Dispute in match causes delay in deciding second finalist

Friday, 21 February 2025 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

SLC Major Club 3-day tournament

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

The reduction of teams participating in the SLC Major Club 3-day tournament has made it a tight contest for group places that it has come to the stage where it has gone to the final weekend of matches to decide on the second finalist and the fourth club that is to be relegated at the end of the season.

Following the conclusion of matches last weekend, NCC ensured their place in the final by topping Group B. They play their final group match beginning today against Kurunegala YCC at the Welagedara Stadium, Kurunegala.

From the other end of the stick, SSC and Kandy Customs CC from Group B and Ragama CC from Group A are destined to be relegated to Tier B for having finished as the bottom two teams from their respective groups. One other team from Group A will join them.

Due to a dispute that had arisen in the Group A match played last weekend between Negombo CC and Badureliya SC at Katunayake, the SLC Tournament Committee has decided to replay this game on 23, 24 and 25 February at the Galle Stadium.

Thereby the matches scheduled to be played this weekend from Group A have all been postponed by a week namely, Ace Capital CC v Panadura SC at Katunayake, Colts v Chilaw Marians CC at Colts, Bloomfield v Badureliya SC at Bloomfield and Ragama CC v Negombo CC at Maggona. These matches will commence on 28 February which means NCC will have to wait another weekend to find who their opponents in the final are. Bloomfield and Colts are in the running for the top berth in Group A.

The 4-day final to be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium has also undergone a change. It is re-scheduled to commence on 6 March.

Meanwhile, matches in Group B will take place as scheduled and commence today – CCC v BRC at CCC, Nugegoda SWC v Tamil Union at Panagoda, Moors SC v Kandy Customs SC at Police grounds and NCC v Kurunegala YCC at Kurunegala. These four matches will have no direct bearing on the second finalist or the fourth team that is to be relegated.