunday, but rallied with back-to-back wins over United Arab Emirates and Netherlands to ensure a spot in the Super 12s. The top two teams in each of the first-round groups will join the top eight teams in the next phase. Sri Lanka and Netherlands had two wins apiece in Group A but the Sri Lankans finished with a far superior net run rate. That left the Dutch team needing UAE to beat Namibia to have any chance of advancing. The UAE won the toss in that game, opted to bat first and posted 148 for three.
Sri Lanka won the toss and batted in the first game and posted a competitive 162 for six on a two paced wicket before restricting Netherlands to 146 for nine. Netherlands was on top of the group after opening with narrow wins over Namibia and UAE but wasn’t able to challenge Sri Lanka. The Dutch started off the game well, keeping the Sri Lankan batsmen quiet.
Paceman Paul van Meekeren was the pick of the bowlers, dismissing Pathum Nissanka and Dhananjaya de Silva in successive deliveries, but the Dutch attack faded and conceded 102 runs in the last 10 overs. Kusal Mendis equaled his career best T20 international score of 79 and almost carried his bat through. He faced 44 deliveries and hit five fours and five sixes before being dismissed in the last over. By then, he had done the damage. Netherlands was never really in the run chase, with spinners Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga sharing five wickets between them. 
Opener Max O’Dowd batted through the inning but played a mostly lone hand and finished with an unbeaten 71 off 53 deliveries, including six fours and three sixes. Despite qualifying for the second round, Sri Lanka have major injury concerns with three players already ruled out of the tournament. Opening batter Pathum Nissanka didn’t come onto the field as he had been taken for a precautionary scan. He’s nursing a groin injury. Pramod Madushan, who played the game against UAE, is recovering from a hamstring injury but is expected to be fit for the second round.
Mikel Merino scored in the 88th minute from a rebound yielded by backup Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens, and Spain advanced to the World Cup semifinals with a 2-1 victory.
Merino was the late hero for the second straight match for Spain, who advanced to face tournament favourite France in the semifinals on Tuesday in Dallas.
Merino came on in the 86th minute and scored from his second touch of the match, charging into the box and pouncing after Lammens spilled a Pau Cubarsi shot from outside the area.
The Arsenal forward also scored as a substitute early in injury time to secure Spain’s 1-0 victory over Portugal in the last-16.
Lammens, the Manchester United keeper, was forced into the match in the 71st minute after longtime Belgium keeper Thibaut Courtois left with an apparent thigh injury.
Belgium desperately pressed for an equaliser in the final minutes, but Aymeric Laporte volleyed their best chance out of the box.
Fabian Ruiz scored the opening goal in the 30th minute for Spain after Courtois had parried a shot from Dani Olmo from Pedro Porro’s cut-back from the right of the area, but Belgium forward Charles De Ketelaere scored the first goal allowed by Spain in the entire World Cup in the 41st minute.
His header from Timothy Castagne’s cross from the right ended a record streak of 649 minutes without conceding at the World Cup.
The annual rugby encounter between Dharmaraja College and Kingswood College, played for the William Weerasinghe Memorial Trophy, is set to take place today (July 11, 2026), at 4:00 PM at the Bogambara Stadium, Kandy.
The official unveiling of the trophy took place this week at the Dharmaraja College premises with the participation of the Principals of the two schools, teachers-in-charge of sports, coaches, the Rugby teams, and several distinguished guests, including Dharmaraja College Old Boys’ Association President Mahesh Wijetunga, Kingswood College Old Boys’ Association President Muditha Abeykoon,
Text and Pic by SK Samaranayake
The annual rugby encounter between Dharmaraja College and Kingswood College, played for the William Weerasinghe Memorial Trophy, is set to take place tomorrow (July 11, 2026), at 4:00 PM at the Bogambara Stadium, Kandy.
The official unveiling of the trophy took place this week at the Dharmaraja College premises with the participation of the Principals of the two schools, teachers-in-charge of sports, coaches, the Rugby teams, and several distinguished guests, including Dharmaraja College Old Boys’ Association President Mahesh Wijetunga, Kingswood College Old Boys’ Association President Muditha Abeykoon,
by S K SAMARANAYAKE
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