Sports
SSC bite the bullet, vow to fight back
by Rex Clementine
The first round of Sri Lanka Cricket’s Major League Tournament came to a close last week, with Bloomfield and NCC emerging as the table-toppers in their respective groups. The two Colombo-based powerhouses are now set to lock horns in the grand finale, which begins tomorrow (March 5) at the R. Premadasa Stadium. The four-day First Class match promises to be a high-stakes battle for domestic supremacy.
However, the real headline of the tournament wasn’t the two finalists but the stunning relegation of SSC – Sri Lanka’s most storied cricket club. For the first time in its illustrious history, the club will be without First-Class status for at least two years, a fall from grace that has sent shockwaves through the country’s cricketing circles.
Alongside SSC, Ragama Cricket Club, Negombo Cricket Club, and Kandy Customs have also been shown the exit door, having finished in the bottom half of the table. But SSC’s relegation, in particular, is akin to a giant being felled – an unthinkable scenario for a club that has long been the nursery of Sri Lankan cricketing greats.
SSC might feel hard done by, as fate seemed to conspire against them this season. The weather gods were unkind, washing out crucial games they could have won. Injuries, too, played a major role in their downfall, with key bowlers like Nisala Tharaka, Kasun Rajitha, and Pramod Madushan spending more time on the treatment table than on the field.
But some insiders believe the club was also a victim of its own star power. With many of their marquee players tied up with national duties, SSC often found itself fielding understrength sides. To make matters worse, several senior players prioritized franchise cricket, leaving the club in the lurch at critical moments. Although they returned midway through the league, the damage had already been done, and SSC found itself staring down the barrel.
While some clubs in the past have resorted to backdoor moves and legal loopholes to avoid the drop, SSC’s management deserves credit for taking relegation on the chin. They didn’t plead for special treatment or try to move the goalposts in their favour.
Not too long ago, a prominent club was saved from relegation through some questionable maneuvering, and others have even sought legal recourse to cling to First-Class status despite tournament rules being crystal clear. But SSC, true to its stature, accepted its fate with dignity, setting an example for others to follow.
Sri Lanka Cricket has been on a mission to streamline domestic cricket, reducing the number of First-Class teams to improve the quality of competition. Not too long ago, the tournament had a bloated 26-team structure. But with the numbers being trimmed – down to 14 teams next season and 12 the year after – SSC now finds itself in the unenviable position of having to claw its way back into the top division.
Despite the setback, SSC is already plotting its comeback. The club’s Cricket Committee Chairman, Samantha Dodanwala, made it clear that they aren’t looking for excuses – just a way back.
“At the end of the day, we have to take responsibility rather than offering excuses. Now we are duty-bound to fight our way back into the top division. The good thing is that all the players have agreed to stay on and help us reclaim our rightful place,” Dodanwala told ‘The Island‘.
Latest News
Woods charged with driving under influence after crash
Tiger Woods has been charged with driving under the influence after rolling his car in a crash in Florida, police have confirmed.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office said the 15-time major champion was also charged with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.
Woods, 50, rolled his Land Rover after clipping a pressure cleaner truck while trying to overtake it at “a high rate of speed”, according to Sheriff John Budensiek.
The golfer, who had to crawl out of the passenger door of his vehicle, passed a breathalyser test after the crash but refused a urine test.
No-one sustained any injuries in the incident which took place on Beach Road in Jupiter Island just before 14:00 local time on Friday (about 19:00 GMT).
Sheriff Budensiek told a news conference: “The DUI investigators came to the scene and Mr Woods did exemplify signs of impairment.
“They did several tests on him. He did explain the injuries and surgeries that he’s had and we did take that into account, but they did some in-depth roadside tests.
“When it was determined, he was placed under arrest and taken to the Martin County jail.
“At the Martin County jail, and even on scene, we were really not suspicious of alcohol being involved in this case and that proved to be true.
“Mr Woods did a breathalyser test with triple zeros, but when it came time for us to ask for a urinary analysis test, he refused.”
Budensiek also said Woods had been “co-operative but was trying not to incriminate himself”.
“He has a right to refuse that test,” added the sheriff. “There is a statute which he will be charged with for refusing to take that test, but we will never get definitive results as to what he was impaired on at the time of the crash.”
US president Donald Trump was asked about the crash on Friday, saying: “I feel so badly. [Woods has] got some difficulty. There was an accident. That’s all I know.
“He’s a very close friend of mine, he’s an amazing person, an amazing man.”
