Rajans-Kingswood big match goes to Pallekele

S M Jiffrey ABDEEN- Kandy Sports Corr

The Oldest schools 'Big Match' in the hill capital between Dharmaraja College and Kingswood College is to be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Ground this year on March 25-26. The ODI is scheduled for April 03.

This cricket match which is 118 years old was first played in 1893 and since then 104 encounters have been played at several venues Bogambara grounds, Police grounds, Randles Hill, Lake View and finally the Asgiriya Stadium. That year Rajans led by Thilina Tennakoon ran up a total of 370 for 4 declared with Senaka Dissanayake scoring 200 the only double hundred of the series and he was supported by Prasanna Wallalawela 100 not out.

This is the first occasion that this big match will be taken out of the city of Kandy.

The main reasons for shifting of the venue from Asgiriya to Pallekele as it has better facilities and economical.

The Chairman of the Sri Lanka Cricket, D Somachandra de Silva said that we have given Kandy one of best cricket grounds in the world and the schools and clubs should make full use of it. It has all the facilities which a team could look forward to.

The last time a decision was reached in the Kingswood-Dharmaraja big match was in 1980 when the Rajans won by 9 wickets at Police grounds. Kingswood's last victory was way back in 1958 under C Maurice Fernando.

According to the performances of both teams the Rajans this year have the best chance of breaking this 30-year old hoodoo.

Another point of interest is that this will be the first school big match to be played in the Patha Dumbara electorate.

With the Rajans showing the way it is most likely that the other schools too will follow suit and play their big matches at Pallekele. This will leave Kandy city with just one big match between Trinity College and St Anthony's College who have their own grounds which could host big matches.