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Nuwan Thushara’s hat-trick highlights Sri Lanka’s Thumping win over Bangladesh

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Sri Lanka tour of Bangladesh (Third T20I)

Sri Lanka emerged victorious in the third and deciding match of the three-match T20 series against Bangladesh at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. The star of the match was pace bowler Nuwan Thushara, who delivered a sensational hat-trick that left the Bangladesh top order in disarray.

Chasing a target of 175, Bangladesh found themselves in trouble early on, losing five wickets within the first four overs. Thushara’s fiery spell accounted for three of those wickets, including the seasoned Mahmudullah. It was a remarkable performance by Thushara, who was playing only his eighth T20 match.

Prior to Thushara’s heroics, Dhananjaya de Silva had taken the first wicket by dismissing opener Liton Das. Bangladesh’s batting lineup struggled to recover from the early setbacks and eventually succumbed to a heavy defeat.

Towards the end of the innings, Rishad Hossain and Mahedi Hasan provided some consolation to the home crowd as they contributed 44 runs in the seventh wicket partnership.

However, the task of chasing the massive target had already become extremely difficult by then. Rishad displayed his power-hitting skills by hitting back-to-back sixes in the 11th over bowled by Hasaranga and again in the next over bowled by Maheesh Theekshana.

Mahedi Hasan fell victim to a tossed up delivery from Hasaranga, leaving Bangladesh at 76 for 7 in the fourteenth over. Despite Mahedi’s departure, Rishad continued to showcase his batting prowess by smashing three massive sixes over cow corner in the fifteenth over bowled by Theekshana, bringing up Bangladesh’s total to 100.

Rishad reached his fifty by launching another massive six over deep square leg in the sixteenth over bowled by Fernando. However, his sensational cameo of 53 runs off 30 balls came to an end in the seventeenth over, bowled by Theekshana, leaving Bangladesh at 117 for eight. Rishad’s innings included 7 sixes, the highest by any Bangladeshi batter in a T20 match.

In the eighth wicket partnership, Rishad and Taskin added 41 runs from 21 balls. Taskin also played a valuable cameo, scoring 31 runs off 21 balls before getting out in the last over. Despite the top order batters’ disappointing performance, Rishad and Taskin displayed determination and resilience, reducing the margin of defeat for Bangladesh.

Earlier after invited to bat first, Sri Lanka recorded a total of 174 for 7 in their innings, with opener Kusal Mendis playing an outstanding knock of 86 runs.

Taskin Ahmed provided Bangladesh with their first breakthrough in the fourth over, dismissing Dhananjaya de Silva for 8 runs. Sri Lanka managed to score 41 runs for the loss of 1 wicket during the powerplay. In the eighth over, Kamindu Mendis was caught by Shoriful off a delivery by Rishad Hossain, leaving Sri Lanka at 54 for 2. Wanindu Hasaranga joined Kusal Mendis in the middle and the two built a partnership of 59 runs off 31 balls. Mustafizur Rahman broke the partnership by dismissing Hasaranga. Shoriful took the wicket of Asalanka, but Kusal Mendis continued to score boundaries, posing a threat to the hosts. Taskin Ahmed once again played a crucial role in getting rid of Kusal Mendis, who was caught by Soumya Sarkar. Mendis scored 86 runs off 55 balls, including 6 boundaries and an equal number of sixes.

From their onwards Sri Lanka batters looked uncomfortable in the middle and finding it difficult to middle the ball.

However a quick fire of 8-ball 18 runs from Dasun Shanaka helped Sri Lanka reach the 170 run mark at the end of their allotted 20 overs.

Brief Scores:

Sri Lanka 174 for 7 (Kusal Mendis 86, Taskin Ahmed 2-25, Rishad 2-35)

Bangladesh 146 all out (Rishad 53, Taskin Ahmed 31, Nuwan Thushara 5-20, Wanindu Hasaranga 2-32)

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Trinity College Storms to Victory Over Thurstan in Dialog Schools Rugby League Week 3

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Colombo, June 19Trinity College, Kandy delivered a commanding performance to defeat Thurstan College, Colombo by 48-19 in a high-energy Week 3 clash of the Dialog Schools Rugby League 2024, played at the Sugathadasa Stadium.

