Harendranath Dunuwille a great cricketer at Trinity College

by Hafiz Marikar

Harendranath Dunuwille, a great-cricketer at Trinity, Kandy Schools, Kandy Sports Club, OTSC, Central Province. He led the Central Province Schools Team and Combined Schools Vice Captain, says, in the last few years Kandy Schools Cricket has reached the top and all schools take the game seriously and produce top cricketers.

Harendra as he was known to many people, was one of the finest cricketers to come out of Trinity College in the 1960's. He started his cricket at the age of nine years, and first played for the under 12 team under Saliya Godigamuwa, for three years from 1955, 1956 and 1957. Later he was selected to represent the under 14 and 16 teams and had the privilege of leading both teams.

In 1962, while he was in the under 16 team, he was invited by then coach Percy Madugalle to play for the senior side. He was to replace Lalith Thalakda, who had not come for practices and it was Harendra's first senior game, which was against Kingswood College, which game they lost and it was the first time that they lost to Kingswood. Trinity first played Kingswood in 1955.

In 1962 the happiest of the Kingswoodians was the principal Kenneth de Lanerolle and coach Verman Perera. Owen Mottau led the side with Lionel Sirisena as his deputy, and the rest of the Kingswoodians were D. Mahindadasa, D. Aluwihare, S.B. Elikawella, M.H. Marikar, D. Perera, A.H.M. Gazaly A. Doodnawella, H. Perusinghe, L.H de Silva. S. Corteling.

From 1963 to 1966 Harendra was a regular member of the senor side. In 1963 he played under S.M. Perera, 1964 and 65 under M.T.M. Zarook, in 1966 he led the side. His 1966 team was rated as one of the best after a long spell.

The team was coached by the famous T.B. Marambe. The Trinity team that year had a fine all-rounder Hemendra Ranaweera, Glen Vanlangenberg, Nihal Marambe, Ajith Abeyratne, Chandra Amunugama, A. Hearth, S. Bonage, D. Disanayake, L.D.Abeyratne, E. Warne, P. Marambe.

In that year Trinity beat Ananda, Harendra made 88 and 4 for 36 in the bowling, in the second innings.

Then Trinity beat Kingswood, Harendra top scored with an unbeaten 129 and had a match bag of 8 for 19, beat Dharmaraja Harendra had a match bag of 5 for 41, then beat Wesley and Harendra had a match bag of 6 for 26, drew with S. Thomas' Harendra made 32 and 47 and took 2 for 33, drew with Royal and Harendra 25 and 120 not out and also pocketed two wickets in the first innings; drew with St. Joseph's Harendra 31 and 44 and had 6 for 39 and 2 for 25.

In the 'Big Match' against St. Anthony's, it was a draw. In that game Harendra failed with the bat and the ball.

In that year, Harendra headed the batting average, 13 innings, 3 not outs, 558 runs 129 highest average 55.80, and in bowling he was fourth , 221 over's, 89 maidens, 395 runs 39 wickets. That year, Trinity played eight games, won four and drew four. Harendra represented the Combined Schools as Vice-Captain to Thomian Anura Tennekoon.

Some of the combined schools players were J. Udukumbura (Antonian), K. Ramanathan, F.Dias, P. de Niese, S.J. Rajapakse,

C. Beddawela, Nihal Samarasekara (Sylvestian). That year school beat the strong Government Services side, which had players like T.B. Kehelgamuwa, A. Polonowita, Daya Sahabandu, B.G. Reid, D. Weerasinghe, M. Gunaratne and B.F. Ahlip, M. Nazimuddin, D.P de Silva, B. Fernando.

Coming back to his school cricket, Dunuwille had a fine season in 1965, where he took 49 wickets and became second Trinitian, to be next to H.C. Inman who had taken 61 wickets in 1910's. That year he won the best bowling prize at school.

Dunuwille won his school cricket colours in 1963 along with S.B.C. Galgama and E.K.B. Wadugodapitiya and the 'Lion in 1965'. He also won the Ryde Gold Medal, which is presented to the best all-round student.

Harendra enjoyed a colorful career both on and off the field. He has said that his memorable match he played was in 1966, when Sri Lanka Schools led by Anura Tennekoon, where he as the Vice- Captain, the team entered the final of the Robert Senanayake Trophy Tournament.

After leaving school, Harendra played for SSC for one season, in 1967, it was Malsiri Kurukulasuriya another fine bat produced by Trinity who introduced Harendra to SSC. Later he played for Law College for three long years and played in the 50th Law-Medical game. Harendra was Kandy District cricket association, President.