Unbeaten Sri Lanka, South Africa teams to beat at Red Bull Campus Cricket knockouts

The Galle International Stadium is all set for the climax of the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Final after a thrilling group stage concluded in Colombo on Tuesday. 

Business Management School (BMS) Sri Lanka and North West University (NWU) South Africa stormed through their first-round games and have arrived in Galle soaring on confidence and brimming with pep. Such is the quality in their squads that it is no surprise that these two teams have topped their groups.  

BMS for example has in its ranks the likes of left-arm spinner Amila Aponso and left-arm quick Wikum Sanjaya, both of whom have played for Sri Lanka this year, along with several other first-class cricketers. South Africa, meanwhile, have tournament top-scorers Janneman Malan and Wihan Lubbe, both of whom have been picked in squads for the forthcoming T20 Global League in South Africa. 

A teammate of theirs, Marques Ackerman, has also been chosen for the Global T20, and has been impressive through the group stages as well. There is little doubt too that NWU is the best-drilled outfit of the eight teams that had competed, and have a number of sharp fast-bowling options as well as spinners to complement them.  

It is up to the likes of the University of Liberal Arts, Bangladesh (ULAB) and the University of Sydney, Australia to disrupt the favourites. ULAB had lost their opening match to BMS but were otherwise untroubled during the group stages, and appear to picking up momentum. Especially impressive for them has been fast bowler Morsalin Mortaza – brother of national ODI captain Mashrafe. 

His three matches so far have yielded nine wickets at an average of 7.33. Having just played teams from Zimbabwe and the UAE, however, ULAB will have to adjust to a significant jump in the quality of opposition when they face NWU in the morning match on Saturday. Though that is a daunting challenge, the ULAB team do have experience on their side: while NWU have not taken part in the Campus Cricket World Final in the past three years, ULAB were 2016’s runners-up.  

Sydney have perhaps had the most eventful Campus Cricket campaign, losing initially to NWU, then orchestrating a lower-order heist against the team from Pakistan, before qualifying with a commanding victory over the side representing India. They face BMS in the afternoon match and will require every ounce of the determination they showed in their last two group matches to upset the defending champions.  

RBCC semifinals fixtures for 15 September:

9.30 a.m. - North West University (South Africa) vs. University of Liberal Arts (Bangladesh) 

2.00 p.m. – Business Management School (Sri Lanka) vs. University of Sydney (Australia)