When the Portuguese built the ramparts of the Galle Fort about four centuries back, they would have never imagined these imposing walls would provide top-tier seats of sorts for cricket fans someday.

A trip to the majestic backdrop of this unique Test venue and one meets an interesting motley of fans for whom top quality cricket comes free of cost. It’s a perfect place for fans to hangout with their cricket-challenged wives or girlfriends. Galle Fort isn’t just a vantage point for the lovers of the game, but a picnic spot with enough privacy for the cupid-struck kinds.

Couples under umbrellas share coconuts and utter sweet nothings with an eye on the scoreboard. Urchins hang dangerously on the walls to catch the action on the field and, later, imitate Mendis and Murali in impromptu tennis ball games at the small clearing on the top of the fort. Auto drivers brush shoulders with office-goers as they have pool lunches while discussing the game.

Odd men out

There is a group of three men sharing an umbrella that stands out from the rest of the crowd. They are Buddhist monks in striking saffron robes on a rare field trip. The eldest of them is Phanagratne who has serene face and deep voice. The other two rarely open their mouths as the 40-year-old happens to be the front man who is designated to deal with the surprise journalistic query.

As it turns out, the monk troika has travelled from Matara, and for them it is the first experience of live cricket action in Galle. “We have a TV set at monastery and whenever we get time, we watch cricket. The youngsters also play the game but I am too old for that,” says Phanagratne, who confesses the one main reason for the one-hour journey from Matara to Galle in a rickety bus was to see Sachin Tendulkar in action.

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