Nalanda College will be banking on a better bowling attack than their traditional rivals Ananda College to bring a long overdue win for them when they meet in the 89th Battle of the Maroons cricket encounter for the Dr NM Perera memorial trophy starting at the SSC grounds today.
“We have a good bowling attack and our bowlers will control the game. Anandians have a good batting line but I think their bowling side is poor,” said Nalanda coach Keerthi Gunaratne, a former Sri Lanka fast bowler. “We can see a very tough game in this year’s big match.”
Nalanda captain Lakshitha Manasinghe also harboured hopes on his bowling line up to bring victory to his team.
“I think both schools have well balanced teams. I expect a big challenge from the Ananda batting line, but we have a good bowling squad to face that challenge,” said Rasanjana. “We also have stylish batsmen like Suhanga, Avishka and Chamindu while Ravin and Kaveesh will give a fullest support to our team.”
The Nalanda team is packed with five all rounders like skipper Lakshitha, vice captain Suhanga Wijewardana, Kaveesh Madurapperuma, Chamindu Wijesinghe and Ravin de Silva.
Last year’s big match centurion Lakshitha has scored 780 runs and bagged 49 wickets this season. He also made an unbeaten century and two half tons. Sri Lanka under 19 player and deputy skipper Suhanga Wijewardana has also done well with 627 runs and showed his talents as a pacer. Another key role player is fresher Chamindu Wijesinghe who has made 570 runs and bagged 48 wickets while 2nd year coloursman Kaveesh Madurapperuma has scored 187 runs and claimed 59 wickets with a best of 5 for 9. All-rounder Ravin de Silva has a haul of 47 wickets and scored 240 runs.
Stylish batsman Avishka Perera whose had a good season scoring over 550 runs including three half centuries will be relied upon to score heavily.
Nalanda’s fast bowling squad comprises four pacemen Suhanga Wijewardana, Madushan Hasaranga, Chamindu Wijesinghe and Nipun Devinda. Their match winners have been left-arm spinner Kaveesh Madurapperuma (59 wickets), off spinner Lakshitha (49), left arm spinner Umeksha Dilshan (30), right arm leg spinner Ravin de Silva (47) and off spinner Mahima Weerakoon.
Nalanda has recorded four outright wins this season in 20 matches against Isipathana, DS Senanayake, Dharmapala Pannipitiya and Dharmaraja Kandy and suffered two outright losses to St. Joseph Vaz and S. Thomas’ Mount Lavinia.
All rounder and 4th year coloursman Asela Sigera leads Ananda and under his captaincy they have scored three outright wins from 13 matches against Zahira Colombo, Dharmapala Pannipitiya and Lumbini Vidyalaya and suffered an outright loss to St. Joseph’s College.
“Our team has had good preparations for the big match and I am satisfied with my team. We have a good bowling attack and a strong batting line up. We are confident of winning this,” said Sigera.
Ananda coach Ramesh Perera said, “We have a strong batting line up and very talented bowlers. We performed well this school cricket season and our players are now in a winning mood.”
Ananda are strong with six all rounders including three centurions like deputy skipper Lahiru Attanayake (108 n.o.), Dushan Hettige (114) and Daminda Reshan (100). In the batting line up skipper Sigera has scored 450 runs and claimed 52 wickets. Attanayaka is the leading run getter with 700 runs under his belt inclusive of seven fifties and a century against Trinity College. Shamal Hirushan has contributed 411 runs and bagged 30 wickets while Reshan has claimed 34 wickets and made 300 runs and Hettige 620 runs including three centuries and three half tons.
Stylish batsman Kanishka Ranthilakage has topped the 500 run mark along with 2nd year coloursman Kavindu Gimhana who has made 300 runs.
Sigera will lead the spin bowling attack with 42 wickets and left arm orthodox Reshan will support him having captured 34 wickets with his off spin. Much is expected of Gishan Vishwajith, Chamika Gunasekara, Shamal Hirushan and Dushan Hettige.
The two schools started their big match series in 1924 and so far Ananda has won 12 times and Nalanda on six occasions with the rest of the matches ending in draws. Ananda last won in 2003 under Duminda Kularatne and Nalanda in 1953 under W Wimalaratne Silva.
Ananda established a record for the most consecutive victories in the history of the encounter by winning the Big Match during the years 1937, 1938 and 1939. The match between the two schools was not played in 1943, 1944 and 1945 due to the 2nd World War. The Maroons encounter was also not played in 1948, the year in which Sri Lanka gained Independence.
Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider Dialog Axiata PLC will be the main sponsor for the encounter and the One Day match that will be played on March 18 at the same venue.
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