On his 30th birthday, trainer Sam Freedman received an unforgettable Group 1 boost from Tropicus.

The son of Too Darn Hot, aged four, captured his initial black-type elite win by eclipsing the field in Saturday’s $750,000 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) conducted at Caulfield.

Tropicus, the $7.50 chance and reserve for Freedman and co-trainer Anthony behind hot $2.60 pick Point Barrow, delighted with his elite debut, which the trainer sees as a pathway to more.

“He’s a proper horse, he deserves that,” Freedman said.

“As a three-year-old he raced against some of the best, Broadsiding and a few really proper colts.

“He’s got better as an entire and is one of those horses that just trains on and on and on.

“We’ve seen him get better this prep and you wouldn’t rule out him going to another level again.”

Tropicus prevailed under 58.5kg, the highest weight for a Caulfield sprint victor post-1973 metrics, in a race favoring top weights.

Hedged ($20, 59kg) was runner-up 1-1/4 lengths back, with Jedibeel ($18, 58.5kg) fourth, a long-head shy of Gallant Son ($8.50, 52kg) who was third.

For jockey Craig Williams, it was a first-time Oakleigh Plate conquest, following his Futurity Stakes score on Pericles earlier, and he valued the booking.

“I got given a really good gift today,” he said.

“They rang me up early and said, ‘We think he’s the right horse for the race’, my manager agreed, so he gets credit for that.

“Even his jumpouts, that I haven’t been a part of, but watched him, they’ve left the headgear off him and just saved it for the race day today.”

In Newmarket Handicap markets, Tropicus is $11 amid Tentyris dominance, yet Freedman eyes the William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield March 21 instead.

Visit leading betting sites to check betting markets for the race like the Oakleigh Plate.

Michigan began Saturday at the top of the college basketball hierarchy, enshrined during the March Madness bracket preview as the No. 1 overall seed. By the end of the day, the picture looked a little different, as No. 3 Duke’s thrilling 68-63 win over the No. 1 Wolverines muddied up the race for the top spot in the NCAA Tournament bracket yet again.

No. 4 Arizona threw its name into the hat with a 73-66 win at No. 2 Houston while playing without star forward Koa Peat. The takeaway from those two top-five battles is that there are now three 25-2 teams from three different conferences with impeccable credentials heading into the final week of February.

In case you weren’t already convinced, it should be obvious by now that we are in the midst of an elite regular season and headed toward an equally great postseason.

Consequential results on Saturday weren’t confined to the nation’s most high-profile teams. No. 19 Vanderbilt landed as a No. 4 seed in the NCAA’s bracket preview and promptly suffered a home loss to Tennessee. No. 8 Kansas, which was a No. 3 seed, took a historic home loss to a mediocre Cincinnati team.

Down toward the bubble, results were arguably even more consequential.

Here is the full rundown of winners and losers from a massive day of college basketball action.

Winner: UCLA defeats Illinois with OT buzzer-beater 

UCLA worked ridiculously hard to storm back from a 23-point hole, and Donovan Dent made sure those efforts were not in vain. The jet-quick guard zoomed coast-to-coast for the game-winning layup as time expired to help UCLA beat No. 10 Illinois 95-94. Dent finished with 14 points and a whopping 15 dimes. The oft-invisible duo of Eric Dailey Jr. and Xavier Booker rose to the occasion with 36 enormous points.

It’s the third time that Illinois has lost in overtime during Big Ten play. — Isaac Trotter

Winner: Duke takes down No. 1 Michigan

Michigan’s guards finished a combined 6 of 25 from the floor as No. 1 Michigan lost to No. 3 Duke 68-63 as the Wolverines suffered their second loss of the season. If there is an Achilles’ heel for Michigan, it is the lack of an assassin in the backcourt. What was even more surprising, however, is that the towering Wolverines failed to match Duke down low. The Blue Devils were outscored 18-11 in second-chance points amid a 13-8 deficit on the offensive glass. Consequently, Duke outscored Michigan 34-24 in the paint with Cam Boozer leading the charge. 

The star freshman finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists while deftly playing the final 4:47 with four fouls. His versatility was on display as well with a clutch late 3-pointer that put the Blue Devils up 64-58  —  David Cobb

Winner: Arizona takes control of Big 12

No. 4 Arizona scored its most significant win of the season, taking down No. 2 Houston on the road 73-66. The two teams entered the day tied atop the Big 12, but the Wildcats, who played without star freshman Koa Peat, wrested control of the conference’s regular-season race in emphatic fashion. They led for nearly 37 minutes of game action and closed out the signature win by retaining the lead for the final 11 minutes.

