Although Sri Lanka officials have given them the dull labels of Warm Up A XI and Warm Up B XI, Sajith Fernando, the captain of the side playing the South Africans in the rain-hit first match felt the name Board President's XI carried ``a little more pride''.
But the team for the second warm up match at Moratuwa in a weeek's has been variously called the Colts XI, the Board Invitation XI or Board XI, whichever handle draws the short straw.
When England A toured the tea island in February/March the Colts XI became the President's XI.
At this early stage of the tour, with the first day's play of the opening three-day match abandoned and rescheduled to today at the Singhalese Sports Club, the monsoon season had a real sting in its tail last night. But with more heavy rain forecast today, even having the first day's play rescheduled may still come to nothing.
It was the team coach, Graham Ford, who after discussions with the captain, Dale Benkenstein, approached the SLCCB with a plea to play the game over three days.
``It's a small adjustment and means we will travel to Kandy after the game on Monday,'' he said.
Ford, Benkenstein, and manager Henry Paulse made a fruitless visit to the SSC to inspect the ground before the day's play was abandoned. This was only hours after Colombo was raked by the heaviest thunderstorm in a decade in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Monsoon deluges are normal but the manager of the Board President's XI, former test wicketkeeper Brendon Kupuuru was adamant. It was the worst storm since 1988. Large sections of the ground were under water and groundstaff had pumps working.
Debris from uprooted trees and torn off branches littered streets close to the team's inner city hotel while severe flooding of streets did little to help the situation around the SSC. Although one of the umpires suggested play was possible by tea time, Ford felt the only realisitic option available for those wanting some form of exercise was to hire a canoe and fishing rods.
``You'll have far more succes than any batsman aiming a drive outside the off-stump,'' he said.
It is hoped that Mark Bruyns, in need of dental surgery yesterday, will be ready to open with Ashwell Prince today. Prince emerged last December as promising top-order batsman and has been moved up the batting order to open with the Natal all-rounder.
There was some surprise when, a few weeks after his 21st birthday, Prince and not HD Ackerman was the preferred choice to open the innings. With scores of 71 and 44 when batting at three against West Indies A eight months ago, Prince is being given a chance to prove himself in a role with which he is not too unaccustomed.
The stocky left-handed bat could also be part of the team's game plan with the right and left hand combination designed to upset the line of the Board XI's bowling.
Also included in the team for this first game are Herchelle Gibbs at four and the skipper, Dale Benkenstein at five.
While the South African A bowling may be a little thin, it has enough variety, with Bruyns, a tourist in Sri Lanka in 1995 as one of three wicketkeepers with the Under-24s, being utilised in the role of an off-spinner, supported by his six wickets in a limited-overs game against Gauteng last season.
It was Ford's view that while Prince was ``quite comfortable at the top'' the plan at this stage was to sort out one or two selection possibilities for the first unofficial test, which starts in Kandy on Wednesday.
Admittedly it is not the strongest side which could have been selected but it has possibilities of being strong enough for the Board XI.
Despite heavy rains the pitch looked hard and flat late yesterday. It has been well covered with the Board XI, who practiced in the afternoon showed much interest in the preparation.
Teams:
South Africa A: Ashewell Prince, Mark Bruyns, HD Ackermann, Herchelle Gibbs, Dale Benkenstein (capt), Derek Crookes, Loots Bosman, Nic Pothas, Claude Henderson, Herman Bakkes, Gary Gilder.
Board President's XI: Sajith Fernando (capt), Upeka Fernando, Sanjeewa Ranatunga, Avishka Gunawardena, Manoj Mendis, Malintha Warnapura, TM Dilshan, Amal Dalgoda, Anil Rideegammangedra, Ruchira Perea, Hendara Rushdee. Twelfth man, Hermantha Boteju.
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