Sunday Jan 05, 2025
Sunday Jan 05, 2025
Friday, 27 December 2024 00:16 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
Sri Lanka’s domestic cricket which has lain dormant for some time, kicks off today with the SLC Major Club 3-day tournament which will herald the start of the 2024-25 season.
18 clubs are in contention including last year’s joint champions SSC and Police SC.
The tournament will be conducted in two groups of nine teams each. The tussle among the 18 clubs will be to avoid finishing at the bottom two of their respective groups for that would mean relegation to Tier B, as the Tournament Committee continues its goal towards trimming down the number of teams playing in the Major Club 3-day to 12 to make it more competitive.
The past two seasons has seen the number of clubs participating in the Major Clubs 3-day being reduced from 26 to the present 18. A further four teams will be relegated at the end of the upcoming season and two more teams at the end of 2025-26 season so that by 2026-27 there will be only 12 clubs contesting in the Major Club 3-day.
Thus, with the noose gradually tightening with each season the competition to avoid relegation has become fierce.
Eight matches are down for decision in the opening weekend with SSC and Police SC both coming out today. SSC host Kurunegala YCC at SSC grounds, while Police SC travel to Panadura to play Panadura SC.
The key matches for the weekend are CCC vs. Tamil Union at the P. Sara Oval and BRC vs. Moors SC at BRC grounds.
Chilaw Marians CC and Nugegoda SWC have a free weekend.
Other matches down for decision are: Ragama CC vs. Bloomfield at Surrey grounds, Maggona, Kandy Custom SC vs. NCC at Thurstan grounds, Ace Capital CC vs. Badureliya CC at CCC grounds and Negombo CC vs. Colts at BOI grounds, Katunayake.
THE GROUPINGS
n GROUP A: Police SC, Ace Capital CC, Colts, Bloomfield, Ragama CC, Negombo CC, Badureliya CC, Chilaw Marians CC, Panadura SC
nGROUP B: SSC, NCC, Tamil Union, Moors SC, BRC, CCC, Kandy Customs SC, Nugegoda SWC, Kurunegala YCC