With Peat injured, Arizona forward Ivan Kharchenkov played a season-high 39 minutes and added 16 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Wildcats guard Anthony Dell’Orso also chipped in in a big way, tying a season-high in scoring with 22 points.

The Wildcats hold a one-game lead now on Houston in the Big 12 standings with just four regular-season games remaining. They will likely be favored in each of the four games, and their toughest tests – vs. No. 8 Kansas next Saturday and at home vs. No. 6 Iowa State the following Monday – are both home games. — Kyle Boone

Loser: Kansas takes largest home loss under Bill Self

No. 8 Kansas suffered its largest home loss under Bill Self, who began coaching the Jayhawks in 2003 – and its first double-digit home loss vs. an unranked opponent since 1993 – in a stunning 84-68 defeat to Cincinnati on Saturday. The Jayhawks closed as 8.5-point favorites but played from behind for the final 17-plus minutes of the game as Cincy turned a close game into a blowout by out-scoring KU 48-34 in the second half. 

The good news for Kansas was that oft-injured guard Darryn Peterson played 32 minutes, tied for the third-most he’s played in a game this season. The bad news for Kansas is that his 17 points in that action were rendered moot because of an abysmal defensive showing. KU allowed 12 made 3-pointers from Cincinnati, tied for the most it has allowed in a regulation game this season, and also surrendered 84 points, tied for the fourth-most allowed in a game this season. 

“We were just awful today defensively,” KU coach Bill Self said. “Their bigs dominated. It was a combination of defensive rebounding, their guards getting where they want, and their bigs destroying us.”

Kansas has dropped two of its last three – both by 16 points – with tilts vs. No. 2 Houston and No. 4 Arizona upcoming over the next week. — Boone

Winner: AJ Dybantsa’s near-triple-double boosts BYU’s résumé

For the first time since 2020, BYU has defeated a top-six AP team. More than that, the Cougars needed 27 games to finally beat a top-25 KenPom school, but they got it done over Iowa State on Saturday night in the final big result of the evening. BYU’s 79-69 win was also just the second victory vs. a ranked team for the Cougars this season, but at least they’ve finally got some belief about making a good run in the NCAAs. And they have that belief because Dybantsa had a top-three game of his college career: 29 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists.

Cameron Boozer is still a comfortable frontrunner for National Player of the Year, but Dybantsa’s in his rearview mirror. Through six February games, Dybantsa’s averaging 30.7 points. The win improved BYU to 20-7. No Richie Saunders (ACL) means this team has its limits, but Dybantsa will certainly look to push them in every game that remains in his one-and-done career.

BYU is 6-6 in Quad 1 and needs to avoid a slip-up at home on Tuesday vs. UCF in order to make a push toward a No. 5 seed in three weeks. — Matt Norlander

Winner: St. John’s inches closer to Big East title

Rick Pitino and his St. John’s Red Storm scored their 13th consecutive win Saturday in resounding fashion, dominating Creighton 81-52 and inching closer to their second consecutive Big East title. The win comes just days after fellow conference contender UConn fell at home to the same Bluejays 91-84 in a stunning outcome that has shaken up the Big East race. It leaves St. John’s one game up in the league’s regular-season standings with UConn set to face Villanova later Saturday night. — Boone

Winner: Virginia honors Tony Bennett, beats Miami

Virginia honored former national-title winning coach Tony Bennett by dedicating the court at John Paul Jones Arena in his honor before the game. The No. 14 Cavaliers then followed through by honoring Bennett with a thrilling 86-83 win over a quality Miami team. It wasn’t a vintage defensive effort from the Cavaliers, but they made up for it with six players reaching double figures during a 12-of-24 shooting effort from beyond the arc. Jacari White led the way with 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting from 3-point range. — Cobb

Loser: Vanderbilt loses another heartbreaker

No. 19 Vanderbilt began the day with good news, as star guard Duke Miles returned from a six-game injury absence. Just before tip-off against rival Tennessee, the Commodores were also included in the March Madness bracket preview as a No. 4 seed. But by mid-afternoon, the good vibes had dissipated in a 69-65 loss to the Volunteers. It was only the latest close loss for Vandy, which has dropped three of its past five contests by a combined margin of six points. At 21-6 and 8-6 in the SEC, Vanderbilt is still in the midst of a fantastic campaign, but the “what if” moments are starting to add up.  — Cobb

