[caption id="attachment_51222" align="aligncenter" width="818"] The skippers of the seven participating firms this time: Lakshan Rodrigo of LB Finance (6-L), Nisala Tharaka Gamage of DIMO (4-L), Jeewan Mendis of Sampath Bank (5-L), and Nipun Dhananjaya of SLC U-19 (2-L), and Kusal Perera of MAS Unichela, Bhanuka Rajapaksha of John Keells Group, and Lahiru Thirimanne of Hayleys Group (absent)   [/caption] The Singer-MCA Premier League gets a huge shot in the arm with the inclusion of a Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Under-19 Team to its 27th edition of 2020, scheduled to get underway on 13 October 2019. SLC has confirmed the participation of their U-19 team in the “League” and "Knock-Out” tournaments only and not in the "T20", the Mercantile Cricket Association (MCA) announced on Thursday, 10 October. Thus, SLC and MCA have joined hands to give the youngsters the much needed exposure, experience, and recognition setting up an ideal platform to enter into big-time cricket, MCA added in the said communiqué. MCA has grabbed SLC’s brilliant gesture with both hands, as it came in a time of need, according to the MCA. Four teams who played last season have pulled out. The seven firms playing in the League this time: LB Finance (current League Winner) led by Lakshan Rodrigo DIMO (Knock-out Runners-up) led by Nisala Tharaka MAS Unichela (T20 Winner) led by Kusal Perera John Keells Group (T20 Runners-up) led by Bhanuka Rajapaksha Sampath Bank led by Jeewan Mendis Hayleys Group led by Lahiru Thirimanne SLC U-19 team led by Nipun Dhananjaya [caption id="attachment_51223" align="aligncenter" width="755"] The 27th Singer-MCA Premier League 2020 was launched on Wednesday, 9 October at the MCA’s Fine Dinner, “The Pitch” with the following guests and officials: Marketing Director - Singer Sri Lanka PLC, Kumar Samarasinghe (centre), Senior Promotions Manager, Singer Sri Lanka PLC, K.D.S. Kanishka (5-L), Vice President, MCA, Nalin Wickramasinghe (4-L), General Secretary, MCA, Sirosha Gunathilake (2-L), and Chairman - Sponsorship Committee, MCA, Rohan Somawansa (L)[/caption] The League The “League” stage, conducted on a single-group round-robin, consisting 21 matches will take place from 13-30 October 2019. The venues are: MCA, P. Sara Oval, Marians Cricket Ground, Katunayake, Colombo Colts, BRC, & SSC The Knock-out The “Knock-out” stage with the above seven firms which will follow, consisting six matches will be from 2-23 November 2019. The T20 In the "T20" tournament, six teams polled into two groups will played on a round-robin from 25-30 November 2019. The Player Control Team (PCT) All Matches will be supervised by an MCA-appointed Match Referee. The On-field Umpires will be assigned by the Association of Professional Cricket Umpires (APCU) and the Scorers will be assigned by the Sri Lanka Cricket Scorers Association (SLCSA). The official match-ball: ‘Grays of Cambridge’ (Pakistan) “Cavalier” white ball. 240 numbers of the brand, sufficient for all three tournaments above, was donated by SLC. Special Awards: * The Best Batsman, the Best Bowler, and the Man of the Series (for the League) * The Man of the Final (for the Knock-out) * The Best Batsman, the Best Bowler, and the Man of the Final (for the T20)