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Royal dominate day one thanks to Manchanayake, Ramiru centuries
Centuries from skipper Dasis Manchanayake and Ramiru Perera helped Royal College, Colombo dominate the opening day against arch-rivals S. Thomas’ College at stumps on day one of the 144th ‘Battle of the Blues’ which commenced at SSC Cricket Grounds, Colombo today.
Put into bat first on a green deck on an overcast morning, Royal was off to a poor start losing 4 wickets for just 63 runs.
Despite a shaky start Royal College rebuild their innings thanks to a record-breaking 229-run partnership between skipper Dasis Manchanayake and Ramiru Perera for the fifth wicket to revive their innings and slowly crawl their way back into the game
The 229-run partnership also re-wrote history as the highest partnership for the 5th wicket in the history of the ‘Battle of the Blues’.
Skipper Dasis Manchanayake led from the front, top scoring with a brilliant 137 runs off 150 deliveries including 17 boundaries while Ramiru Perera also played a similar inning as he scored 15 fours and 2 sixes during his 186-ball 128 to help their team go past the 300-run mark.
The duo batted cautiously to take Royal to a decent position until Royal’s skipper was bamboozled by a peach of a delivery from Kavindu Dias, to once again give the advantage to the Thomians.
With the scoreboard reading at 5-292, a desperate effort to score some quick runs towards the end proved fatal as Royal lost a few quick wickets that set batter Ramiru Perera to end day one on 326-8 after 74 overs.
Savindu Seneratharachchi (8) and Bulan Weeratunga (2) were at the crease when umpires called for stumps.
Besides Ramiru’s and Dasis Manchanayake’s knocks, Royal College’s scorecard was not that impressive as none of the other batters was able to pose a threat to the Thomian bowlers.
Right-arm medium pacer Akash Fernando shone with the ball claiming 4-55, while Kavindu Dias bagged 3 wickets.
The match will continue tomorrow for day 2.
මංචනායක, රමිරු ශතකවලට පින්සිදු වන්නට රාජකීය ආධිපත්ය දිනය පළමු දිනය
කොළඹ SSC ක්රිකට් පිටියේ අද ආරම්භ වූ 144 වැනි ‘බ්ලූස් සටනේ’ පළමු දිනය වූ අද තරගය නතර කරන විට නායක දාසිස් මංචනායකගේ සහ රමිරු පෙරේරාගේ ශතක හේතුවෙන් කොළඹ රාජකීය විද්යාලය පළමු දිනයේදී පරම ප්රතිවාදී S. තෝමස් විද්යාලයට එරෙහිව සිය ආධිපත්යය දැරීමට සමත් විය.
වලාකුළු සහිත උදෑසනක හරිත තට්ටුවේ පළමුවෙන් පන්දුවට පහර දුන් රාජකීයයන් ලකුණු 63 කට කඩුලු 4 ක් දැවී දුර්වල ආරම්භයක් ලබා ගත්තේය.
ආරම්භය බිඳවැටුණද රාජකීය විද්යාලය සිය ඉනිම යළි ගොඩනැංවූයේ නායක දාසිස් මංචනායක සහ රමිරු පෙරේරා පස්වැනි කඩුල්ලට ගොඩනැගූ වාර්තාගත ලකුණු 229ක සබඳතාවයට ස්තුතිවන්ත වන්නටය.
ලකුණු 229ක සබඳතාව ‘Battle of the Blues’ ඉතිහාසයේ 5 වැනි කඩුල්ල වෙනුවෙන් ගොඩනැගුණු ඉහළම සබඳතාව ලෙස ඉතිහාසය යළිත් ලියැවීය.
නායක දසිස් මංචනායක පන්දු 150කදී හතරේ පහර 17ක් සමඟින් විශිෂ්ට ලකුණු 137ක් ලබා ගනිමින් පෙරමුණේ සිට ඉහළම ලකුණු ලාභියා වූ අතර රමිරු පෙරේරා ද එවැනිම ඉනිමක් ක්රීඩා කරමින් පන්දු 186කදී හතරේ පහර 15ක් සහ හයේ පහර 2ක් සමඟින් ලකුණු 128ක් රැස්කරමින් තම කණ්ඩායම පසුකර ගියේය. ලකුණු 300 ලකුණ.
