Sports
CR start Clifford Cup battle without Kandy SC
By A Special Sports Correspondent
Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club (CR&FC) will be hot favourites to win the knockouts when the ‘Clifford Cup’ unfolds another chapter with seven out of the eight A Division teams battling for honours. The knockout tournament is scheduled to start today (February 28) with a quarter-final match between Police SC and Air Force which is scheduled to take place at Longden Place this evening. The other quarter final matches are: Havies vs Navy (February 29) and CH&FC vs Army (March 1). CR&FC receives a bye and moves to the semi finals.
This year’s runners-up at the league rugby tournament, Kandy SC, has pulled out of the tournament citing disagreements over venue arrangements for the knockout tournament. Kandy SC wanted all their matches in the Clifford Cup to be played at Nittawela, but the organizer of the tournament- Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR)-was not in favour of this request. This was the same scenario at the tournament last year too with Kandy SC pulling out of the tournament due to a similar disagreement.
Kandy SC could end up being the ‘looser’ for the decision taken to hold the SLR to ransom. They are not the champions this season and fans and the team’s sponsor would have received a golden opportunity to see the Nittawela side bounce back from two defeats had they opted to play in the knockouts. This Kandy SC side is a young outfit and the players need match practice and exposure at top level games. Given that most of the Kandy SC players also shun national duty, playing in all domestic tournaments would be just what the ‘doctor’ ordered for the players based in the cool climes of central province.
The Clifford Cup will now have to proceed without Kandy SC. CR&FC has taken over the slot that Kandy SC occupied as ‘kings of local rugby’. The second and third best teams in the knockout tournament will be planning their game around CR&FC, which has raised their game many notches with hard work, commitment and discipline. Changes like this in the top spot of rugby serves the game well. This writer is not writing with malice directed at Kandy, but there is now a breath of fresh air in the domestic rugby scene with a team from Colombo breaking Kandy SC’s dominance in the game played with the oval shaped ball. It would have been good for CR&FC if Kandy SC played in this tournament because that would have presented them with an opportunity of beating them thrice in a row and apart from giving western province the feel that there is a rugby kingdom here as well.
This concept of ‘the enemy or rival’ at sport is an interesting one. The Kandy-CR&FC rivalry began during the early 1990s when several players from Longden Place left Colombo and headed for Kandy SC over a captaincy dispute. Since then, these two teams have made their traditional encounter one hell of a contest; akin to a cricket big match like the Royal-Thomian. Despite whatever disagreements Kandy SC should have played in the knockout for the sake of playing against their arch-rival, CR&FC. Kandy’s absence is surely going to make CR mourn the loss of a much looked forward to battle at rugby; akin to a quarrel by two lovers.
By the way, the last week of matches at the league tournament was hectic and rugby analysts and statisticians at SLR probably had to work on their calculators and recall lessons on arithmetic to make the final points table. Interestingly after the first and second slots were decided it would have taxed the brains of SLR’s recorders of the game to find the third and fourth place finishers of the league tournament. Now, we are told by the SLR that Havelocks SC finished third and the fourth place was taken by Police SC (The eventual Plate Championship winner in the league) despite the ‘cops’ not booking a slot in the Cup Competition of the tournament. Only the teams finishing among the top four places in the points table after the first round of the league tournament were pooled into contest the Cup Competition. The rest of the teams contested the Plate Championship and Police did well to win that tournament despite losing to Air Force in the 10th and final week of the tournament. The surprise is that CH&FC, despite playing in the Cup Championships, finished fifth in the league tournament. A cursory look at the rest of the places in the points table reveals the following: Air Force Sports Club (sixth), Army Sports Club (seventh) and Navy Sports Club (eighth).
