No fanfare but the battle continues

by Reemus Fernando   

Maitland Place, like on any other Big Match day morning, was jam-packed with vehicles on Thursday. But a vast majority of people inside these vehicles, waiting for fuel, did not have an iota of an idea as to what was happening inside a somber SSC. With no papares and other noisy bands, it was hard to imagine that the latest edition of the Battle of the Blues was being played at the SSC. It was the second consecutive edition the historic Big Match was being played there without fans. Unprecedented steps during unprecedented times.

Unlike at the last edition, the organizing committee had allowed print media in. Witnessing the proceedings from the electronic press box of the SSC, the atmosphere was similar to that of an ordinary school match where you could find only the parents and a few old boys occasionally cheering the cricket being played in the middle. There were the flag-waving prefects from either school but no boys’ tents and the noise eternally associated with this Big Match.

Despite the absence of fanfare, cricket continued. A player who had his father, grandfather, and great grandfather playing in this Big Match series debuted for Thomians. Both teams had players recruited from other schools. Irrespective of their origins a group of young men who had aspired to play the Big Match got that valuable opportunity thanks to the organizing committee’s decision to keep the uninterrupted series alive.

Not many schools in the country have the ability to do that.

The historic series has not been interrupted even during the two World Wars and during the insurgencies. Once when the education ministry issued a circular preventing school sports events from being conducted under hot and humid conditions, the hosting of all school sports events was in jeopardy. But their inability to stop the Battle of the Blues made them reverse the circular. The Battle of the Blues has become such an important part of the Sporting Calendar of the country even the fans of other Big Matches closely follow the trends associated with this Big Match.

It is incumbent upon authorities to keep sports alive as it would provide young people with something cheerful to engage with during these difficult times. In that regard, irrespective of the result of the 143rd edition, which was not known when this edition went to press, the Battle of the Blues has already won.