Sri Lanka: Batticaloa's Big Match revived (22 May 1998)

Friday, May 22, 1998

Batticaloa's Big Match revived

The Daily News

The Inter Collegiate cricket match - the Battle of the Singing Fish was revived after a lapse of twenty years. The big match between Methodist Central College, Batticaloa and St. Michael's College, Batticaloa was revived sponsored by the Hatton National Bank, Batticaloa with a tremendous crowd turning up to watch this encounter, where the St. Michael's College team had a decisive win over the more fancied team of Methodist Central.

Batticaloa has figured prominently in the field of Cricket in the past, with stalwarts like the late Revd Father E. Crowther who captained the St. Thomas' College Colombo team, the former Cabinet Minister K. W. Dewanayagam who captained the St. Josephs' College, Colombo team giving cricket here a fillip, while the latter's brothers Messrs Navaratnarajan and Thyiyagarajah were members of the Michael's team.

The Thyiagarajah brothers of Batticaloa like the Amendra brothers of Mahinda College, Galle, set up a record for St. Michael's College, Batticaloa. The five brothers captained the St. Michael's team. The five brothers were John Thyiagarajah, (1944) Daniel Thyiyagarajah (1950), Anthony Thyiyagarajah (1953), Revd Fr. Alphonse Thyiyagarajah (1955 to 1956) and Kingsley Thyiyagarajah (1958).

This was similar to the Amendra brothers of Mahinda College, Galle where the five brothers captained the Mahinda Team - Sisira Amendra (1957) Stanley Amendra (1958 and 1959) Percy Amendra (1961), Asoka Amendra (1964) and Punya Amendra (1966).

The Amendra brothers distinguished themselves when nine of them played for the college first eleven and two of the brothers Dudley and Gamini were Vice Captains in 1969 and 1973.

It's surprising that such records are yet to get into the Guinness book of records and Wisden Cricketers Almanack.

Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)