A family trend continues in upkeep of Asgiriya turf

by Upananda JAYASUNDERA Kandy Sports Special Corr.

CRICKET: Trinity College, Kandy has been playing cricket at the Asgiriya Stadium for the last century or so. Asgiriya has a turf strip and playing on that turf strip has brought memorable moments to the Trinitians.

A turf wicket needs the loving care of groundsmen who have learnt 'A,B,C' of wicket preparations for a long, long time. A turf wicket has to looked after by the groundsman as a child needs the care of the mother.

There are no short cuts about getting turf wickets ready for cricket matches, as ill-prepared turf strips can turn out to be dangerous and they also can ruin the smooth conduct of the match.

Trinity, however, has had the good fortune of having had three generations of 'experts' as groundsmen.

T.G. Marthelis Appuhamy was at Trinity as groundsman from 1914 to 1964, his son T.G. Wickremapala was there from 1964 to 1998 and Wickremapala's son T.G. Nimal - the third generation who had been training under his father, is presently in charge of the Asgiriya International Stadium from 1976 up to date.

The 'father' of the turf Marthelis did not get an opportunity to see the Asgiriya cricket grounds becoming an International Stadium in early 'eighties', but his son and grandson were fortunate to serve as ground boys when Sri Lanka were given Test status when an old boy of Trinity the late Gamini Dissanayake was the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka.
 

T. G. Marthelis - in ‘no more’ but he showed the way for his son and grandson to ‘prepare’ wickets on the Asgiriya grounds. Pictures by Upananda Jayasundera - Kandy Sports Special Corr.	T. G. Nimal - the present Groundsman of Trinity College who is now in-charge of the preparation of the Asgiriya turf for cricket matches.	T. G. Wickremapala - too has gone to his eternal rest. However, it was after he handed over the art of preparing the turf strip at Asgiriya to his son T. G. Nimal.