Dharmaraja Vs Kingswood Big Match - 2022 (115th Battle of the Maroons)

The Battle of the Maroons, the Big Match in Kandy between Dharmaraja College and Kingswood College, for the 115th year will be on September 23 and 24, 2022 at the Asgiriya International Cricket Stadium for the TB Tennekoon Shield. Of the 114 Encounters played so far Dharmaraja has won 36 Encounters while Kingswood has won 19 matches and 54 Encounters have ended in draws. In 2015 Dharmaraja won the match under the Captaincy of Tharusha Weragoda.

 

Dharmaraja 1st XI Cricket team-2021/2022 1st Row from left: Sachintha dIssanayake (Capt.) Champika Siriwardena (Coach) Amarajeewa Dissanayake(MIC) Kamal Ariyasinghe(Principal)Saliya Samarawickrema(POG) Naveen Dilshan (Asst.coach) Thisaru Wanninayake(Vice Captain) 2nd row from Left Ishara Mapalagama, Malitha Hapuarachchi, Isul Madhuwantha, Naween Jayaweera, Dussanga Gunasinghe, Sajitha Ratnayake, Arosha Mahagedara, Revon Kosgolla. 3rd Row from Left Indula Ranasinghe, Onajith Silva Sadeepa Ratnayake, Nisala Abeyratne, Pulindu Perera, Praveen Ratnayake, Maleesha Rajakaruna, Dulara Bandulasena, Isuru Pannala,Saranga Uduwella.   

 

 

 Kingswood College 1st XI Cricket team-2021/2022 1st row - Mahasen Abeykoon (Capt.) Saumya Piyasena (Asst.Coach) Nalin Ratnayake (MIC) Upali Chandrakumara (Principal) Lanka Francil (POG) Piyal Salgado (Coach) Amesh Rupasinghe 2nd Row - Chethana Weerasinghe, Adhil Sheriff, Nikeshala Nanayakkara, Kenula Pihilianga, Ravindu Bandara, Hasintha Polkotuwa, Oshan Viranjana, Neluka Dissanayake. 3rd row - Yasath Abeykoon, Yojith Hettiarachchi, Ganuka Saluwadana, Abdul Hakam, Gaditha Chaturanga, Kavija Gamage, Diluka Sandaruwan, Hasanga Ratnayake, Gauranga Bandara, Stephen Ronald.

 

 Photo Credit : Upananda Jayasundera-Kandy Sports spl. Corr

 

 

 

In the long history of this much looked forward Cricket Encounters, Dharmaraja college holds a Record for the only Double Century scored by Senaka Dissanayake with a knock of 200 Runs in the big match in the year 1983 and Senaka created another record to become the First Batsman to score a double Century at Asgiriya Grounds. For Kingswood the highest score was Clifford Ratnavibhushana who scored 167 in 1957. Speaking about this Cricket encounter , there were many Veterans in the game who figured in the ‘Big Match’ in the past years with Centuries for Dharmaraja and among them were PL Arthur alwis 121 in 1942, TB Talwatte 104 in 1942, AL de Alwis 109 not out in 1945, PB Munasinghe 108 in 1951, Chandra de silva 158 in 1952, RJK Gunasekera 105 in 1954, Siri Ranasinghe 112 in 1966, N.Yatigammana 112 not out in 1970, D.Vithanage 100 in 1970, Ajith Naranpanawa 127 & 120 in 1975 and 1976 respectively, Dananjaya Nawaratne 109 in 1979, Senaka Dissanayake 200 in 1983, Prasanna Walalawala 103 not out in 1983, Prasanna Dissanayake 103 not out in 1985, Chanakya Kulatunge 112 in 1987, Rukshan Suriarachchi 113 in 2006 and he became the Centurion at the 100th Encounter.

 

Kingswood had a great Cricket player in Freddie White of Hockey fame who played Cricket in 1949 and scored the first Century for Kingswood followed by Mahinda de Silva who made 132 in 1951, Asoka Perera scored 148 in 1952, Maurice Fernando 101 in 1957, Clifford Ratnawibhushana 167 in 1959, Tissa Jayathillake 100 in 1966, Priyantha Wickremasuriya 127 and116 in 1976 and 1977 respectively, B.H. Sheriffdeen 100 in 1981, Mangala Dharmaprema 120 in 1984. For Kingswood in Bowling Senaka Abeygunaratne who had a match haul of 11 for 107 in 1966, getting 8 for 39 in the 1st Innings and 3 for 68 in the 2nd Innings. For Dharmaraja Shemendra Ekanayake had a match bag of 12 for 66 in 1977 getting Five for Ten in the 1st Inning and Seven for 56 in the 2nd Innings.

 

Final Score

Kingswood College 1st Innings - 127 (60.1 overs ) Hasanga Rathnayake 34, Nikeshala Nanayakkara 25, Sadeepa Rathnayaka 3/44, Dulara Bandulasena 

 

Dharmaraja College 1st Innings -  269 (58.5 overs) Pulindu Perera 90, Sachintha Dissanayaka 66, Malitha Hapuarachchi 28, Kavija Gamage 5/39, Dinuka Sandaruwan

 

Kingswood College 2nd Innings -  199 (75 overs) Kavija Gamage 80, Hasintha Polkotuwa 39, Oshan Viranjana 26, Malitha Hapuarachchi 5/48, Sadeepa Rathnayaka 2/46

 

Dharmaraja College 2nd Innings -  31/4 (4 overs)