Thursday Feb 19, 2026
Thursday Feb 19, 2026
Wednesday, 21 January 2026 00:16 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
After seven weekends of intense competition the Major Club 3-day League first round group matches have been completed with the top four teams from each of the two groups qualifying to play in the Super 8 and the bottom three teams from the two groups in the Major Plate.
Due to the unavailability of ground covers which will be used at the venues hosting the T20 World Cup matches, the Super 8 matches will not commence until 6 March, whereas the Major Plate will continue starting from 23 January.
The three Major Plate matches scheduled for this day are: Panadura SC v Kurunegala YCC at Maggona, Nugegoda SWC v Badureliya SC at Welagedera Stadium, Kurunegala, and Chilaw Marians CC v Tamil Union at Galle Cricket Stadium.
Teams that have qualified to play in the Super 8 as well as the Major Plate will carry forward their points into the next round.
One of the few changes the Major Club 3-day League under went from this season was that all the matches were played at neutral venues with no team having home advantage.
Tournament Committee chairman Nalin Aponso said: “This has been very much effective. This is the first time in history we played at neutral venues. The wickets were good and you can see from the stats from the previous year to this year there is vast improvement in both batting and bowling performances. Even the national selectors were happy with the outcome and have praised this move. We will be going ahead with this format for the next four years. The same structure. The Major Plate matches will also be played at neutral venues.”
The team that finishes at the bottom of the Major Plate will be relegated to Tier B and the champion team of Tier B will be promoted to play in the Major Club 3-day League the following season.
Meanwhile, the Tier B 3-day league matches will continue and completed by 15 February. The team that finishes on top of the league will gain promotion, while the team that finishes at the bottom will be relegated to play in the Governor’s Cup.
