One of the main schools cricket tournaments, the Singer Cup Inter School Under-17 cricket tourney, will commence with the participation of 75 teams on May 10. The first round matches will be played in a ten-group league where teams will compete for 40 spots in the second round.
Defending champions Richmond College will compete in Group ‘K’ alongside Debaravewa National School, St. Servatius’, Matara, Dharmasoka, Ambalangoda, Sri Devananda, Ambalangoda and Rahula, Matara.
Last year’s losing finalists Trinity are drawn in Group ‘H’ where Dharmaraja, St. Sylvester’s, Kegalu Vidyalaya, St. Mary’s, Kegalle, Vidyartha, Kingswood and Sri Rahula are the other teams.
St. John’s College, Jaffna are making its entry in to the Division I tournament this year. They are drawn in Group ‘G’. St. Anne’s (Kurunegala), Anuradhapura Central, Maliyadeva (A), St. Thomas’ (Matale), Ibbagamuwa Central, St. Anthony’s ‘A’, Katugastota and Sri Sumangala, Kandy are the other teams in that group.
40 teams will advance to the second round and they will engage in a league tournament of eight groups to select 16 teams for the knockout stage.
Teams and groups:
Group ‘A’ – St. Sebastian’s ‘A’ (Moratuwa), Moratu Vidyalaya, Royal ‘A’ (Panadura), Ananda ‘A’ (Colombo), Dharmapala (Pannipitiya), Ananda Shastralaya (Kotte), Maris Stella, Asoka Vidyalaya (Colombo).
Group ‘B’ – St. John’s (Nugegoda), President’s (Kotte), Holy Cross (Kalutara), Royal ‘A’ (Colombo), Nalanda ‘A’ (Colombo), Mahanama (Panadura), Gurukula (Kelaniya), Piliyandala Central.
Group ‘C’ – St. Joseph’s ‘A’ (Darley Road), St. Peter’s ‘A’ (Bambalapitiya), St. John’s (Panadura), Isipatana ‘A’, St. Benedict’s ‘A’, St. Anthony’s (Wattala), Tissa Central, Sri Jayawardhanapura MV.
Group ‘D’ – Sri Dharmaloka (Kelaniya), S. Thomas’ ‘A’ (Mt. Lavinia), Mahanama (Colombo), D.S. Senanayake ‘A’ (Colombo), Lumbini, Sri Sumangala (Panadura), Kalutara Vidyalaya.
Group ‘E’ – Prince of Wales ‘A’, Zahira (Colombo), Thurstan ‘A’, De La Salle (Colombo), Carey, De Mazenod, Wesley.
Group ‘F’ – St. Xavier’s (Maravila), St. Peter’s (Negombo), St. Mary’s (Chilaw), Bandaranaike (Gampaha), Sri Prangnananda MV (Raddoluwa), St. Joseph Vaz’s (Wennappuwa), Sandalanka Central, Wickramashila NS (Giriulla).
Group ‘G’ – St. Anne’s (Kurunegala), Anuradhapura Central, St. John’s (Jaffna), Maliyadeva ‘A’ (Kurunegala), St. Thomas’ (Matale), Ibbagamuwa Central, St. Anthony’s ‘A’ (Katugastota), Sri Sumangala (Kandy).
Group ‘H’ – Trinity, Dharmaraja, St. Sylvester’s, Kegalu Vidyalaya, St. Mary’s (Kegalle), Vidyartha (Kandy), Kingswood, Sri Rahula (Katugastota).
Group ‘J’ – P. de S. Kularatne MV (Ambalangoda), St. Aloysius’ (Galle), Vidyaloka (Galle), St. Thomas’ (Matara), Devapathiraja (Ratgama), Mahinda, Revatha (Balapitiya).
Group ‘K’ – Debarawewa NS, St. Servatius’, Dharmasoka, Richmond, Sri Devananda, Rahula (Matara).
