Major League Tournament
The Major League Tournament is the national men's cricket championship of Sri Lanka. It began in the 1937–38 season, but it did not gain first-class status until 1988–89. The tournament has had several titles:
- 1937–38 to 1949–50 – Daily News Trophy
- 1950–51 to 1975–76 – P. Saravanamuttu Trophy
- 1976–77 to 1981–82 – Robert Senanayake Trophy
- 1982–83 to 1990–91 – Lakspray Trophy
- 1991–92 to 1997–98 – P. Saravanamuttu Trophy
- 1998–99 to 2014–15 – Premier Championship
- 2015–16 to 2021–22 – Premier League Tournament
- 2022–23 to present – Major League Tournament
There have been five seasons in which no competition was held:
- 1941–42 – cancelled because of World War II
- 1942–43 – cancelled because of World War II
- 1965–66 – no competition
- 2020–21 – cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic
- 2021–22 – replaced by a temporary regional competition
The 2024–25 tournament, completed on 8 March 2025, was the 83rd edition overall, and the 35th first-class one.
The title has been won outright in 79 editions, and there have been four shared titles:
- 1985–86 – Singhalese SC and Nondescripts
- 1988–89 – Singhalese SC and Nondescripts (the inaugural first-class season)
- 1994–95 – Singhalese SC and Bloomfield
- 2023–24 – Singhalese SC and Police Sports
Singhalese SC have won the championship a record 29 times, most recently in 2016–17. However, the team was relegated after the 2024–25 tournament, and will lose its first-class status in 2025–26.[1]
Other teams with multiple titles are Nondescripts (14), Bloomfield (9), Colombo (8), Colts (6), Tamil Union (3), Chilaw Marians (2), and the defunct Nomads Sports Club (2). Current MLT teams who have won one title are Burgher Recreation, Moors SC, and Ace Capital.[a]
18 teams took part in the 2024–25 tournament, and were divided into two round-robin groups. The Group A teams were Bloomfield, Colts, Ace Capital, Police Sports, Panadura SC, Badureliya SC, Chilaw Marians, Negombo, and Ragama. The teams in Group B were Nondescripts, Moors SC, Colombo, Tamil Union, Kurunegala Youth, Nugegoda, Burgher Recreation, Singhalese SC, and Kandy Customs.[2]
Notes
[change | change source]- ↑ Ace Capital was called the Sri Lanka Ports Authority Cricket Club when it won the tournament in 2014–15.
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Bloomfield end 15-year wait for Major League title". The Sunday Times. 9 March 2025. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ↑ "Sri Lanka Major League Tournament, 2024-25—Groups A and B tables". CricketArchive. Retrieved 25 May 2025.