Fifty years is a long time

Golden jubilee celebrations are joyous occasions. And those associated with collegiate cricket in Sri Lanka carry with it a special nostalgia that can only be described best during and after a few ‘toasts’.

And so when the S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia cricket team of 1960 raised their glasses to toast their captain Dr. Lareef Idroos and respective team members during a visit by Lareef for the recent Royal-Thomian cricket encounter, there were lumps in the throat as memories were recounted: of matches played; those won and lost and drawn; of and how brilliant catches were held that led to victory; and of catches dropped that influenced the outcome of the game; and more than any of the team spirit that was the bedrock on which relations were built and the game played.

Every player of that team had some anecdote or other to recount which evoked great laughter. It was one big night of merry-making, singing and dancing and Bacchus joining in for good measure.

Occasion to celebrate

The other day my team mate and one who needs no introduction Ranjit Fernando called me up to congratulate me of having been the captain of a St. Benedict’s College in 1960, and reminded me that there was another Golden Jubilee that should not be allowed to be lost to the shadows of time as it passes by.

Yes, fifty years is a long time and memories are still fresh, although one must be excused if recounting them at this time, in these columns, may seem self serving. Suffice to say that Ranjit’s invitation was irresistible if only to honour the Benedictines and that great, great school.

Before going on to take strike, as in cricketing parlance, it is best that I mention the names of the members that made the 1960 cricket team under my leadership. To start with I must say that it was a season of mixed fortunes.

Closer encounters

We had many close encounters with only two victories to show. We beat St. Peter’s College for the first time in the history of the Benedictine-Peterite encounters at Bambalapitiya and emerged victorious against St. Anne’s College. Kurunegala at Kurunegala.

Here is the squad of 16 that played that year. Elmo Rodrigopulle - captain, Allan Gunesekera- vice captain, Sanath Jayawardena, Winston Dissanayake, Cyril Ernest, Ranjit Fernando, Fredrick Silva, Percy Perera, Gordon Dissanayake, Quintus Perera, Cecil Saverimuttu, Chandra Ramanathan, Nihal Zoysa, Ranjit Perumal, Nihal Amerasinghe and Nihal Fernandopulle.

The coach was the famous Bertie Wijesinha whose birthday falls tomorrow - in cricketing parlance we wish him a century of life, Prefect of Games Bede Puvimanasinghe and Master-in-charge Felix Fernando. The Director was Bro. Athanasius. The curator was Rogus Perera, who it must be said was a competent leg spin, googly bowler. He would tuck up his sarong and bowl Shane Warne like.

One helluwa team

That was one helluva of team, strong and well balanced in all departments. That we did not enjoy a successful season was just one of those things. However, it was a tremendous experience leading a team with that much talent.

And now for an anecdote. The incident that took place at Reid Avenue after the game against Royal. We were very unfortunate to lose that game apparently due to some very poor umpiring that went, as was claimed, against the Benedictines. Such a claim, may have been unfair as the umpire’s word is law. But there is the lighter side to it too.

To name the umpire with no malice who erred was Ian Lappen. In those days big crowds of supporters from every school would flock in to imbibe the action unlike today where you hardly get a handfull of spectators watching their schools in action.

Big hitting

If my memory serves me right, we lost by something like 28 runs, where at one stage we looked like being victors with the big hitting right-hander Quintus Perera taking the Royal bowlers to the cleaners hitting five sixes in that game.

We were done in when a few of our batsmen were ruled run out. Had there been the third umpire concept at that time, he no doubt would have ruled in favour of our batsmen.

That was the era when heckling of umpires was in vogue. ‘Hora umpire’ was the shout that was frequently heard when a batsman was ruled out. It was all in jest and done in the heat of the moment. To the game at Reid Avenue and at the end of the game the Benedictine supporters stung by the unpalatable defeat which they alleged was due to Lappen’s poor umpiring, roughed him up a bit and sadly that was the last game that Lappen ever umpired. Lappen was a sporty gentleman and took all of this in good spirit.

Lung splitting

Then came the next game against St. Joseph’s College at Kotahena. What evoked lung splitting laughter was the shout heard whenever a Josephian fielder or bowler appealed for out against a Benedictine batsman. ‘What happened to Lappen will happen to you; was heard and the umpires would take a very close look before ruling a batsman out, it was most times ‘not out’ fearing reprisals.

And what laughter that shout evoked. And the man and the voice— that sounded like a church bell was none other than a former Benedictine cricketer Ben Anthony. And the words of that Mary Hopkins perennial - those were the days my friend - come to mind. Three members of that team are doctors. Cyril Ernest is a leading Cardiologist in Los Angeles and is a close buddy of Dr. Lareef Idroos who is a leading physician. Dr. Ranjit Perumal a physician who is also in big demand, both in the medical and social circles. Dr. Cecil Saverimuttu is also a physician with a lucrative practice in Perth, Western Australia.

Sri Lanka colours

Ernest was one of the finest off-spinning allrounders to come out of the ‘green, white and green’ school, and went on to sport Sri Lanka colours in cricket. Ranjit Fernando is easily the best wicket keeper batsmen produced by the Kotahena school and he too sported Sri Lanka colours. He is now an expert international TV cricket commentator.

Then there is Nihal Fernandopulle who is Consultant with the World Bank and Nihal Amerasinghe who held a top post in the Asian Development Bank. Percy Perera who excelled in basketball went on to win the Asia’s Best Shooter Award in the Asian Games in 1965 in Singapore. Percy is now domiciled in Melbourne, Australia.

Sadly three members of that team are no more. They are Nihal Zoysa who was a devastating left-arm paceman. Fredrick Silva a hard hitting middle order batsman and Chandra Ramanathan also a leading middle order batsman Then I will be failing in my duty if I don’t mention the name of Kenneth Dabrera who led the vociferous cheering squad and made all the noise and kept on encouraging the team at every venue where we played, even travelling up to Kandy and Kurunegala.

Cheer squad

In the cheer squad were Chicko Sandam who is also a doctor, Denzil Perera of Denzil and Bosco the famous singing duo, Laxman Fernando, Patrick Perera, Upali Jayawardena, Gamini Perera, Hughbald Pieris and several others whose names do not come to mind.

Shouting words of encouragement from outside the ground were from Gerry Ramanathan, Steven Perera, Herby Rodrigo, Arul Christanpillai and Yoga Thambiraja. My opposing captains were - Lareef Idroos -STCML, Michael Dias - Royal, Priya Perera -SJC; Kingsley Fernando - St. Sebastian’s; Premasiri Athukorale - St. Peter’s, Jayawickrema Perera, Nalanda who is into big time politics, and if my memory serves me right T. Eramudugolla of St. Anne’s Kurunegala and Irwin Fernando of St. Mary’s Chilaw and Sister Colleges. Those days schools played six or seven matches unlike today where schools play 15 to 20 matches

Cheers then to all my team mates of that 1960 team.