NEWS
EXCLUSIVEKumar Sangakkara scored 28,000 runs for Sri Lanka – now he’s playing with welders and hot-tub salesmen in Dorset and loving the best teas in the country
Shillingstone is your typical sleepy village in north Dorset, a quiet haven situated on the River Stour on the periphery of the Blandford Forest. But this summer, the local cricket team have caused quite a stir after enticing a familiar face out of retirement.
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He’s not your average village cricketer, it’s fair to say. Not someone who has spent their life making time for playing cricket around a day job as a delivery driver, welder or hot-tub salesman, like his new team-mates.
Instead, across a 15-year career, Kumar Sangakkara cemented his place as one of the greats of the game.
The silky Sri Lankan left-hander toppled the most fearsome fast bowlers and canniest spinners of his generation to score the second-most runs in international cricket history.
38 Test hundreds were notched all over the world, from Lahore to Lord’s.
Legendary Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara played for Shillingstone Cricket Club
Sangakkara cemented himself as one of the greats of the game in a dazzling 15-year career
Turning out for Shillingstone Cricket Club in division three of the Dorset Cricket League this summer, then, has been an entirely new experience altogether.
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The surroundings for his run-scoring are certainly different. Sangakkara’s home ground is the council-owned recreation ground in the village, just a few miles from where he lives, affectionately known as ‘The Rec’, which is also used by the local football and tennis clubs.
The spectators are usually just a handful of locals who pop by while on their Saturday afternoon stroll – though that has changed when Sangakkara is in town, with fans travelling from all over to catch a glimpse of him playing.
‘It’s just to do with my friends,’ Sangakkara told Mail Sport. ‘I have quite a few friends I’ve known for quite a long time who live near Shillingstone, around the area where my kids go to school.
‘So whenever they were short, they were always trying to say, “You’ve got to come and play, you’ve got to come and play”. I said yes and I went and played a few games.’
Seven games, to be exact, squeezed in around coaching duties in the IPL and broadcasting commitments.
Sangakkara, after all, remains one of the most highly sought-after minds in the game after his run-scoring exploits and captaining some of the great Sri Lanka teams of the modern era. Since retiring in 2015, he has also served a term as MCC president.
But the joy is palpable in Sangakkara’s voice when he it comes to speaking about Shillingstone.
CELEBRITY
Angry Patrick Mahomes says he will LEAVE the NFL and accuses the NFL of risking player safety before huge run of Chiefs games “If there’s no changes, I will leave” – Full Story Inside
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have an extremely congested schedule coming up – and the passer is far from thrilled with the NFL.
The two-time defending champions will embark on a stretch of three games in 11 days beginning this weekend when they face the Browns on Sunday, before hosting the Texans on December 21 and then traveling to the Steelers on Christmas.
And while the Chiefs are sitting pretty atop the AFC with a 12-1 record, Mahomes seems to be dreading his team’s next couple of weeks.
‘It is not a good feeling,’ he told reporters on Wednesday, per ESPN. ‘I’m excited to play on Christmas to hopefully get back from what we did last year [when the Chiefs lost to the Raiders], but you never want to play this many games in this short of time.
‘It’s just not great for your body. But at the end of the day, it’s your job, your profession. You have to come to work and do it.’
Mahomes added, ‘All you can do is focus on the game and the practice that you had that day. I try to prepare my body all year long for this stretch by tailoring my workouts, tailoring how you practice and you prepare. The coaches do a great job of taking care of us on the practice field. We practice hard as anybody, but they know how to kind of dial it back when we need it.’
In addition to the Chiefs, the Texans, Steelers and Ravens will also be playing three games in the next 11 days.
Crucially, though, the Ravens and Texans are coming right off of a bye in Week 14, while the Steelers had their break in Week 9.
The Chiefs haven’t had a rest since they returned from their Week 6 bye – a fact that defensive star Chris Jones was eager to point out.
‘This is one thing I’m doing this offseason is I’m going to the NFLPA, especially with us having three games in [an 11-day] span, that we’re mandatory to have a late bye week,’ he said.
