By Neil Wijeratne
By the time St. Joseph’s College confronted St. Peter’s College for the first time on the cricket field in 1933, they possessed a unique record of having won almost all of their inaugural cricket matches against every leading school.
Just take a look at “inaugural” match history of St. Joseph’s College. Their first ever inter collegiate cricket match was against Royal College on June 20 & 21, 1898, which the newcomers from Darley Road surprisingly won by nine wickets. Brief scores: Royal 89 (C.O. de Silva 5 for 24) and 58 (W. Muttucumaru 6 for 33), St. Joseph’s 120 (J.J. Fernando 44) and 27 for 1 wkt.
Then on the 2nd day of July 1898, St. Joseph’s defeated St. Benedict’s College by an innings & 32 runs in a “whole day” match. Interestingly, this one day fixture was played between 8.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. because of the annual Josephian-Benedictine soccer match which was scheduled at 5 p.m. on the same day and at the same venue. Scores: St. Joseph’s 180 (J.J. Fernando 54), St. Benedict’s 16 (D.T.Perera 4, C.O. de Silva 6 for 4) and 132 (A. de Silva 61, C.O.de Silva 9 for 45).
In the following year, St. Joseph’s inaugurated cricketing alliance with St. Anthony’s College, Katugastota with another “whole day” match which ended with a 90 run victory for the Josephians. Scores: St. Joseph’s 125 (William Fernando 34, J. Lawrence 7 for 60) and 103 for 1 dec. St. Anthony’s 73 (W. Sittampalam 6 for 14) and 65. In the same year, 1899, the Josephians scored an innings & 51 runs victory over Kingswood College, Kandy in the “first ever” fixture. Scores: SJC 207, Kingswood 48 and 108. The inaugural SJC – Ananda College cricket match took place in 1900 and the Josephians maintaining the winning record, registered a massive victory of innings & 206 runs. This was followed by “maiden match victories” against Wesley College (1904) – by an innings & 89 runs; St. Thomas’ College, Mt.Lavinia (1905) – by 9 wickets at the SSC grounds, Victoria Park (Scores: STC 96 & 83, SJC 120 & 62 for 1) and Trinity College, Kandy (1908) – by an innings and 48 runs in a “whole day” match.
By the time the inaugural Josephian – Peterite cricket match was played, the Josephians had a 36 year cricketing history behind them; and also a cricketing tradition. The standard of their cricket was evidenced from the following lines that appeared in the 1933 issue of the “Blue and White” magazine. “For several years past, St. Joseph’s have had the distinction of maintaining a proud and enviable position in the realm of inter-school cricket. In fact in the last 4 years we sustained defeat on only two occasions. In 1930 we lost to St. Anthony’s by a single run, and this year Royal avenged three successive defeats by beating us. Our record in 1933, though far below the standard of the last three years, is still creditable enough in the circumstances. - - - Time was when we had a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and baby elevens. It was a characteristic of St. Joseph’s in the spacious days of the past. But somehow, this grand old tradition seems to have passed away”.
The long awaited match at cricket between these St. Joseph’s and St. Peter’s finally came off at the picturesque St. Peter’s College grounds, Bambalapitiya on the 23rd & 24th days of February 1933. (By then the Joe-Pete sporting alliance had already commenced. For instance, the inaugural Josephian – Peterite soccer match was played in 1929 with Josephians recording a three goals to nil victory.)
St. Peter’s won the toss and asked the opponents to bat first. The first to take guard at the wickets were the Josephian opening pair in skipper Robert Fernando and Douglas Moreira. The openers initiated a flying start to the newly launched series by figuring in a 51 run partnership. Peterite opening bowlers Heart and de Silva were the first to handle the new ball with Heart sending the first wide of the series. The first no-ball was credited to Cyril Dias, who eventually returned with an amazing figures; 19-0-64-9. And he was adjudged “Man of the Match”.
Remarkably, once again St. Joseph’s maintained the “inaugural match victory” tradition and were triumph by an innings and 105 runs. And the match was over in 10 minutes on day two!
The “Blue & White” magazine (1933) had this to say about the first Joe-Pete cricket encounter. “Our 3rd match was against St. Peter’s, the first we hope for a long and historic series between ‘father’ and ‘son’. That we won, and won handsomely this first match was only in the fitness of things. St. Peter’s is still young, but the time is not far distant when they will engage the older institution with guile and skill that the mantle of experience will bring them. ‘Are we down hearted?’ they asked of themselves, and from the resounding reply it is evident they soon will be worthy opponents defeat or victory notwithstanding. Here’s cheer to St. Peter’s!”
Thus came a cricketing tradition; a tradition now stretched on for 75 encounters; the “Battle of the Saints” encounter.
