The 104th edition of the Trinity-Antonian annual Hill Country Battle of the Blues cricket encounter will take center stage on the 21st and 22nd of April at the St. Anthony’s College Grounds in Kandy.
History
The encounter between Trinity College and St. Anthony’s College is steeped in tradition and history and is considered one of the oldest and most prestigious cricket encounters in Sri Lanka. The two schools first met at the Bogambara grounds in 1914, and since then, they have competed fiercely, creating a rich legacy of legends and anecdotes. One of the most famous stories is that of John Halangoda, who played for Trinity and later coached St. Anthony’s. He led the Antonians to their first outright win in 1948 and a trophy was introduced in 2005 in his honor.
The overall tally between the two schools sees Trinity leading with 23 wins, while St. Anthony’s have 11 victories to their name. The Antonians have not tasted victory since 1992, while the Lions broke a 25-year drought in 2012 when they won by an innings and one run under the captaincy of national cap Niroshan Dickwella.
Trinity College
2022/23 season
Trinity College, spearheaded by batting sensation Rahal Amarasinghe have had a dream run as they clinched the double this season, winning both the Division 1 Tier A 2 day and One day tournaments, a team feat achieved after 11 long years in schools cricket.
St. Joseph’s and Trinity declared U19 joint champions
In addition to their resounding success in both tournaments, the Lions have achieved some significant wins this season, including their first outright win against Royal College Colombo at the Reid Avenue. Overall, Trinity has managed to secure 7 outright wins and 5 first inning wins in the 20 games that they have contested, with the remaining games ending in a draw.
Results
| Vs | Results |
| Wesley College | Drawn |
| D.S. Senanayake College | Drawn |
| Royal College | Won |
| Gurukula College | Won |
| De Mazenod College | Drawn |
| Dharmaraja College | Won |
| Maliyadeva College | Drawn |
| St. Peter’s College | Drawn |
| St. Joseph’s College | Drawn |
| Mahanama College | Drawn |
| Prince of Wales College | Drawn |
| S. Thomas’ College | Drawn |
| St. Sebastian’s College | Drawn |
| Ananda College | Won |
| Devapathiraja College | Won |
| St. Joseph’s College | Drawn |
| Maris Stella College | Drawn |
| Royal College | Won |
| Maliaydeva College | Won |
| St. Joseph’s College | Drawn |
Key Players
The Trinitian batting this season has revolved around the stylish left-handed batsman Kusal Wijethunga. With just over 730 runs to his name, Kusal has been the mainstay of the team’s batting order. He played a pivotal role in Trinity’s historic win over Royal College at Reid Avenue, scoring a well-constructed century in the first innings. Along with Kusal, Dinusha Peries has played a significant role in the Trinity batting unit, contributing over 700 runs with two centuries against Devapathiraja College and Maris Stella College. The team’s skipper, Rahal Amarasinghe, has also had a stellar season, scoring more than 600 runs and making valuable contributions to the team’s success.
The bowling of Trinity College is anchored by their talented left-arm orthodox bowler Dinuka Tennakoon, who has been in sensational form, picking up an impressive 76 wickets in the 20 matches he has played this season. Tennakoon’s best performance came against Royal College, where he managed to bag a match haul of 12 wickets. The right-arm off-spinner Tharana Wimaladharma has also been a key contributor to the bowling lineup, taking 67 wickets, while Sri Lanka U19 representative Theeraka Ranathunga has grabbed 28 wickets in the limited number of matches he played.
Sri Lanka U19 representative Manula Kularatne is another player to watch out for as he has the capability to single-handedly win games for his team.
Trinity College Squad
Rahal Amarasinghe (C), Vibavith Ehelepola (VC), Manula Kularatne, Theeraka Ranathunga, Kusal Wijethunga, Tharana Wimaladharma, Supun Waduge, Themiya Jayasundara, Dinuka Tennakoon, Dinusha Peiris, Jayavi Liyangama, Janith Warnakula (WK), Yevan Hulangamuwa
St. Anthony’s College
2022/23 season
The Antonians performance this season is a testament to their resilience and determination, especially after their disappointment in the Schools’ 2-day tournament. Led by Lahiru Abeysinghe, who brings a wealth of experience as a Sri Lanka U19 representative, the team has managed to register 5 outright wins and 5 first inning wins in the 16 matches they’ve played. Their victory against Wesley College to clinch the LV Jayaweera trophy was particularly noteworthy, as was their 1st outright win against Ananda College in 74 years.
Results
| Vs | Results |
| Thurstan College | Won |
| Jaffna Central College | Won |
| Wesley College | Won |
| Ananda College | Won |
| Dharmaraja College | Won |
| Nalanda College | Drawn |
| Prince of Wales College | Drawn |
| Benedict’s College | Drawn |
| St. Peter’s College | Drawn |
| Royal College | Drawn |
| Maliyadeva College | Drawn |
| St. Sebastian’s College | Drawn |
| S. Thomas’ College | Drawn |
| St. Joseph’s College | Drawn |
| Richmond College | Drawn |
Key Players
Lahiru Abeysinghe has played a significant role in the Antonians’ success this season, not just as a leader, but also as a key player with both bat and ball as he has gone onto to clock over 675 runs while grabbing 22 wickets in the 14 matches that he has played. Wicketkeeper-batsman Kavindu Shehan has also been a standout performer, with over 600 runs this season. His century against Dharmaraja was particularly impressive and played a crucial role in securing a victory for the Antonians. Opening bat Mohommed Aaqil and top order bat Induwara Galapitage have also had a solid season, with both players scoring over 400 runs each.
Jaffna Central College crowned U19 Division 3 Tier ‘A’ Champions
The bowling department of the Antonians is heavily reliant on the spin bowling duo of Kaveesha Piyumal and Thisara Ekanayake. Kaveesha, a left-arm orthodox spinner, is the leading wicket-taker for the team with an impressive 62 scalps, including three five-wicket hauls. Thisara, a right-arm off-spinner, is next in line with 60 wickets, including an impressive six five-wicket hauls. These two spin bowlers have been a key part of the Antonians’ success this season, and their ability to take wickets consistently has undoubtedly played a major role in the team’s performance. Along with them, left-arm spinner Charuka Ekanayake has also been among the wickets, with a total of 30 wickets this season.
Traveen Mathew, the Sri Lanka U19 representative, is also a key player in the Antonian team. Not only does he contribute with both bat and ball, but he also holds the important position of Vice-captain.
St. Anthony’s squad
Lahiru Abeysinghe (C), Traveen Mathew (VC), Kavindu Shehan (WK), Mohammed Aaqil, Ravindu Kapukotuwa, Ryan Anthonizs, Thisara Ekanayake, Induwara Galapitage, Kaveesha Piyumal, Janith Rathnasiri, Charuka Ekanayake, Dinura Ganegoda, Senura Abeysekara, Nick Fonseka, Ravindu Kathuriarachchi, U.P. Bheeshman, Januka Rathnayake, Dasun Weliyanga
Final Say
Both teams have equally talented outfits. However, according to previous records and performances, the Lions may hold a slight edge over the Eagles in the upcoming encounter. Trinity’s success in the U19 Schools tournament is certainly a factor to consider.
Despite this, it’s worth noting that this encounter has not produced a clear winner since 2012. Hence, both schools will be looking to break the shackles this year. As far as St. Anthony’s are concerned, they haven’t had a win since 1992, so could this be the year that they finally end a long lasting hoodoo?
All the action from the 104th Hill Country Battle of the Blues will be brought to you live on ThePapare.com, Dialog tv Channel No. 144 and Dialog ViU app.
