Sunday Dec 14, 2025
Sunday Dec 14, 2025
Friday, 5 December 2025 02:28 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
Focus will be on SSC, one of the elite clubs in Colombo who were demoted to Tier B last season and how they progress when the Tier B 3-day League tournament commences today with a card of 6 matches.
SSC has to win the Tier B league to gain promotion to the Major Club 3-day League where they actually belong but for a rare season where they just could not get their act together and ended up at the bottom two of Group B to be relegated. SSC remains one of the strongest clubs taking part this season with several national players available for selection. They come out today against Kandy Customs SC at the Army grounds in Dombagoda.
Ragama CC, another club that has produced several national cricketers, is also seeking promotion to the Major Club 3-day. Unlike SSC, they have not been able to retain some of their established cricketers who have moved to different clubs, thus weakening the team and their chances of winning the Tier B title. Ragama CC meets Negombo CC at the BRC grounds.
Both clubs had their first experience of playing in the Tier B sector when they took part in the T20 and 50-over tournaments which were held in the middle of the year. SSC determined to prove their worth emerged champions of the 50-over tournament defeating Moratuwa SC in the final, but were stunned in the T20 final by less fancied Malay CC. They will have to perform better than this if they are to win the League which has strong competition from other demoted clubs keen to gain promotion.
Twelve teams are competing with each other on a league basis in the Tier B 3-day League and the team that finishes on top will be declared champions and receive promotion to the Major Club 3-day League for the following season. Promotion to the higher league takes place from this season after the Tournament Committee had taken a decision that 14 instead of 12 clubs should contest in the Major Club 3-day League. Over a period of three seasons from 2022-23, 12 clubs have been relegated to Tier B in order to bring down the number of teams competing in the Major Club 3-day League and make it more competitive.
The Tier B matches, although played over three days, will not have first-class status and won’t be included in the career records of the players.
Galle CC who won the league last season will come out against Moratuwa SC at Samadhi Sports ground, Anuradhapura. Leo CC who finished runner-up will take on Sebastianites at Army grounds, Salawa, while third placed Malay CC will meet United Southern SC at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Hambantota. The other match commencing today is between Navy SC and Army SC at Welisara.
