The 80th encounter at SSC grounds on March 7 and 8:

Ananda overwhelming favourites to beat Nalanda

By Jatila KARAWITA

CRICKET: Ananda and Nalanda - two of the leading cricket-playing schools in this country, will revive their age-old cricketing tradition steeped in history when they lock horns in the 80th Battle of the Maroons’ `Big Match’ on the SSC grounds on March 7 and 8.

On current form and given the track record of the two schools in the 2008-2009 inter-school cricket season, Ananda led by one-drop wicketkeeper batsman Dinesh Chandimal will go into the crunch fixture as overwhelming favourites. Ananda occupy this special place as they have recorded 12 wins out of 17 games. They have lost only one match this season.

Ananda’s fine showing this season is due to the fact that many players have excelled in all departments of the game - batting, bowling and fielding. It will be a travesty of justice if Ananda are unable to turn their all-round superiority into an outright victory, come March 8 (Sunday).

The two outstanding players for the rampaging Ananda side this season are none other than their skipper Dinesh Chandimal and vice-captain Matheesha Perera. Chandimal, who is also entrusted with the onerous task of `keeping’ wickets for his team as well, has led from the front.

This number three batsman, is clearly their most prolific run-getter with an aggregate of over 1,370 runs and `behind’ the sticks, he had held onto 44 catches while effecting seven stumpings.

Apart from captain Chandimal, the others who have made an impact for the champion Ananda team in the batting department are: fresher and left-handed opener Udesh Nadeeranga (552 runs), left-handed lower ordered batsman Matheesha Perera (400 runs), right-handed opener Prabodha Senevirathne (840 runs) and middle-order batsman Sachin Dewage (300 runs), Left-hander Geshan Wimaladharma has also been among the runs notching up close to 300 in the season.

In the bowling department, the boy who has fashioned many a victory for them single handedly is left-arm leg-spinner Matheesha Perera - the vice-captain. He will be the cynosure of all eyes during this two-day contest.

Perera, has grabbed over 120 wickets so far, and most schools found this potent spinner unplayable, hence the challenge for Nalanda will be to keep him at bay if possible, if at all they have any visions of forcing a draw.

Besides, Matheesha Perera, Ananda skipper Dinesh Chandimal can call on at least two other bowlers left-arm pace duo-........ Ravindu Sheman and Sachinthra Perera who both have captured overs 50 wickets in the current season.

It will be well worth watching how Nalanda batsmen cope with this lethal bowling attack of Ananda.

Ananda fine record

Ananda’s 12 outright wins have been registered against Lumbini MV (25 runs), Maliyadeva, Kurunegala (9 wkts), D. S. Senanayake MV (33 runs), Dharmapala MV, Pannipitiya (10 wkts), Dharmasoka, Ambalangoda (7 wkts), St. Peter’s (2 wkts), Richmond (11 runs), S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia (5 wkts), Dharmaraja College, Kandy (5 wkts), St. Benedict’s (6 runs), Prince of Wales ( 9 wkts), and St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa (10 wkts) respectively.

The only blotch in an otherwise perfect script for them was the 94 run loss suffered at the hands of Royal College, Colombo and that too after 24 years.

Meanwhile, given the dominance of their rivals, the challenge faced by Nalanda will be immense and they will no doubt start the game as ‘underdogs’.

Captained by middle-order batsman Nipun Karunanayake, the lads from Campbell Place have clinched 4 outright wins while losing outright to Dharmasoka, ambalangoda and Royal College. Nalanda beat Isipathana MV, Richmond, St. Sylvester’s, Kandy and Rahula.

Nalanda, however, cannot be written off.

For Nalanda, vice-captain and left-hand opener Dinuk Jayasinghe has been the leading score this season with a tally of over 625 runs, being well-supported by right-hand opener Prashan Wickremasinghe (584 runs), skipper and left-hand middle-order batsman Nipun Karunanayake (520 runs), left-hand bat Chethan de Silva (430 runs) and number three batsman Chandimantha Rodrigo (410 runs).

There is also Adeesha Nanayakkara who with an aggregate of over 450 runs has also propped up his team’s batting.

Leading wicket-taker

Nalanda’s two chief wicket-takers this season have been, captain and vice captain combination of Nipun Karunanayake and Dinuk Jayasinghe with the former a right-arm leg-spinner having claimed over 65 wickets and the latter a right-ram off-spinner having over 60 scalps respectively.

Ananda skipper Dinesh Chandimal was oozing with confidence and said that his players will go feat out to win the game.

Nalanda captain Nipun Karunanyake, warned his opponents not to underestimate his side and said that they too will press hard for an elusive victory in the series.

Of the 79 previous encounters played, Ananda lead the series with 14 wins to the 5 of Nalanda. 55 encounters have ended without a result and five matches were not played during the war years and in 1948 it was not played due to Independence Day. The last Ananda win was in 2003 under Duminda Kularathne while Nalanda last prevailed 56 years ago under the captaincy of W. W. Silva.

Teams

Ananda (from): Dinesh Chandimal (Capt.), Matheesha Perera (V. Capt.), Probodha Senevirathne, Sameera Wijesuriya, Madumal Jayarathne, Ruchira Herath, Sachin Dewage, Geshan Wimaladharma, Navin Samaraweera, Sanjeewa Udawatte, Thushara Godahewa, Ravinda Sheman, Udesh Nadeeranga, Sachithra Perera.

Nalanda (from): Nipun Karunanayake (Capt.), Dinuk Jayasinghe (V. Capt.), Prashan Wickremasinghe, Chethan de Silva, Chandimantha Rodrigo, Adeesha Nanayakkara, Sineth Gunawardene, Primesh Dassanayake, Sayuru de Silva, Suranga Tennekoon, Tharindu Wickremasinghe, Tharindu Vidanapathirana, Naveen Subasinghe.