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Big Match

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Big Match
CountriesSri Lanka
FormatTest, One-Day and Twenty20
First edition1879
Latest edition2023
Next edition2024
Number of teams34 (as of 2023)
Most successfulBattle of the Blues (Colombo) (144 editions)
TVDialog TV, Peo TV
WebsiteThePapare.com,
Batsman.com
2023 Big Matches

In Sri Lankan cricket, a Big Match is an annual school cricket match typically played between two rival schools in Sri Lanka. These schools often have a long history of competition, some rivalries lasting over a century. Big matches have become a significant part of modern Sri Lankan culture, involving both school children and adults.

The oldest known big match is the Royal–Thomian cricket encounter, played between S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia and Royal College, Colombo since 1879.[1][2]

Most big matches are played over two days. However, three notable Big Matches–the Battle of the Blues (Colombo), the Battle of the Blues (Matara) and the Battle of the North–are played over three days.[3][4]

Battle of the Rocks (2009)
Battle of the Maroons (2010)

History

[edit]
Further information: Battle of the Blues (Colombo) § History

Annual Big matches are played between two rival school cricket teams in Sri Lanka. Most of these matches are held at the end of the first school term, typically in March. Big Matches are not only competitions between schools but also serve as gatherings for alumni, known as "old boys." Many of these encounters have been played for several years, many over 100 years old.[5][6][7][8][9]

The Battle of the Blues (Colombo) is the oldest big match in Sri Lanka and has been played between Royal College, Colombo and S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia since 1879.[10]

The Hill Capital Battle of the Maroons has been played between Dharmaraja College, Kandy, and Kingswood College, Kandy. It is the oldest cricket match series in the central province and the second oldest in Sri Lanka, having been played since 1893.[11][12]

The Battle of the Blues (Matara) has been played between St. Thomas' College, Matara, and St. Servatius' College Matara since 1900.[13][14][15]

Over the years, many other Big Matches have been established.

List of Big Matches

[edit]

Current

[edit]

The following is a list of Big Matches which are still held annually as of 2023.[5]

Series Rival Schools First Edition Latest Edition Location Refs.
Battle of the Blues (Colombo) Royal College, Colombo vs S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia 1879 145th (2024) Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground [10]
Hill Capital Battle of the Maroons Dharmaraja College, Kandy vs Kingswood College, Kandy 1893 117th (2024) Pallekele International Cricket Stadium [11][12]
Battle of the Blues (Matara) St. Thomas' College, Matara vs St. Servatius' College 1900 123rd (2023) Uyanwatte Stadium [13][14][15]
Battle of the North Jaffna Central College vs St. John's College 1901[a] 2023 Jaffna Central College Grounds [16]
The Lovers' Quarrel Richmond College, Galle v Mahinda College Galle 1905 118th (2023) Galle International Stadium [17][18][19][20]
Battle of the Blues (Kandy) Trinity College, Kandy vs St. Anthony's College, Kandy 1914 105th (2024) Asgiriya Stadium and St. Anthony's College Cricket Stadium. [21][22][23]
Battle of the Golds (Jaffna) Jaffna College, Jaffna vs St. Patrick's College, Jaffna 1917 106th (2023) Jaffna College Grounds [24][25]
Battle of Uva (Badulla) Dharmadutha College, Badulla vs Uva College, Badulla 1920 74th (2023) Badulla Cricket Ground [26]

[27]