Havies can find itself being rated as the ‘dark horse’ at the upcoming Clifford Cup tournament; given the fact that they have improved with every game this season. Led by hooker and playmaker Azmir Fajudeen the players from the ‘Park Club’ have given CR&FC a run this season; losing 25-10 in the first round of the league tournament and then going down fighting 12-9 in the second-round game in the league tournament. However, CR&FC will receive a bye in the quarter finals of the knockout and move to the first semi finals scheduled for March 5. The second semi final of the tournament is scheduled for March 6 and the final on March 9. Both semi finals and the final are scheduled to be played at Race Course.
CH&FC can pat themselves on the back for a ‘well done’ this season, because they finished a hopeless eighth (Last) during last year’s league tournament. But it must be commended that the Gymkhana Club players have decided to stay in contention for more honours this season and contest the Clifford Cup. Last season (2022/23) even CH&FC pulled out of the Clifford Cup knockouts.
The Clifford Cup is one of Asia’s longest used pieces of silverware given away during presentation ceremonies at sport. The trophy came into being on September 2, 1911 when Lady Clifford presented this trophy to be given away at the game between All Ceylon and United Services and played in Kandy. The cup later served as the trophy given away in a quadrangular tournament. It was later on offer for the winner of the domestic inter-club league rugby tournament. Rugby records show the huge fan following for rugby when teams contested for the Clifford Cup. The cup was then used to be presented to the winner of the inter-club knockout tournament in 1985 and served this purpose for many years.
The first truly heavyweight clash of this expanded T20 World Cup format comes freighted with both history and subplots. A rematch of the 2010 World T20 final at Kensington Oval, the match pits Jos Buttler’s defending champions – who are aiming to become the first team to retain the trophy – against the Australian winning machine, victors at the 2021 edition and current world title-holders in Test and ODI cricket. And that’s before you throw in the Ashes for afters.
Already there is added pressure on England, after the rain in Bridgetown led to a share of the points in their opener against Scotland (and that having conceded 90 runs from 10 overs without taking a wicket in a tepid bowling display). Lose to their oldest rivals and it will leave their Super 8 prospects open to being waylaid by the perils of net run-rate calculations, or worse.
The Scotland match was the third abandonment in five suffered by England, after a rain-affected home series against Pakistan, which has clearly hampered their readiness for this campaign after almost six months without playing T20 together. It does not take much for a side to click in this format – and England looked in decent shape when they did get on the field against Pakistan – but Buttler will be anxious for things to go their way on Saturday, if only to avoid further questions referencing the team’s disastrous ODI World Cup defence last year.
Australia, under the laidback leadership of Mitchell Marsh would love nothing more than to add to the English sense of jeopardy – having helped bundle them out of the tournament in India on the way to taking the crown. Their head to head record is less impressive in T20 however, with England having won six of the last seven completed encounters, as well as that 2010 final.
Despite a wobble with the bat, Australia avoided mishap against Oman earlier in the week, the experience of David Warner and Marcus Stoinis shining through in difficult batting conditions. Surfaces in the Caribbean – not to mention those games staged in the USA – have already had teams scratching their heads; rather than the “slug-fest” England had prepared for, following a high-scoring tour of the Caribbean in December, it looks as if boxing smart may be the way to go.
Speaking of Warner, this could be the last time he faces up against England in national colours – and another match-winning contribution would likely reduce the chances of them meeting again in the knockouts. On the other side of the card is Jofra Archer, fresh from an emotional maiden outing at Kensington Oval and ready to take on Australia for the first time in any format since 2020. Can Mark Wood fire up England’s campaign, as he did during last summer’s Ashes? Will Pat Cummins be back to harass the old enemy once again? Seconds out, it’s almost time to rumble.
Cummins is set to return after being rested for the Oman game, which saw Mitchell Starc leave the field with cramp. Starc is understood to be fine and could keep his place – which would likely see Nathan Ellis miss out. Marsh is still not fit to bowl, with Australia likely to continue with the allrounder combination of Stoinis and Maxwell to give them cover.
Australia (probable XI): David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (capt), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis (wk), Tim David, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis/Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
The one change England may consider is Reece Topley coming in for Wood, with the expectation that there will be some rotation among the seamers through the course of the tournament.
