Monday 27 July 2026
During the Term 2 break, thirteen of our students and two staff members travelled to Sri Lanka to play cricket against a variety of Sri Lankan and New Zealand secondary schools. It presented an extraordinary opportunity to not only put their cricketing skills to the test, but also to immerse themselves in a rich culture outside of their own.
English teacher Matt Kidd attended the tour, summing each game day up perfectly in a diary of witty limericks:
Game Day One vs Wesley College
On an Airline Malaysian, a cricket contagion was spread to the ends of the earth
By thirteen young men, a champ from Sri Lanka and a man of perceptible girth
An adventure of sorts into lands unfamiliar with food and music exotic
And six playing days to improve our skills and represent things patriotic
After fifteen hours in the air, and a bounce in KL, in humid Colombo we landed
A city of history, where colonial gents did their best to have this nation rebranded
But rise to the top, Ceylon to Sri Lanka, a nation of Buddhist traditions
Mixed with the church, and a relaxed form of mirth, overlaid with cricket ambitions
To this testing ground our lads did arrive with dreams of taming tigers we reckoned
And on a test ground called SSC, Wesley College we played, and in one foul swoop we came second
Despite starting well, with Oscar Holt (Year 12, Parnell) and Ash Sirigiri (Year 11, Peart), putting on fifty for none
We forgot that foundations alone don't suffice when we seek to have a game won
Ash batted on with increasing ease and reached our first tour fifty
But then was undone, and was denied a ton, by a spin attack ever so nifty
We marched back and forth, with hopes raised and torn, out to the middle and back
As we wilted in heat, but more in the glare of a spin-heavy beguiling attack
Whilst we hoped for much more, we were shown the door, for a meagre 138
Only Mohammad Ashraf (Year 11, Peart), gave our tail dash, but it was too little too late
Young Millar Ormsby (Year 11, Greenbank) raised our hopes second ball, with Charlie Barron (Year 12, Marsden) taking the catch
But then fortunes turned and our bowlers burned, as we waved adieu to this match
Tom McCulloch (Year 13, Greenbank) took two but sadly that's all as the Wesley young men rent asunder
Our bowling attack which consistency lacked, but catching was our largest blunder
Six chances went down and we could blame the heat but it was not the ball that was hot
And so in only the twentieth over the home side prevailed and winners we were, this day, not
Despite our weariness, and travelling fatigue, we insisted on playing again
We drew quick breath and while needing a rest, we doubled down with a T10
The Wesley boys gleefully leaped on our hopes and reverse swept us aside
Daniel Bricklebank (Year 11, Peart) took two wickets and Ollie Sinclair (Year 12, Greenbank) took three but alas there was nowhere to hide
In response we were positive and tried to hit out but the Wesleyans went through us like curry
Lessons were learned, gifts given where earned, then we left in a kind of a hurry
Back to the Cinnamon (stay nowhere else) and a pool that offered reflection
And dreams are of five days we have that remain to attempt cricket perfection
Game One (50 Over):
King's College 139 (Ash Sirigiri 54, Mohammad Ashraf 14)
Wesley College 144/5 (Millar Ormsby 3-1-15-1)
Loss by 5 wickets
Ensuing T10 Game:
Wesley College 132/8 (Daniel Bricklebank 2-0-19-2, Ollie Sinclair 1-0-10-3)
King's College 56/8
Loss by 76 runs
Game Day Two vs Anuradhapura District U19
As tours go this one's a must and things are going well
The cricket's hard, the beds are soft and the food is pretty swell
But there are some things that challenge us and keep us up awake
Such as - what rhymes with Anuradhapura?
This was the District where thirteen boys of age seventeen and below
Combined their talents to give us a game and tell us where to go
They were not rude, the smiled a lot, as they dismembered our attack
But once again it was a day of discovering what we lacked.