Winner: Texas Tech dominates without JT Toppin

Playing in its first game without the services of All-American forward JT Toppin, who suffered a torn ACL during the team’s road loss Tuesday to Arizona State, No. 13 Texas Tech bounced back with a resounding 100-72 win at home over Kansas State. It’s the third-highest scoring game of the season for the Red Raiders’ prolific offense, which on Saturday was led by Donovan Atwell (26 points) and Christian Anderson (21 points).  — Boone

Loser: Ole Miss plays as SEC punching bag (again)

An increasingly lost season at Ole Miss took another ugly turn Saturday as it suffered its largest loss of the season 94-75 to SEC-leading Florida. The loss is the Rebels’ ninth consecutive stumble in SEC play to drop to 3-11 in conference action after starting 3-2.  — Boone

Winner: Sandfort’s career day lifts Nebraska past Penn State

No. 9 Nebraska made quick and easy work of Penn State in Pinnacle Bank Arena thanks to a career-high in scoring from guard Pryce Sandfort, who had 33 points in 35 minutes of play. It’s Sandfort’s second career 30+ point scoring outing of his career but second this season. He did his damage primarily from deep, as he is wont to do, finishing with eight made 3-pointers on 14 attempts. 

The win gave Nebraska its 23rd win of the season – tying for its second-most in a single-season in program history. 
— Boone

Loser: USC’s loss to Oregon costly to Trojans

USC leading scorer Chad Baker-Mazara returned from a three-game absence due to a knee strain, but the Trojans suffered a devastating 71-70 home loss to Oregon anyway. The Trojans led by six with 1:10 remaining before a stunning late collapse that could haunt them on Selection Sunday. USC entered the day as a No. 10 seed in CBS Sports Bracketology, but a drop is likely in store after an inexplicable stumble against a Ducks squad that is just 10-17 (3-13 Big Ten).  — Cobb

Winner: Georgia trending up after beating Texas

Georgia entered the day as the last No. 9 seed in CBS Sports Bracketology, which isn’t a safe place to be this time of year. But the Bulldogs capped off a huge week by beating Texas 91-80. With a Tuesday victory at Kentucky also in hand, UGA (19-8, 7-7 SEC) is once again trending toward making back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since 2001 and 2002. There is work still to be done, but Mike White’s club has rediscovered itself after losing five of six games in league play over the end of January and beginning of February.  — Cobb

Loser: Clemson is cratering after loss to FSU

This Clemson team is starting to resemble the 2023 team that started 18-4 before falling apart and missing the NCAA Tournament. After suffering a 70-65 home loss against Florida State, the Tigers have dropped four straight and are sitting at 20-8 (10-5 ACC) with games against Louisville and North Carolina up next. Clemson entered the day as a No. 8 seed in CBS Sports Bracketology, but its margin for error is rapidly diminishing. If the slide continues against the Cardinals and Tar Heels, the ACC Tournament could be very uncomfortable.  — Cobb

Winner: Calipari closing in on 900 victories

Arkansas coach John Calipari led his No. 20 Arkansas team to a 94-86 win at home over Missouri to secure his 31st season with 20 or more wins and in the process reached 897 career wins. He is now three wins shy of joining the exclusive 900 club, which is occupied by only five coaches: Mike Krzyzewski (1,202), Jim Boeheim (1,116), Rick Pitino (906) and Bob Knight (902).  — Boone

Loser: Washington faceplants to kiss at-large hopes goodbye

Washington‘s slim margin of error completely evaporated in Saturday’s 64-60 loss to lowly Maryland. Washington had one of the top NIL budgets in last spring’s portal cycle, and it is facing the music that without winning the Big Ten Tournament, it will not make the NCAA Tournament. Hannes Steinbach continued his stellar freshman season with 14 points on 7-for-8 shooting, but the Huskies shot just 5 for 22 from downtown and got out-rebounded by a baker’s dozen. Not great.  — Trotter

Winner: Cincinnati gets off the mat

Wes Miller apologized to Cincinnati’s home faithful after a dreadful meltdown loss to West Virginia on Feb. 5, and his Bearcats bunch has reeled off a four-game winning streak, punctuated by a stunning 84-68 win over No. 8 Kansas in front of a shocked Allen Fieldhouse crowd. Cincinnati’s offseason visions came to life. Big man Moustapha Thiam was dominant, scoring 28 points and ripping down eight rebounds on his birthday. Baba Miller added 18 points, eight assists and seven boards.

