Sports

Isipatana and Anthonians move in for the kill during rugby’s Super Round

Published

3 years ago

2023/08/11

By A Special Sports Correspondent

Reigning champions Isipatana together with St. Peter’s, Royal and giant killers St. Anthony’s will vie for honours when the Super Round of the under 19 inter-school league rugby tournament commences this week and continues into weekend.

On Friday (August 11) St. Peter’s will play against St. Anthony’s at Bambalapitiya in what would turn out to be a fast running game because both sides have back division players who have shown the will to run at every given opportunity. One of the bonuses for St. Peter’s is that last season’s skipper Sudesh Jayawickreme has found his form and contributed to the side’s successes this season. The Peterites produced some memorable wins and their moment of glory came in the opening match of the season which was against Royal; easily the much feared and most improved side in the schools rugby tournament. The Peterites are led by Ashen Madugasge and coached by Sanath Martis.

Much is expected of The Anthonians during this stage of the tournament because the only side in the Super Round from the Central Hills have performed amazingly under skipper Sahan Keerthisiri. Some of their giant killing performances this season came against S.Thomas’ and St. Joseph’s; the latter being considered as one of their most convincing victories in school rugby. The Anthonians are coached by Sri Lanka player SrianthSooriyabandara.

Critics believe that Royal have improved themselves to such an extent they could be in with a chance of winning the league title this season. Led by Randul Senanayake the Royalists underscored their prowess in school rugby in no uncertain terms when they beat Trinity convincingly in the return leg of the Bradby Shield and raised their hopes for a podium finish. Royal are coached by Dushanth Lewke.

Royal’s game against Isipatana this weekend (August 11) will also serve as a traditional fixture between the two schools. The two teams will clash for the Major Milroy Fernando Trophy. Isipatana carry the biggest hopes this season as the reigning champions. They are unbeaten so far and have beaten all the top sides including St. Anthony’s. Their most significant victory came against D.S Senanayake College when the latter was playing so well and threatening to unsettled all the leading teams in their group. The Green Jerseys are led by Nuwan Kanishka and coached by Saliya Kumara.

St. Peter’s College rugby pool- A.Madugasge (Captain), K.Tharindu, Windya de Mel, S.Jayawickrema, M.Wishmitha, D.Ranasinghe, R.Ranithu, D.Navodya, S.Gamage, S.Perera, S.Gallage, S.Aruldasa, A.Fernando, E.Jayaweera, P.Thakshila, P.Himansa, D.Dilsara, H.Shihara, P.Perera, P.Silva

St. Anthony’s College rugby pool: S. Kothalawela, T. Gallanga, S. Athukorala, R. Pillai, Y. Gamage, S. Kotuwila, A. Rashik, J. Realando, Sithum Perera, O. Guneratne, Sahan Keerthisiri (Captain), O. Dissanayake, R. Welagedara, Tyron Mariyadas, Roshen Kumar, M. Amjath, A. Munasinghe, S. Senaratne, A. Aneez, Chirantha Fernando, D.Woods, M.Shimak, M.Fernando

Isipathana College rugby pool: S.Senarathne, Kenula Mhisara, S.Arawagoda, Shakib Zumri, N.Thahir, C.Iroshan, G.Maneth, Nisaja Jayaweera, Shehandu de Costa, Naveen, Kanishka (Captain), Shahid Zumri, T.Ranawera, Rinesh Silva, H.Randimal, Kalindu Silva, D. Hansidu, L. Mapitigama, Chamindu Chirath, M.Devan, A.Azeez, M.Ransaja

Royal College rugby pool: T.Gamage, I.Azeer, H.Hussein, B.Malalagama, Y.Rajasinghe, Randul Senanayake (Captain), Y.Senewirathne, T.Hassen, Simak Shafeek, Thivain Perera, C.Senewirathne, P.Samarakoon, Philio Calyanarathne, Disas Pathirana, Nabel Yahiya, A.Akram, R.John, Y.Weerasuriya, Y.Ethugala, C.Samarasinghe, H.Hussein, N.Mohammed, D.Gamanayake.

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Related Topics:Anthonians Featured Isipatana rugby Super Round

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England elect to field first at Wankhede

Published

3 hours ago

2026/03/5

Priyan

England won the toss and chose to field first in the 2nd semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup

India XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah

England XI: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (capt), Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.

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Daren Sammy issues plea as West Indies remain stuck in Kolkata hotel

Published

5 hours ago

2026/03/5

Priyan

The Dubai airport, among other airports in the Gulf region, were affected by the crisis in West Asia [Cricinfo]

As West Indies continue to remain stuck in Kolkata four days after being eliminated from the 2026 T20 World Cup, their head coach Daren Sammy has put out a post on X, saying “I just wanna go home”.

He followed it up with another post a little later, saying, “At least an update, tell us something. Today, tmw, next week. It’s been five days.”

West Indies are one of the teams stranded in India in the wake of the crisis in West Asia. ESPNcricinfo has learned that initially, the ICC had informed West Indies that attempts were being made for the squad to return home to the Caribbean via a charter flight to London. The plan, it is believed, was for West Indies to fly out of India mid-week, though no specific date was given. However, West Indies continue to remain in Kolkata where they lost to India in the final match of the Super Eight on March 1.

With the usual airspace corridors closed owing to the crisis, which began last weekend, the ICC has been confronted with a severe logistical challenge of arranging return flights for teams.

On Wednesday, though, there was good news for Zimbabwe, with the first batch of their squad members leaving for home from Delhi after the ICC reworked their travel arrangements.

