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| Sunday, 15 February 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Sargo Jayawickrama and a Royal jubilee tradition In this landmark year of the 125th Royal-Thomian, a unique string of appearances for Royal has been unearthed. Fittingly, it was kicked off by perhaps the greatest cricketer ever to represent Royal - Sargo Jayawickrema, who captained Royal, SSC and All Ceylon. His 130 at the age of 20 against a strong Indian Test team in 1932 was the first century scored for Ceylon in an international match, long before we were granted Test status. He also top-scored for Ceylon against visiting Australian and English teams, and reeled off centuries and double centuries in club cricket. With his power-packed batting, hostile medium-fast bowling, and brilliant slip fielding, he was a batsman and all-rounder of world class. This was the giant who started off a unique family tradition by playing for Royal in the 50th match in 1929. Twenty-five years later, Jayawickrama's nephew Ranjith de Silva played in the 75th match in 1954. De Silva too went on to captain Royal, excelling as an all-rounder - reliable, prolific batsman and a penetrating bowler of quickish off-cutters. His medical career - he ended as senior surgeon at the General Hospital - prevented regular cricket, but he turned out for the SSC when duties permitted. A jubilee hat-trick was completed when grand-nephew Rajiva Wijetunge played in the Centenary match of 1979. The powerfully built paceman Wijetunge opened the attack for Royal. Barring accidents, the story will extend to a fourth generation when Dimitri Siriwardene, great grand-nephew of Jayawickrama, plays in the 125th Royal-Thomian in March 2004. Siriwardene, a batsman of real class, and still only 16, is considered one of Sri Lanka's hottest prospects, and is tipped to be a contender for the national side in a few years' time. In between, other nephews also did their duty Sunil Wickremesuriya, a probing seamer, played in 1943. Nihal Wickremesuriya, an opening bat who struck some mighty overhead blows, played in 1944. Vimal Wickremasuriya, a slow-medium seamer and useful all-rounder, featured in a match-winning stand which saw Royal through to a nail-biting win in 1945. Mahes Rodrigo, a complete opening batsman in the Gavaskar mould, and brilliant wicket-keeper, played from 1944 to 1946, captaining in 1946 and leading Royal to a famous victory. He was the only Ceylon cap among Sargo Jayawickrama's nephews, and scored a memorable 135 not out against the red-hot pace of the West Indians on a fast Oval wicket in 1949. Suneetha Jayawickrama, a sound batsman, contributed to Royal's exciting win in 1951, and top-scored in 1951 and 1952. In the next generation, grandnephew Rajeev de Silva, compact left-hand batsman, played from 1985 to 1987. Sargo Jayawickrama and his cricketing nephews fall just one short of constituting a cricket eleven. Who knows what the 150th Royal-Thomian in 2029, and the years in between, will bring? l Commentator Please Note: Records in this great encounter are kept from 1880 onwards when only boys of the two schools played. However the 1979 match records were available and so that game too has also been taken in. |
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