13th Battle of the Maroons in the UAE on November 27
The Battle of the Maroons in UAE – the annual cricket encounter between the past pupils of Ananda and Nalanda Colleges, living in the UAE, will take place for the 13th time on Sunday, November 27 2022, at the JMR Sporting Complex in Sharjah from 9.30 am onwards UAE time.
The chief guest for this event is Nalinda Wijeratne, Consul General of Sri Lanka to Dubai and Northern Emirates at the Consulate General Office of Sri Lanka in Dubai.
Battle of the Maroons Cricket in the UAE was initiated by former Ananda Cricket Captain Saliya Senanayake along with former Nalanda Cricketer Sumedha Dharmasena way back in 2004.
Since then, there have been 12 episodes, where Nalanda has won the coveted trophy seven times and Ananda five times. The 2nd XI game introduced at the 7th edition of the Battle of the Maroons has been played five times, where Ananda had won twice and Nalanda thrice, whereas the Tag Rugby game was won by Nalanda twice and Ananda thrice.
After several postponements due to the covid-19 pandemic, the event resumed last year when Ananda cricketers showcased a spellbinding performance to win both the 12th Battle of the Maroons 1st XI and the 2nd XI games in style.
The 13th edition of the Battle of the Maroons will be played in memory of the legendary Principal, P de S Kularatne, who was the Principal of Ananda College for 25 years. He is a well-known educationist who established Nalanda College Colombo, Ananda Balika Vidyalaya, Moratu Vidyalaya and Dharmapala Vidyalaya.
The 2nd XI game is played in memory of the veteran coach Lionel Mendis. He is a much-loved teacher and cricket coach who served for 34 years, during which he produced thousands of talented young cricketers who did exceptionally well in school cricket, club cricket, district level and provincial level with several of them representing the national team.
This year it will be played according to the International T20 format and streamed live on YouTube, enabling the spectators to cheer around the world. This is a testament to cricket’s ever-growing enthusiasm and development in the UAE. Following the demands and success, the tag rugby match will also be played this year, for the P de S Kularatne Challenge Shield.
All-rounder Suresh Silva, a famous name in UAE cricketing circles, will lead old Anandians’ 1st XI team while former Nalanda cricketer Sadesh Wimalatunge will lead old Nalandians’ 1st XI team. . The 2nd XI team of the old Anandians will be led by experienced and energetic player, Rizwan Abdeen and Malaka Wanasinghe will lead the same team of Nalanda side.
The Old Anandians Tag Rugby Team will be led by Amitha Nuwan, while Chanaka Senathilake will lead the old Nalandians’ Tag Rugby Team.
Man of the Match trophy for the 1st XI Cricket encounter of the Battle of the Maroons is named in honour of Sri Lanka’s first-ever test cricket captain Bandula Warnapura who passed away an year ago.
The Battle of the Maroons, which has gained its reputation as one of the key sporting spectacles in the UAE, is organized by the steering committee of both Ananda and Nalanda alumni in the UAE with the objectives of fostering friendship and brotherhood between the two foremost Buddhist schools. Usually, a large gathering of old Anandians and old Nalandians, their families and friends join to witness the match during the nice climate prevailing in November in the UAE. all our colleagues are invited to join us at the JMR Sporting Complex in Sharjah on Sunday, November 27 2022, for a day-long fun-filled activities.