The Major League Tournament (formerly known as the Premier Trophy) is the main domestic first-class cricket competition in Sri Lanka. It was established in 1938 and has existed under a number of different names. Matches before the 1988–89 season are not considered first-class. Relaunched as the Lakspray Trophy in 1988–89, it was renamed as the P. Saravanamuttu Trophy in 1990–91 and as the Premier Championship in 1998–99. There was a change of format in 2015–16 when it became the Premier League Tournament which was split into Tiers A and B the following year.
The league was cancelled in 2020–21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then a new temporary tournament was introduced in 2021–22 called the National Super Provincial 4-Day Tournament. This was contested by five provincial teams: Colombo District, Dambulla District, Galle District, Jaffna District and Kandy District. They played each other once each and then the top four went into a knockout semi-final round followed by a championship final in which Kandy District defeated Jaffna District, 7–10 April 2022.
Ahead of the 2022–23 season, the competition was relaunched with a rebranding as the Major League Tournament. The 26 first-class clubs are split into Groups A and B, each team playing the others in its group once each, and the two group winners meeting in a championship final. A tiered promotion and relegation system was also introduced, with the Governor's Trophy 2-Day Tournament acting as the lower tier.
Teams The Major League Tournament in 2025–26 was split into Group A and Group B leagues, with seven teams in each. The following teams were involved:
Group A Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club Chilaw Marians Cricket Club Colombo Cricket Club Colts Cricket Club Nugegoda Sports and Welfare Club Panadura Sports Club Police Sports Club
Group B Ace Capital Cricket Club Badureliya Sports Club Burgher Recreation Club Kurunegala Youth Cricket Club Moors Sports Club Nondescripts Cricket Club Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club
Former MLT teams (pre-2025/26) Galle Cricket Club Kalutara Town Club Kandy Customs Cricket Club Lankan Cricket Club Negombo Cricket Club Ragama Cricket Club Saracens Sports Club Sebastianites Cricket and Athletic Club Sinhalese Sports Club Sri Lanka Air Force Sports Club Sri Lanka Army Sports Club Sri Lanka Navy Sports Club
List of winners The champion team in each season since 1938 has been: Daily News Trophy 1938 Kalutara Town Club 1938–39 Singhalese Sports Club 1939–40 Singhalese Sports Club 1940–41 Saracens Sports Club 1941–42 No competition 1942–43 No competition 1943–44 Singhalese Sports Club 1944–45 Singhalese Sports Club 1945–46 Tamil Union C & A Club 1946–47 Singhalese Sports Club 1947–48 Singhalese Sports Club 1948–49 Singhalese Sports Club 1949–50 Singhalese Sports Club
P. Saravanamuttu Trophy 1950–51 Tamil Union C & A Club 1951–52 Singhalese Sports Club 1952–53 Nondescripts Cricket Club 1953–54 Nondescripts Cricket Club 1954–55 Nondescripts Cricket Club 1955–56 Burgher Recreation Club 1956–57 Nondescripts Cricket Club 1957–58 Nondescripts Cricket Club 1958–59 Singhalese Sports Club 1959–60 Singhalese Sports Club 1960–61 Nondescripts Cricket Club 1961–62 Singhalese Sports Club 1962–63 University 1963–64 Bloomfield C & AC 1964–65 Nomads Sports Club 1965–66 No competition 1966–67 Singhalese Sports Club 1967–68 Nomads Sports Club 1968–69 Singhalese Sports Club 1969–70 Nondescripts Cricket Club 1970–71 Nondescripts Cricket Club 1971–72 Singhalese Sports Club 1972–73 Singhalese Sports Club 1973–74 Singhalese Sports Club 1974–75 Singhalese Sports Club 1975–76 Nondescripts Cricket Club
Robert Senanayake Trophy 1976–77 Nondescripts Cricket Club 1977–78 Singhalese Sports Club 1978–79 Nondescripts Cricket Club 1979–80 Colombo Cricket Club 1980–81 Bloomfield C & AC 1981–82 Bloomfield C & AC
Lakspray Trophy 1982–83 Bloomfield C & AC 1983–84 Singhalese Sports Club 1984–85 Colombo Cricket Club 1985–86 Singhalese Sports Club & Nondescripts Cricket Club 1986–87 Singhalese Sports Club 1987–88 Colombo Cricket Club 1988–89 Nondescripts Cricket Club & Singhalese Sports Club (inaugural first-class season) 1989–90 Singhalese Sports Club 1990–91 Singhalese Sports Club
P. Saravanamuttu Trophy 1991–92 Colts Cricket Club 1992–93 Singhalese Sports Club 1993–94 Nondescripts Cricket Club 1994–95 Singhalese Sports Club and Bloomfield C & AC 1995–96 Colombo Cricket Club 1996–97 Bloomfield C & AC 1997–98 Singhalese Sports Club
Premier Championship 1998–99 Bloomfield C & AC 1999–00 Colts Cricket Club 2000–01 Nondescripts Cricket Club 2001–02 Colts Cricket Club 2002–03 Moors Sports Club 2003–04 Bloomfield C & AC 2004–05 Colts Cricket Club 2005–06 Singhalese Sports Club 2006–07 Colombo Cricket Club 2007–08 Singhalese Sports Club 2008–09 Colts Cricket Club 2009–10 Chilaw Marians Cricket Club 2010–11 Bloomfield C & AC 2011–12 Colts Cricket Club 2012–13 Singhalese Sports Club 2013–14 Nondescripts Cricket Club 2014–15 Sri Lanka Ports Authority Cricket Club
Premier League Tournament 2015–16 Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club 2016–17 Singhalese Sports Club 2017–18 Chilaw Marians Cricket Club 2018–19 Colombo Cricket Club 2019–20 Colombo Cricket Club 2020–21 cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 2021–22 replaced by temporary regional competition
Major League Tournament 2022–23 Colombo Cricket Club 2023–24 Sinhalese Sports Club and Police Sports Club 2024–25 Bloomfield C & AC 2025–26 Colts Cricket Club 2026–27
Wins by Clubs † Extinct Clubs * Shared title ClubWinsWinning yearsSinghalese Sports Club321938–39, 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, 2016–17Nondescripts Cricket Club161952–53, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1960–61, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1985–86, 1988–89*, 1993–94, 2000–01, 2013–14Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club91963–64, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1994–95*, 1996–97, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2010–11Colombo Cricket Club81979–80, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1995–96, 2006–07, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2022–23Colts Cricket Club71991–92, 1999–00, 2001–02, 2004–05, 2008–09, 2011–12, 2025–26Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club31945–46, 1950–51, 2015–16†Nomads Sports Club21964–65, 1967–68Chilaw Marians Cricket Club22009–10, 2017–18Kalutara Town Club11938Saracens Sports Club11940–41Burgher Recreation Club11955–56†University11962–63Moors Sports Club12002–03Sri Lanka Ports Authority Cricket Club12014–15
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