Antonian skipper Thisara Ekanayake’s latest century against Wesley College was his fourth ton for the season in Colombo, to add to his previous three centuries in the major city against Nalanda College at Campbell Place, St Joseph’s College at Darley Road and St Peter’s College at Bambalapitiya. He thus became the first Antonian ever to record four centuries in Colombo in one season.

The first encounter on record between St Anthony’s College, Kandy and St Benedict’s College took place on 16th October 1909 in Colombo as a “day game”, which resulted in a 35-run win to the Bens. The regular 2-day fixtures between the two sides commenced on 30th and 31st March 1917 at Bogambara and have continued to this day, with a record of 23 wins for SACK and 15 wins for SBC.

The first two-day game between St Anthony’s College, Kandy and S Thomas College, Mount Lavinia was played on 9th and 10th March 1917 in Colombo, with the Antonians emerging as winners by 5 wickets. The 1918 encounter ended in a tame draw but not before skipper Jack Anderson made history with his monumental innings of 291. This was the highest individual innings in all cricket at the time, not just school games.

The Antonians defeated Nalanda College Colombo convincingly by 10 wickets at Campbell Place, Colombo, to register their fifth outright win in 2024, adding to their successes against Dharmaraja College, Ananda College, St Sebastian’s College and St Benedict’s College. This was the Antonians first win against the Nalandians since 1962, thus breaking a 62-year hoodoo and only the second win in history against the Colombo school.

Trinity-Antonian encounters began in 1914 and has continued on for over 100 years, with 105 games at the end of the drawn encounter in 2024. Here is a comprehensive statistical analysis of the series.

From the time the first game was played in 1899 between St Anthony’s College, Kandy and St Joseph’s College, this encounter has continued to maintain its rich traditions of fair play and great sportsmanship. Across 120 years of history and after several thrilling games, St Joseph’s have come out on top more frequently than the Kandy school. The record stands at 44 wins for SJC, 9 wins for SACK with 56 draws.

St Anthony’s College, Kandy and St Peter’s College first met in October 1932 for a ‘Whole Day ‘game in Colombo which St. Peter’s College won on the first innings. This is believed to have been a third-term fixture of the 1933 season. After a lapse of three years, a further ‘Whole Day’ game was played in 1936 which also ended in a first-innings win for the Colombo boys. The two-day encounters started in earnest in 1937 and have continued annually up to 2021, with the only exception being 1942 to 1945 when sports at St Peter’s College took a break as a result of World War II.

Scoring a double century in any form of cricket, let alone at the school level, is a remarkable feat that occurs infrequently. Thus, it comes as no surprise that only three players have achieved this rare milestone at the Katugastota Oval in First XI cricket since its establishment in 1938. A Peterite and two Antonians are in this exclusive club.

The bridges of friendship we build at College have brought us thus far. As to where the roads may lead in the future, we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

The series that commenced in 1980 at Asgiriya, has been a regular fixture over the last four decades except for 2001, 2020 and 2021. Out of the 39 matches played so far, TCK has 18 wins, SACK 17 wins, one game was tied (2014) and three other encounters ended without a decision due to rain (1993, 2003 and 2008).

He knew the art of 'Student psychology' - he knew how to get to the heart of a student and never lost sight of the human element.

The 2018/2019 cricket season will go down in the Antonian history as the year that brought us back to where we belong – Division One, after lingering in the lower division for five long years.

He knew the art of 'Student psychology' - he knew how to get to the heart of a student and never lost sight of the human element.

Following an outstanding year in 2017/2018, the Antonian cricket team pressed home the momentum this year to qualify for Division 1 after a lapse of five years. We are back where we belong!

He has said it all, and in writing this simple appreciation I as the last man in, can only in a literal sense gild the lily.

This story has its genesis in the rural hinterland of Akurana nestling in nature's serenity about ten kilometers from Kandy.

Fazly was educated at St Anthony’s College, Katugastota from 1969 to 1978, where he showed early promise in sports. As a left-arm medium pace bowler, Fazly was in the First XI squad under Mohan Ratnakumar in the early part of the 1978/79 season.

While we carve the names of that elite team with pride, the unsung "Anthonians" who were at the grounds witnessing cricket played at its best should not be forgotten.

Boarders will remember the numerous occasions when there were power failures at college. Power blackouts resulted in chaos and the reactions varied from one extreme to the other depending on where you found yourself in the dark!

Thaiyar Mohammed is known to most Antonians as an outstanding cricketer and their captain of 1977, but what he has achieved since leaving college is news to only a few.