The 2017 inter-university cricket tournament of alumni associations in Canada was organised by University of Kelaniya Alumni Association of Canada (UKAAC) on June 26.
Judging by the response and enthusiasm combined with the friendly rivalry we could see that it was a resounding success. Even the weather cooperated with us and the day was extremely sunny with a mild chill which made the players comfortable.
The special feature was the debut made by the Ruhuna University who surprised us with their skills and tact on the field. Their gutsy play made the team tie with Kelaniya for a semi-final spot but our university decided to offer them the chance to play as an encouragement to the newcomers. The games were nail-biting thrillers with enough support and cheer coming from the respective tents with occasional baila dancing keeping with Sri Lankan spirits, giving us a feel of the native touch.
The participating teams were Peradeniya, Jayewardenepura, Moratuwa Engineers, Moratuwa NDT, Kelaniya, Colombo and Ruhuna. Moratuwa won the champion shield after a hard-fought battle with Peradeniya, the runners up.