Miscellaneous

A brief history

Domestic cricket in Sri Lanka

05-Oct-2006
Domestic cricket in Sri Lanka is played between clubs recognised by the Sri Lankan cricket board. First-class cricket in Ceylon, as it was known before 1972, was initially restricted to matches played by combined Ceylon teams overseas or against touring international sides. England and Australia would often stop over in Colombo en route to their respective destinations and play matches. The first such match dates back to 1882, against the touring England side. It was only in 1937 when a structured inter-club first-class tournament came into being, known as the Daily News Trophy. The title was changed to P Saravanamuttu Trophy in 1950-51 and then the sponsors came into the picture in 1985-86, and it was renamed the Lakspray Trophy, and was later renamed the Sara Trophy eight seasons later. The tournament changed its title again in 1998-99 to the Premier Trophy. The Sinhalese Sports Club has won the tournament a record 29 times. Another popular trophy, the Gopalan Trophy - named after MJ Gopalan, the legendary Madras allrounder - was instituted in 1952-53. Madras and Ceylon were the teams, playing matches on a home and away basis.
Winners

Daily News Trophy

Winners
1938 Kalutara TC
1938-39 Sinhalese Sports Club
1939-40 Sinhalese Sports Club
1940-41 Saracans Sports Club
1941-42 No Competition
1942-43 No Competition
1943-44 Sinhalese Sports Club
1944-45 Sinhalese Sports Club
1945-46 Tamil Union C&A Club
1946-47 Sinhalese Sports Club
1947-48 Sinhalese Sports Club
1948-49 Sinhalese Sports Club
1949-50 Sinhalese Sports Club

P. Saravanamuttu Trophy

Winners
1950-51 Tamil Union C & A Club
1951-52 Sinhalese Sports Club
1952-53 Nondescripts Cricket Club
1953-54 Nondescripts Cricket Club
1954-55 Nondescripts Cricket Club
1955-56 Burgher Recreation Club
1956-57 Nondescripts Cricket Club
1957-58 Nondescripts Cricket Club
1958-59 Sinhalese Sports Club
1959-60 Sinhalese Sports Club
1960-61 Nondescripts Cricket Club
1961-62 Sinhalese Sports Club
1962-63 University
1963-64 Bloomfield C&A Club
1964-65 Nomads Sports Club
1965-66 No competition
1966-67 Sinhalese Sports Club
1967-68 Nomads Sports Club
1968-69 Sinhalese Sports Club
1969-70 Nondescripts Cricket Club
1970-71 Nondescripts Cricket Club
1971-72 Sinhalese Sports Club
1972-73 Sinhalese Sports Club
1973-74 Sinhalese Sports Club
1974-75 Sinhalese Sports Club
1975-76 Nondescripts Cricket Club
1976-77 Nondescripts Cricket Club
1977-78 Sinhalese Sports Club
1978-79 Nondescripts Cricket Club
1979-80 Colombo Cricket Club
1980-81 Bloomfield C&A Club
1981-82 Bloomfield C&A Club
1982-83 Bloomfield C&A Club
1983-84 Sinhalese Sports Club
1984-85 Colombo Cricket Club

Lakspray Trophy

Winners
1985-86 Sinhalese Sports Club & Nondescripts Cricket Club
1986-87 Sinhalese Sports Club
1987-88 Colombo Cricket Club
1988-89 Sinhalese Sports Club & Nondescripts Cricket Club
1989-90 Sinhalese Sports Club
1990-91 Sinhalese Sports Club

P Saravanamuttu Trophy

Winners
1991-92 Colts Cricket Club
1992-93 Sinhalese Sports Club
1993-94 Nondescripts Cricket Club
1994-95 Sinhalese Sports Club & Bloomfield C&A Club
1995-96 Colombo Cricket Club
1996-97 Bloomfield C&A Club
1997-98 Sinhalese Sports Club & Bloomfield C&A Club

Premier Trophy

Winners
1998-99 Bloomfield C&A Club
1999-00 Colts Cricket Club
2000-01 Nondescripts Cricket Club
2001-02 Colts Cricket Club
2002-03 Moors Sports Club
2003-04 Bloomfield C&A Club
2004-05 Colts Cricket Club
2005-06 Sinhalese Sports Club
2006-07 Colombo Cricket Club
2007-08 Sinhalese Sports Club
2008-09 Tier A: Colts Cricket Club
Tier B: Saracens Sports Club
2009-10 Tier A: Chilaw Marians Cricket Club
Tier B: Lankan Cricket Club
2010-11 Tier A: Bloomfield C&A Club
Tier B: Moors Sports Club
2011-12 Tier A: Colts Cricket Club
Tier B: Sri Lanka Army
2012-13 Sinhalese Sports Club
2013-14 Nondescripts Cricket Club
2014-15 Sri Lanka Ports Authority Cricket Club
2015-16 Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club
2016-17 Sinhalese Sports Club
2017-18 Chilaw Marians Sports Club
2018-19 Colombo Cricket Club
2019-20 Colombo Cricket Club
No tournaments were held during 1941-42 and 1942-43 as all grounds in Colombo were requisitioned