The Nuwara Eliya seasonal programmes were heralded this year with commencement of one of the prime sports events during the Holiday season, the Battle of the Oldies -Cricket Encounter between the old boys of St Xavier’s College and Gamini National College Nuwara Eliya for the Mayor’s Challenge Cup last Saturday amidst a large gathering at the Race Course grounds.

This Encounter played for the 7th consecutive year coincides the 70th Anniversary of the Old Boys’ Association of St. Xavier’s College founded in 1947. Having won the toss, the GCC skipper Keith Chandrasena elected to bat first, and at the end of the 38th over the GCC were all out for 213 runs. The main scorers for GCC were Chandimal Weeraratne 29 runs, Lakmal Eranga 24 runs, Sumith 21 runs; Tharanga Wijekoon 8-3-36 , Shenal Fernando 8-2-37, Sudaharan Awaday 6-2-43, Tony Peter Paul 7-2-28. In reply to the GCC score Old Xaverians reached 214 runs at the last ball of the 40thover.

The main contributors for the old Xaverians team were Dion Fernando with 68 runs, Tharanga Wijekoon 58 runs, Rukmal Fernando 23 runs, and Shannon Fernando 16 runs, Asanka 8-2-42, Buddhika 8-2-23, Keith 7-2-33. Until the last ball, the match was open for both sides and it turned out to a nail biting game. Mr. M. M. P. Seneratne, the Oldest Active Kings Scout in Sri Lanka attended the match as the Chief Guest while the Mayor of Nuwara Eliya Mahinda Dodampegamage, Principals of the Colleges, Chairman of the Salt Corporation Ex.SSP Ayub Khan witnessed the game. Addressing the audience the chief guest who is an old Xaverian completed his higher studies at Ananda College Colombo mentioned that all the Big Matches should follow this exemplary Encounter as it held a high level of discipline and code of ethics.

Dion Fernando won the best batsman’s award presented in memory of the late Thomas Bastian, Asanka De Silva won the best bowler’s award presented in memory of the late Francis Xavier, Buddhika won the best fielder’s award presented in memory of the late H.Hameed, and Tharanga Wijekoon won the Man of the Match award presented in memory of the late Percy Jayaratne.

Umpires from the Kandy Umpire Association adjudged the match. The Success of the event was due to the hard work of the organizing committee that comprised: R.M.Nawaz, Thomas Benjamin, Paul Perera, John Nicholas, Lukshmy Gunasekara, Mohomad Faleel, V.Balendran, Sampath Jayalal, V.Vadivel, Nilan de Zoysa, Chandana Fernando, Shantha De Silva, Stephen Samraj, Dr.Ravi Warma, Ashoka Rathnassiri, Ravi Kodithuwakku, Samaranayake Manathunga, Shirly Mack, V.Vadivel, Stephen Samraj. S.Wijeratnam, Milton Ranasinghe, Rohan Peiris, Sunanda Ratnasiri, Mohomed Zaky, Subash Gorden, Onacius Anton, Joy Jayakumar, Paul Raj Rosiaro, Chanaka Ruberu, Susantha Palihawadana, Lakshman Wickramasinghe, Nandika Jayasinghe, Indika Rathnayake, Aruna Shantha, Shane Andrew, Dilan Dominic, Shenal Perera, Shenal Fernando, Jude Xavier, and Tharanga Wijekoon.