Kithuruwan Vithanage was also among the runs scoring 130 for Tamil Union against CCC at Havelock Park. All the matches will continue on day two today.

DAY ONE SCORES

l At Havelock Park: Tamil Union: 377 in 87.3 overs (Kithuruwan Vithanage 130, Manoj Sarathchandra 63, Chamika Karunarathne 50, Jeevan Mendis 40, Tharanga Paranavitana 30, Lahiru Madhushanka 4/77, Lahiru Gamage 3/83) vs CCC

l At FTZ Katunayake: SSC: 275/7 at close in 80 overs (Dimuth Karunaratne 125, Dasun Shanaka 59, Kavindu Kulasekara 38, Minod Bhanuka 21, Dilruwan Perera 4/70, Prabath Jayasooriya 2/59) vs Colts

l At P. Sara Oval: Chilaw Marians: 190 in 61.2 overs (Mahela Udawatte 52, Ashen Silva 52, Sachithra Serasinghe 33, Raveen Yasas 25, Dhanushika Bandara 5/36, Nalin Priyadarshana 4/61)

Army SC: 65/4 at close in 27 overs (Arosh Janoda 2/9)

l At Colts: NCC: 265 in 62 overs (Chaturanga de Silva 83, Angelo Perera 59, Thimira Jayasinghe 37, Pawan Wickramasinghe 27, Chathura Peiris 4/60, Thilaksha Sumanasiri 2/29, Amila Aponso 2/72)

Ragama CC: 43/6 at close in 21 overs (Farveez Maharoof 3/14)

PLATE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

Sahan Wijeratne of Baduraliya SC hit an unbeaten 102 runs against Moors SC in the Plate championship match of the Premier League Tier ‘A’ Inter-Club cricket tournament at BRC grounds yesterday. All the matches will continue today.

DAY ONE SCORES

l At BRC: Badureliya SC: 300 in 88.1 overs (Sahan Wijeratne 102 n.o., Saliya Saman 38, Nimanda Madusanka 31, Vishva Wijeratne 27, Dilanka Sandakan 5/52) vs Moors SC

l At Bloomfield: Galle CC: 301 in 86.3 overs (Damitha Hunukumbura 97, Nilushan Nonis 65, Minhaj Jaleel 40, Shalika Karunanayake 34, Chalana De Silva 26, Kasun Rajitha 5/57, Chathura Randunu 3/85)

Saracens SC: 0/0 at close in 1 overs

l At Panagoda: Bloomfield: 290/8 in 92 overs (Nipun Karunanayake 98, Nisal Francisco 79, Vinod Perera 31, Dinuka Hettiarachchi 5/95, T. N. Sampath 2/72) v BRC

Premier League Tier ‘B’ Inter Club Cricket

Roscoe Thattil scores 175 for Air Force (main heading)

Roscoe Thattil of Air Force SC scored a fine 175 off 190 balls with fours against Kalutara PCC on the first day of their Premier League Tier ‘B’ Inter-Club cricket match played at Surrey ground Maggona yesterday.

Lahiru Sri Lakmal (Air Force SC) and Lakshan Rodrigo (Lankan CC) also made hundreds against Kalutara PCC and Navy SC respectively. All matches will continue today.

DAY ONE SCORES

l At Maggona: Air Force SC: 426/9 decl in 79.2 overs (Roscoe Thattil 175, Lahiru Sri Lakmal 115, Harshana James 33, Nalin Wijesinghe 20, Ruchira Silva 4/98, Rasika Fernando 2/66, Thenuka Dhananjaya 2/80)

