In Sri Lankan cricket, a Big Match is an annual

school A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the Educational architecture, building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most co ...

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

match typically played between two rival schools in

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

. These schools often have a long history of competition, some rivalries lasting over a century. Big matches have become a significant part of modern

Sri Lankan culture The culture of Sri Lanka mixes modern elements with traditional aspects and is known for its regional diversity. Sri Lankan culture has long been influenced by the heritage of Theravada, Theravada Buddhism and the religion's legacy is particu ...

, involving both school children and adults.

History

Annual Big matches are played between two rival school cricket teams in Sri Lanka. Most of these matches are held at the end of the first school term, typically in

March March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20 or 2 ...

. Big Matches are not only competitions between schools but also serve as gatherings for alumni, known as " old boys." Many of these encounters have been played for several years, many over 100 years old. The oldest known big match is the

Royal–Thomian The Battle of the Blues (Also known as Royal–Thomian Cricket Encounter) is an annual Big Match in Sri Lanka played between Royal College, Colombo and S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia since 1879. It is known as ''The Battle of the Blues'' ...

cricket encounter, played between S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia and

Royal College, Colombo Royal College, Colombo also known as; Royal Colombo, Colombo Royal College or Colombo Royal) is a Single-sex education, boys' school located in Cinnamon Gardens, Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Started by Joseph Marsh (priest), Joseph Mar ...

since 1879. The Battle of the Maroons (Kandy) has been played between Dharmaraja College, Kandy, and Kingswood College, Kandy. It is the oldest cricket match series in the central province and the second oldest in Sri Lanka, having been played since 1893. The Battle of the Blues (Matara) has been played between St. Thomas' College, Matara, and St. Servatius' College Matara since 1900. Bgmatch

Most big matches are played over two days. However, three notable Big Matches–the Battle of the Blues (Colombo), the Battle of the Blues (Matara) and the Battle of the North–are played over three days. Also from 2025 onwards,

Sri Lanka Cricket Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is the governing body for cricket in Sri Lanka. It was first registered with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Sports (Sri Lanka), Ministry of Sports as the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka on 30 June 1975 as a national ...

and Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association have decided that the annual Big Matches between the country’s top schools, traditionally held over two days, will now be played as three days encounters. Accordingly Battle of the Brothers (Colombo) big match between Thurstan College and Isipathana College Colombo is played as a 3 day encounter this year. So as the Battle of the Saints (Colombo) between St Josephs College and St Peters College.Sri Lanka Cricket enhances School Cricket with Three-Day Matches
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List of Big Matches

Current

The following is a list of Big Matches which are still held annually as of 2025.

Former

The following is a list of Big Matches which are no longer held as of 2023.

Notes

References

External links

* at ''ThePapare.com'' {{Cricket in Sri Lanka Schools cricket matches Student sport in Sri Lanka Sri Lankan cricket in the 19th century Sri Lankan cricket in the 20th century Sri Lankan cricket in the 21st century Sri Lankan domestic cricket competitions