Kamindu Mendis equals Bradman as Sri Lanka command Galle test

GALLE, Sri Lanka (AP) — Kamindu Mendis matched Don Bradman as the joint third fastest player to 1,000 test runs as Sri Lanka tightened its grip on New Zealand in the second test on Friday.

Sri Lanka declared at 602-5 in its first innings and left New Zealand reeling at 22-2 by stumps. With three full days left to play, the Kiwis face a mountainous challenge to avoid a second defeat.

Kamindu reached the 1,000-run milestone in just his 13th test innings, sharing the honor with Bradman, who achieved the feat in 1930 against England at Headingley. Only England’s Herbert Sutcliffe and West Indies great Everton Weekes reached the landmark in fewer innings, doing so in 12 knocks.

In a career that has blossomed rapidly, Kamindu notched his fifth century before lunch. and second century in two tests. Later, with audacious flair, he brought up his 1,000th run by stepping down the track to Rachin Ravindra and smashing a towering six straight back over the bowler’s head.

This remarkable achievement made him not only the fastest Sri Lankan but also the quickest Asian to the milestone, surpassing the likes of Sri Lanka great Roy Dias (23 innings) and India’s Vinod Kambli (14).

The crowd’s celebrations were bittersweet, however, as Sri Lanka declared before Kamindu could reach his maiden double century. He was unbeaten on 182 off 250 balls, an innings laced with 16 boundaries and four massive sixes.

Kamindu found strong support from Kusal Mendis, who shrugged off recent struggles to post an undefeated 106, his 10th test century.

Demoted to No. 7 in the order after disappointing performances, Kusal responded with a measured innings, combining with Kamindu for an unbroken 200-run partnership, the highest sixth-wicket stand for Sri Lanka against New Zealand on home soil. This partnership also set a record as the highest sixth-wicket stand in Galle, by any team, further cementing Sri Lanka’s dominance.

Earlier in the day, the hosts lost Angelo Mathews (88) and skipper Dhananjaya de Silva (44) in the morning session, but Kamindu's relentless march, paired with Kusal's defiance, ensured Sri Lanka remained firmly in the driver's seat, with thoughts of a 2-0 series sweep looming large.

New Zealand, meanwhile, missed crucial chances again to rein in Sri Lanka. Daryl Mitchell dropped Kamindu on 26 and Tom Blundell fluffing a straightforward stumping when he was on 113.

The misery continued for the Kiwis when Sri Lanka struck early in their innings.

Asitha Fernando set the tone, dismissing Tom Latham in the very first over with a sharp catch at gully. Prabath Jayasuriya then removed the other opener Devon Conway, snapped up at slip by De Silva.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis plays a shot during the day two of the first test cricket match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

New Zealand's Devon Conway leaves the field after losing his wicket during the day two of the first test cricket match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's Asitha Fernando celebrates the wicket of New Zealand's Tom Latham during the day two of the first test cricket match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis celebrates his century during the day two of the first test cricket match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis celebrates his fifty runs as Kamindu Mendis watches during the day two of the first test cricket match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis celebrates his century during the day two of the first test cricket match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis plays a shot during the day two of the first test cricket match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis plays a shot during the day two of the first test cricket match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

New Zealand's Glenn Phillips, right, celebrates the wicket of Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews with captain Tim Southee during the day two of the first test cricket match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

New Zealand's Glenn Phillips dives to stop the ball during the day two of the first test cricket match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis plays a shot during the day two of the first test cricket match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

New Zealand's Glenn Phillips celebrates the wicket of Sri Lanka's captain Dhananjaya de Silva with teammates during the day two of the first test cricket match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's captain Dhananjaya de Silva plays a shot during the day two of the first test cricket match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

MCLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 15, 2026--

Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced Apartment Collection by Hilton, a new lodging category within Hilton's growing collection brand portfolio – offering unique, spacious furnished apartments with the trusted hospitality and reliability guests expect from Hilton. Apartment Collection by Hilton will be available for booking through Hilton channels in the first half of 2026, with initial properties in the U.S. launched in partnership with Placemakr—a leading apartment hospitality brand and operator specializing in flexible, short-term and extended-stay accommodations in urban and suburban markets, with nearly a decade of experience integrating innovative hospitality solutions and trusted service.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260115804669/en/

The launch of Apartment Collection by Hilton allows the company to build on its existing global inventory of approximately 10,000 apartment-style units, adding as many as 3,000 new units through its partnership with Placemakr. Hilton expects to significantly grow its apartment-style inventory over the next few years through this new partnership and through additional franchise agreements with new owners in the multi-family segment.

