Don Bosco was supposed to play the winner of the match between Rizvi Springfield High School and Swami Vivekanand International School (SVIS) in the second semis.
Even as Al Barkat High School (Kurla) and IES VN Sule Guruji (Dadar) were locked in a fierce semifinal battle on Day One of the Harris Shield cricket tournament at Cross Maidan, the second semifinal has been indefinitely postponed.
Don Bosco was supposed to play the winner of the match between Rizvi Springfield High School and Swami Vivekanand International School (SVIS) in the second semis.
Rizvi Springfield defeated SVIS by four wickets in the league stage. However, SVIS had registered a protest claiming Rizvi Springfield to have fielded overage players. Rizvi replied by filing a similar complaint against SVIS that has now forced the Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) to ask the players to undergo bone test.
To resolve the matter, the MSSA has opted for the Tanner-Whitehouse 3 method (TW3), which determines the age of a child based on the growth of bones in the hand, especially the wrist. The school sports association has sent a letter to the respective schools asking the alleged students (four from Rizvi and eight from Swami Vivekanand) to undergo the tests in the coming week.
This decision was confirmed by MSSA general secretary Sebastian Fernandes, who further added that none of the two schools will be spared should there be an overage player in either side.
Fernandes said: "Until today, Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and us have always gone by the age given in the player's birth certificate. This was something decided in our annual general body meeting a few months ago.
But enough is enough, and we want to end such overage debates once and for all. Each of these two sides will undergo tests in the coming week. Since both schools protested, it was in the MSSA's hands to draft a letter asking the players from these two schools to report for a test."
Fernandes's stance was confirmed by MSSA cricket secretary Deepak Talim, who went a step ahead and spoke about the punishment to the two schools if found guilty.
"The players and the schools will receive a direct ban for the current season. If both schools are found guilty, then the third and fourth-placed schools in the group (CNMS, Vile Parle and St Anne's, Orlem) will play for a place in the final. It goes without saying that this mess will lead to one semifinal and the final being pushed to a latter date."
Sardar stars with five-wicket haul
Meanwhile, left-arm spinner Rajesh Sardar of Al Barkat (Kurla) proved to be a handful for IES VN Sule (Dadar) on Wednesday as the 15-year-old finished with figures of 5/19 to leave the Dadar side at 69/7 at stumps on Day 1. This, after the defending champions Al Barkat were dismissed for 159, courtesy A Tare's 6/54.
Brief scores: Al Barkat (Kurla) 159 all out in 53.5 overs (A Khan 52, A Tare 6/54) vs IES VN Sule (Dadar) 69/7 (R Sardar 5/19)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Sardar")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}