Etisalat Lanka to power 134 Battle of the Blues

The 134 Battle of the Blues between Royal College Colombo and St. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia, will be powered again by Etisalat Sri Lanka. This is the fourth consecutive year Etisalat Sri Lanka will be boosting the cricket encounter between these two traditional rivals.

Representatives of Etisalat Lanka handing over the official sponsorship cheque, to the organising committee of the Battle of the Blues 2013, standing from left Vice Captain of Royal College Cricket Team Milan Abeysekara, Royal Thomian organising committee Chairman Senaka de Fonseka, Royal College Principal Upali Gunasekera, St. Thomas’ College Warden Prof. Indra De Soysa, Etisalat Lanka Director/CEO Dumindra Ratnayaka and St. Thomas’ College Cricket Team Captain Javed Bongso

Etisalat was awarded the bid to sponsor this prestigious cricket encounter until 2015, after the successful completion of three years.    

The 2013 encounter of this leading cricket match will be held at the Sinhalese Sports Club Grounds on 7, 8 and 9 March.

The match is played for the prestigious D.S. Senanayake Memorial Shield. Following the three-day encounter at the SSC is the 38 Mustangs Trophy one day encounter, on 16 March at the SSC.

This annual encounter, popularly known as the Royal-Thomian or the Roy-Tho, has been played by the schools from 1879 onwards.

The three-day match is acknowledged to be second-longest uninterrupted cricket match series in the world and is affectionately known as the ‘Battle of the Blues’ due to the blue colour shared by the two colleges.

Etisalat Lanka Director/CEO Dumindra Ratnayaka stated, “After three highly successful years, we are proud to be associated with the Battle of the Blues for the fourth consecutive year.

The association with this leading big match encounter is in keeping with our goal of uplifting and encouraging school cricket across Sri Lanka.

“Etisalat has continued to support sports across the island as it builds character, instils discipline and inspire them to reach their life goals.”

Speaking about the match he added, “It is great to see the amount of passion and healthy sportsmanship displayed by the players as well as the past and present pupils of these two outstanding colleges. I am looking forward to a fascinating duel between these two giants of the local school cricket scene.”

Speaking at the occasion Royal College Principal Upali Gunasekera stated, “We are thankful to Etisalat for once again coming forward to support the Battle of the Blues, now in its 134 year, as well as the 38 Mustangs Trophy one day encounter.

“These memorable encounters are true battles that are always fought in the true sportsman spirit of competitiveness and fair play.”

He added that it is wonderful to see so many old boys who plan their vacations specifically targeting the big match, year-in year-out.

“Such passion and forward-thinking is what has made these two colleges what they are today,” he further stated.

“St. Thomas’ College Warden Prof. Indra De Soysa also expressed his sentiments stating, “The annual Royal-Thomian big match is arguably the most prestigious and looked forward to cricketing encounter in the Sri Lankan schools cricket calendar.

“I am extremely pleased once again to be a part of this historic event, which is going from strength-to-strength in terms of cricketing excellence, attendance, public interest, and revenue generated for the two schools.

“We thank Etisalat Sri Lanka for their generosity and spirited partnership in coming forward as sponsors for this encounter.”

Royal Thomian Organising Committee Chairman Senaka de Fonseka said, “I am pleased to say that over 45 members from various committees are working towards ensuring three great days of successful cricket.

“I would like to extend a heartfelt gratitude to Dumindra Rathnayaka and his team for coming forward to support the 134 encounter and I urge all present and past Royal-Thomians to come and be part of this spectacular event.”  

Last year, the 133 Battle of the Blues ended in a draw, while both schools became joint victors of the Mustangs Trophy.

The match is preceded by the legendary cycle parade which usually takes place on the day before the big match, with the official objective of visiting the captain’s house to encourage him.

The original match was played between the Colombo Academy and St. Thomas’ College in 1879 and was known as the ‘Academy College Match’ till 1881 and was played for the Mustangs Trophy.

The first match was played with both schoolmasters and schoolboys participating. From 1880 onwards, only schoolboys were allowed to play in the match.