Under 17 Girls tape-ball cricket starts today
The final round of Sri Lanka Schools Under-17 Girls tape-ball cricket tournament will commence today at four locations in Colombo. After the tournament was completed at district level, 16 teams have qualified to the knockout stage, which will begin from the pre-quarterfinal stage.
Accordingly two matches each will be played at CMS ground Kotte, the Thurstan junior ground, D.S. Senanayake College ground and Campbell Park. The winners will advance to the quarter-final battles which will be played on Monday at Mount Mary and Campbell Park. The four winners will play in the semi-finals which are scheduled to be played at Campbell Park on Tuesday. The final and the consolation final have been slotted to be played at Campbell Park on Wednesday.
Matches will be played as 15overs-per-side with a tape ball, which has been wrapped around with masking tape to obtain the similar effects of a hardball. The 16 teams that have been qualified for the knockout stage are Gothami Balika Vidyalaya Colombo, Anula Vidyalaya Nugegoda, Gamini Central Ingiriya, Bandaranayake Central Mirigama, Okkampitiya Vidyalaya, Waguruwela Vidyalaya Buttala, Nugawela Central Kandy, Mahamaya Girls School Kandy, Sri Siddhartha Vidyalaya Eppawela, Raja Ela Vidyalaya Kantale, Prajapathi Gothami Vidyalaya Ambalangoda, Devapathiraja Vidyalaya Rathgama, Carmel Girls School Chilaw, Maliyadeva Girls School Kurunegala, Kuruwita Maha Vidyalaya and St. Joseph’s Girls School Kegalle. Tournament Secretary for girls cricket of Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA), Champika Weeratunga revealed, the exposure given through this competition would benefit the girls in time to come.
“We have provided sporting gears to all schools in advance. This competition is played with a tape ball to give the girls the confidence they need to adopt to the hardball game when they reach the next age group. All expenditure will be taken care of by SLSCA and the teams will just have to make their presence and play the game,” Weeratunga said.