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| Sunday, 09 March 2003 |
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Warden Ponniah - first to score century on debut The Warden of S. Thomas' Dr. David Ponniah has been the head of a school with practical ideas as far as administration and on the sports field. He has been a cricketer par excellence in his day and even now finds the time to play cricket when the opportunity comes his way. David Ponniah is the younger brother of Mano and the two brothers have something in common as both were opening batsmen at S. Thomas'. Mano Ponniah went on to represent Ceylon, as we were then known in international cricket. Warden Ponniah plays even now for Old Thomians Swimming Club in Cricket Board division three tournaments and the love for cricket from the early days has not diminished. He came with a bang into the Royal-Thomian series and became the first player to score a century on debut in 1967. It was in the second innings of that match where he made 100 not out and with Ajit Jayasekera - the manager of the Sri Lanka cricket team now, put on 118 runs in their opening partnership in the second innings with Jayasekera making 75. It was not slow batting, but quick scoring as the century partnership came in just 75 minutes batting at 94 runs per hour. Then later on, Ponniah and A. Hameed (59 not out) added 108 runs for the unbroken fourth wicket in 62 minutes. In that game, S. Thomas' made 137 runs in the first innings, with openers David Ponniah (21) and Ajit Jayasekera adding 56 runs for their opening partnership but disaster struck a telling blow to the Thomians thereafter with six wickets falling for just one run between that 'dark period' of 11.24 a.m. and 11.54 a.m., that day at the Saravanamuttu Stadium (formerly known as the Oval). After Ponniah fell to Chitty, it was Royal's A. R. Gunasekera who had the Thomians in a lot of bother taking the next five wickets, giving away just seven runs. His analysis at 11.20 a.m. read: 2 overs, no maidens, 7 runs and one wicket. Then at 11.54 a.m., it read: 5 overs, 3 maidens, 7 runs and five wickets, taking four wickets for no runs in three overs. In a 51-minute spell between 11.10 a.m. and 12 noon that eventful day, Gunasekera had figures of eight overs, five maidens, seven runs and five wickets. His final figures were: 13 overs, 6 maidens, 30 runs and five wickets. Royal scored 193 for 9 wickets declared in their first turn and S. Thomas' made a splendid recovery in the second turn and made 263 for 3 wickets declared in their second turn with the fine batting of David Ponniah (100 not out), Ajit Jayasekera (75) and A. Hameed (59 not out) leading the way. Ponniah on that day took 2 hours and 58 minutes - that's 178 minutes for his unbeaten century and with the going good for the Thomians in the second innings, they made 50 in 25 minutes, 100 in 62 minutes, 200 in 134 minutes and 263 for 3 wickets declared in 178 minutes in the second innings. In their second turn, Royal made 33 for no wicket. There was another Thomian B.C.M.S. Mendis who made a century on debut in 1992 and he followed it up with another century - 112 in 1993. (A. C. de S.) |
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