Sports
Wide-open Group A sets the tone for highly anticipated World Cup
Group A is sure to make intriguing viewing in the first round of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 as Namibia, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, and United Arab Emirates (UAE) battle it out for the right to qualify for the Super 12.The teams will play each other once in a round-robin format from October 16-20, with the top two advancing onto the next stage.By virtue of their world ranking, Sri Lanka are favourites to progress but face a tricky first test in the form of Namibia, who progressed to the Super 12 stage in their first ever ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 12 months ago.UAE’s return to the competition comes against Netherlands, who are desperate to make up for a disappointing campaign last time out.
All six fixtures will take place at Kardinia Park in Geelong, with the winners joining reigning champions and hosts Australia, as well as Afghanistan, England, New Zealand and the Group B runners-up in Group 1 of the Super 12 stage.The team who finishes second will enter Group 2 and face Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, South Africa and the Group B winners.Namibia are fast establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with on the world stage.
They were firm underdogs in their Round 1 group at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 but comfortable victories over Netherlands and Ireland ensured their progression to the latter stages.Since then, they have claimed their first-ever series win over a Full-Member nation, beating Zimbabwe (3-2) in a five-match T20I series in May. Captain Gerhard Erasmus was the star of the show in the win that secured qualification over Ireland, notching an unbeaten half-century before David Wiese hit the winning runs.
Wicketkeeper-batter Lohan Louwrens is one new addition to keep an eye on this time around. He has captained his country at the under-19s level previously and has already made a mark for the Eagles at the senior level, scoring 111 runs in a seven-wicket win against Hong Kong in June.Another new face already has a World Cup qualifying hat-trick to his name – Tangeni Lungameni was the scourge of the Mozambique top order during a qualifier for the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and now gets his chance at the marquee tournament.
Though Sri Lanka will be a daunting first test, Namibia will hope that they get the better of the Netherlands in their second fixture, as they did last year, which could well set up a second consecutive Super 12 appearance.Ever-presents at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka are going to have to do it the hard way if they want to become champions for the second time.
The Lions reached the final on three occasions between 2009 and 2014 and struck gold at the third time of asking thanks to a typically assured innings from Kumar Sangakkara. But two consecutive eighth-place finishes – their lowest in the history of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup – means expectations have been tempered ahead of their next campaign.
The Asia Cup win in September suggests the side have turned a corner, however. Wanindu Hasaranga impressed with the ball there as only India’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar took more wickets than the wily leg-spinner, who will want to retain his place in the ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year.Topping the group is the expectation for Sri Lanka, who will then be targeting a deep run in the knockout stages, which they hope will culminate in a second piece of silverware in as many months.
One of the final two teams to book a spot at the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the Netherlands are out to right a few wrongs in Australia. Slow starts in each of the previous two tournaments have cost them a place in the Super 12 stage.A defeat to Bangladesh and a washout against Oman saw them eliminated before their final first round fixture at the 2016 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Then, in 2021, they were soundly beaten in each of their three fixtures and were skittled out for less than 110 on two occasions.
That means a fast start is a must this year for the lowest-ranked side in the group and they will want to be in a strong position prior to their clash with Sri Lanka on October 20.One of those who struggled to get going in the UAE was Bas de Leede, who failed to make double figures in either of his group stage innings.
The summer was a much brighter time for the 22-year-old, though, who struck two T20I half-centuries against New Zealand and 89 against Pakistan in an ODI. If he and opener Max O’Dowd can find their best form, the Netherlands could well spring a surprise.After an eight-year hiatus, the UAE are back on the T20I world stage and looking to make history.
Their only previous ICC Men’s T20 World Cup appearance, in 2014, yielded three defeats, and so a win this time around would be their first in this event and only their second ever in a global ICC tournament, with their sole success to date coming against the Netherlands in the 1996 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.The Netherlands will be keen to avoid a repeat of that outcome when the pair meet in
their opening fixture on October 16th, though the UAE do have the recent form on their side, having won four of their five previous meetings.
Bar a change in captain, preparations for the tournament have been smooth, and they gave two-time world champions West Indies a stern test in their penultimate warm-up fixture, with spinner Junaid Siddique impressing with figures of five for 13.They ultimately came up 17 runs short chasing 152 despite the best efforts of Muhammad Waseem (69 from 52) and Zawar Farid (29 from 14). It was a promising and morale-boosting team performance and one that suggests they have what it takes to ruffle a few feathers in Group 1.
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]
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