Kandy Youths CC hit by lack of grounds

S M Jiffry Abdeen - Kandy Sports Correspondent

Kandy Youths Cricket Club the only club from Kandy playing in the P Sera Trophy Cricket Tournament conducted by the Sri Lanka Cricket has been badly hit by the unavailability of grounds in Kandy to play their tournament matches.

The Secretary of the club Anton Perera said that they have been compelled to book the Rangiri Dambulu International Cricket Stadium at Dambulla to play their five home matches paying Rs 24,000 as ground fees per match.

More than the grounds, it is the cost of travelling and hotel accommodation charges which is unaffordable. This venue is 75 kilometres from Kandy and on the first day they will have to start from Kandy very early to be at Dambulla at best by 9 am for the necessary warm up. They will have to have a break for breakfast on the way.

Next the heat of Dambulla they will be compelled to put up with.

Being the home team they will have to provide lunch and team for both teams and the two umpires and the scorers.

After the match it is travel back to Kandy which may be 2 to 3 hours. Or as an alternative measure the cricketers will have to be accommodated at hotels which is a costly affair. Thus playing a match could cost around Rs 100,000 if all expenses are taken into account. Anton Perera said that playing a home match at Dambulla is in fact on away match From Kandy.

It is also unfair by the visiting club which will also have to incur similar expenses by way of travelling and accommodation. Even if we travel daily to venue, we cannot expect the best from the cricketers after travelling up and down 150 kilometres.