Sheriff Budensiek said Woods would remain in jail for eight hours then be released on bond. The charges are misdemeanours, not felonies.
The BBC has contacted the golfer’s representatives for comment.
This is not the first time Woods has been involved in a car accident – he has played a limited schedule since the serious crash in 2021 that left him with extensive injuries and fortunate to be alive.
In 2017 police officers also found him slumped at the wheel of his parked Mercedes-Benz not far from his Florida home.
A toxicology report found Woods had several legal medications in his system and marijuana’s active ingredient, and he was sentenced to a year’s probation after pleading guilty to reckless driving.
In 2009 Woods hit a fire hydrant, a tree, and several hedges in a bizarre collision outside his home.
The incident sparked accusations of extramarital affairs which led to the end of his seven-year marriage and the loss of lucrative sponsorship deals.
[BBC]
Sports
Sri Sumangala cruise to semis after Kumarasiri heroics
Sri Sumangala College, Panadura secured a convincing five-wicket victory over Sri Dharmaloka College, Kelaniya in their Under-19 Division I Tier ‘B’ cricket quarter-final at Kuruvita on Friday, sealing a place in the semi-finals with two sessions to spare.
All-rounder Mevindu Kumarasiri played a decisive role in the win, following up his outstanding bowling performance with a vital knock of 44 runs to guide his team to the target of 157.
Sri Sumangala’s run chase was anchored by Kumarasiri and Neksha Iddamalgoda, who shared a crucial 85-run partnership for the fourth wicket after the early setbacks. The stand effectively put the Panadura side on course for victory.
Kumarasiri’s brisk 44 came at just under a run-a-ball and included five boundaries, while Iddamalgoda top-scored with 49, striking seven fours in a fluent innings. Although both batsmen were dismissed before the target was reached, their partnership had already taken the sting out of the chase.
Bihanga Silva and Sadika Damyuru then completed the formalities, steering Sri Sumangala past the target to wrap up an impressive victory.
The win was particularly remarkable considering Sri Sumangala had been bowled out for 144 in their first innings. However, Kumarasiri turned the game dramatically in their favour with a superb six-wicket haul that dismantled Sri Dharmaloka for just 89 in the second innings.
His match-winning all-round performance proved to be the turning point as Sri
Sumangala capitalised on the opportunity to book their place in the tournament’s semi-finals.
Scores
Sri Dharmaloka 211 all out in 76.3 overs
(Kaveen Deneth 106, Senuka Pehesara 29, Koshitha Adithya 19; Mevindu Kumarasiri 5/82) and 89 all out in 35 overs (Tharusha Mihiranga 24; Mevindu Kumarasiri 6/41, Methum Fernando 4/42)
Sri Sumangala 144 all out in 48.4 overs
(Neksha Iddamalgoda 47, Bihanga Silva 36, Mavindu Kumarasiri 21; Tishan Nipun 4/43, Sathindu Prabhoda 3/44, Koshitha Adithya 2/27) and 160 for 5 in 34.3 overs (Vidura Basuru 33, Sandeep Wijerathna 19, Neksha Iddamalgoda 49, Mevindu Kumarasiri 44; Koshitha Adithya 4/64) (RF)
Latest News
PSL 2026: Teams allowed to submit two XIs and pick one after toss
Shaheen Shah Afridi and Marnus Labuschagne, captains of Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen, walked out with two team sheets each for the toss ahead of the opening matchof PSL 2026 and selected their final XIs based on which way the coin fell.
This was in accordance with a new regulation in the PSL playing conditions, which permits the captains to submit two team sheets to the match referee before the toss and finalise one of the submitted line-ups after the toss.
The clause 1.2.1 in the “Nomination and Replacement of Players” section reads: “Before the toss, each captain may submit two (2) different XI lineups in writing to the PSL Match Referee. Each lineup must include 11 players and a maximum of 4 substitute fielders (subject to Clause 1.2.5). After the toss, each captain must finalise one of the two submitted lineups by signing the selected team sheet. Once the final lineup has been nominated, no player listed in the selected playing eleven may be changed before the start of the match without the consent of the opposing captain.”
Tosses can play a significant role in this part of the world in night matches as a result of dew. The ball often gets wet and difficult to grip for the spinners, making them ineffective in the second innings. This change in the playing conditions is expected to provide a level playing field – a team batting first can add a fast bowler instead of a spinner while a team batting second can look to add depth to their batting.
There were no signs of dew in the first match of the season however because of the wind throughout the day and cloud cover.
[Cricinfo]
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