New look Premier inter-club limited over tourney begins today

Chris Dhambarage

The new look Premier interclub Tier 'A' limited overs tournament conducted by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and sponsored by Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) will commence today with a card of five games in Colombo.

The tournament has received a tremendous boost with the participation of few foreign players and will be worked off under the International Cricket Council (ICC) rules and regulations with coloured clothing.

The pick of the matches during the opening weekend will be the clash between Colts Cricket Club and Bloomfield which will be played at Havelock Park. In addition NCC will play host to Tamil Union at Maitland Place in another game which should turn out to be a close encounter.

Bloomfield will be captained by Shanuka Dissanayake and the team will be strengthened with the presence of three new caps Tyronne Gamage, Thilina Masmulla and Charinda Fernando.

Bloomfield of course have lost the services of their coach Brendon Kuruppu who has joined Tamil Union while Thilina Kandamby, Ian Daniel and Gihan de Silva have also decided to leave the Reid Avenue club. As a result they will be banking heavily on their senior players Tillekeratne Dilshan, Saman Jayantha, Tharaka Gunaratne and Yohan de Silva.

Colts CC also will be depending on their senior players to deliver the goods under their new captain Shantha Kalawitigoda. They have retained the services of some of the top players for another year with Malintha Warnapura, Jeewantha Kulatunga, Ruchira Perera, Dhanuka Pathirana and Nuwan Kulasekera all set to play a dominant role.

The only setback is that they have lost the services of all rounder Muthumudalige Pushpakumara but will be pleased with the presence of opening batsman Dilruwan Perera.

Meanwhile NCC will have some foreign flavour in their side with Ricki Wessells the son of former Australian opening batsman Kepler Wessells set to make a huge impact this season. NCC of course will miss the services of Kumar Sangakkara, Lasith Malinga, Upul Tharanga and Farveez Maharoof who will be on national duty during the time of this tournament.

Tamil Union too have strengthened their team this season by recruiting some talented players. Left arm spinner Gayan Sirisoma has moved from Lankan CC while former Bloomfield fast bowler Umesh Wijesiriwardena has also joined the Wanathamulla club.

In addition Tamil Union will be banking on former Debarawewa MMV schoolboy and promising fast bowler Suranga Lakmal who shot into fame by capturing 31 wickets during the concluded SLC under 23 tournament.

Tamil Union however will miss the services of leg spinner Gihan Rupasinghe with a back injury, having won the best all rounders award at the recent under 23 tournament.

Meanwhile Baduraliya CC will also have three foreign players in their ranks and will take on Chilaw Marians SC in their opening fixture at Katunayake.

The team will be studded with two Tamil Nadu State players Xavier Talaiwan and S. Karthik in addition to the presence of six foot three inches tall opening bowler M. Sharpoor from Afghanistan. Chilaw Marians SC also have a strong side on paper and they will hoping to maintain their reputation having won a number of titles in the recent past.

The team is boosted with the return of Praneeth Jayasundera who will lead the side once again having played in the English County season and in Australia during the last one year.

Chilaw Marians SC have made their presence felt in almost every tournament and this time too they have retained the same team with Janaka Gunaratne, Hasantha Fernando, Gayan Wijekoon, Charith Sylvester, Milinda Siriwardena and Nimesh Perera all anxious to prove themselves.

Ragama CC will have a tough task as they will be up against the formidable SSC team in their opening game at Maitland Place. Ragama CC will have one new player in their side in the form of Harsha Vithana who has moved from Colts CC.

The SSC team of course have lost three of their good players Suraj Mohamed (NCC), Dasun Randhika (Moors SC) and D. Indika (NCC). But they have succeeded in getting the services of left arm spinner Thilina Thushara and all rounder Thilana Kandamby.

CCC will see the return of former Sri Lanka opening bowler Ravindra Pushpakumara making a comeback after being in England for quite some time. CCC's first assignment will be against Moors SC at Braybrooke Place.