Ananda-Nalanda
Ananda-Nalanda (Battle of the Maroons) |
Sport |
Cricket |
Timeline |
1924 – present |
Tournament format |
Annual 2 day cricket match |
Participants |
Ananda College Nalanda College Colombo |
Battle of the Maroons is a cricket match played between Ananda College Colombo, and Nalanda College Colombo. It was first played in 1924. Over the years both schools has produced many world famous cricketers. Battle of the Maroons is considered to become the most productive and most popular schools cricket encounter in the Island producing National Cricketers of extraordinary talent and cricketing intellect. Those two schools Ananda and Nalanda continue to provide the largest contingent of players to the Sri Lankan National Cricket squad.
Cricketing Highlights of Ananda and Nalanda
- Old Nalandian Bandula Warnapura led the Sri Lanka team to win the Sri Lanka's first ever One Day International Cricket match win in 1979, and also he faced Sri Lanka's first test dilivery and scored Sri Lanka's first test run.
- Old Anandian Sidath Wettimuny was the first Sri Lankan to be honoured Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1985.
- Sri Lanka's first test captain was a Nalandian Bandula Warnapura, and the 1996 world champion team was led by Anandian Arjuna Ranatunga. The Sri Lanka team that entered the finals in ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 and ICC World Twenty20 2012 were led by Nalandian Mahela Jayawardena.
- Old Anandian Dinesh Chandimal is the Sri Lanka's youngest One Day International cricket captain.
- Old Nalandian Mahela Jayawardena is the first cricketer in Sri Lanka cricket history who scored more than ten thousand runs in test and one day internationals.
- Both schools have so far produced 30 Test players for Sri Lanka (Ananda 16 Test players Nalanda 14 Test players) and 4 of them were Test Captains. Namely Nalandian Bandula Warnapura, Anandian Arjuna Ranatunga, Anandian Marvan Atapattu and Nalandian Mahela Jayawardena.
Notable persons who have played
- Anandians
- Philip Gunawardena - known as "Father of Socialism" in Sri Lanka, former Cabinet Minister of Agriculture, Food, & Co-operatives and former Minister of Industries and Fisheries
- Dr. N.M. Perera - former Mayor of Colombo and Cabinet Minister of Finance, former Chairman of the Board of Control of Cricket in Sri Lanka,
- Professor Tissa Vitharana - Cabinet Minister of Technology and Research
- Lakshman Jayakody - former Minister of Cultural and Religious Affairs
- Sidath Wettimuny- Member of Sri Lanka's first Test team, Scored Sri Lanka's first Test 100, The first Sri Lankan to be honoured Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1985
- Thilan Wijesinghe - former Chairman of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka
- Arjuna Ranatunga- 1996 Cricket World Cup Winning Captain, former Sri Lanka Test/One Day International Cricket Captain, Wisden Cricketers of the Year 1999, Scored Sri Lanka's first Test 50, former Deputy Minister of Tourism, Current Member of Parliament
- Marvan Atapattu - former Sri Lankan Test/One Day International Cricket Captain, Best school boy crickerter 1990
- Chandika Hathurusingha - Head coach of the Bangladesh national side, former assistant coach of New South Wales
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- Nalandians
- Hon. Gamini Jayawickrama Perera - current Cabinet Minister (Minister of Food Protection), former Chairman of United National Party, former Cabinet Minister (Irrigation and Water Management)
- Hon. Thilanga Sumathipala - current Member of Parliament, Chairman Sumathi Group of Companies
- Hon. Handunnetti Rannulu (H. R) Piyasiri - former Minister of Youth Affairs, former State Minister of Labor and Vocational Training, Sri Lankan Ambassador in Myanmar
- Hon. H. R. Wimalasiri - former Member of Parliament
- Professor Mohan De Silva - Chairman University Grants Commission (Sri Lanka), Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences University of Sri Jayewardenepura and Professor of Surgery
- Bandula Warnapura - Sri Lanka's Inaugural Test Cricket Captain
- Roshan Mahanama - former Sri Lankan One Day International Cricket Captain, Elite Panel Referee of International Cricket Council, Member of World Cup Winning Cricket Team 1996, Best Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year (1983 & 1984)
- Mahela Jayawardena - former Sri Lanka Test/One Day International Cricket Captain, International Cricket Council's "Captain of the Year 2006 ", Wisden Cricketers of the Year 2007, Best Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Runnerup (1994)
- Kumar Dharmasena - former Sri Lanka Test/One Day International Cricketer, Member of World Cup Winning Cricket Team 1996, International Cricket Council's "Best Umpire of the Year 2012", Best school boy crickerter 1989
- Stanley Jayasinghe - former all Ceylon Cricketer and first Srilanken to play professional cricket overseas for Leicestershire County Cricket Club in England for more than a decade
- P. M. Jayatilaka - Educationist & scholar
- Premasara Epasinghe - well known cricket commentator
- Palitha Perera - renowned cricket commentator
- Mithra Siriwardena - former DIG
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Contribution to Sri Lankan National Cricket squad
- Anandian Test Players
- Anandian ODI/ T20 Players
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- Nalandian Test Players
- Nalandian ODI/ T20 Players
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References
External links