Bertie Wijesinha's elegant 92 still at the crease
 May
24 was an event for great celebration. On that Thursday a famous Sri
Lankan all round cricketer Bertie Wijesinha celebrated his 92nd birthday
with many well- wishers calling to wish him many more years at the
wicket. Above all it was an expression of love to a gentleman cricketer
and a true friend.
In Sri Lanka's cricketing annals Wijesinha is a legend. He was a
brilliant all-rounder that modern day cricket is straining to find. Here
was a medium pacer who could move the ball both ways with venom, wield
his bat with great power and be a reliable fielder in any position in
the field. I say this not simply as a platitude but from first hand
experince.
When I captained St. Benedict's College in 1960, I was fortunate to
have him as my coach. As a coach he was par excellence. He would not
change the style of play of a cricketer or show him how to play a
forward or back stroke or change the action of a bowler. Rather he would
make most of it and perfect it for the cricketer.
Firm believer
He was a firm believer that those aspects should have been learnt
when one begins to hold a bat. He stressed and spoke to the players on
how to front up to situations. How many coaches do that today.
Wijesinha was such a rare coach and had he been still in active
service today he would have put to second best the foreign coaches that
Sri Lanka Cricket is paying millions to fine tune our cricketers.
In my later cricketing career, I had the good fortune of playing with
my former coach for the Sri Lanka Press XI versus All-India State Bank
XI that had many Indian players and captained by Hanumant Singh, the
Prince of Indian Batsmen of that era.
The Bankers made 260 for 4 with Hanumant Singh making 62, Vijaya
Mehra 39, Budhi Kunderam 41, Ajit Wadekar 45, Ramesh Saxena and Chuni
Goswami remaining unbeaten on 36 and 29 respectively.
Struggling
The Press XI was struggling on 5 for 40 when I joined Wijesinha.
Together we posted a 58-run stand for the sixth wicket to add
respectability to the total. Wijesinha made merry by scoring a dazzling
60 before being run out. He hit six boundaries.
Here's how Christie Seneviratne, Sports Editor of the 'Daily News'
writing under the pseudonym 'Wrong 'Un' described Wijsnha's innings.
'Together with Elmo Rodrigopulle, Wijesinha refused to be dislodged,
despite the many bowling changes brought on by Captain Hanumant Singh.
Wijesinha showed the most ardent of supporters that he was not out of
touch. He and Rodrigopulle put up 58 runs for the sixth wicket.
Rodrigopulle scored a patient 24 runs before being bowled by Mehra'.
Master-pupil combination
This is how Premnath Moraes writing in the 'Daily Mirror' described
the game and Wijesinha's innings. 'A master-pupil combination of Bertie
Wijesinha and Elmo Rodrigopulle helped the Press XI reach a respectable
132 as they went down to the State Bank XI.
'Three wickets fell for no score and it was up to skipper Wijesinha
first with Collin Perera and then with Rodrigoulle to stem the rot'.
Wijesinha's innings will long be remembered for the nonchalence in
adversity and aggressiveness in the face of defeat'. It was memorable
experience to play with my coach and I could still vivdly remember that
stand of 58 and the match. Incidentally Goswami was the Captain of the
All India football team and led them in the Olympic tie that year.
I am sure all will join me in wishing Wijesinha who walked the
playing fields like a colossus a longer stay at the wicket until our
Umpire draws stumps having given us more pleasure and privilege to have
been in Wijesinha's company.
Almighty upset
Although losing the First of Three Tests by five wickets, the West
Indies gave England a fright at Lord's on Monday. When England chasing
191 for victory were 57 for 4 at one stage, there was the possibility of
an almighty upset.
But Vice Captain Alastair Cook 79 and Ian Bell 63 involved themselves
in a match winning stand of 132 that finally saw the World Champions
through. Had the West Indians applied themselves more they could have
reversed the decision.
At the moment the cricketers from the Caribbean are not playing at
full strength. Critics say that that is because the WI selectors lack
foresight and don't seem to be interested in taking their cricket
forward.
Critics question the leaving out of blaster Chrys Gayle, the solid
Ramnaresh Sarwan and Jerome Taylor as inexplicable. On Star Cricket and
when David Lloyd questioned Michael Holding as to the leaving out of
some of their best cricketers, Holding let fly like when he was hurling
his speed balls and skinned the WI Selectors.
Gayle showed what he is capable of in the IPL. Sarwan is scoring
heavily for his county Leicestershire. Taylor is wasting his talent back
home. Then it is also inexplicable the non-inclusion of that talented
and match winning off spinner Sunil Naraine who is playing in the IPL.
The only spinner the Windies played at Lord's was mediocre. He was
donkey dropping and the England batsmen were feasting on his innocuous
said to be spinners.
Where are the brilliant and teasing spinners like Sonny Ramadhin,
Lance Gibbs and Albert Padmore who lured batsmen to their demise with
their wily, tantalizing and vicious spin?
The only West Indian batsman to show Test class was left hander Shiv
'tiger' Chanderpaul. He was an example in both innings and stood like a
rock defying all that the England bowlers could hurl at him.
It was sad to see him miss out on twin centuries. He made 87 in the
first innings and 91 in the second. If the other batsmen could take a
leaf out of Chanderpaul's book, the West India batting could look more
formidable.
At the time this is being read the second day's play in the Second
Test between England and West Indies would have ended and it is hoped
that the Windies would have given a better account of themselves this
time round.
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