The 91st ‘Battle of the Saints’ rivalry is set to see its first-ever three-day clash this year as the St. Joseph’s College vs. St. Peter’s College big match will be battled out at the SSC on 3, 4, and 5 April, with the coveted Rev. Fr. Maurice J. Le Goc Trophy at stake.
Meanwhile, the 51st Joe-Pete limited-over encounter for the Rev. Fr. Peter A. Pillai Memorial Shield will take place on 26 April at the SSC.
Leading the charge for St. Joseph’s College this year is Kenath Liyanage, while the Peterite squad will take the field under the leadership of Oween Salgado.
With St. Joseph’s College leading the series with 12 victories – their last triumph being in 2008 under Ruwantha Fernandopulle – and St. Peter’s College boasting 10 wins, including their 2016 success under Vinu Mohotty, the Rev. Fr. Maurice J. Le Goc Trophy remains a symbol of cricketing supremacy.
Sixty-seven encounters have ended in draws, underscoring the rich and competitive history of this legendary rivalry. The 2024 edition, contested as a two-day affair, concluded in a draw.
Beyond the traditional battle, the highly anticipated Josephian-Peterite limited-over clash for the Rev. Fr. Peter A. Pillai Memorial Shield is scheduled for the end of April.
In the one-day format, St. Joseph’s lead with 25 wins compared to 22 for St. Peter’s, with two matches yielding no result and one ending in a tie. In last year’s edition, St. Peter’s emerged victorious, reclaiming the Rev. Fr. Peter A. Pillai Memorial Shield with a thrilling three-wicket win in the 50th annual encounter.
Both schools have a rich legacy of producing cricketing icons who have represented Sri Lanka on the international stage.
Josephian alumni include Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews, Chaminda Vaas, Dunith Wellalage, Shevon Daniel, Thisara Perera, Ashley de Silva, Michael Vandort, Roshen Silva, Priyamal Perera, and Sadeera Samarawickrama.
Meanwhile, St. Peter’s College has nurtured stars like Roy Dias, Rumesh Ratnayake, Vinothen John, Amal Silva, Russel Arnold, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Malinda Warnapura, Angelo Perera, Janith Liyanage, and Dushan Hemantha.