A new rivalry will begin as the girl’s cricketing powerhouses of Sabaragamuwa and North Western Provinces (Kegalu Balika Vidyalaya and Maliyadeva Balika Vidyalaya) will confront each other in the inaugural edition of the “Clash of the Crowns” school big match, which will be played on 21 June (Saturday) at the picturesque Welagedara International Cricket Stadium in Kurunegala.
Maliyadeva Balika will be the proud host of the encounter under the guidance of the principals of both schools, Nirodha Abeywickrama (Maliyadeva Balika) and H.T.D.K. Jayarathne (Kegalu Balika).
- Rain forced a draw in the “Battle of the Tuskers”
- “Battle of the rocks” encounter to heat up Kurunegala
This historic encounter will be a motivator for the other girls’ schools to step into the field where cricket is still considered a male-dominant sport on the island. Further, this marks a significant milestone for girls’ school cricket in the provinces, providing a platform for young girls to showcase their talent while fostering sportsmanship and competitive spirit. Fans from Kegalle and Kurunegala are expected to gather in large numbers, adding to the electric and carnival atmosphere of this inaugural battle.
Kegalu Balika Vidyalaya has a long history in girls cricket, as they featured in the very first girls’ leather ball cricket match against the hometown archrivals, St. Joseph’s Girls College, in 2001. Since then the big match continued for a few years, and sadly it reached a dead end.
Maliyadeva Balika outfit will be captained by the promising talent Danuli Thennakoon, who was a part of the Sri Lanka national under-19 squad at the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, which was held in Malaysia at the beginning of this year. Further, the Devians from the “city of the tuskers” were armed with specialist and consistent batswomen and with some threatening frontline bowlers. In addition, there are few versatile all-rounders to keep the balance of the side.
Further, the side is training under the veteran coach Wimanga Perera, who has vast experience as a player and a coach. He is an ex-national under-19 player and a proud product of Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala, and further, he featured in Kurunegala YCC and Ragama CC at the domestic cricket.
Batting all-rounder K.A. Hiruni Perera leads the brigade from Sabaragamuwa, and the side is determined to give Devians a bitter pill to swallow in their own den. Lasses from Kegalle has an energetic and young talented side who will play out to regain the glory.
The event will be boosted by Janatha Automobile (Pvt) Ltd. as the platinum sponsor, which should be considered a testament to their commitment to youth development and the uplift of women’s sports in Sri Lanka. The gold sponsor will be Matha Foreign Employment Agency, Kurunegala, which is one of the leaders in the field of providing foreign employment. The official hospitality partner will be the Asliya Golden Cassandra Hotel.
The details about this landmark event were revealed to the media during a press briefing at the Asliya Golden Cassandra Hotel, Kurunegala, on 16th June. The principals from the respective schools, the proud sponsors, school players, and representatives from the respective old girls associations were graced on the occasion.
Maliyadeva Balika Vidyalaya Squad:
Danuli Thennakoon (Captain), Maheema Dunusinghe (Vice Captain), M.M.S. Thennakoon, H.M.I.H. Herath, K.P.R. Karunasinghe, S.R.B.M.I.J. Bandara, M.I.L. Abeykoon, S.M.U.N. Kumarasingha, K.D. Karunasinghe, J.B.R. Panchali, A.G.B.D. Galappaththi, P.R.D.O. Senevirathne, E.U.I. Dassanayake, I.K.M.D.S. Ilangasinghe, K.A.D.C. Karunarathne, A.A.I. Dewmini, P.C. Eththalapitiya, R.W.V. Kalanima, Sithumi Wandana, A.M.A.T. Amarasingha
Coach – Wimanga Perera
Teacher-in-Charge – Deepika Hettiarachchi
Master-in-Charge – Rasika Ranathunga
Kegalu Balika Vidyalaya Squad:
Hiruni Perera (Captain), Sadewmi Liyanage (Vice Captain), Chaduli Jayathilake, Damsari Jayawardene, Yenuli Jayathilake, Rashmi Dodamkumbura, Tharushi Wijayalath, Kavidi Gunathilake, Anuravi Medagedara, Bagya Kumarapperuma, H.S.N. Pushpakumari, Nethu Nimnadi, Tharupaba Weerasinghe, Hansanadee Jayalath, N.G.R.D. Madushani, Ameesha Idumini, Sasiri Ramanayake, Nuwanthi Marasinghe, Chathuni Wickramasinghe
Coach – T.H.I.T.D.K. Thirimanne
Master-in-Charge – Y.B.M.C.N.J. Yapa Bandara
 will confront each other in the inaugural edition of the “Clash of the Crowns” school big match, which will be played on 21 June (Saturday) at the picturesque Welagedara International Cricket Stadium in Kurunegala.){kind=link}