කවිඳු ඩයස්ගේ පන්දුවකට පීච් පහරකින් රාජකීය නායකයා දැවී යන තුරුම ඔවුන් දෙදෙනා ප්රවේශමෙන් පන්දුවට පහර දුන්නේ තෝමියානුවන්ට වාසියක් ලබා දෙමිනි.
ලකුණු පුවරුව 5-292 ක් වන විට, අවසානය දක්වා වේගවත් ලකුණු කිහිපයක් ලබා ගැනීමට මංමුලා සහගත උත්සාහයක් මාරාන්තික බව ඔප්පු වූ අතර, රාජකීය විදුහලට ඉක්මන් කඩුලු කිහිපයක් අහිමි වූ අතර එමඟින් පිතිකරු රමිරු පෙරේරා පළමු දිනය නිමා කිරීමට ඕවර 74 කින් ලකුණු 326-8 ක් ලබා ගත්තේය.
විනිසුරුවන් කඩුල්ලට කැඳවන විට සවිඳු සෙනරආරච්චි (8) සහ බුලාන් වීරතුංග (2) ක්රීඩාගාරයේ සිටියහ.
රමිරුගේ සහ දසිස් මංචනායකගේ දස්කම් හැරුණු විට රාජකීය විදුහලේ ලකුණු පුවරුව එතරම් ආකර්ෂණීය නොවූයේ සෙසු පිතිකරුවන් කිසිවකුට තෝමියන් පන්දු යවන්නන්ට තර්ජනයක් එල්ල කිරීමට නොහැකි වූ බැවිනි.
දකුණත් මධ්යම වේග පන්දු යවන ක්රීඩක ආකාෂ් ප්රනාන්දු ලකුණු 4-55ක් ලෙසින් පන්දුවෙන් දස්කම් දැක්වූ අතර කවිඳු ඩයස් කඩුලු 3ක් දවා ගත්තේය.
තරගය අද 2 වැනි දිනටත් පැවැත්වේ.
மஞ்சநாயகி, ராமிரு நூற்றாண்டுகளுக்கு ராயல் டாமினியன் நாள் முதல் நன்றி
இன்று கொழும்பு SSC கிரிக்கெட் மைதானத்தில் ஆரம்பமான 144வது ‘Battle of the Blues’ போட்டியின் முதல் நாள் ஆட்டம் முடிவடையும் போது, அணித்தலைவர் தாசிஸ் மஞ்சநாயக்க மற்றும் ரமிரு பெரேராவின் சதங்கள், கொழும்பு ரோயல் கல்லூரிக்கு எதிரான ஆரம்ப நாள் ஆட்டத்தின் போது பரம எதிரிகளான S. Thomas’ கல்லூரிக்கு எதிராக ஆதிக்கம் செலுத்த உதவியது.
ஒரு மேகமூட்டமான காலையில் பச்சை டெக்கில் முதலில் பேட் செய்த ராயல் வெறும் 63 ரன்களுக்கு 4 விக்கெட்டுகளை இழந்து மோசமான தொடக்கத்தைத் தந்தது.
ஆட்டமிழந்த ஆரம்பம் இருந்தபோதிலும், ஐந்தாவது விக்கெட்டுக்காக அணித்தலைவர் தாசிஸ் மஞ்சநாயக்க மற்றும் ரமிரு பெரேரா ஆகியோர் இணைந்து 229 ஓட்டங்களை இணைத்ததன் மூலம் றோயல் கல்லூரி மீண்டும் இன்னிங்ஸைக் கட்டியெழுப்பியது.
