Time to tip the hat to NSL's top guns

Sri Lanka's First-Class cricket has long cried out for reform, and finally, some bold strokes are being played.

- BY REX CLEMENTINE

The playing field has been trimmed down in recent seasons deadwood cleared to raise the stakes. But the googly of the season was the axing of SSC, the grand old club with a trophy cabinet full of stars. It raised eyebrows, but the message from the top was loud and clear no room for reputation alone. The long-term plan? Slim the domestic First-Class circuit to a lean, mean ten-team league. That's a shot well worth taking.

Towering above the club scene is the National Super League (NSL), now firmly established as the litmus test for national selection. This year's edition went down to the wire, with Galle emerging champions on a first-innings lead over Dambulla in a rain-hit final at SSC a draw on the scorecard, but a win on the balance sheet.