Major Club Youth (U23) tournament kicks off new domestic season

• Tournament Committee releases calendar for 2020-21

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

With the 2019-20 domestic cricket season drawing to a close yesterday at the completion of the Premier Super Eight matches, Sri Lanka Cricket’s Tournament Committee released the tentative tournament calendar for the 2020-21 season which is expected to commence on 16 September with the Major Club Youth (Under 23) tournament.

This tournament will be followed by the Major Club T20, the Major Club Limited-Over and the Major Club League Tiers A and B.

The 2020-21 domestic season is expected to run from 16 September to 28 March 2021.

The Tournament Committee has also left a window open for the Lanka Premier League which is due to take place between 14 November and 8 December.

Tournament Committee Chairman Bandula Dissanayake said that the Tier B second round matches will not be played for the 2019-20 season. There were some health regulation concerns surrounding the conducting of the matches as the venues were not under the control of Sri Lanka Cricket as the Super Eight and Plate matches, but with the respective hosting clubs.

A total of 26 clubs who are qualified to play in the Major Club League Tier A and B tournaments for the season 2020-21 are eligible to participate in the Major Club Youth (Under 23) tournament.

The clubs have been divided into four groups and all the matches will be one-day 50-overs a side played with white balls and coloured clothing on turf wickets.

All clubs will play each other once in their respective groups on a round robin basis and at the end of the preliminary round the top team in each group will progress to the knockout stage – the semi-finals and final.

Major Club Youth (u23) tournament 2020-21 groupings

Group A: Army SC, Navy SC, BRC, Badureliya CC, Police SC, Nugegoda S&WC, Sebastianites CC

Group B: Chilaw Marians CC, Air Force SC, Ragama CC, Lankan CC, Negombo CC, Panadura SC

Group C: Colts CC, NCC, Saracens SC, Kalutara TC, SL Ports Authority SC, Moors SC

Group D: SSC, Tamil Union C&AC, Bloomfield C&AC, CCC, Galle CC, Kurunegala YCC, Kandy Customs CC

Domestic cricket calendar for 2020-21        

16 September to 11 October 2020 – Major Club Youth Tournament (U23)

22 October to 8 November 2020 – Major Club T20 Tournament

14 November to 8 December 2020 – Window for Lanka Premier League

13 December 2020 to 6 January 2021 – Major Club Limited Over Tournament      

15 January to 28 March 2021 – Major Club League Tier A and B Tournaments