The Richmond–Mahinda Cricket Encounter, popularly referred to as the Lovers' Quarrel, 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 120 years.Sri Lanka junior stars in focus at Lovers’ Quarrel It is played at the Galle International Stadium. Lovers' Quarrel began in 1905, under the two principals Rev. James Horne Darrel of Richmond College and Sir. Frank Lee Woodward of Mahinda College.Richmond, Mahinda clash in Centenary year Over the years the game was played as a two day encounter but beginning from 2025 it is played as a three day game.
Match history & Series summary 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,Southern Sri Lanka awaits action at 106th Lover’s Quarrel 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.‘Battle of Lovers’ in Matara for first time Richmond, Mahinda clash in Centenary yearRichmond with balanced team has edge over Mahinda
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.Richmond looks to break Mahinda stranglehold 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. It is the current record for the highest individual score by a batsman in the big match series. Jayantha Dias of Richmond College holds the record for most centuries in the big match, scoring consecutive centuries in 1968 & 1969.
Past results Result Total Year(s) Richmond College (won) 241905, 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 69 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, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 No match 6 1910, 1911, 1912, 1942, 2020, 2021
(w/o) - Walkover
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 Mahinda155 runsFirst 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 Gajaba Pitigala Mahinda 3 five wicket hauls in consecutive years Most consecutive five wicket hauls 1978, 1979 & 1980P. H. K. H. Ranasinghe Mahinda 162 runsHighest individual score in an innings 1972Prasad KariyawasamRichmond316 runs (156* in 1972)Highest aggregate of runs in the series1969-1972 S. Ambawatte Mahinda 30 + wickets Highest aggregate of wickets in the series 1949-1953 Malsha Tharupathi Richmond 100 off Just 70 balls Fastest Century in the History of Lover’s Quarrel 2024 * - Remained not out
Centuries Name School Score Year Sirisena Hettige Mahinda155 runs 1939 Somasiri Ambawatte Mahinda 103* runs 1953 Jayantha Dias Richmond 111 runs 1968 Jayantha Dias Richmond117 runs 1969Prasad KariyawasamRichmond156* runs1972P. H. K. H. Ranasinghe Mahinda 162 runs 1972Ruwan Korala Richmond 102 runs 1981C. HewamannaRichmond102 runs1987Chandima MendisRichmond129 runs1988Dhammika SudarshanaRichmond100* runs1995Thushara RupasingheMahinda109 runs1998Mohammed FaizerRichmond115 runs2002A. K. TyronneRichmond137 runs2014Charith AsalankaRichmond100 runs2015Dhananjaya LakshanRichmond102* runs2017Dhanuja InduwaraMahinda101 runs2023Chehan SubasingheRichmond100 runs2024Malsha TharupathiRichmond111 runs2024Dinura KalupahanaMahinda124 runs2024Dineth GunawardhanaMahinda124 runs2026
See also Cricket in Sri Lanka Big Match
Notes
References
Souvenirs, that were released to mark the 71st Richmond–Mahinda cricket encounter in 1976 & 97th encounter in 2002.