By the time St. Joseph’s College confronted St. Peter’s College for the first time on the cricket field in 1933, they possessed a unique record of having won almost all of their inaugural cricket matches against every leading school.
Just take a look at “inaugural” match history of St. Joseph’s College. Their first ever inter collegiate cricket match was against Royal College on June 20 & 21, 1898, which the newcomers from Darley Road surprisingly won by nine wickets. Brief scores: Royal 89 (C.O. de Silva 5 for 24) and 58 (W. Muttucumaru 6 for 33), St. Joseph’s 120 (J.J. Fernando 44) and 27 for 1 wkt.
Then on the 2nd day of July 1898, St. Joseph’s defeated St. Benedict’s College by an innings & 32 runs in a “whole day” match. Interestingly, this one day fixture was played between 8.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. because of the annual Josephian-Benedictine soccer match which was scheduled at 5 p.m. on the same day and at the same venue. Scores: St. Joseph’s 180 (J.J. Fernando 54), St. Benedict’s 16 (D.T.Perera 4, C.O. de Silva 6 for 4) and 132 (A. de Silva 61, C.O.de Silva 9 for 45).
In the following year, St. Joseph’s inaugurated cricketing alliance with St. Anthony’s College, Katugastota with another “whole day” match which ended with a 90 run victory for the Josephians. Scores: St. Joseph’s 125 (William Fernando 34, J. Lawrence 7 for 60) and 103 for 1 dec. St. Anthony’s 73 (W. Sittampalam 6 for 14) and 65. In the same year, 1899, the Josephians scored an innings & 51 runs victory over Kingswood College, Kandy in the “first ever” fixture. Scores: SJC 207, Kingswood 48 and 108. The inaugural SJC – Ananda College cricket match took place in 1900 and the Josephians maintaining the winning record, registered a massive victory of innings & 206 runs. This was followed by “maiden match victories” against Wesley College (1904) – by an innings & 89 runs; St. Thomas’ College, Mt.Lavinia (1905) – by 9 wickets at the SSC grounds, Victoria Park (Scores: STC 96 & 83, SJC 120 & 62 for 1) and Trinity College, Kandy (1908) – by an innings and 48 runs in a “whole day” match.
By the time the inaugural Josephian – Peterite cricket match was played, the Josephians had a 36 year cricketing history behind them; and also a cricketing tradition. The standard of their cricket was evidenced from the following lines that appeared in the 1933 issue of the “Blue and White” magazine. “For several years past, St. Joseph’s have had the distinction of maintaining a proud and enviable position in the realm of inter-school cricket. In fact in the last 4 years we sustained defeat on only two occasions. In 1930 we lost to St. Anthony’s by a single run, and this year Royal avenged three successive defeats by beating us. Our record in 1933, though far below the standard of the last three years, is still creditable enough in the circumstances. - - - Time was when we had a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and baby elevens. It was a characteristic of St. Joseph’s in the spacious days of the past. But somehow, this grand old tradition seems to have passed away”.
The long awaited match at cricket between these St. Joseph’s and St. Peter’s finally came off at the picturesque St. Peter’s College grounds, Bambalapitiya on the 23rd & 24th days of February 1933. (By then the Joe-Pete sporting alliance had already commenced. For instance, the inaugural Josephian – Peterite soccer match was played in 1929 with Josephians recording a three goals to nil victory.)
St. Peter’s won the toss and asked the opponents to bat first. The first to take guard at the wickets were the Josephian opening pair in skipper Robert Fernando and Douglas Moreira. The openers initiated a flying start to the newly launched series by figuring in a 51 run partnership. Peterite opening bowlers Heart and de Silva were the first to handle the new ball with Heart sending the first wide of the series. The first no-ball was credited to Cyril Dias, who eventually returned with an amazing figures; 19-0-64-9. And he was adjudged “Man of the Match”.
Remarkably, once again St. Joseph’s maintained the “inaugural match victory” tradition and were triumph by an innings and 105 runs. And the match was over in 10 minutes on day two!
The “Blue & White” magazine (1933) had this to say about the first Joe-Pete cricket encounter. “Our 3rd match was against St. Peter’s, the first we hope for a long and historic series between ‘father’ and ‘son’. That we won, and won handsomely this first match was only in the fitness of things. St. Peter’s is still young, but the time is not far distant when they will engage the older institution with guile and skill that the mantle of experience will bring them. ‘Are we down hearted?’ they asked of themselves, and from the resounding reply it is evident they soon will be worthy opponents defeat or victory notwithstanding. Here’s cheer to St. Peter’s!”
Thus came a cricketing tradition; a tradition now stretched on for 75 encounters; the “Battle of the Saints” encounter.
