A superb knock of 146 runs by Rehan Peiris held the Royal College top order together as they posted 319 in their first innings on day one of the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ quarter-final against Mahanama College at the D.H.H. Ground, Madampella on Thursday.

‎Royal looked set for a strong start before three quick wickets disrupted their progress and left the innings in a difficult position. With the early damage threatening to derail the innings, Rehan stepped up with a determined batting effort to guide the recovery.

‎Rehan first stitched together a useful partnership with Ramiru Perera to stabilize the innings before combining with Thevindu Wewalwala for a crucial fifth wicket stand worth 117 runs. The partnership proved vital in helping Royal regain control and build a competitive total.

‎Wewalwala provided excellent support with a solid 57, while Hirun Matheesha contributed 28 runs and Ramiru Perera added 27 to strengthen the innings around Rehan’s impressive knock.

‎For Mahanama, Venura Kaveethra was the pick of the bowlers with a five wicket haul, finishing with figures of 5 for 86, while Chamika Heenatigala chipped in with two wickets.

‎At stumps on the opening day, Mahanama were four for no loss.

‎‎Scores

‎Royal – 319 all out in 87.2 overs

‎(Rehan Peiris 146, Thevindu Wewalwala 57, Hirun Matheesha 28, Ramiru Perera 27; Venura Kaveethra 5/86, Chamika Heenatigala 2/80)

‎Mahanama – 4 for no loss at stumps.

‎‎Wesley book semi-final spot

‎‎Wesley booked a semi-final berth in the Under 19 Division I Tier B tournament as they overcame formidable Devapathiraja Rathgama with a convincing 107 runs victory at Katuneriya on Thursday.

‎‎Scores:

‎Wesley

197 all out in 52.1 overs (Shamma Fernando 23, Rasheed Nahyan 34, Rashmika Amararathna 30, Lithum Senuja 24, Senura Lakshan 27; Sandaru Lakshan 3/71, Puljith Wathsuka 4/31, Harsha Madusanka 2/13) and 219 all out in 64.4 overs (Rashmika Amararathna 43, Senura Lakshan 37, Lavindu Hettiarachchi 41, Dinuja Samararathna 31; Sandaru Malshan 6/88, Diyath Sanjitha 4/46)

‎Devapathiraja

142 all out in 57.1 overs (Diyath Sanjitha 20, Arosha Sithumina 33, Sandaru Malshan 30; Rashmika Amararathna 4/23, Aadhyan Zian 4/34) and 167 all out in 60.3 overs (Sandaru Malshan 22, Yasiru Lakshan 71, Gimhan Rasanjana 31; Aadhyan Zian 2/25, Dinuja Samararathna 4/52)

(RF)

Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell have escaped with a slap on the wrist from England’s Cricket Regulator after they were found to have brought the game into disrepute for their late night antics in Wellington last year.

Brook was disciplined by the ECB after admitting that he had been out drinking the night before he captained England in their third ODI against New Zealand on November 1 and that he was “clocked” by a bouncer when trying to gain access to a late-night venue. England considered stripping him of the captaincy but instead opted to fine him in a process that was not made public.

The incident only came to light shortly after England’s defeat in the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney, over two months later, via a report in the Telegraph. Brook initially insisted that he had been on his own but later admitted that he had been accompanied by Bethell and Josh Tongue and that he had lied to protect his team mates.

The case was referred to the Cricket Regulator – an independent body which enforces the game’s regulations in England and Wales, and is ring-fenced from the rest of the ECB – which found that Bethell and Brook were both in breach of Regulation 3.2 of the ECB’s Professional Conduct Regulations.

The regulation reads: “No Participant may conduct themself in a manner, do any act or make any omission at any time which is improper or which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the ECB, the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute.”

Bethell and Brook have both accepted the ‘caution notices’ issued to them, which effectively places them on a final warning. They will not be issued with a ‘charge letter’ but the notice will remain on their disciplinary record for the next three years.

An unbeaten 70 from Sameer Rizvi proved decisive in a low-scoring contest in Lucknow, where Delhi Capitals (DC) became the first away team to win a match in IPL 2026.  Coming in as Impact Player, Rizvi joined forces with Tristan Stubbs to haul DC out of trouble, after Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) had reduced them to 26 for 4 in a chase of 142.

That target proved far too small in the end, but for a while, it looked imposing as LSG’s fast bowlers swung the ball for an unusually extended length of time for a T20 contest. A red-soil surface, which seemed to quicken up in the second innings, offered seam movement too. Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav and Mohsin Khan kept tying DC’s batters in knots.

But the seamers couldn’t keep bowling forever, and the introduction of spin turned the match decisively. LSG bowled only 2.1 overs of spin, but they went for 35 runs, with Rizvi hitting four fours and two sixes in them. That included the winning hit off the first ball of the 18th over.

DC’s other heroes on the night were their bowlers, who kept LSG to a sub-par total on a surface that played differently in the two halves of the match. If it was quick and skiddy during the second innings, it was two-paced and grippy in the first. DC’s bowlers made excellent, collective use of it. The highlight of their performance was a dipping slower ball from  Lungi Ngidi,, which comprehensively bowled the dangerous Nicholas Pooran: that moment alone may have been shaved 20 or 30 runs off the target DC eventually chased.