New Captains for Twenty/20 Tourney

Chris DHAMBARAGE

In the absence of the more recognised Test and one day international players, the national selectors yesterday picked five new captains for the inaugural Sri Lanka Cricket Inter Provincial Twenty20 limited overs cricket tournament which gets underway on April 17 in Colombo.

As most of the top players will be involved in the high profile Indian Premier League (IPL) the national selectors have decided to provide the opportunity for some of the less experienced players to lead their respective teams.

Thilina Kandamby a stand bye in the Sri Lanka one day squad and who played a sterling role in piloting SSC to win the SLC Premier League title recently has been named captain of the E Wis Basnahira North team.

In fact E Wis Basnahira North will launch their campaign for the title with a match against the Hirdaramani Ruhuna team led by Indika de Saram, scheduled for April 17 at the Colts CC grounds Havelock Park.

On the same day Lexmark Basnahira South will take on Lanka Bell Wayamba in another Inter Provincial Twenty20 encounter. The Lanka Bell Wayamba team will be captained by all rounder Jehan Mubarak who was recently recalled to the Sri Lanka squad for the three match one day international series which will be worked off in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad (April 10 and 12) and Saint Lucia (April 15).

Meanwhile Prasanna Jayawardena, Sri Lanka’s regular Test wicket keeper has been named captain of the Lexmark Basnahira South team. Opening bowler Kaushalya Weeraratne who also received a recall to the Sri Lanka one day squad will captain the MAS Kandurata team in this tournament.

Their opening fixture will be against Lexmark Basnahira South on April 18 at the Colts CC grounds in Havelock Park.

The SLC Inter Provincial Twenty20 tournament schedule:

April 17: Wayamba v Basnahira South at Colts, Ruhuna v Basnahira North at Colts. April 18: Kandurata v Basnahira South at Colts, Wayamba v Basnahira North at Colts. April 21: Kandurata v Basnahira North at Colts, Wayamba v Ruhuna at Colts. April 23: Kandurata v Ruhuna at BRC, Basnahira North v Basnahira South at BRC. April 24: Kandurata v Wayamba at BRC, Ruhuna v Basnahira South at BRC. April 25: Basnahira South v Wayamba at BRC, Basnahira North v Ruhuna at BRC. April 27: Basnahira South v Kandurata at Colts, Basnahira North v Wayamba at Colts. April 28: Basnahira North v Kandurata at Welagedara, Ruhuna v Wayamba at Welagedara. April 29: Ruhuna v Kandurata at Welagedara, Basnahira South v Basnahira North at Welagedara.

April 30: Wayamba v Kandurata at Welagedara, Basnahira South v Ruhuna at Welagedara. Final May 1 at Welagedara.