Stanley Fonseka - always came to his team's aid

by Dilwin MENDIS - Moratuwa Sports Corr.

CRICKET: Moratuwa Sports Club- one of the oldest cricket clubs playing against the top-flight clubs here in Sri Lanka, have set up a tradition for promoting cricket from the early sixties. Even at that time Moratuwa had as many as three teams playing tournament cricket and these teams were among the top clubs playing.

Stanley Fonseka - a great team man. Picture by Dilwin Mendis - Moratuwa Sports Corr.

In the good old days the Saravanamuttu Trophy Cricket Tournament was the tournament that all looked upto and at the helm of affairs of their Sara Trophy team of Moratuwa was that versatile allrounder Stanley Fonseka who captained for two successive years.

Moratuwa Sports Club had a lean season in 1961/62, but that did not dampen the spirit of skipper Fonseka who was determined to change the tide of events and they overcame the bad patch with Fonseka leading the way. Moratuwa S.C. humbled two strong teams - the University and Bloomfield. The Moratuwa team was comprised of a mixture of youth and experience and they concentrated a great deal on youth with the future in mind.

The name Stanley Fonseka is well-known to all and sundry and he came into the limelight as a schoolboy in first-class cricket. He was a very agile fielder, specialising as a "gully" in first-class cricket.

He was an old Cambrian and he had gathered a lot of experience, having played for the team 1943 to 1949, captaining them very successfully in his final year.

In the history of cricket at Prince of wales College, two cricketers - Stanley Fonseka and Lasantha Rodrigo have represented the school for seven successive years and both of them started their careers at the teeny-weeny age of 13 years. Stanley Fonseka showed his capabilities from his young days and he was responsible for the fine record of eight victories. Fonseka scored four centuries - 106 vs Richmond, 100 vs Zahira, 101 vs Holy Cross Kalutara and 112 vs St. John's Panadura in their "Big Match" which they won easily. He also made several half-centuries including a quick-fire 98 against S. Thomas' Mount Lavinia.

Stanley Fonseka was a good allrounder. Besides his batting, he was also a good off-spinner. He took 5 for 21 against Nalanda and a match mag of 10 for 41, then 6 for 61 against Dharmaraja as his best performances, but his superb fielding was the highlight of his cricketing career.

While still at school, he played cricket for Moratuwa Sports Club against a strong SSC XI led by Sargo Jayawickrema and in that match Stanley Fonseka made a fine century in 46 minutes which included six towering sixes and helped Moratuwa Sports Club to inflict the first defeat on the SSC at Moratuwa. In another game he scored a another hectic century against a then strong side in Kalutara led by Billy Porrit. Jayawickrema invited Stanley Fonseka to join the SSC which he did and played for a few years. It speaks well for this cricketing ability that Stanley Fonseka retained his place in the SCC XI.

During that time, the SSC cricket team was stacked with Ceylon 'caps' like Sargo Jayawickrema, F. C. de Saram, Ben Navaratne, C. I. Gunasekara, R. B. Wijesinha, Mahesh Rodrigo, H. I. Fernando, F. Dalpathado, Lucian de Soysa, Ryle de Soysa, Hector Perera, Gamini Gunasena, Channa Gunasekera, Stanley Jayasinghe and Gerry Gooneratne.

Unselfish Cricketer

When Moratuwa started serious cricket Stanley Fonseka unselfishly sacrificed all chances of 'Ceylon Cap' when he quit SSC while playing first class cricket and came to Moratuwa Sports Club to play in the 'Daily News' Trophy.

It was instant success for him and he scored unbeaten century against Galle C.C. and paved the way for Moratuwa to play in the final. Then with a drawn game in the final against the N.C.C., the Moratuwa S. C. team were promoted to the Sara Trophy Tournament.

Stanley Fonseka is a cricketer who played cricket for the love of it and served Moratuwa well. He not only deprived himself of playing for Ceylon when he left SSC. HE left Government Treasury and sacrificed his government service. Then he joined Ceylon Transport Board and he encouraged several players from the C.T.B. to join Moratuwa Sports Club.

Moratuwa Sports Club has been fortunate in having the Services of Stanley Fonseka since 1957. He was their top allrounder and luck came his way in the match against the SSC. In his first season. he took 5 for 25 and routed the SSC for 76 to gain first innings points. Then in the 1960-61 season, he scored a whirlwind century which not only

beat S.S.C., he also carried away the VVT Trophy for the fastest century. There were some nervous moments when he was on 94 he came out of the crease and clobbered a C. I. Gunasekera ball for a towering six to hoist his century. He headed the Moratuwa Sports Club average in 1960/61. He topped the 1,500 mark and got over 75 wickets.

In government service, he played for the Treasury and then for the CTB in Nationalised Services, the SSC and Moratuwa Sports Club with distinction.

Cricket was in the Fonseka family as all his brothers have been capable cricketers. There was Ashley who was somewhat deprived of playing cricket as he took up planting as his profession. He was a fine allrounder.

Stanley Fonseka became a cricket coach in 1984 after completing a course conducted by the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka. He coached the young cricketers of Moratuwa free of charge.

During his school days, Stanley Fonseka was also a fine athlete and represented at Public School Meets. This versatile sportsman passed away recently at the ripe old age of 80 years - and Prince of Wales and Moratuwa Sports Club lost of a great cricketing personality. He was a good team man, an astute leader, generous opponent and man for vital occasions.