“This group’s been pretty consistently resilient, which is why I feel so much joy they get to have a moment like this tonight,” Miller said.

Cincinnati (15-12, 7-7 Big 12) is not far from fighting its way back toward the bubble. Tuesday’s road clash with JT Toppin-less Texas Tech is enormous   — Trotter

Winner: UConn bounces back with road win over Villanova

Three days after getting torched by Creighton, UConn’s defense had a revival. The No. 5 Huskies held Villanova to just five made buckets in the first 15 minutes of regulation in the second half and ran away with a 73-63 road victory. UConn played nine players. All nine of them scored at least four points, led by a dozen from captain Alex Karaban. 15-1 St. John’s vs. 15-2 UConn on Wednesday for Big East supremacy.  — Trotter

Winner: Colorado State gets job done

Jase Butler and Carey Booth combined for 47 points to help short-handed Colorado State knock off San Diego State 84-73. It’s a massive loss for SDSU’s quest to win the Mountain West. The Aztecs are now a full two games behind Utah State in the loss column.

This one also featured one of the best baptisms of the season, courtesy of the high-flying Booth.  — Cobb

Feb 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles FC forward David Martínez (30) scores a goal against Inter Miami CF goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair (97) during the first half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-Imagn Images

David Martinez scored in the first half, Denis Bouanga scored and added an assist in the second and Los Angeles FC completed a 3-0 victory over Lionel Messi and visiting Inter Miami in both teams’ season opener on Saturday night.

Substitute Nathan Ordaz added the final goal for the hosts, who moved the match to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and drew a crowd of 75,673, the second-largest in MLS history for a regular-season game that was not part of a doubleheader.

Son Heung-Min provided the final assist on Martinez’s opener for LAFC, who have lost only twice in 16 games since signing the South Korean star last summer.

Hugo Lloris made three saves for the hosts, who held Messi’s Herons scoreless in a match he played for the first time in 15 matches in all competitions, a stretch that dates back to a 3-0 regular-season loss at Charlotte on Sept. 13.

Mexican-Argentine striker German Berterame made his debut for Miami, which held 63% of the possession.

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But LAFC threatened constantly in transition, especially during the first half, and finished the night leading 16-13 in shots and 6-3 in efforts on target.

Martinez put LAFC in front in the 38th minute on one such moment.

Timothy Tillman began the attack when his dogged defensive work turned over Messi’s national team teammate Rodrigo de Paul in midfield.

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The ball fell to Stephen Eustaquio, who played a first-touch pass to Son above the box. Son played it on into the run of Martinez down the left, and Martinez finished crisply past Dayne St. Clair for his eighth career MLS goal.

St. Clair created trouble for himself on Bouanga’s tally in the 73rd minute, racing outside the box in an attempt to reach Tillman’s diagonal ball.

But Bouanga was first by a healthy margin and headed the ball beyond the goalkeeper before finishing into a stranded goal.

Bouanga then set up Ordaz to seal it in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time, beating his defender down the left flank before driving in a low cross.

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–Field Level Media

Jan 11, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Mark Kellogg watches his team play the Iowa State Cyclones during the first half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Gia Cooke scored a game-high 21 points and Kierra Wheeler posted an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double as No. 19 West Virginia cruised to a 72-40 victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday in Morgantown, W.Va.

The Mountaineers (22-6, 12-4 Big 12), who have won five of their last six games, jumped out to a 23-12 lead after the first quarter and built a 49-23 advantage by halftime. Cooke scored 16 in the opening half, connecting on 6 of 10 shots from the field, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range.

Jordan Harrison added 12 points, seven assists and five steals for West Virginia, which shot 50.9% from the field compared to 23.1% for Oklahoma State. The Cowgirls (21-8, 10-6) hit just 5 of 26 attempts (19.2%) from beyond the arc and scored only five points in the third quarter.

Stailee Heard was Oklahoma State’s lone scorer in double figures, finishing with 13 points while grabbing eight rebounds. Micah Gray, who came in averaging a team-high 15.0 points per game, scored just three points on 1-of-14 shooting, including 1 of 9 on 3-point attempts.

No. 15 Baylor 74, Arizona 60

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The Bears used a 23-8 second quarter to overcome an early 10-point deficit in Waco, Texas, and hand the visiting Wildcats their fifth consecutive loss.

