1997 when Matara Sports Club qualified for the Premier League
View(s):1996/1997 was a season that cricket was at its best in Matara. It was during this time that the oldest cricket club in Matara, the Matara
The Matara Sports Club Team which won the Division I Segment B of the Sara Trophy tournament organized by the BCCSL in 1996/1997 Seated from left: Sunil Mohotti (General Secretary), P.I.W. Jayasekera, Iresh Priyantha, D.P.M.C. Waidyarathne (captain), Justin Galappaththi (President), Sujith Kulathunge (Vice Captain), T.D. Munasinghe, Jagath Nandakumara, Gemunu de Silva (Sports Secretary). Standing from left: L.S. Suwanderathne, N.R.C.K. Guruge, Priyantha Siriwardena, Gayan Lanka, S.M. Ramzan, Ajantha Lankathilaka, S.W. Nadiranga, S.A. Wasantha.
Sports Club won the Sara Trophy Cricket tournament conducted by the Board of Control of Cricket in Sri Lanka (known as Sri Lanka Cricket now). The champion team was led by D P M C Waidyarathne and comprised of P I W Jayasekera, Iresh Priyantha, Sujith Kulathunge, T D Munasinghe, Jagath Nandakumara, L S Suwanderathne, N R C K Guruge, Priyantha Siriwardena, Gayan Lanka, S M Ramzan, Ajantha Lankathilaka, S W Nadiranga and S A Wasantha .Matara Sports Club the tier ‘B’ champions registered an eight wicket win in the final against tier ‘A ‘champions Moors SC. The final was played at the Sara stadium on Sunday the 2nd of March 1997.
Moors batting first were demolished for 153 runs with skipper Waidyarathne capturing eight wickets. Matara SC scored 220 runs with Sujith Kulathunge scoring 95 runs while L S Suwanderathne chipped in with 32. Imran Thahir captured four wickets. Priyantha Siriwardena captured five wickets while Waidyarathne captured three wickets to restrict the Moors second innings to 135 runs. Tariq Jiffrey topped the score sheet with 40 runs. Matara SC scored the 68 runs required for an outright win for the loss of two wickets.
Moors SC 153 and 135 for 9 (Tariq Jiffrey 40, B. Bongso 16, Shehan Abeygunawardena 29, Priyantha Siriwardena 5/45, D.P.M.C. Waidyarathne 3/61, T.D. Munasinghe 2/22)
Matara SC 220 (Sujith Kulathunge 95, L S Suwanderathne 32, Imran Thahir 4/73, Riyaz Farook 3/40, C. de Silva 2/44) and 71 for 2 wickets (Sujith Kulathunge 21, Iresh Priyantha 13n.o, Priyantha Siriwardena 12, N. Gamage 10n.o.)
- P.D. de S