Benedictine cricket team of 1964:

Memories live on...

The St. Benedict's College cricket team of 1964 lives on in the memory of all cricket lovers of that day. The matches were played in packed grounds, with the crowds braving the sun for hours. Merriment, and prohibited firecrackers were the pastime of the ordinary folk; it shook the buildings of Kotahena and next ball, their hero was bowled.

The Benedictine team of that year won the Lifebuoy Shield for the Schools' Unbeaten Champions, and was compared with the Trinity College team of 1928 which was rated by cricket lovers who lived during that era as the best schoolboy cricket team produced in the island.

The St Benedict's team was coached by former All-Ceylon player, Bertie Wijesinghe one of the best coaches Sri Lanka had produced during the past. The biggest Benedictine attraction was their opening batsman, Ranjith Fernando, the schoolboy cricketer of that year, who also carried away the best fielder for the year award.

Ranjith, an orthodox batsman heaved his shot-putt strength into his immaculate strokeplay, while performing the role of stumper with stunning brilliance. In later years, Ranjith rendered the same dual duties of opening batsman and wicketkeeper in test cricket.

Ranjith's opening partner was the diminutive Maxwell Anandappa who at first slip, flew to catch and was rated as one of the best fielders at the time. First drop was Sunil Fernando. In 1965 Sunil scored 890 runs in 10 innings, averaging 89.0 runs. His aggregate just failed to beat the record of Jack Anderson of St Anthony's Kandy, which record still stands.

At number four was Sunil's deputy Mervyn Fernando, a highly reliable batsman.

Best year

Number five was Felix Dias who had his best year as a batsman and was the runner-up schoolboy cricketer of that year. At number six was Harold Sirisena with enormous forearms, being a javelin champion, who sent the ball over the ropes with consummated ease.

Then came Selva Perumal a hardworking and genuine allrounder. He was followed by Anthony de Silva who in later years became the sports editor of the Kaleej times. Then walked in lanky Nimal Gunatunga also a reliable batsman. Anuruhda Vitanachchi, was No 10 and not considered a batsman, but number 11 Jayakumar Perera with his javelin-thrower-physique could hit sixes unexpectedly.

Coach Wijesinghe moulded the muscular Jayakumar Perera into an accurate and lethal opening bowler. Often, Vitanachchi, the left arm swing wizard with an unusual square arm action bowled the first over.

First change was Nimal Gunutunge, who bowled well within himself with a well controlled and terminal outswinger.

Selva Perumal took a crop of wickets that year and was one of the best off-spinners in the schools teams who went on to represent the University. Selva is today the president of the Tamil Union.

Captain Sunil had many other options to choose from, the genuine craft of medium pace of Mervyn Fernando, often brought on while the shine was on. There was the left arm slow of Maxwell Anandappa.

Harold Sirisena could bowl right arm leg breaks when needed. Felix Dias was the team's shock bowler with his unusual speed.

Flashback

The reserve too got their chances in rotation being Sinclair Perera, Srirajan and his brother Mahen Fernandopulle.

The fielding, close in, covers and in the outfield, pivoted by 'keeper Ranjith who often stood up to fast bowlers was excellent. And the team was highly disciplined. Felix Dias an athlete was often seen stopping a certain boundary, inches from the ropes.

In their opening encounter, St Benedict's beat S Thomas' Mount Lavinia in the last ball of the match at Kotahena, by 4 wickets, scoring 156 runs in 90 minutes.

At Reid Avenue, St Benedict's beat Royal College by 9 wickets. The headlines of the next day's newspapers read, Bens home before tea.

St Benedict's broke the 47 year old jinx, beating St Joseph's College by 3 wickets, with Gunutunge scoring the winning run. St Anthony's Katugustota were beaten by an innings and 102 runs at Kotahena. At Bambalapitiya, St Peter's were defeated by 8 wickets.

The matches against Ananda College and St Sebastian's College Moratuwa were played on matting and drawn in St Benedict's favour. Besides the awards Ranjith Fernando won, his brother Sunil took the best captain of the year award and was rated by the famous critic, Harold de Andrado as a potential Sri Lankan captain.

Sunil Fernando captained the Colombo schools under 19 team that year, which included Selva Perumal.

The Ceylon Schools under 18 team had Felix Dias as vice captain and Anura Tennekoon as captain. This team won the "test" with the All-India schools under 18 team by 10 runs at St Peter's grounds, Bambalapitiya.

The Indian boys included five or six players who went on to represent India. They consisted of left arm fast bowler, Eknath Solkar who was also rated as one of the best close in fielders in the world. Batsman Surendra Amaranath and Ramnath Parker.

While in school, Sunil Fernando went on to open batting for NCC with Ranjith Fernando, who is now the President of the club and television commentator.

This was while NCC had T C T Edwards who opened for Sri Lanka and Michael Tissera at number three. Just after school Sunil left for England and his cricket career apparently ended with it.

Isn't it a sad memory to have sacrificed a budding cricket career at such an early age? The modest Sunil, today, a chartered accountant in London with News Corporation, handling matters of tax, answered, "perhaps," when we met him in Colombo, while on holiday. At that time Sri Lanka had not achieved test status, he said. Perhaps, Sunil was absolving himself from self-guilt.