Ananda Jayasundara, who was rated as Sri Lanka’s fastest bowler in 1964 while still a schoolboy at Dharmaraja College, to this day remains unmatched.
His bowling drove fear into batsmen and opponents vouched that intimidation was the last thing on his mind. Ananda Jayasundara, Sonny Yatawara, the man who bowled Sir Garfield Sobers for a ‘duck’ at CCC ground, TB Kehelgamuwa known as the Kandyan Express, NAB Angamana, Yatagama Amaradasa, Wenuka Galahitiyawa, D de C Alwis, Tissa Ratnayake, Shanthi Mendis, Gamini Thomas and Mahinda Pethiyagoda were some of the most illustrious products from Dharmaraja.
Ananda Jayasundara hailed from a sporting family. All his brothers did Dharmaraja College and Kandy proud in cricket. His twin brother Upananda, who captained the Rajans, was also a good cricketer.
The late Parakrama too was a good sportsman while the late Daya was well known in the rugby field and was a top player, coach and referee. Sarath, Gamini and Senarath all did well in sports, for the Lake View Rajans.
About Ananda Jayasundera, there was a story in the Daily News of August 24, 1964 headlined - ‘Many youngsters in Up-Country Eleven’ - Pakistan will face Ceylon’s fastest bowler Ananda Jayasundara.’
That year, the Up-Country side was packed with some top class cricketers and was led by former Tamil Union and Kandy Lake Club cricketer Bertie Gomez. The rest of the team was made up of players like ME Marikar, a top paceman who never played for his school because there was no cricket at that time at St. Sylvester’s College, TB Marasinghe (Kandy Lake Club), V. Sivanathan (Peradeniya University Recreation Club), M. Peries (St. Paul’s and Kandy Lake Club), Ubaya de Silva (Dimbulla ACC), Cyril Ernest (Peradeniya University Recreation Club), MTM Zaruk (Trinity), Neville Herathge (St. Sylvester’s and Kandy Lake Club), Ananda Jayasundara (Dharmaraja) and 12th man M.Wijekoon (Dharmaraja).
In this game Pakistan had players in the mould of Intikab Alam who was rated as the hardest hitter and superb leg spinner of the game, Farook Hamid, Asif Iqbal who was only 17 and Fhulam Annas to name a few. This game was played in Kandy due to the efforts of the late EW Balasuriya who was the king-pin of Kandy in the sporting field at that time and was also the founder president of the Kandy Lake Club.
The day before the match the Mayor of Kandy the late EL Senanayake and the members entertained the two teams to tea at the Town Hall. The Pakistan High Commissioner too was present.
Ananda represented the school in almost all sports, such as cricket, football, hockey, athletics and also played rugby after leaving school for the Peradeniya University. He was the senior prefect in 1965 and won the Sir Bennet Soysa Gold Medal and was also in the Combined Schools team. He played with cricketers like Ranjith Fernando, David Heyn, Anura Tennakoon and Harindra Dunuwille.
Ananda’s best bowling figures were 7 for 37 against his rival school Kingswood College in the big match played at the Police ground matting wicket. After leaving school he continued his cricket and joined the Bank of Ceylon and retired as the Assistant General Manager. He played his pet sport cricket for Old Rajans, Kandy Cricket Club and Up-Country.
In athletics, he came second to SLB Rosa of (Brevets College), in the Dharmaraja College annual Road Race in 1963. In the year 1964, Ananda came second in the 800 event to KS Senaratne of Hunumulla Central in the Junior Athletics Championship. At the University he continued all his sports and played rugby as a wing three-quarter along with SU Mendis and Lakshman Karunatilleke.
Ananda won the 800 and was placed second to Prasad Perera who broke the All Ceylon 800 record.
He was selected as the Best Sportsman in the University in 1969 as also played hockey for the Kandy District Hockey Association team in the 1960s and led the side in 1970.