Hill Capital’s Battle of the Blues returns after two years

By Shamseer Jaleel in Kandy

Trinity College will face St. Anthony’s College in their 103rd Battle of the Blues at the Asgiriya Stadium today and tomorrow.

This encounter will be played after a lapse of two years following postponements due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The encounter is played for the John Halangoda Trophy.

Trinity, who are celebrating their 150th anniversary is led by Akram Muthalib who is a fantastic leader and the stumper of the outfit, in the calibre of Niroshan Dickwella.

So far this season, they beat DS Senanayake College and Ananda College outright and won on first innings against Mahanama College, Prince of Wales, St. Joseph’s College, Nalanda College, Wesley College, St. Sebastian’s College, Royal College and lost to St. Peter’s College.

Skipper Muthalib has led from the front, scoring over 600 runs, including a magnificent 162 against Prince of Wales, and showing consistency with his batting plus wicket-keeping.

Pawan Pathiraja (511) and Vibavith Ehelapola (422) are their two other leading batters. Pathiraja stroked a beautiful century (133) against Royal in Trinity’s last game.

Ranuda Somaratne (377) was also among the runs after missing some matches due to the National Super League four-day encounters and the ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup in West Indies.

Theeraka Ranatunga, who had a magnificent season claiming 48 wickets with a best of 6 for 58 against the tough Nalanda outfit, will play an important role with the ball. Against the Joes he took eight wickets and also showed promising all-round skills with a brisk unbeaten 44, and has already scored more than 240 runs.
Ranatunga is the highest wicket taker this season for the Trinitians, with Manula Kularatne (26) and Dinuka Thennakoon (35) also making significant contributions. Trinity will however be handicapped without Matheesha Pathirana, the right-arm sling-action fast bowler, who was selected for the T20 series against the visiting Australians. He played a major part in the Under 19 World Cup in West Indies, playing for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) while just a schoolboy.

St. Anthony’s are led by Chamidu Wickremasinghe, also a national youth player, who has done really well this season. The Antonians won two of their traditional matches against Kingswood College and St. Servatius’ College, while they won on first innings against Isipathana College, Thurstan College, Ananda and St Benedict’s College. In the schools’ one-day tournament they beat St. Thomas’ Matara, St. Benedict’s, St. Joseph’s and St. Sebastian’s, losing to Richmond College. 

Asitha Wanninayake leads the Antonian run scorers with 728 while skipper Wickremasinghe (520) and Chandimal Herath (380) also among the runs. Another up-and-coming youngster Mohamed Aaqil has scored over 410 runs stroking a brilliant 70 against Ananda in their last game. Three of their players, Wickremasinghe, Traveen Mathews and Lahiru Abeysinghe, have represented the national junior team. Surprisingly Wanninayake was not selected for the national tournaments, missing out on a deserved break at the top level.

The Antonians last win came three decades ago under Umesh de Alwis way back in 1992 while the Trinitians scored their last win under Dickwella in 2012. The series tally is led by Trinity with 23 wins to the Antonians’ 12 with 67 ending in no decisions.

St. Anthony’s: Chamidu Wickremasinghe (Capt), Lahiru Abeysinghe, Bimsara Jayasekera, Yasiru Gamarachchi, Divyesh Ramaiya, Kaveesha Piyumal, Mohamed Aaqil, Induwara Galapitage, Chandimal Herath, Charuke Ekanayake, Kanawha Rajapaksa, Kavindu Shehan, Traveen Mathews, Asitha Wanninayake, Thisara Ekanayake, Rayan Anthony and Jayoda Amarasena; Head Coach - Suneth Gunathilake

Trinity: Akram Muthalib (Capt), Vibavith Ehelapola, Rahal Amarasinghe, Matheesha Pathirana, Manula Kularatne, Theeraka Ranatunga, Dinuka Thennakoon, Ranuda Somaratne, Pawan Pathiraja, Kusal Wijethunga, Supun Waduge, Tharana Wimaladharma, Viduka Dammage, Dinusha Pieris and Janith Warunakula; Head Coach - Naveen Ekanayake