Trinity dominated throughout the match, crossing the try line eight times and securing four conversions. Their relentless attack and solid defensive play left little room for Thurstan to recover.

🏆 Match Summary – Trinity 48 (8T, 4C) vs Thurstan 19 (3T, 2C)

  • Trinity College Scorers:
    🔹 8 Tries
    🔹 4 Conversions
  • Thurstan College Scorers:
    🔹 3 Tries
    🔹 2 Conversions

The game showcased Trinity’s physical strength, quick ball movement, and tactical excellence. Even as Thurstan fought back with three well-earned tries, the gap was too wide to close.

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Royal College Stays Undefeated with Convincing Win Over St. Joseph’s in Dialog Schools Rugby League Week 3

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Colombo, June 19Royal College, Colombo extended their unbeaten run in the Dialog Schools Rugby League 2024, defeating St. Joseph’s College, Maradana by 33-14 in a thrilling Week 3 encounter held at the Royal College Sports Complex.

Royal dominated both halves of the game, entering halftime with a 19-7 lead and continuing their momentum in the second half to seal a well-earned victory.

🏆 Match Summary – Royal 33 (5T, 4C) vs St. Joseph’s 14 (2T, 2C)

  • Royal College Scorers:
    🔹 5 Tries
    🔹 4 Conversions
  • St. Joseph’s Scorers:
    🔹 2 Tries
    🔹 2 Conversions

The Royalists maintained control throughout the game with solid offensive and defensive phases, capitalizing on their physical dominance and tactical superiority. The win cements their position as one of the favourites in this year’s league, showcasing a balanced squad with depth and experience.

Matchday Atmosphere

A packed crowd at the Royal Sports Complex witnessed high-intensity school rugby action with passionate support for both sides. The game lived up to its billing with fast-paced attacking plays and fierce defensive stands.

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Mohamed Sahi Transfer Dispute Deepens: Two Clubs, Two Contracts – One Confusing Reality

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Fresh details reveal dual agreements, silent acceptance, and a looming registration problem ahead of the Champions League

Colombo – June 17, 2025:
The player registration controversy surrounding Mohamed Sahi has intensified, as newly uncovered information confirms the existence of two separate agreements signed by the player — one with New Star SC and another with Crystal Palace FC Gampola, both for the 2025/26 season.

The Timeline of Conflict

  • On January 15, 2025, Mohamed Sahi received a release from his former club Eravur YSS, stating that he would be joining Crystal Palace FC.
  • This release letter was shared via WhatsApp with Crystal Palace, but the original document was handed over to New Star SC, who then registered the player for the 2025/26 season based on a contract signed on January 16 for LKR 85,000.
  • Later in February, Sahi went on to sign another contract — this time with Crystal Palace FC, reportedly for LKR 215,000, including two advance payments: LKR 35,000 and LKR 45,000 to his father’s account.

This sequence raises serious concerns about whether the player fully understood his obligations or whether both clubs failed to clarify the status of the original registration.

Crystal Palace Questions: Silence from New Star

Despite publicly announcing the signing of Mohamed Sahi on social media in February, New Star SC remained silent. No objections were raised until the issue surfaced during I League scrutiny.

This inaction has sparked public questions:

  • Why didn’t New Star respond immediately if the player was already under contract with them?
  • Was there an oversight, or did they expect the issue to resolve quietly?

I League vs Champions League Impact

While the situation has had no direct impact on the I League, given that New Star SC registered the player first and the I League is an invitational tournament not governed by the FFSL, Sahi only featured under New Star during the competition. However, the matter gains greater significance in the lead-up to the Sri Lanka Champions League, where both New Star SC and Crystal Palace FC are reported to have submitted player registrations for Mohamed Sahi, potentially triggering a registration conflict.

This raises the risk of:

  • Duplicate entries under the same player ID
  • Last-minute disqualifications or disputes
  • Administrative confusion for tournament organizers

A Potential Settlement?

In an attempt to ease tensions, sources close to New Star SC have confirmed that Mohamed Sahi is willing to return the advance payment made by Crystal Palace FC to resolve the financial element of the issue amicably.

Final Word

While this incident is unlikely to influence the I League outcome, it exposes a flaw in inter-club communication and registration coordination. With the Champions League approaching, resolving these overlaps is essential to avoid technical complications or eligibility issues.

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