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by Dinesh Weerawansa

The cream of local club cricketers, including Sri Lanka Test stars, will be seen in action at the BCCSL Inter-Club Premier League tournament semi-finals which starts in Colombo today. Unlike in the first round and the super league final round matches which were three-day games, the two semi-finals and next weekend's final will be four-day affairs.

Undoubtedly the two 'semis' and the finals will have a greater interest as the national selectors will keep a close eye on the cricketers before they sit down to finalise the Sri Lanka team for next month's three-Test summer tour of England. Sri Lanka coach Dav Whatmore confirmed that the national team players will have a break to play for their respective clubs in the semi-finals and the final of the tournament.

In the two four-day semi-finals of Sri Lanka's main domestic inter-club tournament, NCC will take on Colts CC at Saravanamuttu Stadium while Tamil Union take on SSC at NCC Grounds. It will be interesting to see how successful NCC will be in maintaining their impressive record so far in the tournament.

At the end of the super league final round last Sunday, NCC finished on top of the points table with 98.005 points, with Tamil Union second with 96.845 points, SSC third with 92.340 points and Colts fourth at 89.760 points.

The Final will be played at the SSC from March 29 to April 1, enabling all Sri Lanka cricketers to play for their respective clubs before they leave for Sharjah early next month for a triangular tournament with Pakistan and New Zealand..

NCC will have the services of many present and former Sri Lanka national players in Aravinda de Silva, Hashan Tillakaratne, Russel Arnold, Kumar Sangakkara, Ruwan Kalpage, Malinga Bandara and Sri Lanka youth players Naweed Nawaz, Pradeep Hewage and Akalanka Ganegama.

Former Sri Lanka captain Aravinda de Silva, fresh after successive knocks of 194 and 64 in the last fortnight, will make every effort to maintain his form and impress the selectors to earn a Test recall, when Sri Lanka names its tour party to England later next month.

NCC batsmen will have to earn their runs against a penetrative Colts bowling attack, which comprise Sri Lanka pacemen Chaminda Vaas and Dulip Liyanage, supported by Eric Upashantha. Colts CC's top order batsman Romesh Kaluwitharana will be looking forward to celebrate his return to the Sri Lanka team for the Sharjah tour with an entertaining innings.

Among the other national poolists in the Colts side are Kaushalya Weearartne, Sajith Fernando, Chaminda Mendis and M. Pushpakumara. Hence, NCC will have to expect a tough game against Colts in their semi final match.

The other semi-final between Tamil Union and SSC should turn out to be an interesting affair. Both teams will miss one of their top Sri Lanka players each due to Saturday's CEAT Cricketer of the Year annual awards presentation ceremony in Mumbai.

Tamil Union's Muttiah Muralitharan (who will be crowned the CEAT Cricketer of the year) and SSC's reliable frontline batsman Marvan Atapattu could miss this semi final game. Nevertheless, SSC will have the services of Sri Lanka cricketers Mahela Jayawardena, Tilan Samaraweera, Nuwan Zoysa, Suresh Perera, Ruchira Perera and Avishka Gunawardena.Despite the absence of magical off spinner Muralitharan, Tamil Union bowling attack would still look penetrative with Sri Lanka all-rounder Upul Chandana and Test spinner Niroshan Bandaratillaka. Also in the Tamil Union side is Indika de Saram, who will strengthen the middle order batting.

D. N. Pathirana and Gamini Dissanayake will be the umpires for the first semi-final at Saravanamuttu Stadium where the Match Referee will be former Sri Lanka wicket keeper bat Mahesh Goonetilleke.

The umpires for the second semi-final at NCC Grounds are D. A. S. Dissanayake and Ranmore Martinez with ex-Test spinner turned selector Don Anurasiri as the match referee.

Meanwhile, the decisive league match of the Premier Division Plate Championship 2001/02, between Chilaw Marians and Sebastianites will be played at the NCC Grounds from March 29 to 31. Chilaw Marians head the latest Plate championship standings with 94.570 points, with Sebastianites second with 92.015 points. This match, which was originally scheduled to commence tomorrow, but has now been put off by a week due to non-availability of the ground.

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