Taliah Scott scored a game-high 22 points for Baylor (23-6, 12-4 Big 12), which trailed 22-12 after Molly Ladwig’s layup with 1:44 left in the first quarter. The Bears’ Bella Fontleroy pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds and teammate Darianna Littlepage-Buggs nearly had a double-double with 10 points and eight boards. Jana Van Gytenbeek added eight assists in the win.

Arizona (11-16, 2-14), which led 22-15 after the first quarter, also was outscored 20-13 in the third. Starter Daniah Trammell and reserve Noelani Cornfield scored 11 game points apiece for the Wildcats. Ladwig added 10 and Tanyuel Welch had a team-high nine rebounds.

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Colorado 75, No. 20 Texas Tech 68

The Buffaloes outscored the Lady Raiders 22-9 in the fourth quarter in Boulder, Colo., to rally for their fifth consecutive win and eighth in their last nine games.

Zyanna Walker scored 18 points and Desiree Wooten added 16 off the bench for Colorado (20-8, 11-5 Big 12). Logyn Greer contributed 13 and Anaelle Dutat had 11 points and a game-high eight rebounds for the Buffaloes, who scored 27 points off 18 Texas Tech turnovers and had a 34-18 advantage on the boards.

Jalynn Bristow recorded 18 points, five blocks and three steals for the Lady Raiders (24-5, 11-5), who fell for the second time in three games. Bristow was 5 of 6 from the floor, including 4 of 5 on 3-point attempts, to go with a 4-of-4 showing at the foul line. Snudda Collins added 13 points and Bailey Maupin 12.

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–Field Level Media

Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana said “nothing changes” and “people are never punished” after he and Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri were sent racist abuse following Saturday’s 1-1 draw.

Both players were targets of online attacks in the hours after the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge and shared images of messages they had been sent privately over Instagram.

It came days after Uefa began an investigation into claims by Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior that he was racially abused on the pitch by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni during a Champions League game in Lisbon.

On Saturday night, Fofana – who had been sent off late in the game in west London for two yellow cards – posted screenshots of messages he had been sent and wrote on Instagram: “2026, it’s still the same thing, nothing changes. These people are never punished.

“You create big campaigns against racism, but nobody actually does anything.”

Mejbri had earlier also shared abusive messages he had received and wrote on his Instagram story: “It’s 2026 and there are still people like that. Educate yourself and your kids, please.”

Chelsea said the abuse “is completely unacceptable and runs counter to the values of the game and everything we stand for as a club,” and that “there is no room for racism”.

A club statement added: “We stand unequivocally with Wes. He has our full support, as do all our players who are too often forced to endure this hatred simply for doing their job.

“We will work with the relevant authorities and platforms in identifying the perpetrators and take the strongest possible action.”

Burnley said: “There is no place for this in our society and we condemn it unreservedly.”

Football’s response to allegations of racism has been heavily scrutinised in recent days following the incident in Lisbon.

Benfica boss Jose Mourinho in his post-match comments accused Vinicius of provoking what happened while the Portuguese club claimed there was a defamation campaign against their player.

The match on Tuesday was halted for 10 minutes early in the second half after Vinicius refused to return to the pitch after becoming suddenly and visibly upset with something apparently said to him by Prestianni, who covered his mouth with his shirt during the incident.

Saturday’s Premier League game ended level after Burnley’s Zian Flemming headed a stoppage-time equaliser to deny Chelsea, who dominated up until Fofana’s red card.

The defender was dismissed in the 72nd minute for a second booking after making a late challenge on James Ward-Prowse.

Earlier, Joao Pedro had scored in the fourth minute to seemingly put Liam Rosenior’s side on course of victory but as so often this season under successive managers they lacked killer instinct and failed to finish off Scott Parker’s struggling team.

Fellow American Stevenson, 28, smiled, nodded his head and clapped as Garcia added: “I want to be a great champion, I’m not scared.

“I fought Devin Haney. I’ll fight you, Shakur Stevenson. I’ll fight anybody.”

Garcia was then told Stevenson had said he was “levels above” him right now, to which he replied: “You’ve got to have some type of punching power to get me off you, because it’ll just be a different style – and I’m not going to hit him light.”

Garcia was given a one-year ban for failing a drugs test in 2024 after beating Haney, with the victory overturned and the fight recorded as a ‘no contest’.