Designed to provide flexibility for guests to stay their way, Apartment Collection by Hilton offers studio to four-bedroom furnished apartments for a variety of stay occasions — from a family getaway or friends’ reunion to an extended work trip where business travelers need comfort and consistency. Featuring chef-ready kitchens, spacious separate living areas, and on-site laundry, each distinct property is located in the heart of sought-after destinations – offering guests easy access to both must-go-to destinations and unique, under-the-radar gems. Each stay delivers an elevated experience that captures the local character of its surroundings, with the convenience and smart amenities of apartment-style living. Guests will be thoughtfully hosted, with dedicated team members available on-site 24/7 to provide support and ensure guests feel cared for.

To bring this vision to life, Hilton is launching this brand in partnership with Placemakr—a leading brand and management company in the furnished and unfurnished apartment sectors. Placemakr’s proven operational model brings deep multi-family expertise to launch Hilton’s growth in this expanding segment. Placemakr has leveraged organic growth and asset-light management agreements with its business model and is centered on partnering with multi-family building owners to convert either an entire building or a subset of units in an apartment building into furnished short-term rentals. Through the partnership with Placemakr, as well as with relationships with multi-family owners, Hilton expects to see strong growth for the brand, given the popularity of the apartment-style hospitality market.

“Apartment Collection by Hilton represents the next chapter in Hilton’s growth story and the ways we are evolving to meet growing guest demand for this dynamic segment of hospitality,” said Chris Nassetta, president and CEO, Hilton. “With this new brand, we are continuing to pioneer the future of the hospitality industry, giving guests even more ways to choose Hilton for every stay, backed by our service and reliability.”

Powered by Hilton’s trusted brand standards, Apartment Collection by Hilton will maintain consistent quality across every property, with every stay integrated into Hilton’s booking and loyalty systems, ensuring reliability and peace of mind for guests and owners alike. In the first half of 2026, travelers will be able to book stays via Hilton.com at Apartment Collection by Hilton in destinations including New York City, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta.

“After an extensive search, Hilton is proud to partner with Placemakr to introduce Hilton’s new lodging category,” said Chris Silcock, president, global brands and commercial services, Hilton. “We’ve long seen the opportunity to deliver hospitality-driven apartment stays, offering spacious accommodations, thoughtful amenities, and authentic connections to local neighborhoods, and Placemakr shares that vision. For nearly a decade, they’ve demonstrated a strong commitment to guests through high product standards and exceptional service.”

Each Apartment Collection by Hilton property will be thoughtfully designed to support guests’ routines and provide flexible spaces for real life. Guests will also enjoy access to fitness centers and select properties may also feature rooftop pools and terraces, communal gathering and workspaces, and on-site dining and retail.

“Placemakr is proud to bring our deep expertise in the furnished apartment space to this innovative new brand with Hilton,” said Bao Vuong, co-founder and president, Placemakr. “We’re thrilled for Hilton guests and Hilton Honors members to experience what we’ve built over the past decade. We’ve pioneered the furnished apartments asset class property by property, stay by stay, and to continue that work alongside the world’s most valuable hotel brand is so exciting.”

“We’re also excited for what this means for our real estate partners,” added Jason Fudin, co-founder and CEO, Placemakr. “Hilton’s industry-leading commercial engine and scale will help create even more value for our partners while accelerating our mission to maximize the value of real estate through flexibility. This marks a new chapter in flexible real estate, and we couldn’t be more excited.”

Apartment Collection by Hilton will participate in Hilton Honors, the award-winning guest loyalty program with more than 235 million members for Hilton’s portfolio of world-class brands. Members will be able to book, earn and redeem Hilton Honors Points for stays through Hilton’s direct channels and have access to instant benefits, including exclusive member discounts and free standard Wi-Fi.

PJT Partners and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC were the strategic financial advisors on this partnership for Hilton and Placemakr, respectively.

For more information, visit Stories From Hilton.

About Hilton
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 26 world-class brands comprising 9,000 properties and over 1.3 million rooms, in 141 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its founding vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, Hilton has welcomed over 3 billion guests in its more than 100-year history, was named the No. 1 World’s Best Workplace by Great Place to Work and Fortune and has been recognized as a global leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices. Hilton has introduced industry-leading technology enhancements to improve the guest experience, including Digital Key Share, automated complimentary room upgrades and the ability to book confirmed connecting rooms. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the more than 235 million Hilton Honors members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can't buy. With the free Hilton Honors app, guests can book their stay, select their room, check in, unlock their door with a Digital Key and check out, all from their smartphone. Visit stories.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook,X, LinkedIn,Instagram and YouTube.

About Placemakr
Placemakr is a hospitality brand and management company focused on the furnished apartment space. The company transforms multifamily properties into a unique blend of apartment living and hospitality and has been the pioneer of the flexible living asset class. Placemakr's innovative tech-enabled platform provides an unmatched experience for its guests and residents, combining the advantages of apartment living with the services and reliability of a hotel, all within a single building. Placemakr's thoughtfully curated spaces in carefully selected neighborhoods offer guests and residents the flexibility to stay for a night, a year, or any duration in between.

Hilton Introduces Apartment Collection by Hilton: Furnished Apartment Accommodations, Hosted by Hilton