Sports
Battle of the Saints set to be a blockbuster

The 91st edition of the grand old clash between Sri Lanka’s two premier Catholic institutions – St. Joseph’s College and St. Peter’s College – is set to bring the house down, with excitement hitting fever pitch. This year’s Battle of the Saints is no ordinary affair – it’s a three-day spectacle, stretching from the 3rd to the 5th of April, mirroring the format of the game’s longer version and promising to be anything but a tame draw.
Thanks to the proactive backing of Sri Lanka Cricket, this season’s big matches have all gone the distance – three days apiece – in a bid to add some real bite to the contests. No more settling for boring dead rubbers. In fact, the numbers don’t lie – of the 90 previous encounters, a whopping 67 have ended in draws. But this year, with an extra day in the bank, the chances of a result are looking as bright as a sunny day at the SSC.
Both St. Joseph’s and St. Peter’s were established by the French Oblate Missionaries, and they now lock horns annually for the much-coveted Rev. Fr. Maurice J. Le Goc Trophy – a symbol of glory and tradition passed down through generations.
Who Was Fr. Le Goc?
Rev. Fr. Maurice J. Le Goc, a man of letters and a true renaissance soul, was Rector of St. Joseph’s and a giant in the field of education. He wore many hats – scientist, botanist, astronomer, architect – a genuine all-rounder in every sense of the word. After a successful innings at St. Joseph’s, he was handed the task of planting a Josephian branch south of Colombo. That seed blossomed into what we now know as St. Peter’s College.
But the action doesn’t end with the longer format. Once the whites are packed away, the two schools will square off in the limited-over game – a white-ball thriller for the Rev. Fr. Peter A. Pillai Trophy – named after yet another educational heavyweight.
This year, Kenath Liyanage dons the skipper’s cap for the Josephians, while Oween Salgado leads the charge for the Peterites. Both captains will be looking to etch their names into history with bat and ball.
When it comes to bragging rights, St. Joseph’s have their noses in front with 12 wins to St. Peter’s ten. The Joes last tasted victory in 2008 under the astute leadership of Ruwantha Fernandopulle, while the Peterites had their moment in the sun in 2016, thanks to the calm and composed Vinu Mohotty.
Both schools have served as fertile nurseries for cricketing excellence. The Josephians have rolled out stars such as Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews, Chaminda Vaas, Dunith Wellalage, Shevon Daniel, Thisara Perera, Ashley de Silva, Roshen Silva and Sadeera Samarawickrama – all of whom have worn the lion crest with pride.
Meanwhile, the Peterite dressing room has seen legends like Roy Dias, Rumesh Ratnayake, Vinodhan John, Amal Silva, Russel Arnold, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Malinda Warnapura, Angelo Perera, Janith Liyanage and Dushan Hemantha rise through its ranks. These two schools have not just produced players – they’ve produced match-winners.
Fans can catch all the action ball by ball via ThePapare TV on Dialog Television Channel 126, or stream it live on ThePapare.com and Dialog ViU app – perfect for those who prefer to follow the match from the comfort of their crease.
ThePapare’s stellar live coverage will shine a spotlight on over 40 school games across the island this season, bringing every six, wicket, and near-miss right to your fingertips.
Latest News
Kagiso Rabada cleared to play again after serving doping suspension

South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has served a one-month ban, commuted from three months, for drug use during the SA20 earlier this year.
A statement issued by the South African Institute for Drug Free Sports (SAIDS) confirmed Rabada had failed a doping test on January 21, after the match between MI Cape Town and Durban Super Giants, and he was notified of the result on April 1 when he was in India for IPl 2025. On April 3, his IPL franchise Gujarat Titans (GT) said Rabada had returned to South Africa for personal reasons after playing only two matches this season.
According to SAIDS, Rabada has since participated in an education and awareness programme to prevent further substance abuse. He can resume playing immediately and could return to action as soon as Tuesday, when GT play Mumbai Indians (MI).
Rabada’s sanction is in line with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) punishment for use of a recreational drug – including cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine or diamorphine. A similar punishment was handed to New Zealand’s Doug Bracewell last year after he tested positive for cocaine during the Super Smash.
However, there are instances of longer suspensions, which are up to individual boards. Last year, Zimbabwe’s Wessley Madhevere and Brandon Mavuta were banned from playing for four months each and fined 50% of their salaries for three months after testing positive for a recreational drug. In that instance, Zimbabwe Cricket chose to impose a sanction longer than the WADA recommendations.
It is not expected that Cricket South Africa will impose further punishment on Rabada after it issued a statement on Saturday afternoon calling the incident “regrettable”. CSA is satisfied with Rabada’s “commitment to upholding professional standards” after he apologised through the South African Cricketers’ Association when news of his positive drug test broke at the weekend.
“I am deeply sorry to all those that I have let down,” Rabada said. “I will never take the privilege of playing cricket for granted. This privilege is much larger than me. It goes beyond my personal aspirations.”
With the matter considered closed, Rabada will be available for South Africa for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia next month, where he is crucial to their chances. Rabada was South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in the 2023-2025 WTC cycle with 47 wickets at an average of 19.97.
However, not everyone considers the case to be as open and shut as CSA.
Speaking to SEN Radio, former Australia captain Tim Payne was critical of the statement initially issued by GT to explain Rabada’s absence from the IPL.
“It stinks. I don’t like this use around ‘personal issues’, and it being used to hide stuff that isn’t a personal issue,” Paine told SEN Radio on Monday. “If you have a professional sportsman that’s tested for recreational drugs during a tournament in which he is playing, that doesn’t fall under personal issues for me. That falls under you have broken your contract.
“That is not a personal issue, that is something that is happening in your personal life. Taking drugs – recreational or performance enhancing – is not a personal issue that can just be hidden for a month. A guy can be taken out of the IPL, moved back to South Africa, and we just let it slide under the rug. Then we will bring him back once he’s already served his ban.”
ESPNcricinfo contacted CSA and SACA officials multiple times after Rabada returned home from the IPL and were told he was dealing with a “personal issue”, while some officials claimed not to know anything about why he had come home.
Sports
All Blacks light up Nittawela in historic tour opener