The win for Garcia was his first since a shock points loss to Rolando Romero last year and improves his record to 25 victories and two defeats.

Barrios was upgraded from interim to full WBC champion in June 2024 and had made two previous successful defences via draws, retaining his title with a majority draw against a then 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao last summer.

NEW DELHI: As defending champions India prepare for a high-stakes Super 8 showdown against South Africa in Ahmedabad, former all-rounder Irfan Pathan has pinpointed the technical and tactical adjustments Abhishek Sharma must make to overcome his alarming slump at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Abhishek, the world’s No. 1 T20I batter, has endured a nightmare run, registering a hat-trick of ducks and struggling particularly against off-spin. Pathan believes the root cause lies in the opener’s shot selection and approach rather than his natural technique.

“Abhishek Sharma is getting out to off-spinners. Against Pakistan and the Netherlands, off-spinners got him. The problem lies in his shot selection,” Pathan said on JioHotstar.Explaining the flaw, Pathan noted that Abhishek is trying to dominate too early instead of settling in.“His bat comes down from a high angle, and he is not looking to hit straight. He is trying to play across the wicket. That is getting him into trouble,” he said. “He moves his front foot away to create room, but bowlers are not giving him room. These are not drivable balls.”

However, Pathan warned against drastic changes, urging the youngster to trust his natural game while making smarter decisions.“His bat angle is coming across, which is natural to him. He does not need to change that. If he tries to change it now, it will be a mess,” he explained. “First things first, get a single, get off the mark. Expect the spinner to come in, get to the other end, and target the fast bowlers. He does not need to bludgeon from the first ball.”While Abhishek has struggled, Pathan reserved glowing praise for fellow opener Ishan Kishan, who has been one of the tournament’s standout performers.“Ishan Kishan is in the form of his life. He is playing the leg side really well. He targets square-leg and fine-leg,” Pathan said. “If you give him leg-side deliveries at the start, it’s trouble.”But he also issued a word of caution ahead of the South Africa test.“Against South Africa, I want to see what Kishan does when they bowl wide and make him play on the off-side early. He has improved a lot, but only after getting set,” he added.

Dark clouds have loomed over Kandy this week, with rains sweeping across the Hanthana mountain range, forcing covers to stay in place at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday. More showers are expected on Sunday, threatening to intrude on the Super 8 contest of this T20 World Cup between Sri Lanka and England.

If the weather relents, a fascinating duel of spin could define the clash.

England return to their familiar territory, after having brushed aside Sri Lanka 3-0 in a T20I series on these shores earlier this month.

That success provides them reassurance, especially after a stuttering group stage campaign, where they huffed and puffed their way to a 4-run win, suffered a 30-run loss to West Indies and quelled Scotland and Italy.

England captain Harry Brook conceded that his team were “too careful with the bat” in the group stage.

“We’ve been too careful with the bat. We can probably be a bit more brave in certain situations and have more faith in the guys behind us to be able to put up a decent score,” he said at the pre-match press conference.

Brook admitted England underestimated some of the teams in their group. “We probably underestimated a few of the teams and they put up a really good fight. Thankfully, we are in the Super 8s,” he said.

Sri Lanka’s journey has followed a similar arc of promise and pause. Comfortable victories over Ireland and Oman set the tone, and a commanding chase of 182 against Australia at this venue showcased their championship credentials.

Yet, a stumble against Zimbabwe in Colombo has stalled their momentum.

For co-hosts, much rests on their in-form opener Pathum Nissanka, who scored an unbeaten 52-ball century against Australia here. With 199 runs, he sits among the tournament’s leading scorers. Brook reckoned Nissanka’s form will be a threat and they have plans to remove him early.

Kusal Mendis, with three half-centuries in four innings, adds gravitas at the top of the order.

However, the absence of pacer Matheesha Pathirana, ruled out of the remainder of the competition, dented their bowling resources. Maheesh Theekshana’s six wickets underlines his importance.

With the ball, legspinner Adil Rashid remains vital to England’s plans, supported by Jofra Archer’s pace. Rashid nabbed six wickets, including 2/16 against West Indies, highlighting his threat on surfaces that grip.

Asked if Jacob Bethell is fit to bowl, Brook said: “Not sure yet, he’s got a decent cut in his finger. So, he’d have strapping, but if there’s some way we can get around that, then we’d bowl him. But at the minute, I don’t think it’s possible.”

In a contest shaped by spin, familiarity and sombre skies, composure may matter as much as skill.