Dharmapremas will create history

SAMPATH BANDARA

Dharmapremas will make history during the 103rd Kingswood-Dharmaraja Big Match to be worked off at the Asgiriya International Stadium this weekend.

A father and son will be captaining the Kingswood College cricket team for the first time in the history of this encounter.

Mangala Dharmaprema (father) captained the side in 1985 and Chalitha Dharmaprema (son) captaining the side this year (2009) is a remarkable achievement. Mangala played for Kingswood in 1983, 1984 and 1985. In the 1984 big match, he scored 120 not out and during the 1985 big match he passed the 1,000 run mark and he became the second Kingswoodian to do so after Maurice Fernando in 1958.

Managala's younger brother Dayal also captained the side in the year 1994 and he bagged 6 wickets for 38 runs, the third best bowling performance in the big match. This year's captain Chalitha is a right-arm off spinner who bagged 74 wickets this season including six five wicket hauls and scored 400 runs including 3 half centuries and his younger brother Hasitha is also playing in this year's team.