The 147th Battle of the Blues between Royal College and S. Thomas’ College ended in a draw yesterday (14) at the Singhalese Sports Club (SSC) Grounds where tens of thousands of boisterous supporters of the two institutions gathered over a period of three days in celebration of one of the most unique cricketing traditions in the world.
The much-anticipated limited-over encounter for the Mustangs Trophy will be played on 28 March at the same venue under the lights.
The key highlight of the game was Thomian coloursman Jaden Amaraweera’s century in the second innings of Day 3 which added glamour to the tame draw. It was a truly remarkable sight to behold in the latter part of the final day as the Royalists held on to the game until Amaraweera scored his century, which added him to the elite club of Royal-Thomian centurions.
Amaraweera also top-scored for STC with 52 in the first innings. For the lads from Reid Avenue, it was their previous year’s skipper Ramiru Perera who stole the limelight with a blistering knock of 82. The Thomians retained the D.S. Senanayake Challenge Shield by virtue of last year’s win, which came off a sporty declaration.
Royal-Thomian tally as of 2026
- Played – 147
- Royal – 36
- S. Thomas’ – 36
- Drawn – 75
- STC last win – 2025 (Capt. Kavindu Dias)
- RC last win – 2023 (Capt. Dasis Manchanayake)
Brief scores
1st innings
S. Thomas’ 302/10 (124.1 ov, RR: 2.43): Reshon Solomons 66, Jaden Amaraweera 52, Avinash Fernando 50, Dulith Gunaratne 44, Sehadu Sooriyaarachchi 3/58
Royal 261/9d (86 ov, RR: 3.03): Ramiru Perera 82, Rehan Peiris 63, Dushan Uduwela 33, Gimhan Mendis 4/60, Abheeth Paranawidana 2/60
2nd innings
S. Thomas’ 176/6 (55 Ov): Jaden Amaraweera 100*, Methuka Gunarathne 21, Mahiru Kodithuwakku 2/10, Gagan Gamage 2/33
Result: Match drawn, STC retain the shield
Press barred
Despite the storied traditions of sportsmanship and mutual respect that define the Royal-Thomian encounter, the 147th Battle of the Blues was marred by an uncharacteristic and deeply unprofessional display of hostility towards the press. After being granted full access to cover the opening day’s proceedings, photographers from The Sunday Morning were inexplicably barred from the grounds for the subsequent two days. This erratic and unethical shift in media relations – characterised by a blatant disregard for established journalistic protocols – not only hindered the historical documentation of this prestigious event but also signalled a disappointing lapse in the organising committee’s accountability towards the media. For a match built on the ethos of the great founding fathers of the ‘blue-black and blue-gold’ legacy, the rude treatment of professionals tasked with capturing that very spirit felt fundamentally at odds with the values of both institutions.