Sports
Rugby show went on despite turmoil and leg pulling
By A Special Sports Correspondent
The 2023-24 domestic rugby season is set to commence in December (2023) and the good news that supersedes all rugby news is that World Rugby (WR) has lifted the ban placed on Sri Lanka Rugby.
Sri Lanka’s rugby community or fraternity was forced to endure much tension and uncertainty during the current year due to the political interference in rugby. As a result of the ban the national team was not allowed to contest some of the major overseas tournaments. WR imposed a ban on SLR on May 17, 2023. Just a few days ago WR announced the reinstating of SLR’s membership with the world rugby controlling body; subject to three conditions. As reported in media outlets one of the conditions is that any official of SLR who has been suspended by WR or Asian Rugby cannot serve the Sri Lanka rugby controlling body. Officials serving the SLR have been allowed to function till March 2024.
Still with all these issues SLR was able to field a team at the rugby sevens event of the Asian Games, hosted by China a few months ago. Sri Lanka had to field a team under the ‘Olympic Council of Asia’ flag due to the ban it was serving. Sri Lanka faired disastrously at this rugby sevens event and finished tenth out of 13 teams that were in the fray. It was heartening to see a player like Tharinda Ratwatte of Kandy SC coming forward to take the responsibility as captain and lead the side from the front. There was little time for preparations. But living up to the sporty dictum that ‘participation is key whether a team wins or loses’ the team comprising the cream of the island’s players gave rugby fans at home something to cheer about by taking the fight up to their opponents at the tournament held in China.
The outside world is often surprised when they hear of the passion for the game played with the oval shaped ball in this little island. In Sri Lanka rugby is second only to cricket; in terms of popularity. What really shocks outsiders is that despite the rich traditions and long history in the game Sri Lanka rugby remains little recognized and lacking in achievements in the international scene. This is largely because the clubs own the players and not SLR and players grabbed by clubs for fat pay cheque contracts to perform in domestic competitions often make themselves unavailable for national duty because assignments such as overseas tournaments expose players to injury. We’ve also heard of players selected for overseas tournaments not living up to the standards shown at home; hence such players being ignored by the selection committee when it’s time to compile a team for international tournaments.
Other than for that issue the rugby scene at this island is live and kicking. This year saw Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club (CR&FC) continue with their celebrations for their ‘Centenary Year’ which officially began in September, 2022. The highlight of that celebration was the hosting of a sevens tournament which featured eight major clubs. The organizers also had competitions for schools and ladies teams. Kandy SC marked their presence at the event by winning the Cup competition and also underscored that they have the players to win and much to offer when there is a seven-a-side competition in the domestic scene.
Reflecting on the previous domestic rugby season that concluded Kandy SC prevailed over the other teams during the league tournament. Fazil Marija coached the side which was led by Damith Dissanayake. They won their 23rd league title and entertained their fans with some scintillating performances in the 15-a-side version of the game.
Unfortunately they made themselves unavailable in the knockout tournament, which was won by CR & FC.
CR & FC did well last season to finish second in the league. The Red Shirts were coached last season by Dushanth Lewke and led by Kavindu de Costa. Though losing the league CR & FC won the Clifford Cup knockout tournament by beating Navy Sports Club 24-18 in the final.
The other two teams which fared well in the season that concluded were Police and Army; rugby analysts predicting a bright future for the ‘soldiers’ in the upcoming season given the way they performed last season. Havelocks Sports Club hung in there while CH & FC proved a disappointment; finishing last in the league tournament that featured eight teams.
Last season there were quite a few rugby activities held by SLR despite the turmoil in the domestic scene; the analysis of World Rugby underscoring that all that was due to political interference which amounted to breach of a Word Rugby by-law. But when it came to the ban on SLR another reason was also highlighted by World Rugby; such as concerns over governance by SLR.
Some of the activities which caught the attention of rugby fans were the Mercantile Sevens and Plantation Sevens. All in all SLR had the ‘rugby show’ going despite the leg pulling activities by individuals who walk on the corridors of power.
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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