The Dharmaraja College and Kingswood College 115th big match is likely to be played on March 17 and 18 for the T. B. Tennekoon Memorial Trophy. The 34th 50 over game is on March 26 for the Winston Hoole Memorial trophy.
Both games will be played at the Pallekelle International Stadium. This big match encounter is the second oldest big match in the country and the first match was played in 1893 at the Bogambara ground.
It was not exclusively a schoolboy match as they included a few members of the staff from both schools. The first all-schoolboy big match was played in 1899.
In 1943 the first century in the series was scored by PL Arthur Alwis of Dharmaraja College. It is interesting to note that the Rajans’ skipper T.B. Talwatte, was deprived of this honour as he was injured by the Kingswood pace bowler M.T. Jaimon and Talwatte had to leave the field temporarily during which time Arthur completed his century. Later, Talwatte too completed his century. Jamion took 5 wickets for 90 runs for Kingswood.
The match was won by the Rajans by an innings and 152 runs. P.L. Arthur Alwis also captured a match bag of 9 for 39. In 1951 Kingswood led by left-hander Shelton Perera, scored an exciting win over Dharmaraja. Needing to score ten runs in six balls they did it with a ball to spare. The winning stroke was hit by the captain himself.
In 1952 Chandra de Silva scored 158 for Dharmaraja in the match played at Randles Hill. Asoka Perera scored 148 for Kingswood.
The match ended in a draw. De Silva’s 158 was the highest individual score in the series to that date. In 1956 the highlight of the drawn encounter was the bowling feat of M. Nizar of Kingswood who took 6 wickets for 48 runs.
In 1957 Kingswood amassed 401 for 9 wickets with Maurice Fernando scoring 101 runs. Dharmaraja replied with 269 runs in the first innings. In 1958 - Kingswood defeated Dharmaraja by10 wickets and this was the last time Kingswood defeated Dharmaraja.
In this match Kingwood was captained by Maurice Fernando who was selected the SchoolboyCricketer of the Year.
Dharmaraja was captained by D.D.T. Alwis. The Kingswood opening pair, considered the best among the schools, was Maurice Fernando and Herby Jayasuriya.
They put on an unbroken stand of 102 runs in the second innings enabling Kingswood to win. Herby scored a brisk 50 while Maurice scored 143
In 1967 Kingswood skipper Tissa Jayathilake batting well with Mohan Kodituwakku, declared the innings still short of nine runs of a century, which would have earned him the distinction of scoring consecutive centuries having scored an unbeaten 100 in the 1966 match.
Another feature of this match was the bowling of left-arm spinner Sena Abeygunaratne, who took 7 wickets for32 runs in the Dharmaraja first innings of 143 runs. In 1976 and 1977 P.B. Wickremasuriya of Kingswood and Ajith Naranpanawe of Dharmaraja entered the record books by scoring centuries in both years thus becoming the only two players to score centuries in consecutive matches.
In 1981 Dharmaraja College led by Janaka Mendis registered an outright win over Kingswood College after 30 long years.
The highest individual score is by Senaka Dissanayake of Dharmaraja who made 200 in 1983 and for Kingswood Clifford Ratnavibushana scored 167 in 1959.
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