Sports
Zampa four-for seals Australia’s Super Eight spot
Australia marched into the Super Eight of the T20 World Cup with a display of ruthless efficiency against Namibia as Adam Zampa brought up a century of T20I wickets before the top order needed less than the powerplay to chase down 73.
Mitchell Marsh’s team continued to look like one of the best-rounded and well-drilled sides at the tournament and can now start to ponder the next stage with a game in hand – although the fixture against Scotland could have a huge bearing on who joins them in the Super Eight.
From the moment Josh Hazlewood struck in the third over there wasn’t a moment where it did not feel as though this would be a vast margin of victory for Australia and they made sure that was the case. Mitchell Starc had been rested after not pulling up 100% after the England game and with an eye on a condensed schedule ahead, Nathan Ellis again slotted in seamlessly as all Australia’s bowlers got in the wickets.
The final margin of balls remaining in Australia’s charge to the line was 86, the second most in men’s T20Is.
There was a touch of extra bounce in the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium surface and Australia’s tall quicks made the most of it. Michael van Lingen managed a brace of early boundaries off Hazlewood and Marcus Stoinis – the latter handed the new ball in place of Starc – but Nikolaas Davin perished to Hazlewood when he slashed to backward point. In his first over, Pat Cummins had Jan Frylinck taken at mid-off after an uncomfortable three deliveries then in the next, van Lingen became the second to find Glenn Maxwell at backward point, unable to keep the ball down. Stoinis closed out the powerplay by conceding just a single off the sixth over and Namibia stood at 17 for 3 with their captain Gerhard Erasmus scoreless from ten deliveries.
Erasmus’ agony in getting off the mark would extend further. By the time he swept Zampa for a single he had faced 17 balls, and managed a wry smile as his score finally ticked over. Where ball-by-ball data is available, it set a new record in getting off the mark in men’s T20Is.
To his immense credit, he turned his fortunes around. The next ball Erasmus faced, he crunched Cummins through the off side then with Namibia, all-but finished, took eight runs off Hazlewood’s last over. Two more boundaries followed off Ellis before the best of the lot, an immense pull against Cummins landing on the terraces. When he was well caught by Maxwell attempting a repeat, he had turned 0 off 16 into 36 off 43.
This wasn’t a defining spell of Zampa’s career, but it was another full of class in what is becoming an outstanding tournament for him. When he cleaned up Bernard Scholtz with a lovely googly he brought up 100 T20I wickets, the first Australia men’s player to the landmark and following Ellyse Perry and Megan Schutt. Half the runs he conceded – in a spell that included 17 dots – came when Rubel Trumpelmann put away a full toss over deep midwicket but he fell next ball when he picked out Maxwell on the boundary.
Travis Head could have been run out to the first ball of Australia’s chase as David Warner scampered to get off the mark. Warner then flayed 20 off eight balls, including four, four, and six against David Wiese before skying to mid-off. Head opened his shoulders against Ben Shikongo then took three consecutive boundaries of Trumpelmann. Marsh finished the game before the fielding restrictions were done as he took 14 off three balls from Jack Brassell and, as captain, could reflect on a job done perfectly.
Brief scores:
Australia 74/1 in 5.4 overs [David Warner 20, Travis Head 34*; David Wiese 1-15] beat Namibia 72 in 17 overs [Gerhard Eramus 36; Josh Hazelwood 2-18, Marcus Stoinis 2-09, Pat Cummins 1-16, Adam Zampa 4-12, Nathan Ellis 1-12] by nine wickets
[Cricinfo]
Under 19 Cricket
Left-arm spinners Vishwa Peiris and Demion de Silva took five wickets each as St. Joseph’s cruised to an innings and 51 runs victory over St. Benedict’s in the Traditional Mack – Croner trophy cricket encounter at Darley Road on Tuesday.
St. Benedict’s came to the match having done well in the Tier B tournament matches but the spin might of the Joes was too hot for them to handle as they collapsed for 62 runs in the second innings.
The result somewhat exposed the gap between the Tier A and Tier B teams of the Under 19 Division I category as the team from Kotahena were bowled out within 25 overs. They were following on after being dismissed for 197 runs in the first innings, where Nushan Perera grabbed five wickets bowling the bulk of the overs for the Joes. He was adjudged the Best Bowler.
While Vishwa was the Man of the Match, Rishma Amarasinghe (Best Fielder) and Senuja Wakunugoda (Best Batsman) won the other individual awards.
The Joes made 313 in their innings with Senuja top scoring with 106 runs.
In the Division I Tier ‘A’ matches Gurukula (against St. Sebastian’s) and St. Anthony’s Katugastota (against Royal) registered first innings victories.
Maliyadeva took first innings points against De Mazenod in a tier B match.
(RF)
Organisers of the ICC T20 World Cup are sweating over after Pakistan refused to play nuclear-armed neighbours India in Colombo, a decision that has left administrators scratching their heads and staring at a potential financial googly.
The India–Pakistan contest, the jewel in the tournament’s crown, is the game that oils cricket’s economic engine. If the marquee clash is bowled out, the loss of revenue will have every stakeholder feeling the pinch from boardroom to boundary rope. Islamabad’s call to withdraw, taken at government level, has sparked fears the verdict will not be overturned.
Anticipation for the grudge match had reached fever pitch. Tickets vanished on day one of sales, while Colombo’s hotels were snapped up quickly. Five-star rooms that normally fetch 150 US dollars were hiked to 600 USD, some even soaring to 800 USD as the city braced for a carnival.
With the capital full to the rafters, tour operators shuttled visitors to nearby Negombo, an hour’s drive from the stadium, while others opted for apartments as accommodation ran dry. Flights, too, were booked well in advance, but uncertainty over the epic duel has now cast a long shadow.
“We haven’t had many cancellations yet, but we fear the worst. Everyone will take a hit if the game doesn’t take place,” aviation industry official Thusitha Perera told Telecom Asia Sport.
Gihan Wickramasinghe, representing Colombo’s hoteliers, echoed the concern. “Our hope is the match goes ahead. If not, we’ll have to refund bookings and the tour operators will be hit even harder.”
Tour operator Lisa Fernando said the anxiety was mounting. “Two groups from Dubai alone, 75 people, were coming. Corporate clients had planned trips down south as well. There’s a lot of money at stake and so much unnecessary stress.”
Indian fan Varun Kumar from Bangalore has already paid for flights and hotels but intends to travel regardless. “Sri Lanka has been on my bucket list. Whether the match happens or not, we’ll come to experience the country,” he said.
Sri Lanka Cricket remains optimistic the contest will be rescued before the final over is called. But if the showpiece is scratched, it would be a hammer blow to an economy only just finding its feet after years of setbacks, leaving the tournament badly caught behind.
SSC Open Tennis Championship 2026
Zacharia Akbar and Thishya Banagala were crowned champions in the Under 12 boys’ and girls’ singles respectively of the SSC Open Tennis Championships in Colombo.
In the boys final, Zacharia Akbar beat Kashya Seneviratne 6-2, 2-6, 6-4. The S.Thomas’ College player reached the finals with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Satheesh Appathuri in the semi-finals.
The Under 12 girls’ final saw Thishya Banagala beat Thiyansa de Silva 7-5, 6-2.
The Visakha Vidyalaya player reached the final after a 6-4, 6-4 win over Manuli Seneviratne in the semis.
Zacharia Akbar (Pix by Kamal Wanniarachchi)
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