CLUB CRICKET IN SRILANKA – By Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam
On 5th September 1832, a notice appearing in the Colombo Journal inviting those gentlemen who may be inclined towards in forming a cricket club, to attend the meeting at the Colombo library three days later, resulted in the formation of Colombo Cricket Club (CCC). Shortly after that, the first recorded cricket match took place at the Rifle Green in Slave Island between CCC and the British 9th Regiment of Foot. CCC faded away afterwards but revived in 1863. Players on both sides were white British, in fact CCC remained European only until 1962. British planters formed Dimbula Athletic and Cricket Club at Radella in 1856 and Dickoya and Maskeliya Cricket Club at Darrawela in 1868.
Locals began to pick up the game after its introduction to schools. Meanwhile non-European clubs began to be formed mainly on ethnic lines. Malay soldiers of Ceylon Rifle Regiment quartered next to Rifle Green, came to love the sport through watching British playing it and formed the Malay Sports Club in 1872 in a corner of the green. Colts Cricket Club followed it next year and their ground “Racquet Court”, came to be known as cradle of Ceylonese cricket. Nondescripts Cricket Club open to all was founded in 1891 followed by Bloomfield Cricket Club in 1892 and Burgher Recreation Club in 1896. Following them were the Sinhalese Sports Club and Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club in 1899 and Moors Sports Club in 1908. Subsequently several other clubs had their beginnings.