Battle of the Maroons (Colombo) Ananda College Colombo vs Nalanda College, Colombo 1924 93rd (2023) Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground [28][29][30]
Battle of the Saints (Colombo) St Peter's College, Colombo vs St. Joseph's College, Colombo 1933[b] 89th (2023) Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground [31][32]
Battle of the Golds (Moratuwa) Prince of Wales' College, Moratuwa vs St. Sebastian's College, Moratuwa 1933 73rd (2023) Tyronne Fernando Stadium [33][34][35][36][37]
Battle of the Golds (Panadura and Moratuwa) Sri Sumangala College, Panadura vs Moratu Maha Vidyalaya 1934 71st (2023) Tyronne Fernando Stadium [38]
Battle of the Babes St. Sylvester's College Kandy vs Vidyartha College Kandy 1958 63rd (2023) Pallekele International Cricket Stadium and Asgiriya Stadium [39][40][41][42]
Battle of the Brothers (Colombo) Thurstan College Colombo vs Isipathana College Colombo 1964 60th (2023) Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground, R. Premadasa Stadium and Thurstan Grounds [43][44][45]
Battle of the Rocks Maliyadeva College Kurunegala vs St. Anne's College, Kurunegala 1959 39th (2023) Welagedara Stadium [46][47]
Battle of the Blues (Ambalangoda) Sri Devananda College Ambalangoda vs Dharmasoka College Ambalangoda 1966 2023 Ambalangda [48]
Battle of Kotte Sri Jayawardenepura Maha Vidyalaya Kotte vs St. Thomas' College, Kotte 1976 2023 Colts Cricket Club Ground [49]
Battle of the Golds (Matale) St. Thomas' College, Matale vs Government Science College 1980 2023 Police Ground in Kandy [50]
Battle of the Hindus Hindu College Colombo vs Jaffna Hindu College 1981 12th (2023) P.Sara Oval [51]
Battle of Sri Jayawardanapura St. John's College, Nugegoda vs Ananda Sastralaya, Kotte 1990 2023 P. Sara Oval [52]
Battle of Greens
(Royal–St John's)
(Battle Of Panadura) 		Royal College Panadura v St. John's College Panadura 1992 2023 Panadura Sports Club [53][54][55][56]
Battle of Centralians Piliyandala Central College vs Taxila Central College, Horana 2001 22nd (2024) Tyronne Fernando Stadium [57][58][59]
Battle of Greens (Wayamba) Royal College Wayamba, Kurunegala vs Sir John Kotalawala College 2005 2023 Welagedara Stadium [60][61][62]
Battle of the Golds (Colombo) D. S. Senanayake College vs Mahanama College 2007 16th (2023) P. Sara Oval and R. Premadasa Stadium [63]
Battle of Golden Lions Dharmapala Vidyalaya vs Rahula College 2012 12th (2023) Uyanwatte Stadium [64][65]
Battle of the Seagulls St. Peter's College Negombo vs St.Sebastian's College Katuneriya 2012 2023 Katuneriya [66]
Battle of the Lords Prince College vs St. Aloysius College, Ratnapura 2018 3rd

(2024)

Seevali Ground, Ratnapura [67][68]
Battle of Ran Dam Royal College Horana vs Siri Piyarathne Vidyalaya, Padukka 2021 3rd (2023) Poojitha Uduwana grounds Horana [69][70][71]
Rev. James Cartman Cup (Bens-Wesley) Wesley College, Colombo vs St. Benedict's College, Colombo 2021 3rd (2023) P. Sara Oval [72]
Rev. Bro. Luke Gregory Shield (Bens-Wesley) Wesley College v St. Benedicts College 2022 2nd (2023) Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground [72]
Battle of The Blazing Blues Mahamaya Girls' College Kandy vs St. Anthony's Girls' College 2023 1st (2023) Pallekele International Cricket Stadium [73]
Battle of the Kingdoms Royal Central College, Polonnaruwa vs Anuradhapura Central College (2023) Polonnaruwa Central College Play Ground [74][75]

Former

[edit]

The following is a list of Big Matches which are no longer held as of 2023.

Series Rival Schools First Edition Last Edition Refs.
Battle of the Centralions Piliyandala Central College vs Wadduwa Central College 1975 2000
Battle of Dematagoda St. John's College vs St. Mathew's College 1976[c] 2010s [76][77][78]
Battle of the Golds (Kandy) Sri Rahula College vs Sri Sumangala College 1981 2010s [79][80][81]
Battle of Kelaniya Gurukula College vs Sri Dharmaloka College 1988 2010s [82][83][84]
Battle of Two Cities
(The F. R Alles Trophy) 		Rahula College vs St. Aloysius' College 2003 2017 [85][86][87]
Battle of the Hindus Jaffna Hindu College vs Kokuvil Hindu College 2008 2010s [88][89]
Battle of the Golds (Ruhuna) Weeraketiya Rajapaksha Central College vs Dickwella Vijitha Central College 2010 2010s [90][91][92]
Battle of the Greens Arethusa College vs T. B. Jayah Zahira College 2012 2010s [93][94][95]
Nikitha Grero Challenge Trophy Lyceum International School vs Lyceum International School 2015 2019 
[96]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Intermittently played due to the civil war.
  2. ^ 30-over matches.
  3. ^ Intermittent.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Big Match Fever 2010
  2. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 November 2010. Retrieved 19 July 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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  4. ^ Fernando, Reemus (21 February 2010). "Battles from North to South". The Island (Sri Lanka).
  5. ^ a b Weerasinghe, Damith (23 February 2023). "Big Matches are BACK!". ThePapare.com. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  6. ^ Trinity in command in Kandy’s Battle of the Blues
  7. ^ Rahal excels for Trinity in 104th Battle of the Blues
  8. ^ Trinity-Antonian Big Match on June 3 and 4
  9. ^ Battle of the Blues (Kandy)
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  16. ^ Jaffna Central beat St. John’s by 9 wickets
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  48. ^ 53rd Battle of the Blues of Ambalangoda
  49. ^ St. Thomas’, Kotte meet Sri Jayawardenapura MV in the 44th Battle of Kotte
  50. ^ Matale’s Battle of the Golds tomorrow
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  66. ^ Seagulls play cricket
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  70. ^ Royal College, Horana
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  75. ^ Anuradhapura Central College, Anuradhapura
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[edit]
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