Under 19 Cricket

by Reemus Fernando              

Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA), the organizers of the Under 19 Inter School Cricket tournament is set to demote four teams from each tier in both the Division I and II segments at the end of this season to reduce the congestion created by last season’s relegation fiasco.

“Since there was no relegations last season there will be an excess of teams in each Division after the two highest placed teams from lower tier and division were promoted at the end of the season. Two more teams will be promoted to higher Division and tiers at the end of this season as well. To avoid congestion it was agreed at the Executive Committee meeting and at the fixture meeting to demote four teams from each tier,” Nishantha Kumara, the Under 19 tournament secretary of SLSCA told The Sunday Island.  Currently there are twenty teams in the Division I Tier ‘A’ tournament, while there are 18 teams in Tier ‘B’. In the Division II category, there are eighteen teams each in both the Tier ‘A’ and ‘B’ segments. In each tier the league matches are played in two groups.

The number of teams in each tier increased by two teams at the end of the last season as the Ministry of Education requested the SLSCA to stop relegating teams to end a deadlock between the SLSCA and the lowest placed teams in the top tier of the Division I tournament. Some teams protested against relegation alleging that they were unaware of the relegation method at the end of the tournament.

In a bid to decrease the number of teams in each tier the SLSCA will demote four teams this season.

The four lowest placed teams in each group will have to win a relegation match played against the lowest placed teams in the other group in their tier to retain their place. The teams losing these matches (first innings points or outright) will be demoted to the lower tier or the division. In case of a no decision, bonus points will come into equation. When a match had not lasted for 70 overs the average points earned during the league stage will decide the winner.

The SLSCA has not fixed a date for the tournament to commence but has set March 15th as the deadline to finish the quota of tournament matches. While the four lowest placed teams play relegation matches the top four teams of each group will reach the knockout stage.  The knockout stage consists of the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final.