229 ரன் பார்ட்னர்ஷிப், ‘பேட்டில் ஆஃப் தி ப்ளூஸ்’ வரலாற்றில் 5வது விக்கெட்டுக்கு அதிகபட்ச பார்ட்னர்ஷிப்பாகவும் வரலாற்றை மீண்டும் எழுதியது.
அணித்தலைவர் தாசிஸ் மஞ்சநாயக்க முன்னணியில் இருந்து 150 பந்துகளில் 17 பவுண்டரிகள் அடங்கலாக 137 ஓட்டங்களைப் பெற்று சிறந்த ஸ்கோரைப் பெற்றுக் கொண்டார், அதேபோன்று ரமிரு பெரேராவும் இதேபோன்ற இன்னிங்ஸை விளையாடினார், அவர் தனது 186 பந்துகளில் 128 ஓட்டங்களைப் பெற்று 186 பந்துகளில் 128 ஓட்டங்களைப் பெற்றார். 300 ரன் மார்க்.
கவிந்து டயஸின் பந்து வீச்சில் ராயல் கேப்டன் மூங்கில் விழுந்து, தோமியன்களுக்கு மீண்டும் சாதகமாக அமையும் வரை, இருவரும் கவனமாக துடுப்பெடுத்தாடி றோயலை ஒரு நல்ல நிலைக்கு கொண்டு சென்றனர்.
ஸ்கோர்போர்டு ரீடிங் 5-292 என்ற நிலையில், இறுதியில் சில விரைவான ரன்களை எடுப்பதற்கான அவநம்பிக்கையான முயற்சி ஆபத்தானது, ஏனெனில் ராயல் சில விரைவான விக்கெட்டுகளை இழந்தார், இதனால் பேட்டர் ரமிரு பெரேரா முதல் நாள் முடிவில் 74 ஓவர்களில் 326-8 ரன்களை எடுத்தார்.
நடுவர்கள் ஸ்டம்புகளுக்கு அழைப்பு விடுத்தபோது சவிந்து செனரதாராச்சி (8) மற்றும் புலன் வீரதுங்க (2) ஆகியோர் கிரீஸில் இருந்தனர்.
ரமிரு மற்றும் தாசிஸ் மஞ்சநாயக்கவின் ஆட்டமிழக்க, ரோயல் கல்லூரியின் ஸ்கோர் கார்டு அவ்வளவு சுவாரஸ்யமாக இருக்கவில்லை, ஏனெனில் மற்ற துடுப்பாட்ட வீரர்கள் எவரும் தோமியன் பந்துவீச்சாளர்களுக்கு அச்சுறுத்தலாக இருக்க முடியவில்லை.
பந்து வீச்சில் வலது கை நடுத்தர வேகப்பந்து வீச்சாளர் ஆகாஷ் பெர்னாண்டோ 4-55 என பிரகாசிக்க, கவிந்து டயஸ் 3 விக்கெட்டுகளை கைப்பற்றினார்.
இன்று 2-வது நாளாக ஆட்டம் தொடரும்.
News
SLR Unveils National Coaching Staff for 2026 Season
Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) has officially named the coaching and support staff for the national XV-a-side and sevens teams ahead of the 2026 international rugby season, which begins next month with the tour of the New Zealand Under-85kg team to Sri Lanka.
Dushanth Lewke has been appointed as the Head Coach of the national XV-a-side squad for the upcoming international campaigns. He will be supported by forwards coach Henry Terance and assistant coach Lasintha De Costa. The team’s support staff will include Tharanga Premakumara as physiotherapist and Vishvamithra Jayasinghe overseeing strength and conditioning.
Lewke previously served as the forwards coach of the national XV-a-side team during the 2025 Asia Rugby Championship. He also enjoyed a highly successful domestic season, guiding his club CR & FC to a historic double by winning both the League title and the Clifford Cup.
Sri Lanka’s XV-a-side international calendar will begin with the New Zealand Under-85kg tour scheduled for April. Later in the year, Sri Lanka will compete in the Asia Rugby Top 4 tournament alongside South Korea, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates.
