No relegation of teams as Premier Cricket set to resume in July

(FASTNEWS | COLOMBO) – The promotion and relegation rule will not be implemented in this year’s Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Premier League Inter-Club Cricket Tournament which is set to resume next month after the clearance from the Health Ministry authorities.

“This is what the Tournament Committee has decided. There will not be any promotion and relegation of teams. The tournament was interrupted midway due to the Coronavirus pandemic,” a top official of SLC told the Daily News yesterday.

“It is not fair by the clubs. They have lost some of their top overseas players as well and now they cannot return back. The players are out of cricket for so long,” he pointed out.

“But if we had continued with the tournament then we would have definitely implemented the system. Probably from next season we would stick to that rule.”

Meanwhile, Badureliya CC have escaped with a financial fine after their Group ‘B’ fixture against NCC was abandoned due to a dangerous wicket at the Surrey Grounds in Maggona.

The two match umpires Ranganath Prasanna and Nilan de Silva decided to stop the game midway on the second day of this three-day fixture as the wicket was not in good condition to continue play.

“We had an inquiry. The host team was Badureliya CC. They are responsible for providing a good wicket. Accordingly, the Tournament Committee imposed a fine on Badureliya CC and declared the match as null-and-void under the tournament rules.”

“Whatever the bonus points we would give it to the two teams because the match was not completed,” the source elaborated.

“The umpires felt that the pitch at the Surrey Grounds in Maggona was not in good condition to continue play and was dangerous.”

“Badureliya CC were hosting the match and according to the tournament rules, the host team is responsible for providing a good wicket,” he stressed.

“Only one side had batted and the wicket was deteriorating and so the umpires thought it was dangerous to play and they stopped the match. There was no result and so we cannot award points to anyone except for the bonus points.”

“As the host of the match, Badureliya CC were handed a heavy financial fine. We cannot suspend the team as the match was worked off for one and a half days. So, I don’t think there was any unfairness for both teams,” the source added further.

NCC, who were put into bat, had reached 187 for two in 55.2 overs with opener Pathum Nissanka stroking an unbeaten century.

However, the result has not made a great impact on the final standings as NCC are placed second in the points table while Badureliya CC are struggling in sixth place. (DN)