The cricket ground was fair and firm in conditions warm and balmy
In a barracks of Gajaba, where the Sri Lankans house their army
It's not often that our young men would arrive in a cricketing heaven
Surrounded by marching men in soldiers' garb with AK-47s
But we turned from that to our task at hand and started with some drive
Our Oscar and Ash show had an encore and putting on seventy five
Once again we built a basis for a dream of 250 plus
But those who followed, Barron aside, seemed keener on the bus.
The heat in this grand complex was dryer, but still hot
Conditions which could treat you harshly whether you liked it or not.
But our boys showed better sense in managing their hydration
And started into their bowling work with dreams of anihilation
But each bad ball was waited for and then on it was pounced
The top three lefties all cashed in as shortness was our bounce
We learned too slowly that on these tracks if we should test their strength
We must focus in, and seek to win, by bowling a good length
Their captain sprang of every chance to send balls boundrywards
Some nineteen times he achieved this aim in smashing our poor kids
His century earned him acclaim and a pair of batting gloves
For sportsmanship is at the core of this game we do so love.
Whilst Archie Gore (Year 12, Selwyn) and Wyatt Empson (Year 13, St John 's) got some snicks and these chances were well taken
If we thought that we might keep them contained we were sadly mistaken
Fourteen wides and four no balls helped them to our score
And in just the thirtieth over by us, this good game was no more
We said our thanks and made some friends and went back to our Lodge
To settle in to pool, meal and fines (which some lads tried to dodge)
And now we are settling into the pace of being a cricketing tourer
So endeth this chapter, from a deliciously hot place called Anuradhapura
Game One (50 Over):
King's College 207 (Oscar Holt 64, Ash Sirigiri 39)
Anuradhapura 208/4 (Archie Gore 3-0-22-2)
Loss by 6 wickets
Game Day Three vs Anuradhapura Central College
They say that touring starts off tough and then gets only tougher
And after two stinging defeats we feared things may get rougher
And so, with hopes that we might create more work for our local scorer
We strode onto the Ramataka ground for our game with Anuradhapura
But this time round we played for pride and a little more's at stake
For the tour's manager has offered up a wee gamble to make
He stated that if King's did win, he'd smooth his hearty face
Hoping that the local lads would be his shaving grace
The toss was won, the game begun, we began on the right Foote
And with eighty runs from the first ten, a massive total should
Have been within our reach and a pitch never played purer
As Barney Foote (Year 13, Averill) and Barron with class dispatched the lads from Anuradhapura
A healthy score looked on the cards with the locals looking pallid
Barron was the one to feast but there were also some side salads
Johnny Hindman (Year 12, Parnell), McCulloch and Gore got starts but left good work unfinished
Until young Barron raised his blade with a grin left undiminished
Sinclair added a healthy sauce to our wondrous feast
With 44 off 41 it was, to say the least
One half of a performance that went a long long way
To have the manager doubting whether his facial hair would stay
Their innings started well for us, and Ashraf took a catch
But then Deswith and Fernando, sought to claim this match
And soon the tiring tourists were a shadow of themselves
And perhaps the shaving products could be put back on the shelves
Despite a quickened spell from Empson and tightness from young Thomas Rhodes (Year 12, Greenbank)
The King's lad plodded for the middle stint and looked, with heavy loads,
To dilute their maroon caps into a kind of blue
It appeared the lads without the pads had bitten more than could be chewed
Once again we gifted runs, there were two dozen bowling extras
The game was followed by all at home and a series of nervous texters
Followed on the WhatsApp thread as this one to the wire went
All our batting gains so rich were being so poorly spent
The second drinks break was taken and it was lecture time
Our noble coach laid down the law and listed our boys' crimes
It worked a treat and in the heat the boys efforts redoubled
And soon their top run scorer was gone and the home team is looking troubled
Sinclair and Foote then took the role of salvaging this game
They hit the stumps once each and four wickets they did claim
But the key moment was Empson's run out with a sprint in from cover
And with the last wicket came the thrills as our boys hugged each other
Rapunzel let her hair down and Samson lost his strength
But these lads have shown that all things grown can always lose their length
And so a proud poet manager could not have been any brisker
To keep a promise, and honour the team winning this game by a whisker.
