TRINITY COLLEGE: Pubudu Bandara (captain), Kavishka Senadeera (vice-captain), Avishka Senadeera, Ashan Lokukettiya, Ruvin Peiris, Abhishek Anandakumara, Shane Gunathilake, Chanuka Kumarasinghe, Umair Raizan, Agbo Amarasinghe, Dinitha Siriwardena, Jeff Weerasinghe, Kavindu Dias, Nagitha Wijesundara, Deemantha Bandara, Ranuda Somaratne, Shashidaran Kaveen, Pasan Kularatne, Ranmal Narampanawa, Uvindu Wimaladarma, Kavinda Jayasuriya - Head Coach, Lahiru Sandakelum and Naveen Ekanayake - Assistant Coaches, Lasantha Herath – Team Physiotherapist, Shantha Kumara Wickramanayake –Trainer, Dammika Kulatunga – Master in Charge and Shane de Silva – Prefect of Games.
ST. ANTHONY’S COLLEGE: Theeksha Gunasinghe (captain), Tamashana Abeyakoon (vice-captain), Kalhara Senarath, Gihan Achintha, Sasith Hirudika, Nimanka Jayatilake, Mohamed Rukshan, Promodith Panditharathne, Gayan Samarasinghe, Mohamed Kamil, Chamika Samarasinghe, Asitha Waninayake, Chaminda Wickremasinghe, Dayan Pankaja, Lasitha Werellagama, G.A. Ebert, Tharindu Lamahewage, Nilukshan Udayakumara, Prabath Sachin, Shenalak Abeyawardene, Coach - Suneth Gunatilake, Master-in-charge - Lenin Jayasinghe.
The trophy is awarded to the team who manages to win the match by means of an outright win or failing that, a first innings win. It was introduced in 2005 in memory of the former Trinity College cricketer and coach who later became the coach of St. Anthony’s College and guided them to a win in 1948. In the series Trinity College leads the overall tally with 23 wins while the Antonian’s have won 11. Trinity’s last win came under the captaincy of Niroshan Dickwella in 2012 where they broke a 25-year hoodoo to win by an innings and one run. The Antonians are still to win an encounter this century their last one coming in 1991. It is the Trinitian’s who have dominated the series in the early years to such an extent that they won the ‘Big’ match a record eleven times in a row from 1918 to 1928.
St. Anthony’s and Trinity are two of the oldest colleges in cricket and this encounter is also the sixth oldest Big Match in Sri Lanka and this time both schools are evenly balanced with sporting good records for the season going into this match. This game will be played under the distinguished patronage of 1993 Antonian captain Mohamed Ajaz who will be the chief guest.
Performance-wise Trinity have a better record, but anything can happen. It should be said that both sides have failed to throw the game open in the ‘Big’ matches over a long spell.
Trinity is led by Pubudu Bandara, a fine player with nine half centuries and a strong striker of the ball. Trinity have been in good form this season having won 6 games out of 17 and the rest ending in draws.
The Antonian’s are led by Theeksha Gunasinghe who has scored three hundreds and five fifties. He is a fine opening bat/wicket-keeper. Whatever said and done both schools are sure to give a good display in this most looked forward to game. St. Anthony’s College is a school which has been a major force in cricket; they have not only produced several champion teams but have also produced some of the finest cricketers. But in the last few years they failed to keep up to those traditions. A school which dominated cricket at one time St. Anthony’s this season has played 14 games out of which 7 have been outright wins and 4 on first innings. This year the Wesley College game was not played.
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