National Super League gets underway tomorrow

Kandy were crowned as champions last year (File photo)

By M. Shamil Amit

The second edition of the National Super League four-day domestic cricket tournament will get underway tomorrow with five teams Kandy, Colombo, Galle, Jaffna and Dambulla battling out for supremacy.  

The tournament will be played at all the main cricket venues of Sri Lanka starting with the first two matches slotted to be played at the SSC and R. Premadasa Stadium.  
The other venues where the matches will be played are Rangiri Dambulla Stadium, Sooriyawewa Stadium, P. Sara Stadium, Pallekele Stadium and Galle Stadium.  
Five national players have been selected to lead the teams namely Kusal Mendis (Colombo), Dhananjaya de Silva (Jaffna), Niroshan Dickwella (Kandy), Kamindu Mendis (Dambulla) and Ramesh Mendis (Galle).  

The five teams also comprise of all national players with the Colombo team including players in the likes of Dimuth Karunaratne, Avishka Fernando, Charith Asalanka, Nuwanidu Fernando and Dasun Shanaka.  

The Jaffna team have in their ranks players in the calibre of Sadeera Samarawickrama, Nishan Madushka, Navod Paranavithana, Lahiru Madusanka and 
Binura Fernando. 

 
The Kandy team consists of Chamika Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Lasith Croospulle, Oshada Fernando and Lahiru Kumara while Galle have Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Sangeeth Cooray, Dunith Wellalage, Minod Bhanuka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ashan Priyanjana and Asitha Fernando.  

The league matches are scheduled to come to an end on February 19 and the top four teams will qualify to fight out in the two semi-final encounters to be played from February 23 to 26 and the final is slated to be played from March 2 to 5 at the Galle  International Stadium.  

Match Schedule
January 19 to 22 – Colombo vs. Kandy at SSC and Dambulla vs. Galle at R. Premadasa Stadium; January 26 to 29 – Jaffna vs. Dambulla at SSC and Kandy vs. Galle at P. Sara Stadium; February 2 to 5 – Jaffna vs. Colombo at Pallekele Stadium and Dambulla vs. Kandy at Rangiri Dambulla; February 9 to12 – Galle vs. Colombo at Sooriyawewa Stadium and Kandy vs. Jaffna at SSC; February 16 to19 – Colombo vs. Dambulla at Sooriyawewa Stadium and Galle vs. Jaffna at Galle; February 23 to 26 – Semi-Final at R. Premadasa Stadium and SSC; March 2 to 5 - Final at Galle International Stadium.