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Sports

77th Battle of the Maroons
Attanayake shows the Anandians how
By Bernie Wijesekera
Amid gloomy and overcast skies the traditional ‘Battle of the Maroons’ between Ananda and Nalanda was marred by miry weather on day one at the SSC Grounds yesterday.

Ananda skipper Chathura Herath won the toss and invited Nalanda to bat first on a moisture laden pitch which promised to assist seam bowlers. The seamers however failed to exploit the conditions.

Nalanda openers Lahiru Wickremasinghe (31) and Primosh Perera (22) batted sensibly to post 50 runs for the first wicket. Two wickets fell for 8 runs - 58 for 2.

The left handed all-rounder Gihan Rupasinghe joined the burly Tarindu Attanayake, the prolific schoolboy run-getter. This pair sewed up the innings in a flourishing 83-run third wicket stand. Both batsmen batted in their own inimitable style. This saw Nalanda take lunch at 134 for 2.

Attanayake, just 60 runs away for the golden 1000 runs was on 43. Gihan on 32, timed the ball with precision, smashed Wickremasinghe with three classic drives to the pickets.

Tarindu was lucky to survive with an early ‘life’ before he entered the 20s. He ballooned Wickremasinghe to the deep but the fielder failed to pocket the ball.
Rupasinghe departed after lunch, leg-before to Wijesuriya for 39, with 6 fours. The 100 runs were hoisted in 102 balls.

Attanayake, driving powerfully batted with gay abandon. At 83, he hit a straight six over the HSBC grandstand to the tree top. The ball was lost! The match was halted for 10 minutes. The Third Umpire failed to produce a ball. Tarindu supported by Warnapura added a stroke-filled 83-run stand for the fourth wicket. He completed a richly deserved 100 – his fourth for the season.
Earlier he made 104 vs Rajans, 100 against Dharmapala and 180 against Mahinda. He had a 68-run opening stand with Madhawa Warnapura (103 n.o) and 95 against St. Peter’s.

In spite of the very small crowd gathered Tharindu set SSC aglow with his carefree batting. He is a youngster in the mould of old Nalandian Stanley Jayasinghe. His 100 came up in 112 balls and had 13 fours and three sixes. It was a sparkling knock indeed!

Nalanda declared at 255 for 7 at 3.45 p.m. With a black blanket hovering over the square, Nalanda opted to open the attack with their spinners. Openers Wijetunga and Athulathmudali were content to play out the bowling.

Play was suspended at 4.45 p.m. and was finally called off at 5.40 p.m. with Ananda 25 for no loss. Play begins at 10 a.m. today.

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