For the men’s sevens programme, Shamly Nawaz and Amjad Buksh have been appointed as co-coaches, while Dansha Dayan will join the setup as an intern coach. Dilan Zoysa will manage strength and conditioning responsibilities and Shafin Majid will serve as the team physiotherapist.

The women’s national programme will be led by head coach Leonard De Zilwa with M. Saldeen appointed as assistant coach. Nimesh De Silva will take on the role of team physiotherapist.
Cricket
92nd Battle of the Saints Set for March at SSC
The stage is set for one of Sri Lanka’s most cherished school cricket rivalries, as St. Joseph’s College and St. Peter’s College prepare to renew their historic contest in the 92nd Battle of the Saints. The three-day encounter will be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) ground on 19, 20 and 21 March, with the prestigious Rev. Fr. Maurice J. Le Goc Trophy up for grabs.
Adding to the excitement, the 52nd Joe–Pete Limited Overs Encounter for the Rev. Fr. Peter A. Pillai Trophy will take place on 25 April, also at SSC. Dialog Axiata PLC continues its proud tradition of powering this iconic fixture for the tenth consecutive year, underscoring its commitment to nurturing the champions of tomorrow.
This year, St. Joseph’s will be led by Rishma Amarasinghe, while St. Peter’s will take the field under Enosh Peterson, who starred as Man-of-the-Match in last year’s limited overs clash. The rivalry remains finely balanced: St. Joseph’s has 12 outright wins, their last in 2008, while St. Peter’s boasts 10, most recently in 2016. A remarkable 68 encounters have ended in draws, reflecting the competitive spirit that defines this fixture. The 2025 edition, contested as a three-day match for the first time, fittingly ended in a draw.
In the shorter format, St. Joseph’s holds a narrow edge with 25 victories compared to St. Peter’s 23, alongside two no-results and one tie. The 51st encounter saw St. Peter’s clinch a thrilling four-wicket win to retain the Rev. Fr. Peter A. Pillai Memorial Shield.
Beyond the numbers, both schools carry a proud legacy of producing cricketing greats who have represented Sri Lanka at the highest level. Josephian alumni include Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews, Chaminda Vaas, Dunith Wellalage, Thisara Perera, and Sadeera Samarawickrama, while Peterites have given the nation stars such as Roy Dias, Rumesh Ratnayake, Russel Arnold, Angelo Perera, and Janith Liyanage.
Speaking ahead of the match, Rev. Fr. Rohitha Rodrigo of St. Peter’s emphasized that the fixture represents more than competition, symbolizing brotherhood, character, and the highest standards of school cricket. Rev. Fr. Ranjith Andradi of St. Joseph’s echoed the sentiment, highlighting the values of discipline, teamwork, and fellowship that unite generations of players and supporters.
Dialog’s Group Chief Marketing Officer, Lasantha Thverapperuma, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to the Big Match season, calling it a cornerstone of Sri Lanka’s sporting heritage and wishing both teams success in what promises to be another memorable chapter in this storied rivalry.
Cricket
LPL Player Draft Postponed Amid Middle East Tensions
The Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026 has encountered an unexpected delay, with organizers confirming that the highly anticipated player draft will not take place this month due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East. While the draft has been pushed back, the tournament itself remains firmly on schedule, set to run from 8 July to 8 August 2026.
Despite the setback, excitement around the sixth edition of the league continues to build. Several prominent international cricketers have already expressed their interest in participating, reinforcing the LPL’s growing stature in the global cricket calendar.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is also exploring the possibility of expanding the list of venues for this year’s competition. The Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo has emerged as a strong candidate following the installation of floodlights, which now allow the historic venue to host day-night fixtures. If included, SSC would join the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, and Dambulla International Stadium, easing logistical challenges and giving fans in the capital another opportunity to witness the action.
Although no official confirmation has been made, discussions are ongoing, and SSC is increasingly seen as a likely addition to the venue lineup.
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