Game One (50 Over):
King's College 248/9 (Charlie Barron 111*, Ollie Sinclair 44, Barney Foote 42, Johnny Hindman 27, Archie Gore 26, Tom McCulloch 25)
Anuradhapura 305 (Barney Foote 5-0-28-3), Ollie Sinclair 7-1-35-2)
Win by 43 runs
Game Day Four vs Prince of Wales' College
After two long days of cultural immersion, we realigned ourselves on this cricketing excursion
For although if was lovely to learn and share and all, this tour's about a game with bat and ball
We left the city of Kandy, nestled in sweeping hills and re-entered the traffic fray with all its thrills
For we had three more games in store, although which side they drive on? I'm still not sure
Game Four was against a group of younger lads whose senior chums had tests
So whilst mismatched we hatched a way of creating a contest against those whose crests
Featured the Prince of Wales plumes, a College steeped in cricketing lore
Even though the average height was only three foot four.
But these young lads for full of pluck and we had charity
For though we warmed up well we did lack the clarity
To hold our early chances and, yes, four catches all went down
And once again our esteemed coach was circling with a frown
But enter Wyatt Empson, the great improver with the ball
Who towered over his targets 'cause he stands at six feet four
He got the new ball singing and it was a tune so pure
That their promising left hander succumbed to Empson's lure
An edge, a catch, a brief hurray and we were under way
We were, after all, not tourists, but a mob just here to play
Against a team full of famous cricketing names such as Soysa,
Rathnayake, Mendis and co but you know how boys are
They played for the enjoyment, they played it for all the fun
That playing with your mates brings us no matter who had won
And so it was we rolled through them with the captain for the day
Tom McCulloch who spun his web with two maidens on display
In response each King's lad got a solid start
But chose to not capitalise and so had to depart
Oscar got three dozen, Archie rained some blows
Foote's 26 off just ten balls smelled of a T20 show
At 131 we passed their runs but decided to fill the day with more
A chase was advanced to 275 as a revised target to score
Sirigiri and Hindman looked fluent and at ease
But both departed for good scores, five fours each at the crease
So as our batsmen lost their way and focus started to flag
We hoped that in good time there might be a tail wagged
And wag it did with Empson crushing some mighty blows
But alas, alac, we fell just short and took it on the nose.
A fine day's cricket set us up for more fun in the morrow
When, if I might from a cricketing scribe a phrase be allowed to borrow
When all is spent, and your energy's drained (at least, so goes the theory)
Never, ever, get tired, my man, but merely pleasantly weary.
Game One (50 Over - target stretched to fill day's play):
Prince of Wales' College 130 (Johnny Hindman 3-0-11-2, Wyatt Empson 5-0-10-1, Thomas Rhodes 4-0-12-1)
King's College 259/9 (Johnny Hindman 53, Ash Sirigiri 47, Oscar Holt 36, Barney Foote 26, Wyatt Empson 18)
Win by 6 wickets initially - fell short of stretch target of 275.
Game Day Five vs Mahanama College
Game One (T20):
King's College 98 (Ollie Sinclair 26, Millar Ormsby 18*)
Mahanama College 102/4 (Johnny Hindman 2.5 - 0-13-2)
Loss by 6 wickets
Game Two (T20):
King's College 129/9 (Oscar Holt 42, Tom McCulloch 24)
Mahanama College 132/4 (Tom McCulloch 4-1-14-2, Daniel Bricklebank 2-0-16-1)
Loss by 6 wickets
Game Day Six vs St Sebatian's College
Game One (T30):
King's College 137/9 (Ash Sirigiri 38, Oscar Holt 29, Thomas Rhodes 12*)
St Sebastian's College 138/1 (Tom McCulloch 5-0-28-1)
Loss by 9 wickets