| Royal–Thomian (Battle of the Blues) | |
| Sport | Cricket |
| Timeline | 1879 – present |
| Tournament format | Annual 3-daytest match encounter |
| Participants | Royal College S. Thomas' College |
| Current champion | S. Thomas' College (2007) |
| Most successful | Royal College 33 S. Thomas' College 34 Draw 64 |
The Royal–Thomian (Royal versus S. Thomas' Cricket Match), the annual cricket match between Royal College, Colombo (a government-run non-denominational school accommodates approximately 8,000 students) and S. Thomas' College, Mt Lavinia (a private Anglican school that has about 2500 boys on roll) is the second-longest uninterrupted cricket match series in the world (the oldest being the series between St Peters College and Prince Alfred College, South Australia), even older than the Ashes, having being played for 131 years continuously. The original match was played between the Colombo Academy and S. Thomas' College in 1879, with schoolmasters participating as well as schoolboys. From 1880 onwards, only schoolboys were allowed to play in the match. It is the only school boy cricket match in Sri Lanka to be played over three days.
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This match is played for the prestigious D. S. Senanayake Memorial Shield. Incidentally, Rt. Hon. D. S. Senanayake, who became independent Ceylon's (as Sri Lanka was known at the time) first Prime Minister, donned the Thomian cap in 1901 and 1902. This shield was first presented in 1928.
The "Battle of the Blues" is filled with pageantry. With decorated tents, flags and baila singing and dancing groups present all around the city and the ground itself during the match days and in the days leading up to it. The match is held on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday. By tradition, the schools are closed on match days to allow students to attend the Big Match. Souvenirs published by the both schools are sold on all three days as a memento, the duty of distribution entrusted to the Stewards. On the day before the match,the students of each school take a walk around the city in a "cycle parade" with bands and decorations and other colorful items showing support for their team. A notable item is the Royal tradition of carrying a coffin draped in the Thomian flag during the cycle parade. Overloaded cars with supporters singing and careering along the Colombo streets is a familiar sight during match days. More daring supporters are known to enter the grounds of girls' schools and sing and chant raucously. This is frowned upon by the school authorities and police are sometimes brought in for protection.
The match is looked forward to by both the young and old, male and female and even those who had no connection with either school would turn up and enjoy the celebrations. It is more of an occasion for the old boys and present students of both schools coming together for 3 days of fun and revelry. It is quite normal to see 70, 80 year old old boys coming to the "Big Match" to relive old times and meet old friends. Many expatriates choose this time of year to return to Sri Lanka to see the Roy-Tho!