Colombo Tea Traders Association vs Planters Society sports gala on
Dec 12 and 13
by S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen, Kandy Sports Correspondent
Colombo Tea Traders Association (CTTA) will be seen in action at many
sporting events against the Planters Society in their annual encounters
to be played at Dickoya-Maskeliya Cricket club's venue at Darrawela next
Friday and Saturday December 12 and 13.
The General Secretary of Dickoya-Maskeliya Cricket Club - Manjula
Samarakoon said that all arrangements have been finalised to this much
looked forward to annual event and Darley Butler and Company Limited are
the main sponsor of this event. He also said that this major event will
also be a revival to many other sporting events, including the Dim-Dicks
Rugby match and the cricket match which has not been played for a few
years due to many reasons.
It must be recalled the annual matches between Dickoya and Dimbulla
in one of the oldest in the country dating back to the 19th century from
the days of British rule when sports in Sri Lanka or Ceylon as we were
then known was in its infancy.
The first cricket match between these two planters clubs was played
at Radella in 1872. One of the noteworthy performances in this series
was the performance of P.F. Haddew, a planter based at Carlabeck Estate
at Radella and playing for Dimbulla he knocked up centuries in three
successive weekends against Dickoya. P.F. Haddow was a Middlesex County
Cricketer who also played for All Ceylon.
But P.F. Haddow is no ordinary sportsman as he went to win the
Wimbledon title for tennis in 1878 beating the defending champion A.W.
Gore. He achieved this feat while on a holiday then known as 'furlough'
and be represented Britain. But he did all the spade work at Radella
tennis courts which now appears to have seen its last days.
The rugby fixture has its origins to 1890s and in the 1980's played
for the P.H.A.N. Dias trophy which has an interrupted history.
Coming back to the CTTA - planting society annual sporting fixture on
Friday Dec 12 Badminton, Snooker and Billiards encounter will be played.
The main outdoor events such as Rugby, Cricket and Tennis will be played
on 13th Saturday.
The planters are hoping that the rain will be kind to them on
Saturday. There will be a get-together on both days.
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