St. Benedict’s and Wesley continue annual encounter

 Rev. James Cartman Cup

• In celebration of 127-year legacy two-day match for Cartman Cup from 17 to 18 March at P. Saravanamuttu Stadiumand and one-day Luke Shield contest on 25 March at SSC

St. Benedict’s College and Wesley College 1st XI Cricket teams will vie for Cartman Cup and Luke Shield in their annual encounter between both schools in mid-March celebrating a 127-year legacy.

The two-day encounter for the Cartman Cup will be played on 17 and 18 March 2023 at P. Saravanamuttu Stadium (P. Sara Oval), while the one-day encounter for the Luke Shield will be played on 25 March 2023 at Sinhalese Sports Club Grounds Colombo. Both matches will be organised and hosted by the Bens-Wesley Joint Committee, along with the patronage of both schools. The teams first met on a cricket pitch back in 1896.

After a successful inaugural encounter held in April 2021 at St. Benedict’s College Grounds, which incidentally was one of the very few encounters played that year amidst the COVID pandemic restrictions and without any spectators, in March 2022 the Cartman Cup was played with limited spectator participation at Wesley College Grounds. 

In both years, the match lived up to its expectations as both schools played some entertaining cricket though none could lift the majestic Trophy which was on offer for an outright win.

The one-day Luke Shield encounter which was to be held in 2021 could not be held due to the lockdown in Colombo. However, both schools hosted the inaugural encounter in April 2022 at P. Saravanamuttu Stadium (P. Sara Oval), which St. Benedict’s College managed to win. 

The key true highlight of the last two year’s Bens-Wesley encounter was the donation made by both schools, together with the sponsors, towards a charitable cause. In 2021 it was a donation made towards the Diyagala Boys’ Town, and in 2022 it was a donation made towards the 150 schools that are being supported by the Wesley College 150 schools project in line with their Sesquicentennial celebration in 2024.

This year St. Benedict’s College 1st XI is led by Chamath Chathurya and vice-captain Sharujan Shammuganathan, and Wesley College 1st XI is led by Linal Subasinghe and vice-captain Disula Yapa both teams had a good 1st XI Schools Cricket season.

The Joint Committee under the guidance of St. Benedict’s College Principal Rev Bro. Dr. Pubudu Rajapaksha and Wesley College Principal Avanka Fernando have made arrangements for crowds to be present at both the two-day Cartman Cup encounter and the one-day Luke Shield encounter. In addition to this, both matches will be telecast live on television. 

Further, both encounters will be live streamed through Quadrangle’s YouTube channel. As this encounter celebrates the sporting histories of the two schools and their shared bonds of brotherhood, the Joint Committee, together with the two schools, have made arrangements to attract students both past and present to witness this encounter live, online, or through the live telecast so that they can be a part of this celebration from anywhere in the world.

Pix by Shehan Gunasekara