Cricket was promoted and organised at the Colombo Academy after the arrival in Ceylon of Ashley Walker, Cambridge Blue & Yorkshire Country Cricketer in November 1876. Ashley Walker formed the Royal College Cricket Club in 1878. The very first Cricket match played by Royal was against S. Thomas' Mutwal in July 1879 with masters taking part. The first Inter-school Cricket match in Ceylon was organis
ed by Ashley Walker when the Academy met S.Thomas' College, then situated in Mutwal. The first recorded match was initiated on 16th & 17th July 1879 with Masters playing on either side. Walker, Captained the Academy and Rev. Falkner, a Cambridge man Captained St. Royal won easily due to deadly bowling by Walker, who had a match bag of 14 wickets. The team rowed across the Beira Lake in boats, to Galle Face Grounds (now the site of Taj Hotel). In the first 20 years 1880, Royal had only 5 opponents, Wesley College (1893), Trinity College (1893), Prince of Wales College (1897) and St. Josephs College (1898). The match is recorded against "The Buddhist College". There is reason to believe that this school was the Institution started by the Dharmapala Hewavitharana, in Prince Street, Pettah in 1889. Though the Big Match between Royal & S. Thomas is the highlight of the Cricket Calendar, presently there are about 25 opponent schools. The following are the Captains of the Royal College First XI Cricket team.
1879 Ashley walker
1880 J.W De Silva
1881 J.W De Silva
1882 O. Van Hoff
1883 O. Van Hoff
1884 B.W. Bawa
1885 C.T. Van Gayzel (Snr)
1886 C.T. Van Gayzel (Snr)
1887 C.T. Van Gayzel (Snr)
1888 E.H. Ohlmus
1889 E.S Stork
1890 C. Weinman
1891 C. De Kretser
1892 A. Raffel
1893 F. Van Rooyen
1894 F. De Silva
1895 E.A. Joseph
1896 A.V.Vanlangenberg
1897 R.A. Ekanayake
1898 F.A. Obeysekara
1899 F.A. Obeysekara
1900 E. Weerasooriya
1901 E. Weerasooriya
1902 F.A. Thirimane
1903 F. Ondatjie
1904 F.S. Fonseka
1905 F.S. Fonseka
1906 E.I. Gunasekara
1907 S. De Silva
1908 S. De Silva
1909 J.M. Arunachalam
1910 L.B. Bulankulame
1911 C.E. Goonaratne
1912 C.H. Gunasekara (Snr)
1913 R. Perera
1914 G.W Karunaratne
1915 R. Banajee
1916 L.C. Khoo
1917 L.C. Khoo
1918 L.C. Khoo
1919 R.A. Sahabandu
1920 D.R. Ratnam
1921 D.R. Ratnam
1922 M.C. Dias
1923 M.C. Dias
1924 M.C. Dias
1925 L.D.S. gunasekara
1926 D.W.L. Lieversz (Snr)
1927 H.E. Wijethunga
1928 N. Kandiah
1929 N. Kandiah
1930 S.S. Jayawickrama
1931 F.C. De Saram
1932 F.R. De Saram
1933 W.L. Mendis
1934 F.W.E. Porritt
1935 A.N. Dharmarathne
1936 G.R.J. De Soysa
1937 M. Sivanathan
1938 P.C.D. McCarthy
1939 E.F.E. De Kretser
1940 V.R. Perera
1941 O.W. Wambeek
1942 S.G. Salgado
1943 R. Wickramathilake
1944 G. Rajapakse
1945 V.S. De Kretser
1946 M. Rodrigo
1947 M. Kasipillai
1948 T. Parathalingum
1949 C.H. Gunasekara
1950 V.K.Gunasekara
1951 T. Vairavanathan
1952 L. Hewavitharna
1953 U. De Silva
1954 T. Nirmalingum
1955 R. De Silva
1956 F.B. Crozier
1957 M. Wille
1958 E.L. Pereira
1959 S.C. Samarasinghe
1960 M. Dias
1061 N. Senanayake
1062 D.W.L. Lieversz
1963 S.S. Kumar
1964 J.D. Wilson
1965 M.H. macan Markar
1966 L.Thalayasingham
1967 S.J. De Silva
1968 A.R. Gunasekara
1969 E.C.L. Lieversz
1970 A.R. Jayaweera
1971 C.J.Fernando
1972 A.R. Jayaweera
1973 A.M. Pasquel
1974 S.S.G. Lawton
1975 P.N.S. Kariyawasam
1976 T.M.S. Saldin
1977 S.A. Jayawickrema
1978 R.S. Madugalle
1979 R.S. Madugalle
1980 S. Pasquel
1981 A. Devasurendra
1982 S. Warnakulasuriya
1983 C. Amarasighe
1984 S. Algama
1985 H. De Silva
1986 B.R. Juranpathy
1987 C. Jayakody
1988 A. Fernando
1989 N.P. Fernando
1990 U Wijesena
1991 R. Iriyagolle
1992 T. Subasinghe
1993 G. Perera
1994 D. Dharmaratne
1995 N. Rajan
1996 A. Polonowita
1997 N. Nanayakkara
1998 S. Perera
1999 T. Amarasuriya
2000 R. Jayasuriya
2001 D. Perera
2002 G. Ratnayake
2003 R. Wijeratne
2004 T. Kottehewa
2005 D. Siriwardena
2006 N. Punchihewa
2007 H.Mowjood
2008 D. Nanayakkara
2009 Y.Abeykoon
2010 B. Rajapakse
Vice Captains
1986 C. Jayakody
1987 R. de Silva
1988 K. Jinadasa
1989 U Wijesena
1990 R. Iriyagolle
1991 K. Udawatte
1992 Z. Hameed
1993 K. Herath
1994 N. Rajan
1995 H. Ariyarathne
1996 Y. Dharmarathne
1997 A. Samarakkody
1998 U. Goonawardane
1999 R. Jayasuriya
2000 J. Mubarak
2001 A Perera
2002 C. Vidanapathirana
2003 V. Arunprakash
2004 N. Dias
2005 N. Punchihewa
2006 D. Wijerathne
2007 D. Nanayakkara
2008 C. Fernando
2009 K. Perera
2010 M.
