Sports

Centurion Nalanda still rooted in cricketing class and tradition

Published

1 year ago

2025/07/27

Many players from Nalanda College have gone on to represent Sri Lanka in Test match cricket and Mahela Jayawardene with 149 Test appearances, is the greatest product from the school

In a country where cricket is religion and education its sacred scroll, Nalanda College — one of Sri Lanka’s proudest institutions — turned 100 this week, bringing up its century with the poise of a seasoned Test cricketer.

What began in 1922 as a humble offshoot of Ananda College at Campbell Place has since carved out its own identity, a name synonymous with discipline and distinction. From military leaders to medical pioneers, business magnates to political stalwarts, Nalanda has been a cradle of excellence. But where it’s truly bowled the nation over is in sport — especially cricket.

For decades, Nalanda has punched above its weight, producing a steady pipeline of Test cricketers and captains of the highest pedigree. From Bandula Warnapura, Sri Lanka’s first Test skipper, to Mahela Jayawardene, Nalanda College has contributed strokes of brilliance to the canvas of Sri Lankan cricket.

There’s an old-world charm in the way Nalanda approaches its sport, a brand of play that values grace over grit, style over slog. They’ve often been ahead of their time, the first school to erect an indoor basketball court, a move even seasoned basketball playing schools have struggled to match. With school basketball now mushrooming, this facility has served not just Nalanda but also the national and international school circuits with distinction. And in true Nalanda spirit, the court was gifted anonymously by an old boy — a gesture of such quiet nobility that it puts many so-called benefactors to shame. Catholic schools have much to learn from Nalanda.

When it comes to cricket, Nalanda’s production line has always been about polish and poise. Not content with just winning matches, the school focused on building the complete cricketer. This philosophy owes much to men like Nelson Mendis, who wore many hats — English teacher, Master-in-Charge, and eventually coach. A stickler for values, Mendis placed character above scorecards. Winning was never everything. Instead, he drilled into his players the importance of respect — for the laws of the game, the opponents, the umpires, and most importantly, the self. As a result we had a gentlemen like Roshan Mahanama.

Gerry Gunaratne, another stalwart in the coaching corner, built on this foundation, shaping generations of players who served both school and country with aplomb. Meanwhile, Stanley Jayasinghe, one of Nalanda’s early greats who later went on to play county cricket in England, brought a wealth of experience that added layers to the school’s sporting culture.

In more recent times, Jayantha Senevirathne brought a breath of fresh air. His mantra was simple yet daring: there’s no shame in losing a game while trying to win it. His fearless brand of cricket encouraged risk-taking, not recklessness, but a calculated aggression that made Nalanda a joy to watch. If it came off, there was glory; if not, there was still pride in the attempt.

Senevirathne, a keen believer in the intellectual side of the game, urged players to read about cricket’s history and study biographies of greats, to not just play the game, but live and breathe it. The likes of veteran broadcaster Premasara Epasinghe, in his role as Master-in-Charge, also ensured that values were treasured passing on cricket’s finer points with an old-school sense of reverence.

The results spoke volumes. Under Senevirathne’s stewardship, Nalanda produced players who left an indelible mark. Anecdotes abound. Mahela Jayawardene, for instance, once struggled with the lofted on-drive, too often caught in the deep. At most places, coaches would have clipped his wings and told him to keep it along the ground. Not at Nalanda. There, they backed the batsman to play his natural game, tweaking technique without killing flair. The result? A master of the on-drive, who would one day make bowlers pay in all corners of the globe.

Dilshan Munaweera, too, had his demons with the cut shot, repeatedly picked out the point fielder. Again, rather than put the stroke in cold storage, they worked with him until he could cut with conviction and even muscle it over deep point for six.

That, perhaps, is the secret sauce of Nalanda cricket, don’t kill the gift; shape it. Don’t sandpaper talent; polish it. The school never churned out robots. It nurtured artists.

Yet, even giants stumble. Recent years have seen Nalanda cricket hit a lean patch, the scoreboard reading more lows than highs. The situation is mirrored across Punchi Borella, where archrivals Ananda too are going through a rebuilding phase. For Sri Lankan cricket to roar again, both these powerhouses must rise from the ashes. A strong Ananda and a strong Nalanda isn’t just nostalgia; it’s necessity.

by Rex Clementine ✍️

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Ronaldo apologizes for Portugal walkout; says Jesus broke promise

Published

6 hours ago

2026/10/7

Priyan

Cristiano Ronaldo is Portugal's leading scorer (Aljazeera)

Cristiano Ronaldo has accused Portugal ‌coach Jorge Jesus of twice breaking his word, saying a failed agreement to publicly ⁠explain his omission ⁠against Norway drove him out of the camp, but insisting he remained available after any punishment.

In a lengthy statement, the 41-year-old gave his account of the dispute ⁠that prompted his departure from Copenhagen before Portugal’s Nations League match versus Denmark last week.

Ronaldo said Jesus had agreed a plan under which the forward would miss the Norway and Denmark ⁠matches to manage his fitness. However, on the day of the Norway game, the coach told him he would play for 30 minutes.

“Everyone knows the rest. I warmed up from halftime onwards, watched the minutes tick by and wasn’t called on,” Ronaldo said.

“The manager had broken his word to me.”

Portugal’s ‌captain and all-time leading scorer said a subsequent meeting with Jesus, attended by his club side Al Nassr’s sporting director Simao Coutinho, produced an agreement for the coach to clarify events at his next news conference.

