In Sri Lankan cricket, a Big Match is an annual school cricket match typically played between two rival schools in Sri Lanka. These schools often have a long history of competition, some rivalries lasting over a century. Big matches have become a significant part of modern Sri Lankan culture, involving both school children and adults.
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| Countries | Sri Lanka |
|---|---|
| Format | Test, One-Day and Twenty20 |
| First edition | 1879 |
| Latest edition | 2023 |
| Next edition | 2024 |
| Number of teams | 34 (as of 2023) |
| Most successful | Battle of the Blues (Colombo) (144 editions) |
| TV | Dialog TV, Peo TV |
| Website | ThePapare.com, Batsman.com |
 2023 Big Matches | |
The oldest known big match is the Royal–Thomian cricket encounter, played between S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia and Royal College, Colombo since 1879.[1][2]
Most big matches are played over two days. However, three notable Big Matches–the Battle of the Blues (Colombo), the Battle of the Blues (Matara) and the Battle of the North–are played over three days.[3][4]
History
Annual Big matches are played between two rival school cricket teams in Sri Lanka. Most of these matches are held at the end of the first school term, typically in March. Big Matches are not only competitions between schools but also serve as gatherings for alumni, known as "old boys." Many of these encounters have been played for several years, many over 100 years old.[5][6][7][8][9]
The Battle of the Blues (Colombo) is the oldest big match in Sri Lanka and has been played between Royal College, Colombo and S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia since 1879.[10]
The Hill Capital Battle of the Maroons has been played between Dharmaraja College, Kandy, and Kingswood College, Kandy. It is the oldest cricket match series in the central province and the second oldest in Sri Lanka, having been played since 1893.[11][12]
The Battle of the Blues (Matara) has been played between St. Thomas' College, Matara, and St. Servatius' College Matara since 1900.[13][14][15]
Over the years, many other Big Matches have been established.
List of Big Matches
Current
The following is a list of Big Matches which are still held annually as of 2023.[5]
Former
The following is a list of Big Matches which are no longer held as of 2023.
| Series | Rival Schools | First Edition | Last Edition | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of the Centralions | Piliyandala Central College vs Wadduwa Central College | 1975 | 2000 | |
| Battle of Dematagoda | St. John's College vs St. Mathew's College | 1976[lower-alpha 3] | 2010s | [76][77][78] |
| Battle of the Golds (Kandy) | Sri Rahula College vs Sri Sumangala College | 1981 | 2010s | [79][80][81] |
| Battle of Kelaniya | Gurukula College vs Sri Dharmaloka College | 1988 | 2010s | [82][83][84] |
| Battle of Two Cities (The F. R Alles Trophy) |
Rahula College vs St. Aloysius' College | 2003 | 2017 | [85][86][87] |
| Battle of the Hindus | Jaffna Hindu College vs Kokuvil Hindu College | 2008 | 2010s | [88][89] |
| Battle of the Golds (Ruhuna) | Weeraketiya Rajapaksha Central College vs Dickwella Vijitha Central College | 2010 | 2010s | [90][91][92] |
| Battle of the Greens | Arethusa College vs T. B. Jayah Zahira College | 2012 | 2010s | [93][94][95] |
| Nikitha Grero Challenge Trophy | Lyceum International School vs Lyceum International School | 2015 | 2019 |
[96] |
Notes
- Intermittently played due to the civil war.
References
External links
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