Singhalese Sports Club

Last updated

Singhalese Sports Club
Sinhalese Sports Club logo.jpg
Personnel
Captain Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Charith Asalanka
Coach Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Saman Jayantha
Fielding coach Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Vimukthi Deshapriya
Team information
City Colombo
ColoursWhite   [1]
Founded27 March 1899;126 years ago (1899-03-27)
Home ground Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground
Capacity10,000
History
Premier Trophy  wins32 (including 3 shared)
Premier Limited Overs Tournament  wins5
Twenty20 Tournament  wins1 (2005–06)
Notable players Mahela Jayawardena
Thilan Samaraweera
Marvan Atapattu
Arjuna Ranatunga
Dasun Shanaka
Charith Asalanka

The Singhalese Sports Club (SSC) is a first-class cricket club in Colombo, Sri Lanka till 2025 when they were relegated after enduring a horrendous 2024-25 version of the Major Club 3 day tournament in which they could only muster a single victory and lost two of their eight matches. [2] [3] Singhalese is the most successful club in Sri Lankan domestic cricket, having won the Premier Trophy a record 32 times to 2017. Although the name is correctly spelt with the old spelling "Singhalese", the name is sometimes misspelt with the modern spelling "Sinhalese". Three former Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka have been presidents of the club. [4]

Contents

A Test match between Sri Lanka and England at the SSC Ground, Colombo, March 2001. SCC Ground Colombo.jpg
A Test match between Sri Lanka and England at the SSC Ground, Colombo, March 2001.

History

In 1899, [5] a combined school cricket team, composed mainly of cricketers from Royal College, S. Thomas' College and Wesley College beat Colts Cricket Club by one run. The SSC was inaugurated the same year and established as a cricket club by a group of distinguished Ceylonese lawyers, legislators, businessmen, proprietary planters and civil society leaders of that time.[ citation needed ]

In 1900, the club leased a land in Victoria Park with sandy soil and covered with cinnamon trees. [6] This land was gradually leveled to a cricket ground and its first match was played the following year. The First President of the Club was Sir Harry Dias, First Hony. Secretary H.J.V.I. Ekanayake, First Treasurer Philip de Silva & First Cricket Captain – O.G. de Alwis. The Club attracted the best school boy players from Royal, S. Thomas', Wesley, St. Josephs & Trinity.[ citation needed ]

Club presidents

PresidentTerm of office
Harry Dias Bandaranaike 1899–1901
Sir Solomon C Obeysekera1901–1927
James Peiris 1927–1930
D.S. Senanayake 1899–1901
Sir John Kotelawala 1952–1980
J.R. Jayawardene 1980–1996
Ryle de Soysa 1997–1998
Daya Perera 1999–2008
W.T. Ellawala2008 – present

Honours

(Shared trophies designated a * )

Current squad

Players with international caps are listed in bold

NoNameNatAgeBatting styleBowling style
Batsmen
21 Dimuth Karunaratne Flag of Sri Lanka.svg 37Left-handedRight-arm medium
22 Shammu Ashan Flag of Sri Lanka.svg 27Right-handedRight-arm off-break
Kavindu Kulasekara Flag of Sri Lanka.svg 30Right-handedRight-arm off-break
Pasindu Sooriyabandara Flag of Sri Lanka.svg 25Right-handed
23 Nuwanidu Fernando Flag of Sri Lanka.svg 25Right-handedRight-arm off-break
All-rounders
7 Dasun Shanaka Flag of Sri Lanka.svg 33Right-handedRight-arm medium
18 Sachithra Senanayake (Captain) Flag of Sri Lanka.svg 40Right-handedRight-arm off-break
70 Danushka Gunathilaka Flag of Sri Lanka.svg 34Left-handedRight-arm off-break
14 Charith Asalanka (Vice-captain) Flag of Sri Lanka.svg 28Left-handedRight-arm off-break
Wicketkeepers
52 Sandun Weerakkody Flag of Sri Lanka.svg 31Left-handed
12 Krishan Sanjula Flag of Sri Lanka.svg 26Right-handed
Bowlers
30 Dhammika Prasad Flag of Sri Lanka.svg 42Right-handedRight-arm fast-medium
63 Nuwan Pradeep Flag of Sri Lanka.svg 38Right-handedRight-arm fast-medium
Himesh Ramanayake Flag of Sri Lanka.svg 27Right-handedRight-arm medium-fast
Kalana Perera Flag of Sri Lanka.svg 25Left-handedLeft-arm medium-fast
5 Kushan Weerakkody Flag of Sri Lanka.svg 31Left-handedRight-arm medium-fast
46 Jeffrey Vandersay Flag of Sri Lanka.svg 35Right-handedRight-arm leg-break
15 Akash Senaratne Flag of Sri Lanka.svg 28Left-handed Slow left-arm orthodox
00 Tharindu Rathnayake Flag of Sri Lanka.svg 29Left-handed Slow left-arm orthodox, Right-arm off-break

Notable players

Sinhalese players who have represented Sri Lanka in Test, One Day International and Twenty20 International cricket

Players who have represented the Singhalese Sports Club in top-level domestic cricket

(wicket-keeper; 2 matches in 1988–89)

References

  1. "Domestic Clubs#Singhalese Sports Club". Srilankacricket.lk. Sri Lanka Cricket. Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  2. "SSC on the verge of losing first-class status - Breaking News | Daily Mirror". www.dailymirror.lk.
  3. "SSC almost likely relegated from Sri Lanka's First-Class Cricket". 16 February 2025.
  4. "About SSC". Singhalese Sports Club (SSC). Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  5. "Test venues in Sri Lanka: The Oldies". The Papare. 6 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  6. Kumar Sangakkara (3 August 2003). "Sri Lanka cricket – serious winning business!". Sunday Observer. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2009.