England (probable XI): Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (capt & wk), Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley/Mark Wood
[Cricinfo]
Once is coincidence, twice is a clue, and three times is proof.
To paraphrase Agatha Christie, that is the narrative around South Africa’s meeting with Netherlands at this T20 World Cup.
The Dutch beat South Africa at the 2022 tournament and ended their semi-final hopes in a match where South Africa appeared to be sleep walking, and then beat them again at the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they exposed South Africa’s vulnerability in the chase. If they to do the treble, not only will Netherlands take the lead in Group D, but they will offer conclusive evidence of the threat they pose to Full Members, especially South Africa.
Of course, it will take some doing after South Africa’s opening performance against Sri Lanka, where they reduced their opposition to their lowest T20I total and chased it down in fairly straightforward fashion thanks to the most stable middle-order of their white-ball era. In Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, South Africa have bankers and big-hitters and, for this match, they also have the advantage of experience. They’ve already played at Eisenhower Park, and have first-hand knowledge that run-scoring doesn’t come easily;Klassen said they are prepared to use their “cricket brains” and play “smarter cricket”.
But the conditions could be good news for Netherlands, who are not naturally a line-up of big hitters and build their innings on a foundation of turning ones into twos. In other words, they tend to take a slightly more conservative approach to batting, which may work well here, but they’ll be wary of the uneven bounce of the surface and will have to come up with plans to counterattack especially against South Africa’s seamers. Their own bowlers were exemplary in Dallas and will look to build on that performance against a line-up that will likely be more proactive than Nepal’s, but who they have managed to keep quiet not once, but twice in the past. Third time’s the charm, they say.
Anrich Nortje’s stunning return to form against Sri Lanka means South Africa may not have to tinker with the bowling combination, and Gerald Coetzee and Tabraiz Shamsi may have to wait their turns to get a game. The batting line-up should be unchanged, with no space for Ryan Rickelton yet.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markam, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Ottneil Baartman, Anrich Nortje
Conditions in New York may tempt Netherlands to include an extra seamer and they have Kyle Klein in their squad. But it could come at the expense of a shortened batting line-up and they may not want to risk that.
Netherlands: Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Scott Edwards (capt, wk), Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Logan van Beek, Tim Pringle, Paul van Meekeren, Vivian Kingma
[Cricinfo]
Nuwan Thushara’s last over brought Sri Lanka screaming back into the match,as he first bowled Rishad Hossain, and then nailed Taskin Ahmed in front of the stumps with a pinpoint swinging yorker. This left Bangladesh eight wickets down, with 12 runs still to get.
However, the experienced Mahmudullah was at the crease for Bangladesh, and despite some further nervy moments, pushed Bangladesh across the line off the last ball of the 19th over.
But this was a match chiefly decided by Bangladesh’s own outstanding bowling. Mustafizur Rahman was the best among them, using shorter lengths and his cutters efficiently, to claim figures of 3 for 17. Rishad Hossain’s three-for through the middle overs also kept Sri Lanka quiet.
Mustafizur was instrumental in Sri Lanka’s downward spiral through the middle overs, which culminated in a crash-and-burn end. Ultimately, their inability to find boundaries, or even rotate strike against good Bangladesh bowling resulted in their downfall. A score of 125 for 9 always seemed poor on a decent pitch, even if their bowlers made a match of it in the end.
Brief scores:
Bangladesh 125 for 8 in 19 overs (Towhid Hridoy 40, Litton Das 36; Dhanajaya de Silva 1-11, Nuwan Thushara 4-18, Wanidu Hasaranga 2-32, Matheesha Pathirana 1-27) beat Sri Lanka124 for 9 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 47, Dhananjaya de Silva 21; Tanzim Hasan Sakib 1-24, Taskin Ahmed 2-25, Mustafizur Rahman 3-17, Rishad Hossain 3-22) by two wickets
[Cricinfo]
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