94th Battle of the Blues’ in Katugastota...:

Trinity and St. Anthony’s determined to end stalemate of 16 draws in-a-row

by S. M. Jiffrey ABDEEN - Kandy Sports Corr.

Trinity College: (Seated from left): Dushan Ranasinghe, Suresh Wickrema, Dilan Gangoda, Indrajeed de Zoysa (MIC), Rushan Jaleel (Captain), Mohammed Sajjid (Vice Captain), Akila Jayasundera, Kithmal Wimalaweera. (Standing from left): Niroshan Dickwella, Dinuk Weeraratne, Madhushan Basnayake, Chinthaka Gokula, Shameera Wijesuriya, Mohammed Shehan, Yasiru Ratnayake, Janishka Premasinghe, Kavinda Jayasuriya, Kheliya Atugoda, Thushan Gunatissa, Trevin Ratnayake. Picture by S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports Corr.

St. Anthony’s College: (Seated from left): Lakshaman Panditharatne (Junior Coach), Kasun Ekanayake, Rev. Fr. Araliya Jaysundera (Sports Co-ordinator), Sahan Pallihakkara (Captain), Rev. Fr. Titus Rodrigo (Principal), Jerome Siegertsz (Vice Captain), Palitha Abeyratne (MIC), Malindu Perera, Keerthi Abeywickrema (Physical Trainer), Champika Siriwardena (Senior Coach). (Standing from left): Viraj Senarath, Manoj Sarathchandra, Tharanga Bandara, Erande Senaviratne, Hiran Wickremasekera, Dulash Kumarasinghe, Milinda Ranasinghe, Supun Ranaraja, Kanishka Ranaraja, Sasantha Bandara, Arun Bandara, Yohan Woords. Absent - Adil Reyal. Picture by S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports Corr.

CRICKET: It will be the clash of the Titans when St. Anthony’s College takes on their traditional rivals Trinity College in the 94th ‘Battle of the Blues’ to be played at Katugastota on Friday and Saturday (March 13 and 14) with play commencing at 9.45 a.m. on the first day and at 9.30 a.m. on the second day.

With both teams well balanced and playing positive cricket this season, a decision in this clash cannot be ruled out to break the stalemate of 16 draws in-a-row.

History tells us that of the 93 battles which had been fought out since 1914, the Trinitians who made their mark on the cricket scene much earlier, are ahead with 22 wins against 13 by the Antonians. Fifty eight have ended in draws.

The last Trinity victory came way back in 1986 under Thushara Weerasuriya, who later became the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year. Between the years 1952 and 2008 - for 56 years, the Trinitians have won just one encounter. That was after Eustace Rulach who later became the Sports Editor of the OBSERVER led them to victory in 1951. The last Antonian victory came in 1992 under Umesh de Alwis.

Former All-Ceylon opener A. C. M. Lafir holds the record for the highest individual score when he slammed 176 in their centenary year in 1954 and he put on 266 for the opening stand with Ronnie Stevens who made 120. This is the highest partnership for any wicket in the series. The Antonians went on to win this match by an innings. The first century of the series was scored by the legendary schoolboy cricketer late Jack Anderson in 1918 at Asgiriya.

There had been some outstanding bowling performances in the series... the late Dicky Dunuwilla took 6 for 10 in 1948 and he passed away a few years later. In 1939 that mystery spinner C. Dharmalingam performed the hat-trick in both innings for Trinity.

In the first innings, he took 6 for 17 and 6 for 31 in the second and this is most probably a world record. This gave him a match bag of 12 for 48.

In 1938, too, he routed the Antonians with the then best bowling analysis of 9 for 74 and this was bettered in the mid-nineties by Trinity’s Sudanga Fernando who captured all ten wickets in an innings. Eustace Rulahch too had the fine figures of 5 for 8 in 1951.

Teams

St. Anthony’s College: Sahan Pallihakkara (Captain), Jerome Sizgertsz (Vice Captain), Adil Reyal, Tharanga Bandara, Hiran Wickremasekera, Dulash Kumarasinghe, Kasun Ekanayake, Malindu Perera, Milinda Ranasinghe, Yohan Woods, Kanishka Ranaraja, Manoj Saratchandra, Viraj Senarath, Tharaka Jayasinghe, L. Bandaranayake, Supun Ranaraja, Aruna Bandara (Coach: Champika Siriwardena, MIC: Palitha Abeyratne, Sports Co-ordinator: Rev. Fr. Araliya Jayasudera).

Trinity College: Rushan Jaleel (Captain), Mohammed Sajjid (Vice Captain), Dilan Gangoda, Dinuk Weeraratne, Suresh Wickrema, Akila Jayasundera, Kithmal Wimalaweera, Niroshan Dickwella, Kheliya Atugoda, Shameera Wijesuriya, Kavinda Jayasuriya, Mohammed Shehan, Chinthaka Gokula, Dushan Ranasinghe, Madhushan Basnayake, Yasiru Ratnayake, Janishka Premasinghe (Coach: Sampath Perera, MIC: Indrajeed de Zoysa, POG: S. Chandrasiri).