105th Battle of the Blues Hill Capital

St. Anthony's Katugastota Under-19 outfit

Trinity Under-19 outfit

By Shamseer Jaleel

Trinity College will be hosting St. Anthony’s College in their 105th Battle of the Blues Hill Capital encounter on 15 and 16 March at the Asgiriya Stadium in Kandy. This encounter is played for the John Halangoda Trophy.

Trinitians are leading the tally of wins with 23 to Antonians 11 and 70 encounters ending in draws. Last Trinity win was under national cricketer, Niroshan Dickwella in 2012 while Antonians win was in 1992 under Umesh de Alwis at Katugastota.

This year Trinity is led by national youth, 4th year player and cricket Lion, Manula Kularathne. They played 8 matches while scoring wins over Matara Thomians and St. Anne’s while scoring first innings wins against Mahanama, Royal St. Benedict’s and Maris Stella and St. Joseph’s. In their traditional matches they scored a first innings win over Wesley and beat Thurstan.

Trinity outfit became champions of the Under-19 Division 1 Tier A Limited overs tournament in 2023. They possess ample experience at national youth representations with Manula Kularathne, Dinuka Thennakoon, Tharana Wimaladharama and Supun Waduge all representing the country at Under-19 level.

In batting Dimantha Mahavithana (520), Viduka Dammage (497) and Janith Warnakula (490) are the leading three batsmen. In bowling their left arm spinner, Malith Rathnayake (75), Tharana Wimaladharma (31) and Dinuka Thennakoon (23) are the three leading bowlers. Manula Kularathne, Tharana Wimaladharma, Dinuka Thennakoon and Dinusha Pieris are Lion winners for Cricket while colours were won by Jayavi Liyanagama, Supun Waduge and Janith Warnakula. The outfit is coached by one of their old boys, Naveen Ekanayake.

Antonians are led by Thisara Ekanayake third year colours and his deputy Kaveesha Piyumal third year colours as well. Kaveesha represented the national youth outfit in Bangladesh and Pakistan skipper, Thisara Ekanayake had scored 864 runs this season inclusive of 4 centuries, 2 half tons plus 49 wickets leading the team from the front. He broke the record of Jack Anderson which was set up in 1918 to score 4 hundreds against Colombo sides. Thisara scored hundreds against Nalanda, St. Peter’s, St. Joseph’s and Wesley. Janith Rathnasiri leading the batting scored over 718 runs with a massive 140 against St. Peter’s being his highest. Januka Rathnayake too scored over 357 runs.

Meanwhile Kaveesha Piyumal being the pick of the bowlers not only at Antonians all around the school this year. He had already taken 91 wickets inclusive of 10 times 5 wickets or more in an innings. Bimash Samarasinghe took 27 wickets for the Antonians giving useful support to Kaveesha and Thisara in the bowling department.

Antonians have scored 6 wins this season against Ananda, Dharmaraja, Nalanda, St. Benedict’s, St. Sebastians and Gurukula. They are coached Kavinda Jayasuriya.

Chief Guest will be Trinity 1988 cricket captain Channa Fernando who was a Founder Member of the Trinity College Cricket Foundation along side Rohan Moonamalle giving a rebirth to Trinity Cricket 2006 onwards. Channa Fernando better known as C I played for Trinity College Under-19 outfit for 5 long years starting from 1984 till 1988 which he captained, part of the 1986 Trinity win at Katugastota under Thushara Weerasuirya. Channa played in three Big match encounters. He also led the Under-17 Trinity outfit plus the Central Province Zone 1 at this level, after leaving school he led the Old Trinitians Sports Club as well. His brother, Bimal Fernando of Trinity Rugby lion and Vice-captain of the 1986 outfit later represented CH and FC in club rugby.

Trinity Squad

Manula Kularathne (captain), Dinusha Pieris (Vice captain), Tharana Wimaladharma, Dinuka Thennakoon, Supun Waduge, Jayavi Liyanagama, Janith Warnakula, Malith Rathnayake, Viduka Dammage, Dimantha Mahavithana, Vathila Udara, Thisal Yapa, Kaveen Gamage, Ometh Bandara, Kavindu Jayarathne, Pullesha Thilakarathne, Rajindu Thilakarathne, Sweath Anurajeewa and Viduneth Dammage.

Head Coach      

Naveen Ekanayake

Asst. Coach       

Lakshitha Alahakoon

MIC  

Bryan Senarathne

Trainer 

Bandula Pushpakumara

Physio

Lasantha Herath

St. Anthony’s

Thisara Ekanayake (captain), Induwara Galapitage (Vice captain ), Kaveesha Piyumal, Janith Rathnasiri, Charuka Ekanayake , Januka Rathnayake, Januth Ambanpola, Dasun Walianga, Kaven Fernando, Dinura Ganegoda, Neden Ebert, Kavindu Navanjana, Anjana Weerasekara, Bimash Samarasinghe, Kaushika Kumarasinghe, Okitha Fernando, Inuka Wewliyadda, Vishwa Thilakarathne, Nikil Abilash and Sadew Amarakoon.

Head Coach

Kavinda Jayasuriya

Asst. Coach

Lahiru Senevirathne

Trainer

 Priyantha Kumara

MIC

Bandula Ekanayake