Tamil Union-Chilaw Marians clash-pick of the matches

Chris Dhambarage

The Premier limited overs cricket tournament for the 2010/11 inter-club season organized by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and which was postponed due to bad weather will resume with a card of five matches down for decision in Colombo today.

The key match for the opening week is of course the clash between the defending champions Tamil Union who will take on the last year's runners up Chilaw Marians CC in a group "A" fixture at the P. Saravanamuttu Oval.

Has been boosted

Tamil Union will start their campaign confidently under new captain Jeevan Mendis. The team has been boosted with the arrival of explosive opening batsman Tillekeratne Dilshan, paceman Chanaka Welagedera from Moors SC and Chaminda Vidanapathirana from the CCC.

In addition they will have the services of Sri Lanka youth cap and former Mahanama opening batsman Dhanushka Gunatilleke.

In contrast Chilaw Marians CC have retained almost the same team that performed duties last season and will be out to avenge their previous defeat. The team will be captained by dashing opening batsman Mahela Udawatte and will include senior players in the calibre of Dinuk Hettiarachchi, Amal Athulathmudali, Janaka Gunaratne, Gayan Wijekoon and Shamindra Eranga.

Meanwhile neighbours NCC and the CCC will clash in another key match which should turn out to be a close contest at Maitland Place. The match will be of great significance as a couple of star players have crossed over to some of the other clubs from this season.In fact Jehan Mubarak and Chamara Kapugedera will be representing NCC and they will be up against their former club CCC in the very first outing of the tournament.

However CCC have also managed to recruit two players from their rival club NCC Chanaka Wijesinghe and Sandun Dias. They will also have the services of Malintha Gajanayake of Bloomfield fame and Thilina Masmulla who represented Sri Lanka Army Sports Club last season.

High profile match

Two former champions Colts CC and the SSC will clash in another high profile encounter at Havelock Park. SSC captained by wicket keeper batsman Kaushal Silva have got the services of three outstanding schoolboy cricketers namely Kithruwan Vithanage (Royal), Charith Jayampathy (D. S. Senanayake) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (Royal).

However the key player in the SSC line up will be all rounder Sachithra Senanayake who is fresh after a successful campaign last season where he made his presence felt for his club and province in all forms of the game.

Best Bowler

In fact Sachithra was named Best Bowler in the Inter Provincial limited over tournament and was the leading wicket taker in the inter provincial Twenty20 tournament.

Bloomfield will face an acid test when they take on Ragama CC in another SLC Premier limited overs cricket tournament match at Thurstan College grounds. Bloomfield will be badly hit by the absence of dashing opener Tillekeratne Dilshan who has moved towards Tamil Union.

Three promising Sri Lanka youth players Romesh Buddhika (Mahinda), Lahiru Jayaratne (St. Peter's) and Rukshan Jaleel (Trinity) all have joined Ragama CC and look set to make their first class debut during the upcoming season. Ragama CC will be led by dynamic opening batsman Kaushalya Weeraratne and will have all their regulars Malinga Bandara, Lahiru Thirimanna, Indika de Saram, Ian Daniel and Wimanga Perera.

A total of eleven top teams will be vying for honours in this 50 over tournament in two groups for a rich prize money of Rs 750, 000 with the runners up set to receive a cash award of Rs 500,000.

The card for today: Lankan CC v Baduraliya CC at Moratuwa, NCC v CCC at Maitland Place, Tamil Union v Chilaw Marians CC at P. Sara Oval, Colts CC v SSC at Havelock Park, Ragama CC v Bloomfield at Thurstan ground,

Sri Lanka Cricket has successfully sourced sponsors for eleven clubs competing in all forms of premier tournaments conducted by Sri Lanka Cricket.

Main objective

The main objective is to create a partnership between the sponsors and the clubs so that SLC will not be burden with funding the clubs directly.

The current administrators have successfully negotiated with the corporate sector; sponsors in turn will get additional benefits such as exposure on TV/Radio, Live Telecast of the semifinals and the finals with branding and promotional activities at match venues.

Sri Lanka Cricket took on the responsibility, to source sponsors for the premier clubs, taking into consideration, the huge financial commitments that clubs are faced with while competing.

Sponsorship value

Sponsorship value varies from Rs 500,000 to Rs 1.5 Million, for the forthcoming inter club season which begins on Monday. Sri Lanka Cricket is grateful to sponsors of the Premier division clubs for the forthcoming season.

Sri Lanka Cricket at a simple ceremony hosted officials from the clubs and their respective sponsors for the signing of the MOU at the board headquarters recently. The clubs in pursuit for the forthcoming season are namely Bloomfield, Colts Cricket Club, Tamil Union, Colombo Cricket Club, SSC, NCC, Chilaw Marians, Ragama CC, Saracens, Lankan CC and Baduraliya Cricket Club.