Sidath Wettimuny - classy elegance

by Rohan WIJESINGHE

CRICKET: Sidath Wettimuny's batting technique should have been carved in marble. Eyes nailed to the swirling seam, left elbow way up among the clouds, as the willow ran so sweetly through the ball, whilst Ian Botham ran out of expletives. Epic pace was met with epic class. If that wasn't enough, he then waltzed across Lord's - chasing after English spin - that of Emburey, Edmonds and Marks..... with the hordes at Lord's rising in glorious appreciation of that huge hundred, in the year 1984. Remember..... we were an infant cricketing nation - searching so desperately for an identity.

Eastern artistry

I have a picture stacked up some place of a stunned MCC membership, all togged up in their egg and tomato neckerchiefs, applauding in a wed reverence - a few even raising their gin and tonics to the - little Lankan battler.... the 28-year-old right-hander, rising phoenix like from our embittered, embattled - war torn isle. Oh! Yes they knew all about our 'tea'. But to have batted like Sids did! Sure had some scurrying for maps on the Indian Ocean and the fairer sex were buying up the road maps to Park Road - in pursuit of the prestigious Wisden Cricket Magazine's Cricketer of the Year.

Elfin from Park Road

In spite of the genteel, sober manner at just 13 years of age, Sidath was banging his drums with a din, for inclusion in the school's first eleven. He remembers having his 'flaws fixed' by his beloved guru Bertie Wijesinha and being relentlessly egged on by his cricket mad dad, Ramsay Wettimuny. Dad was so enamoured by what he saw in the 'boys' that he pitched up a fully fledged 'practice wicket' for them at the Health Grounds, Borella way back in the early 60s or so. The bushy tailed-wide eyed Sidath was the first down to breakfast - all togged up for a whackabout - ever so hungry for runs on his plate. Their precious mum Indrani cannot be overlooked in the equation - the hand that rocked all those priceless cradles - mercifully in good health at 86 years of age now.

Ceaseless parade

Ramsay Wettimuny's faith in his boys was fully vindicated. From the 60s onwards, brilliance poured out from Campbell Park in a ceaseless parade of Wettimunys - Sunil, Mithra, Sidath, Ranjan, Nimal, Suvin. That the Wettimunys - with their 'sense of style' and 'innate finesse' added 'heaps of stature' to Ananda College is the view of millions - truly. Sunil and Sidath donned the Lankan flag with much distinction and Mithra did so too - for good measure.

Clean limbed Anandian

Having opened the batting a couple of times with the 'Legend' for Combined Colleges, I had a ringside view of how the right-hander functioned. Firstly, the elegant glide to the tarmac - ready for take off... arms and shoulders flailing - first the right shoulder, then the left. A flamboyant swivel of the hips to 'crush the butterflies' as it were....,followed by firm pushes to the covers to churn out the adrenaline. Thence the neat, wisty, compact, unhurried style - all classy angles. Only the stance with legs 'spread so wide' apart - seemed out of place and inelegant. Sidath's cover drives could be as crisp as anyone's and he swept just as handsomely. His silken square cuts would bisect cover - like butter..... truly.

Mean guitar man

Sidath was a whippet of a medium pacier, with a whirly sort of action and could 'bounce' the ball a bit. On the field he was nippily nimble, scurrying this way and that - wide brimmed sun hat flopping all over him - and a good arm too with time he was sucked into the slips cordon - sucking up many and ego there.

Worried brow

Wettimuny's brow is creased and so is ours. The world of cricket is getting into a world class pickle. So many players 'charged' with 'cheating' the game..... Tycoons toying with the game, in unbridled greed..... Spot cash for no balls, what a shame..... Burning one's country's cap for a tan in the Indian League..... If it is not one thing, it is another..... a game that was crammed with characters - such as Sidath himself. Where have they gone? Only a handful are left - with so much tinkering, with the charm of the game.

Head over heels

In the year 1985 Sidath so blissfully fell - helmet over heels in love with vivacious Sharmini.... vivacious still. Posh performers both. The star bat and the governess of the Lankan Symphony Orchestra.... such elite backdrops. Their two kids quickly followed..... a delightful fusion of two diverse religions. Sid is a deeply devout Buddhist and Sharmini is of the Anglican faith. The children have done the couple proud. 21-year-old Sanjay is already bedecked in a flying degree and 19-year-old Shamara is deep into her books - on international relationships.

Retired deeply hurt

At Ananda they knew that Sidath knew the 'clever bits' and so did the Sunday Observer. The hallowed school slapped the captaincy on Sid in the summer of 75 and the Observer tagged him with the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year' award. For his school, he got 'tons' of runs. For Sri Lanka - 23 Tests fetched him 1,221 runs, with that 190 at Lord's as his highest, with another classy 157 against Pakistan - plus 6 fifties as well. In 33 ODI innings, Sidath scored 786 runs with 86 as his best. In 55 ODI innings the right-hander notched almost 3,000 runs with 227 against Indian Opposition as his best. Following that 227, Sidath was benched at length. Saddened - he called it quits...... long before his panache had run out - in the year 1987, at just 31 years of age.

A man of wide horizons

Having slipped off his cricket boots, Sidath's services were highly valued in the capacity of an International match Referee and served for a while as the Chairman of Selectors, and is presently the President of the Lankan Cricketers Association. Professionally, Wettimuny is the Vice President of the Nobles Group of Companies - dabbling in the garment export industry. With business commitments sucking up his time, Sidath has shifted his interest from cricket to golf and has bagged the prestigious Donald Steel award - to drive home the point.

At 54 years, the locks are a few shades greyer - but everyone of them are in place - still very lean in the hips and - characteristically soaked in heaps of humility - that marks true character.... eventually.

Former Josephine, NCC and Sri Lanka Schools Opener