Old boys of Dharmaraja and Kingswood meet in annual T20 encounters

The 10th annual T20 cricket encounter between the old boy teams of Dharmaraja College and Kingswood College will be played at the Lake View, the cricket ground of Dharmaraja College, on Saturday, October 1st from 1.00pm. Last weekend the 115th annual big match encounter between the two schools – the Battle of the Maroons in the Hills – was played where it ended in a thrilling draw. Two games will be played between the old boys’ teams of the two institutions under two age categories of Over-40 and Over-30.

The Over-40 encounter will be played for the P.L. Authur Alwis and Clifford Rathnawibushana Memorial Trophy while the Over-30 game will be played for the Nazar Razak Memorial Trophy. The Over-40 encounter will see Saliya Jayasundara captaining Old Rajans and Buddhika Ekanayake will lead Kingswood old boys side. Muditha Wijekoon will lead the Old Rajans Over-30 side his counterpart from leading Kingswood old boys team is Malitha Mallawarachchi.

Saliya Jayasundara led the Dharmaraja Under-17 side in 1992 before leading the first XI team the following year, where he also led the Central Province Combine Schools team. He went on to represent BRC, leading the Under-23 side in 1998 and representing the club for many years in Division I cricket. He played for the Commercial Bank in Mercantile Cricket Division I.

His counterpart leading Kingswood in the Over-40s, Buddhika Ekanayake led his school’s first XI side in 1996 and 1997. He also had the rare distinction of representing Kingswood in three big match encounters, also hitting an unbeaten knock of 105 in the 1997 encounter. His notable achievement as a schoolboy cricketer was scoring 1000 runs inclusive of three centuries and nine half centuries. After his school career Ekanayake went on to represent Moors SC, Wattala Antonians, Sebastianites and Singhe SC in Division I cricket and also turned out for Sampath Bank in Mercantile Cricket Division I.

Muditha Wijekoon, the captain of the Old Rajans Over-30 team, led his school side during the 2002/03 season. He represented Kandy Youth Club, Negombo CC and Kandy CC before switching Colts in Division I cricket. In Mercantile Division I cricket, he represents Slimline and Unichela teams. The Kingswood Over-30 skipper Malitha Mallawarachchi was the school’s first XI captain of the year 2000. Matches will be coordinated by the Team Manager of Old Rajans Ajith Palihakkara

Over-40 teams

Old Rajans: Saliya Jayasundara (Captain), Asanka marapana (VC), Prasanna Walalawela, Arjuna Bandara, Amal Silva, Manjula Liyanage, Nalin Rambodagalla, Chinthaka Weerasinghe, Senaka Pieris, Bimal Sooriyampola, Asanka Dissanayake, Prasanna Dahanayake, Thanuja Godewatte, Channa Jayasundara, S.G. Hemantha,Dinusha Bandara.

Kingswood: Buddhika Ekanayake (Captain), Tissa Wijeratne, Suwanji Madanayake, Thushara Madanayake, Lalith Wijeratne, Upul Sumanasekara, Sujeewa Fernando, Tuan Miskin, H.N.T. Gamage, Dhanushka Gamage, Udayanga Nanayakkara, Palitha Liyanage, Tuan Sawall, Lasantha Kankanamge, Thushara Samarakoon

Over-30

Old Kingswood: Malith Mallawaarchchi (Captain), Omila Weerasooriya, Danushka Weerakkody, Niroshan Perera, Deminda Dahanayake, Sumudu Wijesinghe, Iruka Weerarathne, Gihan Chathuranga, Asanka Ranasinghe, Mohamed Ramesh, Chathura Kumarasiri, Melinda Wathegedara, Rachitha Liyanage, S. Nipuna

Old Rajans: Muditha Wijekoon (Captain), Gayan Nadunge, Amal Ekanayake, Upesh Wijesiri, Rukshan Sooriyaarchchi, Kavinda Dedunupitiya, Chandimal Rathnayake, Chamila Ambagaspitiya, Prasad Amarakoon, Hemal Munaweera, Rahula Ekanayake.