SACK vs TCK LIMITED OVERS SERIES

The 43rd Limited Over Cricket Encounter between Trinity College and St. Anthony's College Kandy for Sir Richard Aluvihare Trophy concluded at Asgiriya on Friday 11th April 2025. The home side won narrowly by 8 runs (DLS Method) when bad light stopped play in a 32-over game, shortened by a wet outfield. The Antonians were 112/6 in 26 overs, requiring a further 41 runs in the last six overs to surpass Trinity’s 152/9 (32 overs). Charuka Ekanayake (SACK) and Malith Ratnayake (TCK) captained the teams.

The series that commenced in 1980 at Asgiriya, under the captaincy of Angelo Liyanage (SACK) and former national star Ravi Ratnayake (TCK), has been a regular fixture over the last four decades except for 2001, 2020 and 2021. Out of the 43 matches played so far, TCK has 21 wins, SACK 17 wins, one game was tied (2014) and four other encounters ended without a decision due to rain (1993, 2003, 2008 and 2023). The Antonians kicked off the series in great style by winning the first nine of the eleven games, but Trinity has clawed back since to take the lead, starting with consecutive wins in 1991 and 1992 by the narrowest of margins against formidable Antonian sides.

Trinity has dominated in recent years, going unbeaten in eleven consecutive games since 2013 (9 wins, a tie, and a no-decision), with the last Antonian win coming in 2012 under Kanishka Ranaraja. On this occasion, the Katugastota boys turned the tables on the much-fancied Trinity outfit led by Niroshan Dickwella to win by 10 runs, a week after being soundly beaten in the Big Match. This outcome resembled the year 1992 when Trinity registered a win in the one-dayer after losing the Big Match outright.

The only tie in the 43 games played to date came in 2014 at Katugastota, when Trinity’s Srimahan was run-out off the second ball of the last over. Apart from the tied game, there were many other close encounters, but none closer than the one-wicket wins registered by SACK in 1989 at Katugastota, helped by 30 extras conceded by the visitors and by TCK, just two years later, in 1991 mainly through a brilliant all-round performance by A.K Ekanayake (58 and 4/42). In terms of victories by runs, TCK’s 2-run win in 2011 and their 3-run win in 1992, both at Asgiriya, are the narrowest of them all.

Marlon reigns supreme

Marlon Von Hagt’s name deserves to be etched permanently in the record books of the Trinity-Antonian limited-over series. With a staggering total of 447 runs at an average of 89.4—including two centuries and two fifties—his record is one that may never be broken. From 1980 to 1984, Marlon delivered a masterclass in consistency with scores of 84, 111, 70, 139, and 43, respectively. Remarkably, he was the top scorer in each of the first five editions of the series, across both teams.

His 139-run knock in 1983 at Katugastota, off 135 balls with 15 fours and 4 sixes, remains the highest individual score in the history of Trinity-Antonian limited-over encounters. Such was his dominance that day, no other batsman from either side even reached 20.

Beyond his one-day heroics, Marlon also amassed over 450 runs in six Big Matches, bringing his total tally against Trinity in First XI cricket to more than 900 runs. He was, without question, a persistent thorn in the side of the Trinitians.

Hasitha Boyagoda scored the solitary century for Trinity, during his match-winning knock of 109 at Katugastota in 2018. Antonian Kanishka Uggalpaya’s 102 in 2015 is the only century registered at Asgiriya in the limited-over series, from either team.

STATISTICS

Largest Winning Margins:

By 160 runs - SACK at Katugastota in 1983

By 9 wkts - SACK at Asgiriya in 1990

By 9 wkts - TCK at Katugastota in 2016 – in 9.4 overs, the quickest win in the series.

Narrowest Winnings Margins:

By 2 runs - TCK at Asgiriya in 2011

By 1 wkt – SACK at Katugastota in 1989

By 1 wkt – TCK at Katugastota in 1991

Break-down by venue:

Highest Totals: TCK – 305/7 (50 overs in 2018 at Katugastota), SACK – 276/5 (45 overs at Katugastota) and 276/8 (50 overs at Asgiriya). The highest TCK total at Asgiriya is 240/8 (50 overs in 2000)

Lowest Totals: TCK – 71 all out (25.5 overs in 1983 at Katugastota); SACK – 89 all out (31 overs at Katugastota in 2016). The lowest totals at Asgiriya; TCK – 73 all out (35.5 overs in 1984), SACK – 92 all out (43.1 overs in 2013)

Break-down by venue:

INDIVIDUAL RECORDS

Highest Individual Innings: 139 – Marlon Von Hagt (SACK) in 1983 at Katugastota (Best score for TCK – Hasitha Boyagoda 109 in 2018 at Katugastota)

Best Bowling figures: 6/23 – Abishek Anandakumar (TCK) in 2019 at Asgiriya (Best for SACK – Kasun Ekanayake 5/24 in 2007)

Centuries and Nervous Nineties:

Five-Wicket hauls:

Half century and 5 wickets in the series:

Thisara Ekanayake (SACK) - 51 in 2023 and 5/29 in 2024

Outstanding all-round performance in one game;