The mighty haka echoed through the hills of Kandy as New Zealand’s Under-85 kg rugby team, a touring side from the land of the long white cloud, stamped their authority on Sri Lankan soil with a dominant 50–10 win in Nittawela. But the scoreline tells only half the story – this was a watershed moment for Sri Lankan rugby.
The clash marked the first leg of a groundbreaking two-match series, the first time a representative New Zealand rugby team has toured Sri Lanka. With a packed crowd and palpable buzz at Nittawela Stadium, the significance was not lost – this was more than a game; it was a celebration of rugby’s unifying power.
New Zealand’s precision, pace, and structure were evident from the kickoff. The visitors rolled through their phases like a well-oiled machine, opening the scoring through No. 8 Pasia Asiata and converting with aplomb. But what followed was more than just a try-fest – it was a masterclass in running rugby, with blistering counterattacks, clinical support lines, and seamless offloads lighting up the hill capital.
Sri Lanka, buoyed by home support, did have their moments. A well-executed rolling maul saw Dahan Wickramarachchi crash over, and veteran Nigel Ratwatte added five points off the tee. But for every local spark, the Kiwis had a storm brewing – Francis Morrison, Jarred Percival, and Eamon Reily led the charge as the men in black ran in tries with ruthless efficiency.
For Sri Lanka, the learning curve was steep, but the occasion was priceless. Hosting a side steeped in All Blacks culture, known for innovation and intensity, offers invaluable exposure and inspiration. This wasn’t just a rugby lesson – it was a statement that Sri Lanka belongs on the global rugby map.
As the teams gear up for the second leg, the scoreboard may favour the visitors, but the spotlight is firmly on Sri Lanka’s ambition. If the Tuskers can take heart and harness the experience, the long-term gain could far outweigh the immediate result.
Rugby fans across the island will be hoping this is just the beginning of more global giants setting foot on Sri Lankan turf.
by Carlos Van de Berg
Sports
Sri Lanka climb ladder in ICC rankings

Sri Lanka’s white-ball resurgence over the past 12 months has seen them punch above their weight and rise to fourth in the ICC rankings – a stunning turnaround for a side that not too long ago was scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Having missed out on qualification for this year’s Champions Trophy – finishing ninth at the cut-off and watching the bus leave without them – Sri Lanka have since tightened their shoelaces and hit the ground running. According to the ICC’s latest rankings update released in early May, Sri Lanka leapfrogged up the table thanks to landmark series wins against top-ranked India and reigning world champions Australia.
It’s been a remarkable comeback – like a team that once couldn’t buy a win now playing like seasoned campaigners. Credit must go to Sanath Jayasuriya, the swashbuckling former skipper who took over as Head Coach and made his intentions clear from ball one: raise the bar across all formats. From demanding peak fitness to lifting fielding standards out of the doldrums, Jayasuriya has instilled a no-nonsense culture, and the results are there for all to see.
Several players have raised their game, stepping up to the crease when the team needed it most. Pathum Nissanka blazed his name into the record books with the first-ever double hundred by a Sri Lankan in ODIs, while skipper Charith Asalanka became the rock in the middle order, often pulling the team out of the fire with match-winning knocks.
Maheesh Theekshana has spun a web around opponents to top the bowling charts, claiming the number one spot in ODIs. Meanwhile, Wanindu Hasaranga continues to be Sri Lanka’s golden goose – topping the all-rounder rankings and being hot property across franchise leagues worldwide.
In the T20 arena, the islanders have also upped the ante, climbing to seventh in the rankings and leaving Asian rivals Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan in their slipstream. Once champions of the shortest format, Sri Lanka now look like a team finding their groove again.
In Tests, too, there’s steady progress, with the team now placed sixth – a sign that the rebuilding phase is finally bearing fruit.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has rolled out the itinerary for the upcoming home series against Bangladesh. The bilateral contest kicks off with two Tests, the first at the picturesque Galle International Stadium from June 17, followed by the second Test at SSC starting June 25.
The ODI leg begins in Colombo on July 2, with the capital hosting the first two matches. The series then moves to Pallekele for the final one-dayer.
Kandy will set the stage for the opening T20I, before the caravan heads to Dambulla for the second. The third and final T20I will be played in Colombo, wrapping up what promises to be a closely-fought series.
From being down and nearly out, Sri Lanka have now thrown their hat back in the ring across all formats – and if this upward trajectory continues, the islanders might just be scripting another golden chapter in their cricketing folklore.
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