Singhalese Sports Club

Singhalese Sports Club
Personnel
Captain	Charith Asalanka
Coach	Saman Jayantha
Fielding coach	Vimukthi Deshapriya
Team information
City	Colombo
Colours	White
Founded	27 March 1899; 125 years ago
Home ground	Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground
Capacity	10,000
History
Premier Trophy wins	32 (including 3 shared)
Premier Limited Overs Tournament wins	5
Twenty20 Tournament wins	1 (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. 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.^[2]

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

History

In 1899,^[3] a combined school cricket team, composed mainly of cricketers from Royal College, S. Thomas' College and Wesley College beat Colts Cricket Club by a 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.^[4] 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

President	Term of office
Harry Dias Bandaranaike	1899–1901
Sir Solomon C Obeysekera	1901–1927
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. Ellawala	2008 – present

Honours

Premier Trophy (32) – 1938–39, 1939–40, 1943–44, 1944–45, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1966–67, 1968–69, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1977–78, 1983–84, 1985–86*, 1986–87, 1988–89*, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1992–93, 1994–95*, 1997–98, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2012–13, 2016-17, 2023-24

(Shared trophies designated a * )

Current squad

Players with international caps are listed in bold

No	Name	Age	Batting style	Bowling style
Batsmen
21	Dimuth Karunaratne	36	Left-handed	Right-arm medium
22	Shammu Ashan	26	Right-handed	Right-arm off-break
–	Kavindu Kulasekara	29	Right-handed	Right-arm off-break
–	Pasindu Sooriyabandara	25	Right-handed	–
23	Nuwanidu Fernando	25	Right-handed	Right-arm off-break
All-rounders
7	Dasun Shanaka	33	Right-handed	Right-arm medium
18	Sachithra Senanayake (Captain)	39	Right-handed	Right-arm off-break
70	Danushka Gunathilaka	33	Left-handed	Right-arm off-break
14	Charith Asalanka (Vice-captain)	27	Left-handed	Right-arm off-break
Wicketkeepers
52	Sandun Weerakkody	31	Left-handed	–
12	Krishan Sanjula	26	Right-handed	–
Bowlers
30	Dhammika Prasad	41	Right-handed	Right-arm fast-medium
63	Nuwan Pradeep	38	Right-handed	Right-arm fast-medium
–	Himesh Ramanayake	27	Right-handed	Right-arm medium-fast
–	Kalana Perera	24	Left-handed	Left-arm medium-fast
5	Kushan Weerakkody	30	Left-handed	Right-arm medium-fast
46	Jeffrey Vandersay	34	Right-handed	Right-arm leg-break
15	Akash Senaratne	28	Left-handed	Slow left-arm orthodox
00	Tharindu Rathnayake	28	Left-handed	Slow left-arm orthodox, Right-arm off-break

Notable players

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

(wicket-keeper; 2 matches in 1988–89)

References

^ "Domestic Clubs#Singhalese Sports Club". Srilankacricket.lk. Sri Lanka Cricket. Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
^ "About SSC". Singhalese Sports Club (SSC). Retrieved 5 March 2021.
^ "Test venues in Sri Lanka: The Oldies". The Papare. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
^ 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.

Wisden Cricketers Almanack (annual)

External links

[1] "Domestic Clubs#Singhalese Sports Club". Srilankacricket.lk. Sri Lanka Cricket. Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.

[2] "About SSC". Singhalese Sports Club (SSC). Retrieved 5 March 2021.

[3] "Test venues in Sri Lanka: The Oldies". The Papare. Retrieved 6 May 2020.

[observer-4] 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.

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