School matches cancelled due to security situation

All school matches, including First XI two-day matches and the Inter School Under-13 final stage matches have been postponed indefinitely, following an Education Ministry circular which advised school officials to stop students from going out of the schools due to the prevailing security situation.

Inter-House Sports Meets of several Colombo schools have also been postponed.

The Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association has decided to postpone their matches complying with the Education Ministry circular.

"We have decided to postpone all school matches indefinitely, as the Education Ministry has advised all schools to curtail the movement of students out of school," said Dilshan Silva, secretary, SLSCA.

The final stage matches of the Inter School Under-13 tournament were scheduled for the weekend when the SLSCA announced the cancellation.

"The Under-13 tournament matches and all First XI Inter School matches are postponed," Dilshan said.

The league matches of the Premier Inter School Limited Overs tournament was scheduled to commence on February 25 and the schools struggling to complete their ten Two-day matches to qualify for the tournament will receive a severe blow to their preparations due to the cancellation. But the SLSCA official said that the matter will be taken into consideration when the situation improves.

The Ministry of Education issued a circular advising school officials to stop the movement of students out of schools after the LTTE suicide bomb attack at the Fort Railway station killed several students, including the coach and seven baseball players of D. S. Senanayake College, Colombo.

by Reemus Fernando for The Sunday Island (Subscription)