The 60th annual Battle of the Brothers Inter-School Under-19 cricket encounter between the traditional rivals Thurstan College and Isipathana College will herald the start of another Big Match season for 2023.This two-day encounter will be played on February 24 and 25 for the coveted Blackham Wijewardana Trophy with all the pomp and pageantry on display at the SSC Grounds in Maitland Place, Colombo.
This year’s Big Match will have a great amount of significance as the SSC Grounds will be open for the spectators after a lapse of two years following the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
These details were revealed by the Principal of Isipathana Oshara Panditharatne and the Principal of Thurstan Pramuditha Wickremasinghe during a joint media briefing held at the Colts Cricket Club in Colombo on Tuesday. “The Thurstan and Isipathana encounter will be the first Big Match for this season and our main goal is to play the game in a true spirit and to build up unity and friendship between the two schools,” Isipathana Principal Panditharatne told reporters.
“There will be an Old Boys cricket match and another fixture between the teachers of the two schools and the ‘parade of brothers 2023’ is another symbol of brotherhood,” Thurstan Principal Wickremasinghe emphasised.In fact, the joint cycle parade, which is held for the ninth successive year, is scheduled for February 23 to mark the annual Big Match between Thurstan and Isipathana with the participation of nearly 7,500 students, parents, and the Old Boys of both schools.The cycle parade will commence at 8.30 a.m. from the premises of Isipathana and it will proceed towards Thurstan, at which point both schools will proceed jointly.
In the Big Match series betwe en the two schools, Thurstan are ahead with six wins and Isipathana have won four with the rest of the games ending in a draw.Thurstan had the honour of making a clean sweep in 2019 as they clinched the Big Match, limited over fixture and the Twenty20 encounter under the leadership of Sandaru Dias.However, Isipathana were able to claim major honours in the Big Match played in 2020, 2021 and 2022 respectively.
Meanwhile, the 43rd limited over cricket encounter between Thurstan and Isipathana for the W. A. de Silva Memorial Trophy will be played on March 5 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.The limited overs match between the two schools was last held in 2020 and on that occasion Isipathana emerged victorious.In addition, the 16th Twenty20 cricket encounter between Thurstan and Isipathana for the Priya Paranavitane Challenge Trophy will be played on March 25 at the Thurstan Cricket Grounds in Colombo. In fact, this time the Twenty20 match between the two schools has been revived after a lapse of four years and it was last played in 2019. This year Thurstan will be captained by wicket-keeper batsman Shanikya Deshappriya while Isipathana will be led by Naveen Kanishka, who is also the captain of their first XV rugby team.
By – Daily news