The much-anticipated Singer-SLSCA under 19 division one cricket tournament will be played under a new format from the 2015/16 season.
In an attempt to adjust some of the unsatisfactory conditions that prevailed in the tournament conducted last year and for some years before that, Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA) has at last come up with a more robust format.
A total of 36 teams in 4 groups will be participating in this premier school cricket tournament which has been the backbone of Sri Lanka Cricket for the past few decades.
Every group will have 9 teams and each team will play 8 compulsory matches. Four teams from each group will advance to the knock-out stage of 16. Pre-quarter finals and quarter-finals will be played as two-day matches while the semi-finals and the final will be played as three-day games.
The league tournament is scheduled to start in September and all 8 matches in each group to be played on or before 10th February, 2016.
Teams can opt to play five other matches outside their group and statistics of only these 13 (8 in the group + 5) matches will be considered when evaluating player performances according to officials of the SLSCA.
Trinity College, Kandy were the champions in the division one league tournament last season and Thurstan College, Colombo won runner-up trophy.
D.S. Senanayake College won the limited overs tournament beating Ananda College in the final.
Royal College, Colombo and St. Anthony’s College, Wattala were promoted to division one as champion and runner-up of division two tournament 2014/15.
Wesley College, Colombo, Carey College, Colombo and Revatha MMV, Balapitiya were demoted to division two from division one.
There is a huge possibility of a Royal-Thomian, Joe-Pete, Ananda-Nalanda, Thurstan-Isipatana, Richmond-Mahinda or a Trinity-St. Anthony’s happening in a tournament match before their traditional Big Match in March with this interesting format.
A meeting of Big Match rivals will happen only if these teams make it to the top four positions of their respective groups as the SLSCA has drawn teams in to four groups in such a way that arch rivals will not be meeting during the league stage.
Group ‘A’ – Trinity College Kandy, Ananda College Colombo, De Mazenod College Kandana, Dharmaraja College Kandy, Maliyadeva College Kurunegala, St. Aloysius College Galle, St. Anthony’s College Wattala, St. Benedict’s College Kotahena, Bandaranayake MMV Gampaha
Group ‘B’ – Thurstan College Colombo, Royal College Colombo, Mahanama College Colombo, Mahinda College Galle, Maris Stella College Negombo, Prince of Wales College Moratuwa, Royal College Panadura, Zahira College Colombo, St. Joseph’s College Colombo
Group ‘C’ – Lumbini College Colombo, Anuradhapura Central College, Dharmasoka College Ambalangoda, Gurukula College Kelaniya, Holy Cross Colege Kalutara, Isipathana College Colombo, Moratu Vidyalaya, Richmond College Galle, St. Servatius College Matara
Group ‘D’ – St. Peter’s College Colombo, D. S. Senanayake College Colombo, Dharmapala Colege Pannipitiya, Nalanda College Colombo, President’s College Kotte, S. Thomas’ College Mt. Lavinia, St. Sebastian’s College Moratuwa, St. Sylvester’s College Kandy, St. Joseph Vaz College Wennappuwa