Like West Indies, Zimbabwe played their last match at the T20 World Cup on March 1, losing to South Africa in Delhi. Zimbabwe were originally scheduled to depart on March 2, but that plan was cancelled.

There is no official word on the travel plans for the rest of their squad members.

“Zimbabwe Cricket confirms that the Zimbabwe senior men’s team participating in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 are on their way home from India after the International Cricket Council secured alternative travel arrangements following recent transit disruptions,” Zimbabwe Cricket said in a statement on Wednesday. “Due to flight availability and revised routing, the squad will return to Harare in batches.

“Zimbabwe’s original travel route was via Dubai on an Emirates flight but it had to be altered. It has been learnt that Zimbabwe are now travelling to Harare via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.”

South Africa were eliminated in the semi-final by New Zealand on Wednesday night, and will now wait to know their schedule for getting back home. In case England lose to India in the second semi-final on Thursday, their travel plans back will also have to be worked out.

[Cricinfo]

Latest News

India’s momentum meets Wankhede’s memory in big semifinal bout

Published

6 hours ago

2026/03/5

Priyan

India have a bunch of players who call the Wankhede Stadium 'home' during domestic cricket or the IPL [Cricbuzz]

A World Cup semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium has, historically, not been kind on India, the 2023 game against New Zealand aside. They’ve lost two of their three ICC knockout games at this venue, one of them to England in 1987, the very opponents awaiting them tonight. If there is any equilibrium to be found, it lies in the present: Harry Brook’s England have appeared just as fragile in this tournament as Suryakumar Yadav’s India, making this less a clash of invincibles and more a test of which side can steady itself under the heaviest lights.

India have leaned heavily on individual brilliance rather than collective cohesion to reach the last-four stage. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav (vs USA), Ishan Kishan (vs Namibia and Pakistan), Shivam Dube (vs Netherlands and South Africa), the Abhishek Sharma-Hardik Pandya combine (vs Zimbabwe), and most recently Sanju Samson (vs West Indies) have each stepped in to rescue the side at different moments. As a unit, however, India have not quite lived up to their ‘favourites’ tag.

India’s struggles have largely been down to some key players blowing hot and cold – Abhishek Sharma with the bat and Varun Chakaravarthy with the ball. Even skipper Suryakumar, barring the opening game, has not delivered in the manner expected of him. More gallingly, fielding – particularly catching – has been awful.

Jasprit Bumrah’s mastery has often come to India’s aid when the situations were seemingly slipping away. At times, Arshdeep Singh with his wide yorkers and Hardik Pandya with his slower bouncers have delivered in crunch moments, but their effectiveness with the ball has been rather sporadic. India will be hoping for a more collective output – shared heroics rather than individual brilliance – to administer the coup de grace against England and book the March 8 date at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

“That is something we haven’t really spoken about, about the perfect game. I think the quality of this team has been shown that, on the day somebody can put their hand up and put up a performance. And then hopefully now in the last two games, especially now tomorrow night, we can put that special performance in,” Morne Morkel, India bowling coach, said on the eve of the match.

“Unfortunately we all know how the game goes, that success is never guaranteed. But if we can give ourselves the best chance to go out and perform. That is what we strive for. And a big occasion tomorrow night here, semifinal, a great stadium to play a great game of cricket. So hopefully the boys can rock up tomorrow and just be calm and execute those skills.”

Thursday’s face-off may be India’s first designated knockout match for them, but they have already overcome two knockouts situations – against Zimbabwe and West Indies in the Super Eights. On both occasions, they raised the bar, momentum they’ll hope to carry into this high-stakes contest.

Another advantage for the hosts is their familiarity with the Wankhede Stadium, which serves as a home ground for several Indian players, starting with Suryakumar himself. Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Shivam Dube and Ishan Kishan have all represented Mumbai, Mumbai Indians, or both here.

If India have struggled into semifinals, England have been no showstoppers, although Harry Brook oozed extreme confidence on the eve of the contest. “We don’t feel like we’re ever out of a game so far. All it takes is one of the top seven to get a decent score or one of our five or six bowlers to have an amazing day out there. And all of a sudden you’re walking away with a victory and that’s what we’ve done so well so far,” the England skipper said.

England needed an extraordinary century from the skipper himself to get over the line against Pakistan and were on the ropes against New Zealand before being bailed out by a superb cameo from Rehan Ahmed. They won a low-scoring thriller against Sri Lanka and were nearly upset by Nepal before West Indies humbled them here in Mumbai, incidentally on the same pitch that will be used today.

The pitch carries a tinge of grass, but Morne Morkel anticipates a high-scoring contest. It was against this very opposition, at this very venue, that Abhishek Sharma blazed a stunning century a year ago. India will hope for a similar explosion from their opener, although this World Cup has already reinforced a familiar truth – ICC tournament games are a different beast altogether from bilateral contests.

Having comfortably beaten West Indies in their last outing, India are unlikely to tinker with their XI, despite murmurs advocating for Rinku Singh to replace Abhishek Sharma

England drafted in an extra spinner in Rehan Ahmed last time and he repaid the call with a decisive all-round performance against New Zealand last Friday. But that was at the R Premadasa Stadium, a surface that offered significant grip and turn. Conditions this time are unlikely to demand a second leg spinner, especially against a batting line-up stacked with left-handers.

England already possess three contrasting spin options – a leg spinner in Adil Rashid, a left-arm orthodox bowler in Liam Dawson, and an offspinner in Will Jacks, the latter particularly handy against an out-of-form Abhishek Sharma at the top and as a tactical match-up option through the line-up. All of which is set to open the door for the return of Jamie Overton.

India Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy

England Probable XI:Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Harry Brook (c), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid

[Cricbuzz]