The Singhalese Sports Club (SSC) is a first-class cricket club in Colombo, Sri Lanka till 2025 when they were relegated after enduring a horrendous 2024-25 version of the Major Club 3 day tournament in which they could only muster a single victory and lost two of their eight matches. Singhalese is the most successful club in Sri Lankan domestic cricket, having won the Premier Trophy a record 32 times to 2017. Although the name is correctly spelt with the old spelling "Singhalese", the name is sometimes misspelt with the modern spelling "Sinhalese". Three former Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka have been presidents of the club.
History In 1899, a combined school cricket team, composed mainly of cricketers from Royal College, S. Thomas' College and Wesley College beat Colts Cricket Club by one run. The SSC was inaugurated the same year and established as a cricket club by a group of distinguished Ceylonese lawyers, legislators, businessmen, proprietary planters and civil society leaders of that time.
In 1900, the club leased a land in Victoria Park with sandy soil and covered with cinnamon trees. This land was gradually leveled to a cricket ground and its first match was played the following year. The First President of the Club was Sir Harry Dias, First Hony. Secretary H.J.V.I. Ekanayake, First Treasurer Philip de Silva & First Cricket Captain – O.G. de Alwis. The Club attracted the best school boy players from Royal, S. Thomas', Wesley, St. Josephs & Trinity.
Club presidents PresidentTerm of officeHarry Dias Bandaranaike1899–1901Sir Solomon C Obeysekera1901–1927James Peiris1927–1930D.S. Senanayake1930–1952 Sir John Kotelawala1952–1980J.R. Jayawardene1980–1996Ryle de Soysa1997–1998Daya Perera1999–2008W.T. Ellawala2008 – present
Honours
Premier Trophy (32) – 1938–39, 1939–40, 1943–44, 1944–45, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1966–67, 1968–69, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1977–78, 1983–84, 1985–86*, 1986–87, 1988–89*, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1992–93, 1994–95*, 1997–98, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2012–13, 2016-17, 2023-24
Major Clubs Limited Over Tournament (1) – 2023–24
Current squad Players with international caps are listed in bold No Name Nat Age Batting style Bowling style Batsmen21Dimuth Karunaratne Left-handed Right-arm medium22Shammu Ashan Right-handed Right-arm off-break–Kavindu KulasekaraRight-handedRight-arm off-break–Pasindu SooriyabandaraRight-handed–23Nuwanidu FernandoRight-handedRight-arm off-break All-rounders7Dasun Shanaka Right-handed Right-arm medium18Sachithra Senanayake (Captain) Right-handed Right-arm off-break70Danushka Gunathilaka Left-handed Right-arm off-break14Charith Asalanka (Vice-captain) Left-handed Right-arm off-break Wicketkeepers52Sandun WeerakkodyLeft-handed–12Krishan Sanjula Right-handed – Bowlers30Dhammika Prasad Right-handed Right-arm fast-medium63Nuwan Pradeep Right-handed Right-arm fast-medium–Himesh RamanayakeRight-handedRight-arm medium-fast–Kalana PereraLeft-handedLeft-arm medium-fast5Kushan WeerakkodyLeft-handedRight-arm medium-fast46Jeffrey Vandersay Right-handed Right-arm leg-break15Akash Senaratne Left-handed Slow left-arm orthodox00Tharindu RathnayakeLeft-handedSlow left-arm orthodox, Right-arm off-break
Notable players Sinhalese players who have represented Sri Lanka in Test, One Day International and Twenty20 International cricket
Saliya Ahangama Marvan Atapattu Chamara Silva Ashantha de Mel Pubudu Dassanayake Guy de Alwis Roy Dias Binura Fernando Dilhara Fernando Nisal Fernando Danushka Gunathilaka Avishka Gunawardane Asanka Gurusinha Dinuka Hettiarachchi Mahela Jayawardena Dimuth Karunaratne Kaushal Lokuarachchi Duleep Mendis Tharanga Paranavitana Ruchira Perera Suresh Perera Nuwan Pradeep Dhammika Prasad Arjuna Ranatunga Dammika Ranatunga Sanjeeva Ranatunga Thilan Samaraweera Sachithra Senanayake Jayantha Silva Kaushal Silva Thilan Thushara Mithra Wettimuny Sidath Wettimuny Pramodya Wickramasinghe Piyal Wijetunge Nuwan Zoysa
Players who have represented the Singhalese Sports Club in top-level domestic cricket
Dunil Abeydeera Ranil Abeynaike Sanka Abeyruwan Suraj Abeysekera Naresh Adikaram Saliya Ahangama Geeth Alwis Stefan Anthonisz Suranga Arunakumara Mohamed Aslam Marvan Atapattu Chaminda Bandara Rajitha Basnayake Minod Bhanuka Sohan Boralessa Chaminda Boteju N. Buddhasiri (wicket-keeper; 2 matches in 1988–89) Asitha Costa Ian Daniel Gehan Dassanayake Pubudu Dassanayake Guy de Alwis Rohan de Silva Shamal de Silva Kavinda de Thissera Ranil Dhammika Gagan Dissanayake Mahesha Dissanayake Samantha Dodanwela Gamini Dushantha Thilina Embuldeniya Binura Fernando Chaminda Fernando Dilhara Fernando Hans Fernando Lasith Fernando Lilan Fernando Milan Fernando Muditha Fernando Nisal Fernando Radhive Fernando Sanjaya Fernando Sham Fernando Upekha Fernando Upul Fernando Wesley Fernando Ruwan Galappathy Lahiru Gamage Suresh Gunasekera Chathupama Gunasinghe Danushka Gunathilaka Aruna Gunawardene Avishka Gunawardene Asanka Gurusinha Mahinda Halangoda Suresh Harding Dinuka Hettiarachchi Mohamed Iftikhar Damith Indika Charith Jayampathi Mahela Jayawardene Prasanna Jayawardene Thilina Kandamby Chamara Kapugedera Dimuth Karunaratne Kaushal Lokuarachchi Kasun Madushanka Gayan Maneshan Ushan Manohara Duleep Mendis Jeevan Mendis Manjula Munasinghe Tharanga Paranavitana Suresh Perera Thisara Perera Nuwan Pradeep Amil Prasad Dhammika Prasad Brian Rajadurai Bhanuka Rajapaksa Sanka Ramesh Arjuna Ranatunga Dammika Ranatunga Nishantha Ranatunga Sanjeeva Ranatunga Suraj Randiv Thilan Samaraweera Sachithra Senanayake Dasun Shanaka Chamara Silva Jayantha Silva Kaushal Silva Sanjeewa Silva Don Somasiri Charith Sylvester Chaminda Vidanapathirana Hemantha Wickramaratne Pramodya Wickramasinghe Pubudu Dushyantha De Silva Gayan Wijekoon Vishva Wijeratne Piyal Wijetunge Nuwan Zoysa
References
Wisden Cricketers Almanack (annual)
External links
CricInfo re Sri Lankan cricket history Sinhalese Sports Club at CricketArchive