Old Tablelands CC Conquers Sri Lanka: Cricket, Culture, and Diplomacy on Historic Tour

The Old Tablelands Cricket Club (OTCC) of Wellington, New Zealand, successfully completed a remarkable tour of Sri Lanka from November 8 to 21, 2025!

Led by Chairman Rob Morrison and captained by former NZ Rugby CEO Steve Tew, the tour blended competitive cricket with significant cultural and diplomatic engagements.

Tour Highlights:

Thrilling Start: The OTCC kicked off the tour in Colombo with a nail-biting T20 victory against the Roshan Mahanama’s Trust XI (RMT), winning on the very last ball!

Nationwide Fixtures: The team played matches across the country, including Colombo, Kandy, Galle, and Anuradhapura.

Cultural Immersion: The squad embraced Sri Lanka's renowned hospitality, visiting major sites like Kandy, Galle, Sigiriya, Dambulla, Polonnaruwa, and the tea plantations at Ramboda, plus a soft-ball cricket session with local youth on the historic Galle ramparts.

Diplomatic Engagements: A key element of the visit was a high-level meeting, facilitated by David Pine, New Zealand High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, with the Minister of Sports & Youth Affairs and prominent business leaders to discuss the strong NZ-Sri Lanka relationship.

Prior to the tour, the OTCC Chairman Rob Morrison also met with the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to New Zealand, Prasanna Gamage, for a detailed discussion about the tour's success. 

The tour was coordinated by the industry veteran, Anil Hapugoda, Vice President, Aitken Spence Travels of Sri Lanka.

The OTCC team extends a big thank you to Sri Lanka for the incredible hospitality!

High Commission of Sri Lanka

Wellington

24 November 2025