Inaugural Sri Lankan Premier League set for huge start

By Fathima Zanaida

COLOMBO: The inaugural edition of the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) is all set to commence from August 11, 2012 where top international and Sri Lankan players will showcase their Twenty20 skills.

While the national cricket team is busy taking on India in the five-match One Day International series, the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) officials are finalizing arrangements to make the SLPL2012 a huge success.

The latest announcement by the SLPL2012 organizers was about the event’s online partners and the mascot (Silva the lion), and the host and overseas broadcasters in a press conference held at a local hotel Friday.

All the matches would be telecast by the premier Sri Lankan sports broadcaster, Carlton Sports Network while the tournament would be televised live in Canada by ATN, in United States, United Kingdom, and the Caribbean by ESPN3, while ESPN-Star Sports will telecast all the matches live in the subcontinent and the far-east Asia.

The SLPL2012 organizers also made public the tournament’s full schedule besides naming captains of six of the seven teams on Friday.

List of Teams and captains

Basnahira Cricket Dundees: Tillakaratne Dilshan

Kandurata Warriors: Kumar Sangakkara

Negenahira Nagas: Angelo Mathews

Ruhuna Royals: Lasith Malinga

Uthura Rudras: Jehan Mubarak

Wayamba United: Mahela Jayawardene

Uva Next: To be confirmed

Complete SLPL2012 Schedule

R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

August 11: Nagenahira Nagas vs Ruhuna Royals (1600 hrs)

August 11: Basnahira Cricket Dundee vs Kandurata Warriors (2000)

August 12: Uthura Rudras vs Wayamba United (1600)

August 12: Uva Next vs Basnahira Cricket Dundee (2000)

August 13: Kandurata Warriors vs Nagenahira Nagas (2000)

August 14: Ruhuna Royals vs Uthura Rudras (2000)

August 15 & 16: Rest days

Pallekele International Stadium, Kandy

August 17: Waymba United vs Uva Next (1600)

August 17: Basnahira Cricket Dundee vs Nagenahira Nagas (2000)

August 18: Kandurata Warriors vs Uthura Rudras (1600)

August 19: Wayamba United vs Basnahira Cricket Dundee (1600)

August 19: Uthura Rudras vs Uva Next (2000)

August 20: Kandurata Warriors vs Ruhuna Royals (1600)

August 20: Nagenahira Nagas vs Wayamba United (2000)

August 21: Ruhuna Royals vs Uva Next (1600)

August 21: Uthura Rudras vs Basnahira Cricket Dundee (2000)

August 22 & 23: Rest days

R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

August 24: Wayamba United vs Kandurata Warriors (1600)

August 25: Basnahira Cricket Dundee vs Ruhuna Royals (1600)

August 25: Kandurata Warriors vs Uva Next (2000)

August 26: Nagenahira Nagas vs Uthura Rudras (1400)

August 26: Ruhuna Royals vs Wayamba United (2000)

August 27: Uva Next vs Nagenahira Nagas (2000)

August 28: First semi-final (2000)

August 29: Second semi-final (2000)

August 30: Rest day

August 31: Final (2000)