Welcome to the web site of the “Battle of the Maroons”, the cricket encounter played between the two Maroons Ananda and Nalanda which, completes 81 years on the year of launching this site on 2010.

The Battle of the Maroons was first played in 1924 between the two brother schools Ananda and Nalanda. Having started Nalanda as an offshoot of Ananda in 1924, a "Big Match" was initiated between the two brotherly schools with the aim of building relations between the two institutions and developing their cricket in the sporting arena.

The Big Match was played with much pride and fanfare and was a most awaited and cherished event for both the schools. A fine tradition was built up over the decades while the cricketing abilities of both schools grew surpassing other cricket playing schools in the Island. The Battle of the Maroons became a symbol of brotherhood between Ananda and Nalanda that was unique in the Island.

Since then the Battle of the Maroons has blossomed in to the most productive schools cricket encounter in the Island producing National Cricketers of excellent talent and cricketing intellect. Two prominent figures produced by the Maroons that brought glory to Sri Lanka Cricket in the form of Bandula Warnapura of Nalanda, the first test captain and Arjuna Ranatunga of Ananda the first ever captain to bring the world cup in 1996 is a glimpse of the two schools that have made and continue to make the largest contribution to the Sri Lankan National Cricket squad.

A Joint committee was formed in 2009 under the banner “Battle of Maroons” with the blessings of His Excellency the President, Mahinda Rajapaksa and the cricketing encounter will be an annual event displaying the brotherhood of two leading Buddhist schools in Sri Lanka.

This web site celebrates the Battle of the Maroons and is meant to contain everything related to the Big Match between Ananda and Nalanda. It hopes to take the cricket encounter to all maroons, crossing borders through cyber space

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