KDCA organises T20 cricket tourney for clubs

by S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports Corr.

Kandy District Cricket Association (KDCA) created some sort of history for themselves when they became the first district association to organise a twenty20 cricket tournament for its affiliated membership of clubs.

The Honorary Secretary of the Kandy District Cricket Association Roland Perera briefing the media said that twenty clubs have entered this twenty20 cricket championship which is the first of its kind to be organised by any district association.

He said that twenty20 which is of a shorter duration is extremely popular and this is evident from the crowds which throng to witness them.

We have seen foreign teams playing this version of cricket at Pallekele and other venues but not the local clubs. Therefore we decided to open the doors for this tournament to keep the interest going for the spectators.

He said initially we are conducting this tournament for the affiliated clubs which will be played on a knock-out basis and later it will be extended to other clubs depending on the response from all quarters.

The President of the Kandy District Cricket Association Thilina Tennakoon said that twenty20 cricket has proved its popularity by the large crowds which turn up for matches and therefore the local clubs too must be given an opportunity in participating in a tournament of this nature.

This tournament will be played for the Kandy District Cricket Association Challenge Trophy. He said that there has been an improvement in the weather and they will be completing the tournament from the end of this year. The teams which have entered the tournament are: Kandy Youths Cricket Club, Kandy Cricket Club, Old Trinitians Sports Club, University of Peradeniya, Bank of Ceylon Sports Club, Old Rajans Sports Club, Old Antonians Cricket Club, Madawela Cricket Club, Galagedera Cricket Club, Prisons Sports Club, Visuvious Cricket Club, Gampola Cricket Club, Sylvestrians Cricket Club, Liverpool Cricket Club, Ekamuthu Sports Club, Sutherland Sports Club, Bloomfield Cricket Club, Blue Universal Cricket Club, Seylanicans Cricket Club and Saracens Cricket Club.

The tournament Committee is headed by Pulasthi Amarasinghe (Chairman), Jaliya Munasinghe, Nilantha Dissanayake, Lalith Chandrasiri, Chinthaka Girihagama, V. Sumanasekera, Tilina Tennakoon (President KDCA), Roland Perera (Hon. Secretary), Chandra Mahawattege (Treasurer) and Janaka Pathirana (Senior Vice President).