Last year’s finalists Bloomfield, NCC come out for first time

Friday, 12 December 2025 00:16 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

SLC Major Club 3-day tournament

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Having sat out the opening weekend, last year’s finalists Bloomfield and NCC come out for the first time when the second weekend of matches in the SLC Major Club 3-day League commences today.

Defending champion Bloomfield will take on CCC at the Galle Cricket Stadium, while runner-up NCC will meet Ace Capital CC at the SSC grounds. Both CCC and Ace Capital CC were the two teams that ran up totals in excess of 400 but were unable to convert them into outright wins last weekend.

Colts and Police SC, the only teams to secure full points, meet each other in an interesting Group A tabletop clash at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium, Sooriyawewa. A good contest is on the cards as both teams will vie to outwit the other to retain top spot.

Group B table toppers Tamil Union will look to consolidate their position when they face Moors SC at the Welagedara Stadium, Kurunegala. Moors SC could not make much headway in their match against BRC which ended in a no-decision and will want to pick up some useful points to lift themselves from the bottom of the table.

BRC will also be keen to do the same when they come up against Kurunegala YCC at Surrey Village grounds, Maggona. Kurunegala put up a brave batting performance to score 298 but it was not sufficient to match up to Ace Capital CC’s 406-9 declared.

Chilaw Marians CC and Nugegoda SWC who suffered first innings losses meet at the NCC grounds. Both teams will be looking to record their first win.

Unlike the past when the top two teams from each of the two groups qualified for the semi-finals, this season’s tournament structure has been changed with the top three teams in each group going into the next stage - the Super Eight where the team with the most number of points will be declared the winner. Teams which go through to the Super Eight stage will carry their points from the first round with them. Thus, every point earned in the first round will be of vital importance to the 14 teams.

Tier B 3-day League

The Tier B 3-day League will also see a card of six matches commencing today:

Kandy Custom SC v Army SC at Army ground, Dombagoda, Galle CC v SSC at Bloomfield grounds, Negombo CC v Sebastianites at Air Force grounds, Katunayake, Ragama CC v United Southern SC at Army grounds, Salawa, Leo CC v Moratuwa SC at Welisara and Malay CC v Navy SC at BRC grounds.