(2010) Annual Big matches are played between two rival school cricket teams in Sri Lanka. Most of these matches are held at the end of the first school term, typically in March. Big Matches are not only competitions between schools but also serve as gatherings for alumni, known as "
Old Boys." Many of these encounters have been played for several years, many over 100 years old. The oldest known big match is the
Battle of the Blues (Colombo) cricket encounter, played between
S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia and
Royal College, Colombo since 1879. The
Battle of the Maroons (Kandy) has been played between
Dharmaraja College, Kandy, and
Kingswood College, Kandy. It is the oldest cricket match series in the
central province and the second oldest in Sri Lanka, having been played since 1893. Also from 2025 onwards,
Sri Lanka Cricket and Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association have decided that the annual Big Matches between the country's top schools, traditionally held over two days, will now be played as three days encounters. Accordingly, Battle of the Brothers (Colombo) big match between
Thurstan College and
Isipathana College Colombo is played as a 3-day encounter this year. So as the
Battle of the Saints (Colombo) between
St Josephs College and
St Peters College and the
Battle of the Maroons (Colombo) between
Ananda College and
Nalanda College, Colombo is also played as a 3-day encounter. ==List of Big Matches==