Sports
Kicker Althaf gives Trinity inspiring Bradby Shield first-leg win
By A Special Sports Correspondent
Trinity College produced a piece of sensation when they recorded a remarkable come-from-behind 13-10 win against Trinity in the first leg of the 77th Bradby Shield which was played at Pallakelle Stadium on Saturday (July 22).
On paper Royal were the hot favourites having made a name for themselves as a team which can suck the energy out of any team in the second half. But that reputation of Royal’s rugby team was tested by Trinity all the way in a blockbuster 70-minute game of rugby where the hosts took away the game from Royal in the final 10 minutes of the encounter. Tell the Royalists were leading 10-3.
The unlikely hero for Trinity was 16-year-old fly-half Shan Althaf who kicked right two penalties and a conversion and also fed his threes who were threatening to score at every given opportunity.
Royal dominated much of the first half and did the most important thing; turning pressure into points. Royal lived up to their reputation of being one of the best sides this season and showed how easy try scoring is with a soft try by centre Philio Calyanaratne with the game just 11 minutes old. The backline move surprisingly caught Trinity napping when defence was most needed and when Calyanaratne scored there was hardly anybody there to even to stop him. The conversion went awry.
In the 29th minute of the game, Royal scored again his time through lock forward Buwaneka Senanayake who smashed his way over the line off a move which the forwards began. That conversion too failed to bring the additional points for Royal.
Trinity’s Althaf missed three vital penalties for his team in the first half; all of which were taken by him within kicking range.
Trinity had a moment to remember when Lakindu Herath scored near the left corner flag after bursting into action. But he failed to clearly ground the ball and then the try was disallowed by referee Ishanka Abeykoon after consultation with the television match referee.
What was promising to see in this game was Trinity pursuing kicking duties with Althaf in the second half too. It seemed the hosts were grooming him to continue being in charge of kicking duties for the next couple of seasons. Althaf kicked right an easy penalty in the 45th minute of the game.
Trinity’s proud moment in the game came when they crossed the Royal goal line with a forwards move which ended with Tissanka Dissanayake scoring that all-important try. Althaf made no mistake with the conversion and the scores read 10 all with about seven minutes left in the clock.
The game was closely contested from there onwards and would have gone down in the history of the Bradby Shield as one of the most exciting battles if not for the ball-handling errors by both sides. The line out play too was below par and both sides brought unforced errors to the game due to this handicap. Althaf then produced the winner with his boot by knocking over a penalty in the dying minutes of the game for Trinity.
In other games of the schools under 19 league rugby tournament played on Saturday St. Peter’s remained unbeaten in the Division 1 Segment A Group 2 of the tournament when they smashed the daylights out of Science in a game where they went on to score 29 points.
Isipatana too finished the first round unbeaten with a handsome 24-11 win against Wesley; earning their points through four tries and two conversions.On Friday (July 21) D.S. Senanayake produced a memorable 13-10 win against S. Thomas’ in a Division 1 Segment A Group 1 match of the schoools’ league rugby tournament at Havelock Park.
Sri Lanka have chosen to wrap strike bowler Dushmantha Chameera in cotton wool for the three-match ODI series against England that gets underway today at the R. Premadasa Stadium, keeping one eye firmly on the bigger prize, the World Cup just around the corner.
Chameera, whose pace and hostility have made him a banker with both the new and old ball over the past 18 months, has largely stayed off the injury list in recent times. But a minor groin niggle forced him out of the third T20I against Pakistan in Dambulla and selectors have now decided not to roll the dice, opting instead for complete rest to ensure he hits the World Cup at full throttle.
There were similar murmurs around Wanindu Hasaranga. The champion leg-spinner is named in the squad but recently travelled to Singapore for medical treatment. Officials insisted the visit was not cricket-related, yet Hasaranga’s chequered history with hamstring injuries means Sri Lanka are unlikely to push him hard with the World Cup a fortnight away.
“I would like to have both of them in the side, no doubt about that,” skipper Charith Asalanka told reporters. “But the bigger picture is the World Cup and we need to manage their workload.”
Asalanka himself is no stranger to pressure. Ousted as T20 captain late last year, he has retained the ODI reins, though the return of Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva to the 50-over side after a gap of more than two years suggests the skipper remains under the scanner.
That said, results have been Asalanka’s strongest defence. Sri Lanka have punched above their weight in ODIs under his watch, with series victories over Australia and India bolstering his credentials.
Prolific run-getter Pavan Rathnayake has earned a call-up alongside all-rounder Milan Rathnayake as Sri Lanka look to add depth and flexibility to their middle order.
Sri Lanka begin the series ranked fifth in ODIs, three places above England, who sit eighth. The former world champions have struggled to find their feet since a dismal 2023 World Cup in India, losing six of their seven bilateral series and enduring a winless Champions Trophy campaign.
For Sri Lanka, a slip-up could see them tumble to sixth in the rankings, with South Africa breathing down their necks. ODIs, however, have been their strong suit in recent years, a welcome counterpoint after the disappointment of missing out on Champions Trophy qualification.
All three ODIs will be played in Colombo before the caravan moves to Kandy for the T20 leg. Tickets have been snapped up quickly, with a healthy contingent of England supporters already adding a splash of colour to the Colombo stands.
by Rex Clementine
SSC Open Tennis Championship
St. Peter’s College Bambalapitiya player Mayooran Kubheran and Visakha Vidyalaya player Sahansa Damsiluni won the Under 16 boys’ and girls’ singles titles respectively at the Yeti-SSC Open Tennis Championship continued in Colombo.
Kubheran beat Ashlin de Silva 6-2, 6-3 in the boys final. In the girls final Damsiluni beat Navya Banagala 7-5, 6-2.
Sahansa Damsiluni
Ramiru Perera scored a century and three other top order batsmen contributed with half centuries as Royal amassed 405 for six wickets declared against Thurstan on day one of the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ cricket encounter at Reid Avenue on Wednesday.
Ramiru scored 122 runs inclusive of 11 fours and four sixes and took three quick wickets to trouble Thurstan.
Thurstan were 59 for three at stumps.
Scores
Royal 405 for 6 in 74.5 overs (Hirun Liyanarachchi 68, Ramiru Perera 122, Yasindu Dissanayake 75, Thevindu Wewalwala 53n.o., Mudith Gunasekara 22n.o.; Sethru Fernando 2/103)
Thurstan 59 for 3 in 16 overs
(Ramiru Perera 3/07) (RF)
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