Cricket: BRC 6s back on track next weekend

After a two-decade hiatus, the Burgher Recreation Club, or the BRC as it is well known, will revive its 6-a-side Cricket Tournament, which was a hit in the past. 

The two-day tournament, where the top 16 clubs of Sri Lanka can be seen an action, will be held at the BRC and the neighbouring Colts grounds on November 12 and 13. 

Making it a glamorous competition, the winner is expected to walk away with a grand cash award of Rs. One Million and a trophy while the losing finalists are ensured with a sum of Rs. 250,000.

In addition attractive cash awards will be presented to the player of the match from the quarter-final stage and the player of the final, which will be Rs. 100,000. 

The tournament promises of 23 matches with 16 preliminary round matches to be played at Colts and BRC grounds. 

The teams would be drafted to the groups at the draw which will be held today evening at the BRC premises, which will be the venue of the final day. 

The tournament will feature 14 Premier clubs and the top two teams from the Emerging Trophy that were featured in the Sri Lanka Cricket's 2015/16 Premier Tournament. 

Each team is expected to play at least two games on the first day before it reaches the knockout stage. 

The BRC Cricket 6s, was Sri Lanka's first-ever and most anticipated Cricket competitions way back in the retro era. 

Pioneered in 1969, with the initiative of Ronnie Berenger, who was in England for umpiring and witnessed a short format of Cricket, brought down the idea to the BRC upon his return to Sri Lanka. 

"The BRC Committee willingly grabbed the idea, and the first event became a hit. It progressed as years went by and was a much looked forward-to annual event, where over 5000 spectators flocked to Havelock Park to witness some entertaining Cricket," stated Kumar Weerasuriya, the Chairman of BRC 6s. 

What would have been the 48th annual event by now was curtailed by 20 when the tournament could not make progress after 1996, the year it was last held. 

By then Cricket 6s has become a common and popular showpiece around Sri Lanka and its pioneers in the country, the BRC had less attraction to its own competition. 

"The situation of the country also affected in companies coming out as sponsors. It took two decades to revive the competition as we had to plan it on a huge scale. What we have done now is just a small kick-start, we have better plans for the future," Weerasuriya added. 

The tournament is run by a high profile set of administrators who have served Cricket as players, administrators and top officials. Former International Umpire Peter Manuel and K.H. Nandasena head the Technical Committee as joint chairmen. 

Graeme Labrooy comes in as one of the match referees and among the umpires are ICC International Panel members Ruchira Palliyaguruge and R. Wimalasiri. 

The teams that are expected to feature in the competition are Army SC, CCC, SSC, Colts, Chilaw Marians, NCC, Ragama CC, Ports Authority, Moors, Tamil Union, Badureliya SC, Galle CC, Saracens, Bloomfield, Navy and hosts BRC.