ACS Overseas First-Class Annual 2010

Sri Lanka in 2009/10 After playing successful home series in 2009 against Pakistan and New Zealand, winning both 2-0 (see ‘Matches in 2009’), Sri Lanka’s only Test engagement in 2009/10 was a three-match rubber in India, which resulted in a severe defeat by the same 2-0 margin (see the India section). The only first-class match of an international character played in Sri Lanka in 2009/10 was a ‘home’ game for Afghanistan in the ICC Inter-Continental Cup. The main first-class tournament, the Premier Championship, was the subject of a serious dispute arising from a match between Sebastianites and Panadura in the 2008/09 competition. That match was abandoned when the pitch became unfit on the first day, and it was deleted from the Tier B table. A replay was ordered, but it did not take place owing to disagreements between the sides. Eventually Sebastianites were awarded a win, worth an additional 12 points, and the final Tier B table on page 465 of the 2009 Annual should be modified accordingly. This meant that Lankan, not Sebastianites, finished in last place. Under the rules of the competition, Lankan should have exchanged places with Sri Lanka Navy, winners of the non-first-class Tier C. Instead, following the intervention of the Sports Minister, it was decided that there would be no relegation from either Tier A or Tier B but that promotions would take place regardless. Lankan thus remained in Tier B, while Sri Lanka Navy were promoted from Tier C; and Saracens, winners of Tier B in 2008/09, were duly promoted to Tier A but Sri Lanka Army was not relegated. In 2009/10, therefore, Tier A consisted of 12 teams while Tier B comprised 10. Each Tier played a round-robin league and Chilaw Marians, narrowly heading Tier A over Nondescripts, became Premier Champions. The Inter-Provincial Tournament took place at the end of the season and was headed by the two Basnahira teams, North and South, which shared the title after the final had to be abandoned owing to bad weather. Premier Championship 2009/10: Final tables Tier A P W L DWF DLF ND BatBP BowBP Pts 12 0 8 0 0 1 Chilaw Marians 11 4 0 3 1 3 19.375 16.3 107.675 2 Nondescripts 11 5 0 1 2 3 19.860 15.6 103.460 3 Colts 11 4 1 0 4 2 18.615 15.7 82.315 4 Sinhalese 11 1 0 4 3 3 23.800 12.1 79.900 5 Badureliya 11 2 3 3 2 1 17.940 13.6 79.540 6 Tamil Union 11 1 2 4 1 3 18.915 13.4 76.315 7 Bloomfield 11 2 2 2 1 4 20.000 13.8 73.800 8 Ragama 11 0 3 5 0 3 19.990 12.6 72.590 9 Saracens 11 2 3 1 3 2 18.015 13.9 63.915 10 Colombo 11 2 2 1 3 3 16.240 14.4 62.640 11 Sri Lanka Army 11 1 5 0 2 3 15.535 13.9 41.435 12 Moors 11 0 3 1 3 4 20.795 10.9 39.695 479