Online edition of Sunday Observer

On a day a mixture of stars of yesteryear and today's stars donned pads in a historic inaugural match of Ananda and Nalanda cricketers, when some of the old guards failed and Nalanda had slipped to 42 for 4 wickets, the diminutive Mahela Jayawardene dazzled with a flawless century to take Nalanda to 208 all out in 39.4 overs at the R.Premadasa Stadium yesterday.

Former Sri Lanka Test cricketer, Roshan Mahanama, who represented Old Nalandians in the inaugural Day/Night 40-over cricket match against the Old Anandians for the Anura Ranasinghe Memorial Trophy at the Premadasa Stadium yesterday, looks back only to see his bail dislodged by a delivery from Akalanka Ganegama.
(Pic. Kavindra Perera).

Old Nalandians was captained by Bandula Warnapura, Sri Lanka's first Test captain and Ananda by Arjuna Ranatunga, the country's 1996 World Cup winning captain for the Anura Ranasinghe Trophy in memory of the former Nalanda College and Sri Lanka allrounder.

Jayawardene, the Sri Lanka vice captain came to the rescue of his 'alma mater' when the frontline wickets of Shantha Kalavitigoda (13), Hemantha Devapriya (0), Roshan Mahanama(0) and Asanka Gurusinha(0) who had journeyed all the way from his domiciled home Australia to make the occasion, were back in the pavilion in quick succession.

Jayawardene, who took his customary time to settle down, then reeled off some sweetly-timed stroked in an innings spiced with six handsome sixes and nine boundaries.

He was associated in an invaluable 59-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Keerthi Ranasinghe, who despite flying down from England, soon found the taste of 'old sweet home' with glimpses of his days of yore little as his contribution was.

After Ranasinghe former Sri Lanka star Kumara Dharmasena helped Jayawardene swell the total figuring in a 51-run alliance for the sixth wicket.

The bowling honours went to Akalanka Ganegama (2 for 29), Chandika Hathurusinghe (2 for 20), Arjuna Ranatunga, who showed he had not lost his flair despite many summers of retirement from the game claiming 2 for 33 with his roly poly slow ones which the batsmen found difficult to negotiate.

Nalanda Old Boys 208 all out in 39-4 overs. (Mahela Jayawardene 108, Keerthi Ranasinghe 23, Kumar Dharmasena 22, Shantha Kalavitigoda 13, Ganegama 2 for 29, Hathurusinghe 2 for 20, Arjuna Ranatunga 2 for 33, Thilan samaraweera 2 for 47).