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| Sunday, 1 February 2004 |
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Flashback 1879 Royal - Thomian... Cricket master Ashley Walker grabs 14 wkts and The Academy takes 1st game Those were the days of low scores and high spirits. Cricket - the gentleman's game - was played in the typical manner of the gentleman, with the school colours, and the composed ladies of the Victorian age watching in almost absolute silence. It may have been a long way from the Test-cricket ambience of today, but the first match of the longest series in this part of the world was a match that showed promise for greater things to come. No cars, no trucks, but the enthusiasm was there as the great cricket series between Royal and S. Thomas' got a kick-off late in the last century. Though some records say that the match started in 1878, no scores are available and only a passing reference that both innings were over in a single afternoon is available. With automobiles not on the roads, the players made their way to the former Colombo Cricket Club grounds in Galle Face (present premises of Taj Samudra Hotel) either on foot, by hackery or were ferried across the Beira Lake. Royal, known as The Academy was then situated at San Sebastian Hill in Pettah and it is on record that Ashley Walker - an Englishman came to the Academy in 1877, to teach the boys cricket and this was achieved with the flourish that is associated with the game at Royal College. Cricket gained an important place in the school agenda and it is said that no student who played cricket was punished for being slack in his work. Ashley Walker was Senior Assistant Master and the first Boarding House master. He was also the cricket master. Walkers counterpart at S. Thomas' was another Britisher T. Falkner, who was Warden, and with the willing cooperation, the great cricket series got under way. This match is the oldest inter-school cricket match in the island and it is also the longest annual sporting event that has been played sans interruption. Thought it is customary now to play the Royal-Thomian match in March each year, the match was first played in July and it started off as a three-day game, though play didn't start in the morning each day. In 1879 from which year records are kept, the match was played on July 15, 16 and 17 and had school masters in both teams. The countdown for the series however, started only from 1880 onwards. The Academy made 83 and 54 and S. Thomas' 41 and 37. Royal had Mr. Ashley Walker, who was Senior Assistant Master at the Colombo Academy, as Royal was then known. Royal was then situated at San Sebastian's in Pettah. Mr. A. Campbell and Mr. A. Weinman were two other masters in the Royal team that was captained by Ashley Walker. S. Thomas' had Rev. S. J. Meyrick in the team that was captained by G. Wendt. The game was played on the Colombo Cricket Club grounds at Galle Face, where Hotel Taj Samudra stands at present. The match was played from Tuesday to Thursday with play starting on the first day at 4 pm. The Academy won the toss and batted and were out for 81 with Ashley Walker making the top score of 33 and the next highest was extras with 12. J. de Saram took three wickets and skipper G. Wendt, Rev. Mayrick and C. de Saram two wickets each. S. Thomas' were tottering at 9 for 3 wickets when play ended on the first day with Royal skipper Ashley Walker making in-roads into the batting with his slow bowling. The Thomian wickets continued to fall on the second day and it was only Thomian captain Wendt who kept the Academy bowlers at bay with a polished knock of 24. S. Thomas' were shot out for 41, which gave the Academy a lead of 42 runs on the first innings. Royal captain Ashley Walker took 7 wickets and J. W. de Silva two wickets. The Academy were out for 51 in the second innings, with W. Van Geyzel top-scoring with 14 and C. Wellopulle getting 13. The Thomian bowlers responsible for the Royalists losing quick wickets in the second innings were J. de Saram and skipper C. Wendt who took five wickets and four wickets respectively. The Thomian target for victory was 94 runs. But at close on the second day, they had two wickets down for 10 runs and when play resumed at 3.45 p.m. on the third day, they continued to lose quick wickets and were all out for 27 runs. C. C. de Saram made the top score of 15 and the last eight Thomian wickets fell within an hour. So, the Ace Academy won by 56 runs. Ashley Walker was once again the scourge of the Thomians and again took 7 wickets to get a haul of 14 wickets in the match, while J. W. de Silva took two wickets again as he did in the first innings. THE ACADEMY - 1ST INNINGS J. M. de Silva b Wendt 8, L. Vancuylenberg b C. Wendt 3, Ashley Walker c and b J. de Saram 33, C. Walloopillai c G. de Saram b Meyrick 2, W. Van Geyzel run out 6, O. J. C. Bevan b Meyrick 5, Colvin Kelaart b J. de Saram 8, A. Campbell b J. de Saram 3, F. Pieris c Meyrick b C. de Saram 2, A. Weinman c S. Perera b C. de Saram 1, A. E. Roberts not out 0, Extras 12. TOTAL 83. BOWLING: C. Wendt 2 wkts, J. de Saram 3 wkts, Meyrick 2 wkts, C. de Saram 2 wkts. S. THOMAS' - 1ST INNINGS Sam J. Pereira b Ashley Walker 0, C. C. de Saram c sub b Ashley Walker 2, J. de Saram b Ashley Walker 4, E. de Zilva lbw b J. W. de Silva 2, J. E. Grenier b Ashley Walker 0, C. Wendt b J. W. de Silva 24, S. Meyrick c and b Ashley Walker 0, G. de Saram c and b Ashley Walker 6, O. Somananadar run out 0, D. Wendt c Bevan b Ashley Walker 1, E. R. McDonnell not out 0. Extras 2. TOTAL 41. BOWLING: Ashley Walker 7 wkts, J. W. de Silva 2 wkts. THE ACADEMY - 2ND INNINGS J. M. de Silva b Wendt 4, L. Vancuylenberg b Wendt 4, Ashley Walker c C. de Saram b J. de Saram 7, C. Walloopillai b Wendt 13, W. Van Geyzel not out 14, O. J. C. Beven b C. Wendt 0, Colvin Kelaart b J. de Saram 2, A. Campbell c Somanadar b J. de Saram 3, F. Pieris b J. de Saram 0, A. Weinman c S. Perera b J. de Saram 1, A. E. Roberts run out 1, Extras 2. TOTAL 54 BOWLING: C. Wendt 4 wkts, J. de Saram 5 wkts. S. THOMAS' - 2ND INNINGS Sam J. Pereira b Ashley Walker 1, C. C. de Saram c sub b Ashley Walker 15, J. de Saram lbw b Ashley Walker 0, E. de Zilva c O. Beven b J. W. de Silva 7, J. E. Grenier b Ashley Walker 0, C. Wendt c W. Van Geyzel b Ashley Walker 1, S. J. Meyrick b Ashley Walker 2, G. de Saram run out 2, O. Somanadar not out 1, D. Wendt b J. W. de Silva 3, E. R. McDonnell c Van Geyzel b Ashley Walker 1, Extras 4. TOTAL 37 BOWLING: Ashley Walker 7 wkts, J. W. de Silva 2 wkts. |
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