Sri Lanka's state broadcaster to cover domestic cricket

Sri Lanka's state broadcaster, the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC), will cover domestic limited-overs, league and Twenty20 tournaments - the first time local matches will be telecast live - following a five-year deal signed with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). The company will also sponsor these tournaments.

"For the first time there will be live telecasts of local matches," the SLC's media manager, Samantha Algama, told PTI. "This would include live telecast of quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals of the country's Premier League matches, Twenty20 games, four-day tournaments and highlight packages."

Algama said the deal, under which SLRC will sponsor the main tournaments of the SLC for five years, was worth Rs 50 million [US$ 453,000]. However, the rights for the Sri Lanka-India Test series in June next year had not yet been bought.

Sisira Kotalawala, the director general of SLRC said his company had been involved with cricket since telecasting live Sri Lanka's first Test match, against England in 1982. He said that highlights of all matches will be shown in a half-hour programme from 10 pm.