The traditions and rivalries of big match are legendary.
Highlights include:
The Cycle Parade
Both Royal College and S. Thomas' organize official cycle parades that snake through the streets of Colombo. "Cycle Parade" is a bit of a misnomer, since most participants take cars, flat-bed trucks and buses these days. Various school clubs and societies contribute their own segments to the parade, including the cadets who usually carry a giant school flag.
The Mini Battle
This is the face-off between the Second XIs of Royal and S. Thomas'. It traditionally takes place the week before the big match, and is played at either the Royal College ground or the S. Thomas' big club ground. It's a chance for the students to get involved in the cricket before the main event begins.
The Prepites
This is a tradition that students of the two big colleges might not be aware of. Traditionally, old boys of S. Thomas' Preparatory School would visit their old school on the first day of the match, ring the school bell and escort all the students to the match venue. Although this has been discontinued in recent years, I'm personally holding out for a revival.
The Three Days That Matter
On Thursday morning, two nervous teenagers walk out to the middle at the SSC and toss a coin, perhaps the most important coin toss in their lives ëdramatic musicí. Over the next three days, the two teams will battle it out. There will be the pitch invasions, the chants of "umpire hora", the inevitable batting collapses and the rescue missions from lower order batsmen which will be labelled "Royal Spirit/Thomian Grit", the customary removal of the letter T from the scoreboard entry reading "S. Thomas'", the drunken brawls which evaporate as suddenly as they appear, the uncles who show up without fail from all corners of the world to spend time with their brethren, the professionals who mysteriously fall ill and visit the SSC for treatment, and of course the cricket that often goes unattended until something dramatic happens.
Throughout these few days though, the main feature that one notices is the camaraderie between the two schools. Every Royalist and Thomian has close friends from across the divide, and it shows. The rivalry is built on a foundation of mutual respect, and the jabs are seldom mean-spirited.
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