Moratuwa Sports Club-from ecstasy to agony
 It
was in the 1970s and the late 1990s that cricket at Moratuwa was at its
best with the cream of cricketers turning out for the Moratuwa Cricket
Club.
That was also the time when the club was always in the frontline in
all premier tournaments conducted by BCCSL and SLC.
Today, alas, is another story. A sad story at that.
To reminisce on Moratuwa’s past, memories are still fresh of some of
the greats the Club gave to the Cricket Board a secretary in Nisal
Senaratne, a former wicket- keeper batsman who was instrumental in
organizing a One Day International between Sri Lanka and the West Indies
in 1979.
Packed house
That game also baptised the newly built Moratuwa Stadium which saw a
packed house lapping up an exciting innings by home town hero, the
dashing Duleep Mendis. That innings from Mendis which is still being
spoken about helped Sri Lanka beat the West Indies led by super cat
Clive Lloyd who was one of the best batsmen in world cricket at that
time. Moratuwa also played division one cricket in the 1970s and had
some outstanding cricketers tuning out of the calibre of D.D.Jayasinghe
who later went on to be one of the Sri Lankan selectors.
Then there were Arjuna Dias, Sylvester Dias, H.I. Fernando, Stanley
Fonseka, Tudor Meegoda, Suranjith Mendis, Hyasti Aponso and Sumana
Jayawickrema to mention a few. Ah! what great players they were and how
they thrilled cricket fans!
Went to waste
After the 1979 one day international against the West Indies, the
Moratuwa Stadium went to waste with no further international cricket
being played. Another type of sport was played there—- Politicians used
it for meetings! And carnivals were held.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. And when it looked as though
Moratuwa cricket had played its final innings, Chrisantha de Silva a
Cambrian cricketer took over the destinies of its cricket and breathed
life into this ailing giant. He immediately donned pads and took strike
by recruiting top
cricketers. In a short space of time Moratuwa SC regained its past
glories and was a club feared by other cricket playing clubs.
In the premier league conducted by the BCCSL Moratuwa was placed
among the best four clubs. Chrisantha provided hitherto unavailable
cricketing facilities which attracted willow wielders from clubs in
Colombo who flooded Moratuwa SC and the club was feared by other clubs.
Chrisantha’s hard work
Chrisantha’s ability for hard work did not go undetected or
unrecognised. He was elected to the BCCSL’s Sponsorship and Tour
Organising Committees in 1982 and 1983.He put a stop to the Moratuwa
Stadium being used for activities that had nothing to do with cricket
and by convincing and guaranteeing the BCCSL that international matches
could be restarted at the Stadium.
As a challenge and realising the potential in Chrisantha, the Ex.Co
of the BCCSL asked Moratuwa SC to organise a three-day game against the
visiting Australians led by Greg Chappell and a Board President’s X1 led
by Ranil Abeynaike. The Vice Captain was Hemal Mendis a member of
Moratuwa SC.
Tremendous success
The match was a tremendous success and Chrisantha repaid the
confidence placed in him by the BCCSL and soon he was elected to the
EX.Co as a Controlling Club Representative.
From that moment onwards the BCCSL entrusted Chrisantha with an ODI
every time a foreign team toured Sri Lanka. And records show of Moratuwa
having hosted 14 internationals, comprising ODIs, Board President’s X1
games, SAARC Double Wicket Championships in addition to a number of
domestic tournaments.
Supporting Chrisantha to make the matches a success were – Maurice
Fernando, Quirinus Fernando, Renefred Pieris, Christy Fernando, Vernon
de Mel, Annesley Fernando, Nihal Thenuwara, Hyasti Aponso, Ratnapala,
Stanley Fonseka and Jerry Fernando office bearers of the club in
addition to several others.
Grasping for breath
With Chrisantha out of the scene, Moratuwa cricket is grasping for
breath and its cricket is suffering and struggling to make its presence
felt. Chrisantha has demonstrated his organising and managerial skills
with great aplomb and Sri Lanka Cricket will benefit to have him in the
Tour Organising Committee or any other cricket related committee. And
Moratuwa cricket too can once again regain its former glory if
Chrisantha’s expertise is sought.
Former cricket officials such as P.I. Pieris, Ranjit Fernando, Neil
Perera, Daham Wimalasena and Nuski Mohamed will vouch for Chrisantha’s
capabilities, honesty and integrity.
Bolt to play Twenty20
The Jamaican Jaguar Usain Bolt rewrote the history books with his
phenomenal runs in the 100,200 and 4x100 relay for the second time at
the London Olympics 2012, which runs stunned the sports world.
Bolt is the hottest going sporting demi god at the moment and is in
great demand whether he walks, runs or talks. His achievements one track
in London will not be equalled or surpassed. After the sensation he
created now comes the news that he will play cricket, which game he
excelled in before wearing spikes and burning every track he ran on
before taking the world by storm.
Sheik of tweak
And inviting Bolt into cricket is another champion in cricket,
Australia’s pride and the ‘Sheik of Tweak’ Shane Warne to play twenty20
cricket in the big bash in Australia. This tourney attracts
international star and local players and is played from December 7 to
January 9. West Indian Chris Gayle is the League’s leading scorer and
star attraction. Gayle is a good friend of Bolt and Bolt has the record
of bowling out the ‘man mountain’ and hitting a six off Gayle’s bowling
in a charity match. And Bolt coming from Jamaica which island has
produced some of the game’s greats must certainly be having cricket
blood running in his veins.
Broadcaster
Melbourne stars President Eddie Mcguire, broadcaster with the Fox
Television the Australian network first raise the possibilities of Bolt
playing for the stats in an interview and then Warne took over making a
formal offer. ‘Twenty20,I love it. Just the fact that it is exciting,
it’s about being aggressive and I like that style of batsman. If I get
the chance I will definitely try because I know it’s going to be a lot
of fun. I don’t know how good I am. I will probably have to get a lot of
practice in’, said Bolt.
So if everything goes well, cricket crazy fans will have the rare
opportunity of watching ‘Lightning Bolt’ striking the playing fields in
Australia, like it did at the Olympic Stadium in London 2012.
Pietersen on the mat
South African born Kevin Pietersen who scored a century in the Second
Test for England against South Africa at Leeds, was bowled out of the
England team for the final Test by a bouncer sent him by the England
cricket selectors.
In recent times the dashing batsman who is a treat to watch
when he unwinds, has run into a lot of unnecessary controversy. His
latest episode has been with England Captain, also South African born
Andrew Strauss and coach Zimbabwean Andy Flower.
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