‘With our schedule, it’s kind of awkward, to say the least. … That’s a conversation to have this offseason. If a team has somewhat of a schedule like that, they should get a late-season bye. We don’t need a Week [6] bye … Give it to us in Week 8, Week 10, something like that.’
Mahomes and Co. will have a week-and-a-half to recover after their Christmas Day game before facing the Broncos in Week 18 on January 5.
And if Kansas City manages to wrap up a first-round playoff bye before Week 18 – as they currently have a two-game AFC lead over the Bills – Mahomes and the team’s other starters could be held out of the final regular season game.
The quarterback then wouldn’t play until January 18 or 19 in the divisional round.
CELEBRITY
Selena Gomez, 32, Is Engaged to Benny Blanco, 36! Star Flaunts Massive Diamond Ring, Shares Sweet Photos, Hilarious Proposal Clips – and Reveals the Wedding Date Along With Another Shocking Surprise: “Our Prayers Have Been Answered, We’re Expecting…”
Selena Gomez shocked fans on Wednesday night by revealing she is now engaged to her boyfriend Benny Blanco after a year and a half of dating.
The singer, 32, revealed the news on Instagram, sharing the first photos of her massive diamond engagement ring with her 422million followers.
‘forever begins now..’ captioned the Who Said singer. She also included a photo of herself showing off her ring for the camera as Blanco, 36, wrapped his arm around her and kissed her head.
Blanco — a famed music producer — seemingly popped the question during a romantic nighttime picnic featuring Taco Bell.
The couple received an outpouring of love from theor A-list celebrity friends, including Cardi B, Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow and Gomez’s BFF Taylor Swift.
Swift — who has been friends with Gomez since 2008 — offered to be the couple’s ‘flower girl.’
Blanco himself also left a cheeky comment in which he referred to Gomez as his ‘wife.’
‘hey wait… that’s my wife,’ wrote the musician, who earned nearly 150,000 ‘likes.’
Gomez has been dating Blanco since June 2023, though she did not confirm the relationship until that December. At the time, she used Instagram to confirm to fans that she’d been secretly dating the hitmaker for six months and that he was her ‘absolute everything.’
Previously, the Wolves songstress dated The Weeknd, Zedd, Nick Jonas, Taylor Lautner and was linked to a number of other stars, including Zayn Malik and The Chainsmokers’ Andrew Taggart. She also famously had an on-and-off relationship with Justin Bieber, 30, that spanned eight years, before they called it quits in 2018. He is now married to model Hailey Bieber, 28, and they welcomed a baby son in August.
Before getting romantic, Gomez and Blanco were friends for over a decade and even worked on music together.
He has produced three of the singer’s biggest hits, including the 2021 tune I Can’t Get Enough and 2015’s Same Old Love.
Selena Gomez shows off engagement ring from fiance Benny Blanco. Last month, Blanco revealed that it was Gomez who made the first move.
‘She asked me out. It was crazy, it was crazy. She literally asked me… like we were just talking, and then she said, “You wanna get dinner?” And I went to the dinner, and I had no idea,’ he explained on Kai Cenat’s Twitch stream.
Drama
Breaking news: Chargers Coach, Brandon Staley, has issued a stern warning to chiefs QB Patrick mahomes over irregularities and foul plays against tomorrow’s match ” Accused NFL of…
Los Angeles, CA – Los Angeles Chargers Coach, Brandon Staley, has issued a stern warning to Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, regarding alleged irregularities and unsportsmanlike conduct ahead of tomorrow’s crucial matchup.
Staley’s Statement “Patrick Mahomes has consistently pushed the boundaries of fair play. We will not tolerate any gamesmanship that compromises the integrity of the game. We’re prepared to take action if necessary.” – Brandon Staley.
Alleged Irregularities
1. Late-game celebrations
2. Excessive trash talk
3. Alleged tampering with opponent’s equipment
Head Coach Andy Reid dismissed Staley’s claims, saying, “Patrick’s a class act. We’re focused on winning, not worrying about distractions.”
Tomorrow’s Showdown
The Chargers and Chiefs face off in a highly anticipated matchup. Fans eagerly await the outcome, knowing that sportsmanship and fair play will be on full display
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