All national players will be seen in action
The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Inter-Club Premier League Limited Overs tournament will set off in grand style with the participation of 14 leading clubs, from December 1. The tournament which will have 11 days of active cricket will run until December 28 at 11 different venues in and around Colombo. The tournament will host 45 games including the two semi-finals and the final out of which 11 games are set to be televised live.
Ragama Cricket Club, the current title holders of the tournament will hope to repeat their success at the SLC’s top tier competition which was brought down to 14 from a total of 20 teams, from this season. Ragama CC are at the top of the Group ‘A’ which also includes Colts, Army SC, Panadura SC, Badureliya CC, Colombo CC and Air Force SC. The Group ‘B’ includes last year’s Premier League First Class champions SSC, NCC, Moors, Tamil Union, Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), Bloomfield and Chilaw Marians. Burgher Recreational Club (BRC), Lankan CC, Saracens, Navy SC, Galle CC and Kurunegala Youth CC who made up the 20 teams in Tier ‘A’ last season based on their performances were pushed down to the ‘Emerging’ segment from this season.
In this edition all players representing the national team and the national ‘A’ grid will appear for their respective clubs. However the 15 top Sri Lanka players, who will take wings to Dubai for the forthcoming bilateral series against Pakistan from December 11, are likely to play during the first four match days.
Most of the competing teams have already confirmed their players to the tournament committee of SLC. One of the strongest sides in the tournament according to available information is Tamil Union, which has a number of national players including TM Dilshan, Jeevan Mendis, Suranga Lakmal, Rangana Herath, Chanaka Welagedara, Kithruwan Vithanage, Shaminda Eranga and Ramith Rambukwella. They are coached by former Sri Lanka batsman Roy Dias.
Ruwan Dissanayake has taken over as coach of defending champs Ragama CC which includes Sameera Soysa, Lahiru Thirimanne, Ian Daniel, Malinga Bandara, Sajeewa Weerakoon, Udara Jayasundera and Chathura Peiris, who has moved from Colts.
Former Sri Lanka spinner Muthumudalige Pushpakumara will step into coaching with Colts which includes national skipper Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Dilruwan Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Kusal Perera, Sachith Pathirana, Akila Dananjaya and Milinda Siriwardene who joins the side from Chilaw Marians.
National caps Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal, Lasith Malinga, Jehan Mubarak and Angelo Perera will be the lineup of unchanged NCC coached by Sajith Fernando.
Avishka Gunawardene continues to coach SSC which will field an unchanged side from last sea- son. The side will have the services of key playmakers Mahela Jayawardene, Sachithra Senanayake and Tharanga Paranavithana to name a few. SLPA coached by Bradman Ediriweera will have Shanuka Dissanayake, Ashan Priyanjana, Isuru Udana Shantha Kalavitigoda, Tyrone Gamage and its chairman Priath Banduwickrema in the side. New inclusions for this season are Mahela Udawatte and Sachithra Serasinghe.
Youngsters such as Shehan Jayasuriya and Chathuranga de Silva are amongst key players Janaka Gunaratne, Malinda Pushpakumara and Dilhara Lokuhettige at Moors SC, which is coached by Mahesh Weerasinghe.
Former Sri Lanka Test and Colts opener Malinda Warnapura has crossed over to Bloomfield but his role will be as its coach. The Reid Avenue club will have the services of Suraj Randiv, Dilshan Munaweera, Nuwan Pradeep, Nadeera Nawala, Madawa Warnapura, Dilhan Cooray and Imran Khan.
Chilaw Marians, a strong team couple of seasons ago has lost the services of some of their regular key players for this season. As A.J. Samarasinghe takes over the reigns as coach, the side will include Sahan Wijesinghe, Upul Indrasiri, Saliya Saman, Rushan Jaleel, Geeth Alwis, Kanchana Gunawardene and Indian Rohit Demodaran, the only foreign player to feature in the competition.
Army SC will feature their regular lineup inclusive of spinners Ajantha Mendis and Seekkuge Prasanna and will be coached by Sanjaya Dissanayake this season. Former Colts coach Nishantha Weerasinghe has taken over Panadura SC which will include star players such as Chamara Silva, Prasanna Jayawardene and Charitha Buddhika. Air Force SC coached by Sudath Munaweera, does not feature star players this season. Former Sri Lanka fast bowler Gayan Wijekoon will take charge of CCC as coach for this season while Saman Jayantha will be the coach of Badureliya CC.
Matches are scheduled to be played at 11 venues, at Colts, Panagoda, NCC, Bloomfield, Moors, Surrey Village, SSC, P. Sara Oval, Panadura, CCC and R. Premadasa where the bulk of fixtures are scheduled including the two semifinals and the final.