The Colombo District Court has dismissed a complaint filed by the Deputy Principal of Mahanama College, Colombo 3, against officials of the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA) regarding the controversial semi-final match of the Under-19 First-Class Schools Cricket Tournament between Trinity College, Kandy, and Royal College, Colombo.
The plaintiff had sought an interim injunction to prevent the match from being played on February 11th, arguing that Mahanama College had been unfairly eliminated in their semi-final against Trinity College. However, Judge Sandun Withana dismissed the request, allowing the match to proceed as scheduled.
The complaint stemmed from an incident on the second day of the semi-final, where the roller used to prepare the pitch was allegedly misused, leading to Trinity College’s batsmen refusing to continue the match after entering the field. The SLSCA subsequently awarded the match to Trinity College, prompting legal action from Mahanama College’s representative.
In response, the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association argued that the plaintiff had no legal standing to file the case on behalf of Mahanama College and that the complaint was based on incorrect legal and factual grounds. They further stated that delaying the tournament would cause significant disruption, as the final matches had to be completed before the Ordinary Level examinations, and several schools were also scheduled to hold major fixtures.
Additionally, Trinity College’s legal team informed the court that they had been wrongfully included in the case.
After hearing two days of arguments, Judge Withana dismissed the plaintiff’s entire complaint, ruling that the injunction preventing the semi-final match was invalid. The decision allows the tournament to continue without further legal obstacles.
