Annual Big matches are played between two rival School cricket teams in Colombo and in other major cities. Usually these matches are held at the end of the first school term in March. Big matches provide competition among schools and it also serves as a meeting place for many old boys. Some of these encounters are very old, more than 100 years.
These schools have a rich cricketing history and also a history of producing top, world class cricket players to Sri Lankan team. However there are some unruly behavoius by students during the match and during the big match cricket fever season. Hence Police has requested the school students not to act in a manner that causes obstruction to the public when celebrating the big-match season.
There are other traditions with these big matches such as Cycle parades (Trucking).
List of Major Big Cricket Matches between Sri Lankan Schools
Battle of the Blues
Royal–Thomian: Royal College, Colombo v S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia (1879–present)
Battle of the Maroons
Dharmaraja–Kingswood: Dharmaraja College v Kingswood College, Kandy (1893–present)
Battle of Nilwala or Battle of the Blues or Battle of Ruhuna
St. Servatius–St. Thomas: St. Servatius’ College v St. Thomas’ College, Matara (1900–presen)
Battle of the North or Battle of the Blues
Jaffna Central College v St. John’s College, Jaffna (North) (1901–present)
Battle of the Lovers (Adaravanthayange satana)
Richmond–Mahinda: Richmond College, Galle v Mahinda College (1905–present)
Battle of the Blues
Trinity-Anthony’s: Trinity College, Kandy v St. Anthony’s College, Kandy (1914–present)
Battle of the Golds
Jaffna College v St. Patrick’s College, Jaffna (1917–present)
Battle of the Maroons or Sulohitha Sangramaya
Ananda-Nalanda: Ananda College v Nalanda College, Colombo (1924–present)
Battle of the Golds
St. Sebastian’s–Prince of Wales’ Cricket Encounter: Prince of Wales’ College, Moratuwa v St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa (1933–present)
Battle of the Saints
St Peter’s College, Colombo v St. Joseph’s College, Colombo (1933–present)
Battle of the Mangoosteens
Kalutara Vidyalaya v Tissa Central College (1949–present)
Battle of the Babes
St. Sylvester’s College v Vidyartha College (1958–present)
Battle of the Rocks
Maliyadeva College v St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala (1959–present)
Thurstan-Isipathana: Thurstan College v Isipathana Vidyalaya (1964–present)
Battle of the Golds
Kegalu Vidyalaya v St. Mary’s College, Kegalle (1960s – present)
Dharmasoka-Devananda: Dharmasoka College Ambalangoda v Sri Devananda College Ambalangoda (1966–present)
Battle of Kotte
Sri Jayawardenepura Maha Vidyalaya v St. Thomas’ College, Kotte (1976–present)
Battle of the Golds
Sri Rahula College, Kandy v Sri Sumangala College, Kandy (1981–present)
Battle of Kelaniya
Gurukula College v Sri Dharmaloka College (1988–present)
Battle of Panadura
Royal vs St. John’s: Royal College Panadura v St. John’s College Panadura (1992–present)
Battle of Raigam Korale
Piliyandala Central College v Taxila Central College, Horana (2001–present)
Battle of Two Cities
Rahula College v St. Aloysius’ College, Galle (2004–2011)
Battle of Wayamba
Royal College Wayamba, Kurunegala v Sir John Kotalawala College (2005–present)
Battle of the Hindus
Jaffna Hindu College v Kokuvil Hindu College (2008–present)
Golden Battle of Ruhuna
Rajapaksa National School v Vijitha Central College (2010–present)
Battle of Golden Lions
Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Pannipitiya v Rahula College, Matara (2012–present)
Battle of the Greens
Arethusa College v T. B. Jayah Zahira College (2012–present)
Battle of Dematagoda
St. John’s College, Dematagoda v St. Mathew’s College, Dematagoda
Battle of Golds
Moratu Vidyalaya v Sri Sumangala College, Panadura
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