Richmond–Mahinda Cricket Encounter

The Richmond–Mahinda Cricket Encounter is an annual cricket big match played between the first XI cricket teams of Richmond College and Mahinda College in Galle, Sri Lanka. It is one of the longest cricket match series in Sri Lanka, having been played for over 114 years.[1] The match which is also known as the "Lovers' Quarrel" in public, is played at the Galle International Stadium. Lovers' Quarrel was begun in 1905, under the two principals Rev. James Horne Darrel of Richmond College and Sir. Frank Lee Woodward of Mahinda College.[2]

Richmond-Mahinda Cricket Encounter (Lovers' Quarrel)
SportCricket
Timeline1905 – present
Tournament formatAnnual two-day test match encounter
ParticipantsRichmond College
Mahinda College
Current championRichmond College (2019)
Most successfulRichmond 24 Mahinda 23

Match history & Series summary
Richmond-Mahinda big match during the British rule in Sri Lanka.

Richmond - Mahinda cricket big match was played for the first time in 1905 at Galle esplanade, with the two principals, Rev. J. H. Darrell of Richmond and Mr. F. L. Woodward of Mahinda, officiating as umpires. Richmond College won the inaugural match and went on to win the next two matches in 1906 and 1907. Mahinda College's first victory was registered in 1908 and their last victory in a big match was recorded in 2008,[3] while Richmond College's last win was recorded in 2019. Having broken a 30-year-long deadlock of draws, Mahindians registered an emphatic 10 wicket win over Richmondites in the 2008 encounter. After a 45-year-long winless streak, Richmondites also registered a win by an innings over Mahindians in the 2014 encounter and continued to a second consecutive win by an innings in 2015.[4][5][6]

In 1953, Mahindian Somasiri Ambawatte captured all ten Richmond’s wickets in an innings to claim the bowling record of the series and in the same match he scored a century to record the finest all round feat in the history of the big match.[7] In 1972, Prasad Kariyawasam of Richmond College erased a 33-year-old big match record of 155 runs held by Mahindian Sirisena Hettige, with an unbeaten 156 runs. On the very next day of the same match Mahindians piled up the highest score by a team, when they totaled 359 with their top order batsman P. H. K. H. Ranasinghe scoring 162.[8] It is the current record for the highest individual score by a batsman in the big match series.[7] Jayantha Dias of Richmond College holds the record for most centuries in the big match, scoring consecutive centuries in 1968 & 1969.

Notable persons who have played

Past results
Result[N 1] Total Year(s)
Richmond College (won) 24 1905, 1906, 1907, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1917, 1921, 1922, 1926 (w/o), 1929, 1935, 1940, 1941, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1958, 1960, 1969, 2014, 2015, 2019
Mahinda College (won) 23 1908, 1909, 1916 (w/o), 1918, 1919, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1933, 1938, 1939, 1943, 1944, 1949, 1962, 1966, 1976, 1978, 2008
Match drawn 64 1930, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1945, 1948, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018
No match 4 1910, 1911, 1912, 1942

Past records

Notable performances
Name School Performance Record / Remarks Year
P. S. Thuduwewatta Richmond 6 for 19 & 5 for 23 First 10-wicket match haul of the series 1917
Sirisena Hettige Mahinda 155 runs First century of the series 1939
R. M. M. De Silva Richmond 8 for 19 & 7 for 6 Best bowling performance of a match 1922
S. Ambawatte Mahinda 10 for 44 Best bowling performance in an innings 1953
S. Ambawatte Mahinda 103* runs, 10 for 44 & 5 for 61 Best all-round performance of the series 1953
R. M. M. De Silva Richmond 97 runs, 8 for 19 & 7 for 6 Best all-round performance of the series 1922
Basil Gunasekara Mahinda 99* runs First player to stranded on 99 1944
Jayantha Dias Richmond 111 runs & 117 runs First and only player to score consecutive centuries 1968 & 1969
P. H. K. H. Ranasinghe Mahinda 162 runs Highest individual score in an innings 1972
Prasad Kariyawasam Richmond 316 runs (156* in 1972) Highest aggregate of runs in the series 1969-1972
S. Ambawatte Mahinda 30 + wickets Highest aggregate of wickets in the series 1949-1953

Centuries
Name School Score Year
Sirisena Hettige Mahinda 155 runs 1939
Somasiri Ambawatte Mahinda 103* runs 1953
Jayantha Dias Richmond 111 runs 1968
Jayantha Dias Richmond 117 runs 1969
Prasad Kariyawasam Richmond 156* runs 1972
P. H. K. H. Ranasinghe Mahinda 162 runs 1972
Ruwan Korala Richmond 102 runs 1981
C. Hewamanna Richmond 102 runs 1987
Chandima Mendis Richmond 129 runs 1988
D. Sudharshana Richmond 100* runs 1995
Thushara Rupasinghe Mahinda 109 runs 1998
Mohammed Faizer Richmond 115 runs 2002
A. K. Tyronne Richmond 137 runs 2014
Charith Asalanka Richmond 100 runs 2015
P. A. Dhananjaya Lakshan Richmond 102* runs 2017
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See also

Notes & references
  1. Results of the matches played up to 1976 were obtained from the records kept by Rev. W. J. T. Small of Richmond College, Galle.
  1. Sri Lanka junior stars in focus at Lovers’ Quarrel
  2. Richmond, Mahinda clash in Centenary year
  3. Southern Sri Lanka awaits action at 106th Lover’s Quarrel Archived 2011-10-08 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ‘Battle of Lovers’ in Matara for first time Richmond, Mahinda clash in Centenary year
  5. Richmond-Mahinda evenly matched for a draw
  6. Richmond with balanced team has edge over Mahinda
  7. Richmond looks to break Mahinda stranglehold
  8. Epasinghe, Premasara. "Cricketer now one of Sri Lanka's top Diplomats". The Island Online. Retrieved 2013-08-17.
  • Souvenirs, that were released to mark the 71st Richmond–Mahinda cricket encounter in 1976 & 97th encounter in 2002.
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