Thurstan College staged a dramatic second-half surge to secure their first-ever win in Division 1 Segment A of the Dialog Schools Rugby League, defeating Vidyartha College 31-24 in a thrilling encounter played at the Sugathadasa Stadium.
Coming into the game, Vidyartha was the more experienced outfit, having already registered wins in Division 1 over the past seasons. In contrast, Thurstan, promoted to the top division only last year, were still searching for their breakthrough victory at this level.
Vidyartha began confidently, asserting their physical presence early. They got the scoreboard ticking through a quick tap taken by their scrum half Udana Nilshan, who went over by himself for the first try. The conversion was successful to give them the early lead. (VC 07-00 TC)
Thurstan responded in kind, using a rolling maul that surprised their opponents, and prop Dasun Nimsara opened the account for Thurstan. Although the conversion attempt drifted wide, they were back in the contest. (VC 07-05 TC)
Vidyartha soon struck again. Vihanga Sathsidu, who had been lively throughout the opening phases, sparked an attacking move, then finished it himself with a clinical touchdown. With the extras added, Vidyartha stretched the margin once again. (VC 14-05 TC)
In the 21st minute, tensions boiled over, leading to a yellow card apiece for infringements at the breakdown. Vidyartha kept their composure and continued to press.
Just a minute later, Vihanga Sathsidu goes over for his second try in similar fashion to score once again for Vidyartha. With the conversion successful, they further extended their lead. (VC 21-05 TC)
Thurstan were under pressure and needed inspiration as the halftime whistle sounded with Vidyartha firmly in control.
Halftime: Vidyartha College 21 (3 Tries, 3 Conversions) – 05 Thurstan College (1 Try)
The second half, however, saw the tide turn in remarkable fashion. Thurstan showed much greater intent and creativity, and it paid off almost immediately.
Fly-half Esitha Apoorwa chipped cleverly behind the defensive line, and Theekshana Heshan sprinted onto the ball to score a brilliant try. Though the conversion was missed, Thurstan were back in the game. (VC 21-10 TC)
Confidence began to grow, and soon after, Yehen Anawarthana gets a lovely inside ball from his fly half to score the third try for Thurstan. This time the conversion was on target, the gap closed further and Thurstan was mounting a comeback in the opening moments of the second half. (VC 21-17 TC)
Sensing the momentum shift, Thurstan continued to press. Their relentless carries and quick rucks put Vidyartha on the back foot, and the outstanding No.08, Sithija Jayathilaka, capped a dominant passage of play by powering through for a crucial try. The conversion edged Thurstan ahead for the first time in the evening. (VC 21-24 TC)
Vidyartha managed to respond with a penalty to level the scores once again. The kick from Kawindu Hewage brought the tally to 24 points apiece, setting up for a tense final few minutes of the game. (VC 24-24 TC)
Thurstan, determined to finish what they had started, with minutes left, Jayathilaka stepped up again to score the match-winning try and get that all-important win for his alma mater.
Sithija Jayathilaka, whose two tries and relentless work rate inspired Thurstan’s revival, was deservedly named Player of the Match.
This result not only hands Thurstan their first victory since moving up to Division 1 but also sends a clear message that they belong among the top contenders.
Final Score: Thurstan College 31 (5 Tries, 3 Conversions) – Vidyartha College 24 (3 Tries, 3 Conversions, 1 Penalty)
“සඳකත් පිනිදිය” Tribute to Senior Musician Dr.Lionel Algama was held on the 24th April and was successfully covered by Thurstan College Photographic Society. Photographers :- Gaviru Sasen :- Pahan Sathmina :- Vojitha Dodangoda
For the first time in history, Thurstan College has secured the U13, U15, and U19 Novices Water Polo Championships, marking an unforgettable milestone! Our warriors dominated the waters, defeating S. Thomas’ College and Nalanda College to claim the ultimate glory! A massive congratulations to our talented players, dedicated coaches, and passionate supporters! This is just the beginning of Thurstan’s reign in water polo!
The school cut-off marks for the admission of students to Grade 06 of the schools based on the results of the 2024 Grade 5 Scholarship Examination have been released by the Ministry of Education.
Accordingly, the ministry said the students can check the schools that they have been selected to, using the following link starting today (14): https://g6application.moe.gov.lk/
Students who have qualified based on the 2024 Grade 5 Scholarship Exam but have not received a school or wish to request a transfer for valid reasons will be given the opportunity to submit appeals online.
The deadline for appeals will be announced later, it said.
All appeals must be submitted exclusively through the online platform to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education.
45th One-Day Encounter – Thurstan vs IsipathanaVihas Thewmika who starred with brilliant all-round performance for Thurstan College in their 45th Limited Overs Encounter against Isipathana College, has been picked as the GOLD Sri Lanka Game Changer of the match.
Thurstan College outplayed Isipathana College to win the 45th One-Day encounter played for the W.A. De Silva Memorial Trophy today(9th March) at the P. Sara International Cricket Stadium.
Thurstan College skipper Thanuga Palihawadana won the toss and elected to bat first which is out of fashion for most of the schoolboy teams nowadays. Thurstan openers Tanuja Rajapaksha and Dinal Induwara picked up right where they left off at the SSC a few weeks ago in the three-day encounter, resuming their dominance at the crease.
Both openers put on a superb 134-run partnership, maintaining a run rate of just over six runs per over. Rajapaksha, unfortunately, fell for a well-compiled 67, an innings of high class. The Thurstan middle order played around Dinal Induwara, who went on to score a superb century—one he narrowly missed in last year’s one-day encounter.
Former captain and Sri Lanka youth cap Vihas Thewmika added the cherry on top to the Thurstan innings by scring 45 ball 52 taking the Thurstan score over 300.
In reply, Isipathana College batters couldn’t do much as they crumbled like a house of cards. Right from the outset, Thurstan’s bowlers were on target, giving nothing away for the Isipathana batters to capitalize on. The only notable performance with the bat came from Dilpa Ruwanka, who fought hard for his 40.
Yovun Silpa was the pick of the bowlers for Thurstan, causing all the carnage in the middle by grabbing four wickets up front. Vihas Thewmika was once again superb with the ball, claiming three crucial wickets.
This season will go down in Thurstan’s history books, as they emerged as the U19 Division Tier ‘B’ champions while also securing the Blackham Wijewardene Trophy and the W.A. De Silva Trophy—all in the same year