According to Ronaldo, an eight-point document was prepared saying he had never demanded playing time, had respected Jesus’s decisions and that the coach asking him to warm up without bringing him on had been a mistake.

Ronaldo said the agreed notes did ⁠not require Jesus to apologise to him but said the coach’s ⁠public remarks bore no resemblance to their private discussion.

“It was the second time he had broken his word to me,” Ronaldo said. “I decided to leave the training camp without waiting for any further broken promises.”

The statement provided Ronaldo’s account⁠, but on Sunday, after Portugal’s win over Norway, Jesus denied he had made any agreement with the player, nevertheless leaving the door open ⁠for his return.

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) did not immediately respond ⁠to a request for comment about Ronaldo’s statement.

Ronaldo apologised for failing to greet supporters after the Norway match and for leaving his teammates, accepting that his captaincy made his conduct more serious.

“The consequences of my actions must be assessed ‌and punished by the Portuguese Football Federation,” he said.

Despite the rupture, Ronaldo said he was not limiting his international ambitions to a farewell appearance.

“If I’m physically fit, playing for my club – scoring ‌goals, ‌I hope – after serving whatever suspension is imposed on me, I’ll be available, as I’ve always been until now, to compete and win for our national team,” he added.

(Aljazeera)

Sports

Nalanda on the cusp of reaching knockout stage as unbeaten run continues

Published

7 hours ago

2026/10/7

Sahan Weerasooriya

Rusandu Silva has nine wickets against his name after three matches.

by Reemus Fernando

Nalanda College, Colombo continued their unbeaten run to come closer to securing a berth in the knockout stage as they beat Gurukula College by nine wickets in the Under 19 Division I Tier A Limited Overs Tournament match played at Campbell Place on Tuesday.

‎With Rusandu Silva continuing his impressive run in the tournament, Nalanda did well to restrict the team from Kelaniya to just 113 runs (in 35.4 overs).

‎After two outings Rusandu had six wickets against his name coming to this match.‎Rusandu and Methuka Perera claimed three wickets each. ‎Lithum Wijekumara also impressed with two wickets, while Santhul Wijeyarathne took one.

‎Adeepa Pinsara was the only batsman to make a contribution of note as he top-scored with 35 off 49 balls, including four fours and two sixes, while Javindu Madusanka made 20.

‎In their chase Nalanda made light work of the modest target, reaching 114 for one, scoring at a rate of over a run a ball.

‎Nadul Jayalath cracked an unbeaten 62 from just 52 balls. His innings contained four fours and five sixes. He received valuable support from Lithum Wijekumara, who scored 35 off 42 deliveries with six boundaries.

‎Ranmith Senarath completed the successful chase with an unbeaten 10 off seven balls, including two fours.

‎Nalanda lost only one wicket as the opening pair added 89 for the first wicket. Jayalath and Senarath then finished the contest comfortably, securing a convincing nine-wicket victory with many overs to spare.

‎It was Nalanda’s third successive victory in the Tier A tourney after having beaten Thurstan (155) by seven wickets and St. Servatius’ Matara (187) by four wickets in the first two matches.

‎As of now, they are the leading team in Group G where they have only St. Joseph’s Darley Road to meet before the knockout stage.

‎With just two teams advancing to the next stage from each Group Nalanda are almost assured of their place.

Sports

Wins for Hayley’s Group ‘A’ , HNB ‘A’ and CDB on Saturday

Published

7 hours ago

2026/10/7

Sahan Weerasooriya

33RD SINGER – MCA Super PREMIER LEAGUE

Hayley’s Group ‘A’, HNB ‘A’ and CDB registered wins by defeating Colombo Aces, Fairfirst Insurance and SLC Youth in the matches of the Mercantile Cricket Association’s Super Premier League cricket tournament on Sunday (04).

The MCA Super Premier League is sponsored by Singer Sri Lanka for the 33rd consecutive year.

At the Bloomfield Cricket ground, Nishan Madushka, Pulindu Perera and Minod Dhanuka smashed half tons as Hayley’s Group ‘A’ registered their second win of the tournament defeating Colombo Aces by six wickets.

At the Thurstan ground, Nipun Dhananjaya and Muditha Lakshan posted eighty plus scores to help CDB amass 307/8, which the bowlers defended by 71runs.

At the Colts Ground Milan Rathnayake starred with bat and ball [71 and 3-24] to help HNB ‘A’ overcome SLC Youth by 41 runs. Rehan Pieris topped SLC Youth score card with a 108 ball 77 with six fours and a six.

At Bloomfield Ground Colombo:

Hayley’s overcome Colombo Aces by six wickets

Colombo Aces 222/10 in 49 overs

[ Kavin Bandara 62, Dinura Kalupahan 50; Dhanajaya Lakshan 2-14, Ramesh Mendis 4-36]

Hayleys Group A 227/4 in 25.2 overs [Nishan Madushka 61, Pulindu Perera 51, Minod Bhanuka 54; Dinura Kalupahana 2-35]

At Thurstan College Ground:

CDB BY 71 runs

CDB 307/8 in 50 overs

[ Vishsd Randika 53, Nipun Dhananjaya 86, Muditha Lakshan 89; Himesh Ramanayake 3-49, ]

Fairfirst Insurance 236/10 in 46.4 overs

[Sanoj Dharshika 58, Yasiru Rodriga 78; Movin Subasinghe 3-27, Lahiru Madushanka 2-16]

At Colts ground;