Sports
Traditional fixtures that ‘shield’ camaraderie at school rugby
By A Special Sports Correspondent
The traditional rugby matches between schools have added spice to the ongoing competitive inter-school League rugby tournament and also opened a window for lesser-performing teams in the top and lower divisions to earn vital mileage.
St. Joseph’s and S. Thomas’ set the stage for such encounters this season with their traditional rugby game which is played for the Lady Jayatilake Shield. The Thomians did well and beat their rivals from Darley Road in a gripping encounter in which the score read 26-24 in favour of the hosts. The Thomians are led this season by Viyaan de Silva and have recorded three wins this season despite losing to Isipatana.
Looking back at the history of this traditional game it originated in 1955. That year the Thomians led by versatile sportsman Kumar Anandan beat the Josephians 8-6 and thus began a much looked-forward-to rugby encounter in the inter-school rugby scene. However, it was much later and in the year 1965 that the shield was introduced to this game. An old boy of St. Joseph’s Lucian Jayathilake donated the shield for the match in memory of his mother. Another factor is that shields are much rarer in usage compared to trophies and that makes such pieces of silverware much attractive when given away to the winners at a podium.
We also have the Bradby Shield given away at the Royal vs Trinity rugby encounter; which is a two-match affair. The Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association takes the result of the first encounter of the Bradby for the compilation of points for the school’s league rugby tournament. In fact, this encounter- which first attracted a few hundred spectators at first- has grown with the years and now promises a capacity crowd when the two teams clash. Former Royal College Principal E.L Bradby must be remembered for donating the shield for the game in 1945. The game is such a big event in the schools rugby calendar thanks to the sponsors of the rugby teams of the two schools, parents of the players, and well-wishers. The Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association would never have handled such a massive rugby event alone if it was given the organizing rights for the two-match rugby fixture. This season Royal are playing well and promise champagne rugby when they clash in the big one against traditional rivals Trinity on the 22nd. The previous week Royal beat Dharmaraja 36-18 while Trinity recorded a run-away 55-10 win over Science College; as both teams used these matches to warm up for the Bradby.
We also have the Abdul Jabbar Shield on offer when Isipatana clash with Thurstan. However, it must be pointed out that it’s these traditional encounters that give teams like Thurstan an opportunity to play against top teams despite playing in a lower division. The lads from Bullers Road are working their way up for promotion and battling in Division 1 Segment B after a relegation process that took place some years ago. Thurstan have done well this season winning all their matches in Division 1 Segment B this season and are knocking on the door for a promotion along with Sri Sumangala College Kandy, which has one more fixture left this season.
Thurstan was a top team in the Division 1 Segment A or top Division as we called it many years ago. We remember the side calling the shots in the years 1996 and 1997; Thurstan entering the knockout final and winning it in 1997 under the guidance of Coach Ajith Fernando, who today runs a successful rugby academy. Thurstan’s last rugby win this season was against Maliyadeva College. Meanwhile, Thurstan’s traditional rivals Isipatana had a close call against St. Anthony’s before recording a close 37-26 win in Colombo last Saturday.
We also have the Fr. Basil Weeratunga Shield which is on offer for the game between St. Peter’s and St. Joseph’s. The Peterites are aiming high this season and have remained unbeaten thus far. Their last win was against Zahira at Maradana where they recorded a run-away 56-7 win.
Traditional rugby games in the schools scene are the ones that draw a special crowd to venues. The ones who watch these games have pleasant memories of past matches and know the value of the spirit of the game and the importance of continuing friendly ties with everybody after the final whistle is blown in a game. Some female spectators have even found their future partners at these rugby matches. These pieces of silverware that are on offer at these matches are the ones that produce rugby memories that remain etched in the minds of both players and spectators for a very long time.
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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