Sports
Four teams each to be relegated to ease top tier congestion
Under 19 Cricket
by Reemus Fernando
Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA), the organizers of the Under 19 Inter School Cricket tournament is set to demote four teams from each tier in both the Division I and II segments at the end of this season to reduce the congestion created by last season’s relegation fiasco.
“Since there was no relegations last season there will be an excess of teams in each Division after the two highest placed teams from lower tier and division were promoted at the end of the season. Two more teams will be promoted to higher Division and tiers at the end of this season as well. To avoid congestion it was agreed at the Executive Committee meeting and at the fixture meeting to demote four teams from each tier,” Nishantha Kumara, the Under 19 tournament secretary of SLSCA told The Sunday Island. Currently there are twenty teams in the Division I Tier ‘A’ tournament, while there are 18 teams in Tier ‘B’. In the Division II category, there are eighteen teams each in both the Tier ‘A’ and ‘B’ segments. In each tier the league matches are played in two groups.
The number of teams in each tier increased by two teams at the end of the last season as the Ministry of Education requested the SLSCA to stop relegating teams to end a deadlock between the SLSCA and the lowest placed teams in the top tier of the Division I tournament. Some teams protested against relegation alleging that they were unaware of the relegation method at the end of the tournament.
In a bid to decrease the number of teams in each tier the SLSCA will demote four teams this season.
The four lowest placed teams in each group will have to win a relegation match played against the lowest placed teams in the other group in their tier to retain their place. The teams losing these matches (first innings points or outright) will be demoted to the lower tier or the division. In case of a no decision, bonus points will come into equation. When a match had not lasted for 70 overs the average points earned during the league stage will decide the winner.
The SLSCA has not fixed a date for the tournament to commence but has set March 15th as the deadline to finish the quota of tournament matches. While the four lowest placed teams play relegation matches the top four teams of each group will reach the knockout stage. The knockout stage consists of the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final.
(Cricbuzz)
Sri Lanka elected to bat first in the second ODI against England at the R Premadasa International Stadium
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando
England: Rehan Ahmed, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, 4Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (capt), Jos Buttler (wk), Will Jacks, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid
Tanzid Hasan’s century propelled Rajshahi Warriors to their first BPL trophy, after they beat Chattogram Royals by 63 runs in the final.
Tanzid became the third batter after Tamim Iqbal and Chris Gayle to score a century in the BPL final, helping Rajshahi to a competitive 174 for 4 after batting first.
Chattogram, the underdog side of the tournament which came good despite not having a proper team owner, were bowled out for 111 runs in 17.5 overs. Sri Lanka fast bowler Binura Fernando took four wickets, and left-arm spinner Hasan Murad took three wickets.
It was Rajshahi’s batting that set the tone for the win. They got an early boost when openers Tanzid and Sahibzada Farhan added 83 runs for the first wicket in 10.2 overs. Farhan made a run-a-ball 30 with two fours and a six, but it was Tanzid who held Rajshahi’s innings together. He added 47 runs with Kane Williamson, before reaching his third T20 century, off 61 balls. Tanzid struck seven sixes and six fours, before falling for 100 in the penultimate over.
Shoriful Islam took his BPL tally to 26 wickets for the season with two wickets, while Mukidul Islam was Chattogram’s best bowler on the day, taking 2 for 20 from his four overs.
Fernando gave Rajshahi another good start with the ball, removing Mohammad Naim and Mahmudul Hasan Joy in the third over. He returned to remove Asif Ali and Shoriful Islam to finish with excellent figures of 4 for 9.
Murad then struck, first with the big wicket of Hassan Nawaz, followed by wickets of Chattogram captain Mahedi Hasan and Mirza Baig. Chattogram’s chase never really took off, as the rest of the Rajshahi bowlers took control after Murad’s four overs.
Brief scores:
Rajshahi Warriors 174 for 4 in 20 overs (Tanzid Hasan 100, Sahibzada Farhan 30, Kane Williamson 24, Najmul Hossain Shanto 11; Shoriful Islam 2-33, Mukidul Islam 2-20) beat Chattogram Royals 111 in 17.5 overs (Mirza Baig 39, Hasan Nawaz 11, Zahiduzzaman 11, Asif Ali 21; Binura Fernando 4-90, James Neesham 2-24, Abdul Gaffar Saqlain 1-24, Hasan Murad 3-15) by 63 runs
[Cricinfo]
T20 World Cup 2026: ICC replace Bangladesh with Scotland
Indonesia landslide kills 7, dozens more missing
Ukraine condemns ‘brutal’ Russian strikes ahead of second day of peace talks
Sri Lanka bat first in second ODI
Colombo Stock Exchange (GL 12) donates LKR 25 million to the “Rebuilding Sri Lanka” Fund
Tanzid Hasan’s ton, Binura Fernando’s four-for power Rajshahi Warriors to BPL title
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
Editorial7 days agoIllusory rule of law
-
Features7 days agoDaydreams on a winter’s day
-
Features7 days agoSurprise move of both the Minister and myself from Agriculture to Education
-
Features6 days agoExtended mind thesis:A Buddhist perspective
-
Features7 days agoThe Story of Furniture in Sri Lanka
-
Opinion5 days agoAmerican rulers’ hatred for Venezuela and its leaders
-
Features7 days agoWriting a Sunday Column for the Island in the Sun
-
Business3 days agoCORALL Conservation Trust Fund – a historic first for SL