Sri Lanka’s blue ribbon schools’ cricket encounter, the ‘Battle of the Blues’, between Royal College and S. Thomas’ College will take center stage for the 138th consecutive year when the teams battle it out for the Rt. Hon. D.S. Senanayake Memorial Shield on the 9th, 10th and 11th of March at SSC grounds.
The official press conference was held on Wednesday at the Sports Ministry Auditorium in the presence of Sports Minister, Dayasiri Jayasekara who graced the occasion as the Chief Guest along with the two heads of schools, B.A Abeyrathne, Principal Royal College, Warden of S. Thomas’ College, Rev. Marc Billimoria, Group Chief Marketing Officer Dialog Axiata PLC Mrs Amali Nanayakkara and other sponsors, players, prefects, teachers and members of the media.
Photo Album: 138th Battle of the Blues – Press Conference 2017
In 2015, Dialog Axiata PLC signed a four-year deal as the official sponsors of the ‘Battle of the Blues’ extending its commitment to the oldest and grandest schools’ big match in the country.
Once again, Dialog Axiata has pledged to donate 1000 rupees for every run and 10,000 for every wicket. Last year at the nail-biting 137th encounter Rs. 1,255,000 was contributed to the ‘Play for a Cause’ pledge.
“We never say die at S. Thomas’, even in the face of the worst of defeats. What defines us and will continue to define us is not the fall but rather how well we rise after we fall.” Warden of S. Thomas’ College, Rev. Marc Billimoria said about the great ‘Thomian Grit’.
For the first time in the history of Royal-Thomian, the TV umpire technology will also be in place in order to assist the on-field umpires on all line-calls (Stumpings, Run-Outs) throughout the course of the match.
“The friendships, the camaraderie, the brotherhood and togetherness that have developed between our two schools are running to many generations. This is not just a match; this is an occasion to celebrate our history.” Royal Principal, B. A. Abeyrathne said.
The Royal – Thomian’, has a rich and colourful history dating back to 1879, and is also the second longest uninterrupted cricket encounter played in the world, second only to the annual encounter played between St. Peters College, Adelaide and Prince Alfred College, Adelaide, Australia, which began just a year earlier.
The playing fields of the ‘Royal–Thomian’ have the distinction of producing cricketers who later became eminent heads of state, with S. Thomas’ producing the father of the nation, Rt. Hon. D. S. Senanayake MP and his son, Hon. Dudley Senanayake MP as Prime Ministers of Ceylon, while Royal produced Hon. General Sir John Kotelawala MP as Prime Minister and the first Executive President of Sri Lanka, H.E. J. R. Jayawardene.
