Friday Sep 20, 2024
Friday Sep 20, 2024
Friday, 23 June 2023 00:36 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
CCC and Tamil Union contested the SLC Major League final last year
CCC and Tamil Union, the two finalists of the Major Club 3-day League last year will have a free weekend when the 2023 tournament commences today with a card of 10 matches.
CCC are the current champions having beaten Tamil Union in a high scoring final in the first innings.
In their absence the matches scheduled to be played by Moors SC and Army SC, the two teams that finished runner-up to the finalists in the two groups will take pride of place. Moors SC host Kurunegala YCC at Braybrooke Place while Army SC have Nugegoda SWC as their guest at Panagoda.
The other matches commencing today are: SSC v Galle CC at SSC, Kandy Customs SC v Colts at Thurstan grounds, Panadura SC v Negombo CC at Panadura, BRC v Ragama CC at BRC, NCC v Police SC at NCC, Air Force SC v Chilaw Marians CC at Air Force Katunayake, Badureliya CC v Sebastianites at Surrey grounds, Maggona and Bloomfield v Ace Capital CC at Bloomfield.
The tournament will run for five weekends till 23 July before making way for the Lanka Premier League fourth edition. It will resume again on 25 August and continue till the final on 5 October.
With four teams demoted following last year’s tournament there will be 22 clubs contesting this year’s tournament. With a further four teams – the bottom two teams from each group, due to be relegated at the end of the 2023 tournament there is bound to be a tough tussle by the 22 clubs to avoid that ignominy.
The whole purpose of these demotions is to reduce the number of participants in the Major League to 15 clubs to make it more competitive and meaningful. In the recent past the Major League was contested by 26 clubs with hardly any competition amongst some of the clubs making the matches that had first-class status a mockery. – (ST)
The Groupings:
