Outstanding achievements of Dasis, Ramiru and Rehan

Royal-Thomian

After the ‘Mustangs Trophy’ encounter was introduced in 1975 there had been only four instances where Royal College were able to win both the ‘D.S. Senanayake Memorial Trophy’ and the ‘Mustangs Trophy’.

The rare occasions were in 1983, 1990, 2013, and 2023.

The respective captains were Chulaka Amerasinghe, Udaya Wijesena, Devin Pathmanathan, and Dasis Manchanayake.

During the three-day encounter, on the first day, after a shaky start of 63 for four wickets, there was a record partnership of 229 runs between Dasis Manchanayake (137) and Ramiru Perera (128). They were able to erase the earlier unbroken record of 165 runs which was established in 1963 by V.P. Malalasekera (112 n.o.) and C. M. Fernando (47 n.o.).

With this century, Ramiru Perera who was 16 years and one month old became the youngest ever Royalist to score a century at the Battle of the Blues encounter.

Most probably he may be the youngest ever from both schools. Up to this year, the youngest was Pasindu Sooriyabandara who was 16 years four months old when he scored his match-winning debut century of 123 runs in 2016.

Dasis, with his century, became the sixth captain from Royal to score a century at the Big Match. The others were F.C. de Saram (140 in 1931), S.G. Salgado (112 in 1942), M. Wille (121 in 1957), C. J. Fernando (160 n.o. in 1971), and A. Polonowita (165 in 1996). During the second essay, with his 57 runs, Dasis became the first-ever Royalist captain to score a century and a half-century during the Big Match.

Rehan Peiris

During the Mustangs Trophy encounter, the other youngster in the team, fresher Rehan Peiris who was only 14 years and two months when he took part in the three-day encounter, notched up an unbeaten 69 runs to become the Most Promising Fresher and carried away the Man of the Match award.

He also became the youngest player from either side to score a half-century at Mustangs Trophy matches.

M.L. Fernando

(Recorder – Royal College Union)