St. Joseph’s favoured, but St. Peter’s won’t be an easy nut to crack
The highly anticipated event for both the young and old boys of St. Joseph’s College and St. Peter’s College, the annual Battle of Saints big match, is scheduled to be played on March 22 and 23 at the SSC, starting from 9.45a.m. onwards.
This will mark the 90th encounter in the series. Out of the 89 matches fought for the Rev. Fr. Maurice Le Goc Memorial Trophy, the Josephians lead the tally with 12 wins. Their last victory was achieved in 2008 under the leadership of Ruwantha Fernandopulle.
Meanwhile, the Peterites have secured 10 wins, with their last victory in 2016 under Vinu Mohottti. It’s worth noting the sportsmanship of St. Joseph’s rector, Rev. Fr. Travis Gabriel, who awarded the win to St. Peter’s in 2016 due to a crowd invasion when the Peterites were on the verge of winning.
Both schools boast a legacy of producing national players, including Angelo Mathews and Dimuth Karunaratne from St. Joseph’s, and Roy Dias, Rumesh Ratnayake, and others from St. Peter’s.
In terms of current form, the Josephians, led by Lahiru Amarasekera, enter the game with confidence, remaining unbeaten in the ongoing Under-19 Inter-School cricket season. Conversely, the Peterites, led by Sri Lanka youth player Vishen Halambage, have experienced fluctuating fortunes, with their unbeaten record tarnished by Royal.
Key players to watch include St. Joseph’s deputy skipper Hiran Jayasundara, who is the team’s top scorer with over 650 runs, including two centuries and an unbeaten 212 against Trinity. Other notable batsmen for St. Joseph’s include openers Abishek Jayaweera and Rishma
Amarasinghe. Bowling will be led by skipper Lahiru Amarasekera and Yenula Dewthusa.
For St. Peter’s, top scorers include Dilana Damsara, Oveen Salgado, Rusanda Gamage, skipper Vishen Halambage, and Asadisa de Silva. In the bowling department, Shennon Rodrigo leads the pack.
While St. Joseph’s is favoured, they must not underestimate St. Peter’s. Historically, the underdogs have triumphed, and both teams possess talented players, making the outcome unpredictable. In conclusion, supporters of both sides can expect two days of entertaining cricket.
Following the two-day encounter, the 50th limited-over match, played for the Fr. Peter A. Pillai Trophy, is scheduled for April 6 at the SSC ground. St. Joseph’s currently leads the tally with 25 wins, having won last year, compared to St. Peter’s 21 wins, with two matches washed out and one ending in a tie.