The popular OWSC-Munchee Sixes on October 5

The popular OWSC-Munchee Sixes on October 5

Chris Dhambarage

Defending champions D. S. Senanayake College will have a tough first round assignment when they confront Dharmasoka College Ambalangoda in their opening match of the Munchee Inter-School Six-a-side Cricket Tournament which begins on October 5 at the Wesley College grounds in Campbell Park.

This popular two-day tournament is conducted by the Old Wesleyites Sports Club (OWSC) for the 21st successive year in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA) and is sponsored by Ceylon Biscuits Limited.

D. S. Senanayake College, who emerged champions defeating St. Peter’s College in last year’s tournament final, is the top seeds and will have a daunting task in retaining the trophy for the second successive year.

In fact this time there is a possibility of the defending champions and the last year’s runner-up meeting once again as early as in the second round of the tournament.

If D. S. Senanayake College clears their initial hurdle then they would probably take on St. Peter’s College who has an easy opening fixture against the less fancied Kokuvil Hindu College Jaffna team.    

Among the other first round fixtures the pick of the matches will be the confrontation between the former five-time champions Nalanda College and the 1995 champions Thurstan College.

The Nalandians are looking to regain the title after a lapse of eight years having last emerged champions in 2005 in addition to their success in 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2004 respectively.             

The champion team will receive the Munchee Sixes Trophy and the runners up will be awarded the Old Wesleyites Sports Club Trophy. In addition individual awards will be presented to the Best Batsman, Best Bowler, Best Fielder, Highest Number of Sixes, Man-of-the-Finals and Most Valuable Player of the Tournament.

The Most Disciplined Team will be adjudicated by the Umpires and the Technical Committee.

The first round draw

(October 5): Kalutara MV v Joseph Vaz, Thurstan v Nalanda, Wesley bye, Anuradhapura Central v Prince of Wales, Kokuvil Hindu v St. Peter’s, D. S. Senanayake v Dharmasoka, Mahanama bye, St. Sebastian’s v Richmond.

(October 6): Lumbini v Basilica, President’s College v Royal, Gurukula bye, Ananda v St. Joseph’s, De Mazenod v Bandaranayake Gampaha, Debarawewa Central v St. Sebastian’s Katuneriya, Royal Panadura bye, Isipathana v St. Benedict’s.   

The Past winners:
1993 (Royal College-Colombo), 1994 (Kalutara Vidyalaya-Kalutara), 1995 (Thurstan College), 1996 (Nalanda College), 1997 (Prince of Wales College-Moratuwa), 1998 (Nalanda College), 1999 (St Joseph’s College), 2000 (Nalanda College), 2001 (Royal College-Colombo), 2002 (Lumbini College), 2003 (De Mazenod College-Kandana), 2004 (Nalanda College), 2005 (Nalanda College), 2006 (Kalutara Vidyalaya-Kalutara), 2007 (Basilica College-Ragama), 2008 (Prince of Wales-Moratuwa), 2009 (St Joseph’s College), 2010 (Richmond College-Galle), 2011 (Mahanama College), 2012 (D. S. Senanayake College).