After 69 years, Nalanda College won the 92nd edition of the “Sulohitha Sangramaya” between two of the country’s leading Buddhist schools, Ananda College and Nalanda College.
This cricket battle was held yesterday (10) and today (11) at the SSC stadium and Nalanda College won by 09 wickets.
With the aim of developing student harmony and student relations between Ananda and Nalanda Colleges and the development of the game of cricket, the “Sulohita Sangramaya” started in the year 1924 and after the victory in 1953, Nalanda College won a victory this year. This is the 7th victory won by Nalanda College.
Ananda College has won 12 victories during this period and Ananda College has more honors in the Sulohita Sangrama. Ananda College last won in 2003. The rest of the matches ended without a win or a loss.
Nalanda College, who batted first in this tournament, scored 289 runs for 9 wickets and invited Ananda College to bat. Nalanda College managed to limit Ananda College’s first innings to 139 runs. Then Nalanda College team invited Ananda College to play the second innings in a follow-on. There too, Nalanda College managed to restrict Ananda College to 180 runs. Accordingly, Nalanda College needed only 31 runs for the victory. The Nalanda College team got the winning run by losing only one wicket, inheriting a victory that had been lost for 69 years.
This match was held for the Late N. M. Perera Memorial Challenge Championship and Nethma Karunaratne was responsible for leading the Ananda College team and Shehan Samaraweera was responsible for leading the Nalanda College team.
Under the guidance of Ananda College Principal Mr. Lal Dissanayake and Nalanda College Principal Mr. Tilak Wattuheva, this match was held without the participation of spectators this time.
The two schools have a proud history of producing many great players on the international cricket field.
Arjuna Ranatunga who won the ODI World Cup for Sri Lanka in 1996, Sidath Wettamuni, Marwan Atapattu, Chandika Hathurusingha, Thilan Samaraweera, Sachitra Senanayake and Dinesh Chandimal representing the current national team, are outstanding players rised from Ananda College.
Sri Lanka’s first Test captain, the late Bandula Warnapura, members of the team that won the ODI World Cup Asanka Gurusinghe, Roshan Mahanama, Kumar Dharmasena, and Sri Lankan legend Mahela Jayawardena, are notable players who entered the cricket field from Nalanda College. Thilanga Sumathipala, the former president of the Sri Lanka Cricket Institute, and Shammi Silva, the current president, are also two former cricketers from Nalanda College.
Ananda School Team – Nethma Karunaratne (captain), Mineth Premaratne, Lakshita Kularatne, Nushal Dharmaratne, Hansaja Jayasinghe, Iruth Gimshan, Shakthi Udara, Tehan Perera, Nethma Samaraweera, Palindu Kiriella, Vilash Karunaratne, Ayesh Shashimal, Isuru Ayesh, Yehan Gunasinghe, Sachin Jayasinghe , Viduna Wijebandara, Maleesha Perera, Thisuka Sehas.
Nalanda School Team – Dineth Shehan Samaraweera (captain), Eranga Jayakodi, Vinuj Ranpul, Kushmitha Silva, Ravin de Silva, Chanul Athukorala, Sajitha Withanage, Rusiru Vilochana, Yasiru Samarakoon, Nikhil Abeygunasekara, Risath Jayarathne, Lisura Sigera, Janula Indusara, Manupa Manmita , Chamod Manthilaka, Vinuka Wijesinghe, Minod Kaldera, Lithija Kalhara.
