The Sportstar Trophy from today

MUMBAI, MAY 1. Three of the seven juniors picked for a three-week training camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) will figure in the XIV The Sportstar Trophy (MCA under-19 selection trial tournament) which will get underway at the Wankhede Stadium and Brabourne Stadium from Tuesday.

Vinayak Mane (Capt. Vijay Manjrekar XI), Sangram Bagul (Capt. Khandu Rangnekar XI) and Vinit Indulkar (Vijay Merchant XI) will play the first two league rounds before leaving for Bangalore.

The Sportstar Trophy instituted in 1987 and held before the Board of Control for Cricket in India's Cooch Behar Trophy has been advanced by four months at the instance of the Cricket Improvement Committee of the Mumbai Cricket Association.

At the tournament launch on Saturday, the MCA Jt. Hon. Secretary, Prof. Ratnakar Shetty said the summer event would enable the junior selectors to pick 30 probables for training and prepare them for the next season's Cooch Behar Trophy. ``I thank the The Hindu group for agreeing to sponsor the tournament,'' said Prof. Shetty.

The format of the tournament remains unchanged. The four teams - Vijay Manjrekar XI, Vijay Merchant XI, Dattu Phadkar XI and Khandu Rangnekar XI (Thane Dist) - will play a robin league from May 2 to 18. The `Player of the Tournament' will be awarded the Ramakant Desai Trophy and a cricket kit. The first four league matches will be played at the Brabourne and Wankhede stadiums, while the last two will be at the Bombay Gymkhana and Elf- Vengsarkar Cricket Academy.

- Our Special Correspondent

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Sport
Previous : Steve Waugh gets pay hike
Next     : McGrath effort goes in vain