Kalutara PCC: 7/1 at close in 5 overs

l At Moors: Lankan CC: 364/5 in 90 overs (Lakshan Rodrigo 133, Sasheen Fernando 96, Chanaka Ruwansiri 65 n.o., Lal Kumara 26, Madura Madhusanka 2/33) vs Navy SC

l At Welagedara: Kurunegala YCC: 63/3 at close in 23 overs (Chanaka Komasaru 2/22) vs Ports Authority

l At Sooriyawewa: Kalutara TC: 238/5 at close in 90 overs (Sulan Jayawardena 76 n.o., Tharindu Sriwardene 58, Nipuna Gamage 43, Risith Upamal 31, Suwanji Madanayake 3/45) vs Police SC – (YK

The squad will travel to Kandy today to continue training at a higher altitude ahead of the tour and will engage in training sessions. It will be followed by a two-day game at the Pallakelle International Cricket Stadium on Saturday and Sunday (April 23 and 24) whilst training sessions will be conducted concurrently at the nets.

Despite the rains in Colombo and suburbs, the weather in Kandy has remained favourable in the past weeks, and if long range weather reports are anything to go by, will remain so for the next few days giving the squad an ample opportunity to train.

Meanwhile, selection of the Test squad travelling to England is due to be finalized by April 27.

Sri Lanka will play a series of three Tests against England before moving on to the one-day format where they will take on England in five One-Day Internationals and in two Twenty20 Internationals.

The Test series starts at Headingley, Leeds on May 19 followed by the second Test at Durham from May 27 and the third and final Test at Lord’s from June 9.

The Test squad is due to arrive in England on May 4.

Angelo Mathews has been named captain and Dinesh Chandimal his deputy for all three formats of the game.

The preliminary squad selected consists of the following players:

Angelo Mathews (captain), Dasun Chanaka, Dinesh Chandimal (vice-captain), Dhammika Prasad, Dhananjaya de Silva,. Dilruwan Perera, Dimuth Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Jeffrey Vandersay, Kasun Rajitha, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana, Niroshan Dickwella, Nuwan Pradeep, Rangana Herath, Shaminda Eranga, Suranga Lakmal, Tharanga Paranavitana, Vishwa Fernando.

Dual role for Chandrishan Perera

Sri Lanka Cricket has approached its former media manager Chandrishan Perera to take on the role of communications manager on tour for next month’s cricket tour of England.

SLC is in the process of putting into place the support staff for the team which is currently in transition and according to sources a communications manager has been considered a necessity especially when the team is on tour.

Recently SLC recalled former team manager Charith Senanayake as manager for the tour to England and for the home series against Australia.

There is also a possibility that Perera who is renowned for his high skill training may also be asked to assist with the team’s training during the tour.

Perera a top class ruggerite turned out for CH&FC and Sri Lanka and also played cricket for CCC. He is also a qualified fitness trainer and respected rugby commentator and columnist.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has invited 25 of Sri Lanka’s top cricketers for the BPL, but Sri Lanka Cricket interim committee has taken a decision not to grant them permission to participate as they want the players to be focussed on the upcoming tour of New Zealand starting next month.

The list of players invited includes those from the National, ‘A’ and T20 teams who will be involved in matches during the New Zealand tour.

Those invited are: Chamara Kapugedera, Dilshan Munaweera, Shehan Jayasuriya, Isuru Udana, Dilruwan Perera, Chaturanga de Silva, Farveez Maharoof, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dhammika Prasad, Milinda Siriwardana, Tharanga Paranavitana, Kosala Kulasekara, Binura Fernando, Ajantha Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kituruwan Vithanage, Niroshan Dickwella, Prasanna Jayawardene, Ashan Priyanjan, Sachith Pathirana, Sachitra Senanayake, Nuwan Kulasekara, Seekkuge Prasanna, Upul Tharanga, Jeevan Mendis.

“We have not approved the players contracted to us centrally and provincially because we have an important tour of New Zealand coming up and want them to be fully concentrated on it,” said Sri Lanka Cricket’s Head of Operations Carlton Bernadus.

“Recently Sri Lanka Cricket enhanced the fees for all the players participating in our domestic tournaments,” he pointed out.

Bernadus said the respective clubs were responsible for releasing cricketers who are outside the SLC contracts.