TRINITY-ST. ANTHONY'S EVENLY MATCHED

The annual three-day cricket encounter between Trinity College and St. Anthony's College played for the John Halangoda Trophy will commence today at Katugastota.

- By SHAMSEER JALEEL

Both teams, boasting rich cricketing traditions, come into the match with strong performances throughout the season, making this encounter a truly competitive and thrilling spectacle.

Trinity are leading the series with 23 wins to Antonians 11 wins while 71 encounters have ended in a draw.

The Trinity-Antonian Big Match has long been a showcase of school cricket excellence in Sri Lanka. Trinity's last outright victory in this fixture came in 2012 under the leadership of Niroshan Dickwella, at Asgiriya.

On the other hand, St. Anthony's last claimed a win in 1992 when Umesh De Alwis led them to victory at Katugastota. But since 2012, the battle has largely seen first-innings results, but this year both teams are all out for a win with the game being played over three days.

Under the leadership of Cricket Lion, Malith Rathnayake, Trinity has had an impressive season in the two-day format, recording one outright win and five first-innings victories.

The team's form has been equally impressive in the one-day format, where they have secured five wins and advanced to the final against St. Joseph's College.

Their ability to dominate traditional encounters this season makes them a formidable force heading into the Big Match.