Kingswood-Dharmaraja – 104th Battle

The first big match on the cards is the “104th Battle of the Maroons” at Asgiriya Stadium between Kingswood and Dharmaraja, the oldest big match in Kandy. The first match between these two schools was played on  July 1, 1899.   From 1893 to 1898 they have been playing cricket with teams selected   between the staff and students.   Full details of the series are not available. However two games are recalled as being of unique interest.  In the year 1918 Dharmaraja had been dismissed in one inning for a total of 9 runs, striking a parallel with an earlier Royal-Thomian encounter, in which Royal had been bundled out for 9 runs in one innings.

Another unforgettable year had been the one in 1949, when the gamed ended in a draw, where both teams were found to have made exactly the same total at close of play.

The winners get the T.B. Tennakoon Memorial Trophy. Dharmaraja College is one of the oldest Buddhist cricket playing schools in the country, which has tremendous potential.  This season they have done well, winning one and losing one — they lost badly to Ananda College, and the rest of the 13 games have ended in draws.

Last win for Dharmaraja was in 1980 under Janaka Mendis and for the Kingswoodians in 1958 under Maurice Fernando. This year both schools are equally balanced.

Dharmaraja College is led by all rounder Ramesh Bandara and his deputy is Rahula Ekanayake. Some of the other players are P. de Silva, Hemal Munaweera, Sanjaya Kalubowila, Kavinda Weerakoon, Nuwan Karunaratne, Sandun Weerakody, Susantha Nakkwita, Lahiru Herath, and Sasith Gunasekara. Kingswood will  depend much on Chamila Gunasekara, Lahiru Gannoruwa, Indrajith Rabel, Lakshitha Madushan,  and Yasindu Athukorale.