Jagath de Soysa 107 for SSC but newcomers Catamarans held them to a draw

Dilwin MENDIS - Moratuwa Sports Corr.

CRICKET: Catamarans Sports Club was a pioneering cricket playing club Moratuwa. It was inaugurated in 1946 and the club came to be known by that name with the initiative taken by a former Principal of Prince of Wales College J.B.C. Rodrigo who was a cricket enthusiast. The name Catamarans means "Hravily armoured ship". It was action all the way from that stage onwards and a cricket team was formed and most of the players were got from Prince of Wales, St. Sebastian's Moratu Vidyalaya and Methodist High School.

The first cricket captain was a Cambrian G.P. de Silva and though the new club had no ground to call their own, most of the matches were played at Prince of Wales College and St. Sebastian's College grounds.

Keenness and enthusiasm got the members moving and a team was got up to play in the 'Daily News' Trophy tournament of 1955/1956.

The past cricketers from schools in the vicinity of Moratuwa helped Catamarans S.C. to move forward and in the first season they made their way through to the semi-finals of the Daily News' Trophy Tournament. Catamarans beat Jaffna United Sports Club on the first innings in the match played on March 10 and 11 in 1956 at the Moors Sports Club grounds. Jaffna team made 111 and Catamarans replied with 181, then Jaffna made 148 runs in their second innings. Catamarans needing 79 runs for an outright win, were 64 for 4 wickets at the close and by this performance Catamarans reached the final.

In the final when did Catamarans meet? It was Singhalese Sports Club - a star-studded team on March 24 and 25 in 1956 at Prince of Wales College, grounds in Moratuwa.It turned out to be a rather close encounter and Singhalese Sports Club batting first, made 308 for 8 wickets and declared. Jagath de Soysa hit a pleasing century (107) and James Perera and Dido Keerthiratne hit a half century each - Perera getting 53 and Keerthiratne 58 not out. In bowling for Catamarans Lloyd Perera, Ernie Dias and W.I. Peiris claimed two wickets each.

At the close on the second day of the match, Catamarans had made 216 for 7 wickets with opening batsman R.T.N. Fernando making the top score of 38, Lloyd Perera made 36 not out and Ernie Dias 26.

So, it was a draw and both teams were declared join champions. During this period of time, SSC were already plying in the highest division and Catamarans go the opportunity to get promoted to the Saravanamuttu Trophy Tournament for the first time.