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| Sunday, 20 June 2004 |
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Prince among wicket-keepers by A.C. de Silva Wicket-keeping has been somewhat of a problem for the cricket selectors these days, with the wicket-keeper being changed ever so often for the Sri Lanka team ever so often In recent international matches, there have been many who have donned the golves behind the wickets-Hashan Tillekeratne, Kaluwitharne, Lanka de Silva, Kumar Sangakkara, Prasanna Jayawardena with Kaluwitharne being rotated ever so often and he finds himself brought back again as `keeper' for the Two-Test series against Australia. But it was not the case in distant past in the 1940s and 1950s where Ben Navaratne held sway behind the wickets for Ceylon (as the country was then known) After playing for Zahira College, he was actively involved in cricket for about 20 years, playing for Government Services in the quadrangular tournament, playing for Ceylon Cricket Association against Madras for the Goplan Trophy and club cricket for the SSC and finally playing for All Ceylon against visiting teams. He was no mean batsman too, scoring centuries in the then `Daily News Trophy' matches in 1930 and then playing in bigger company like the P. Sarawanamuttu Trophy Tournament, he had a knock of 114 not out against Tamil Union and 176 versus Bloomfeild in 1950 and was a regular scorer for the SSC. However, it was as a wicket-keeper that Ben really showed his capabilities to the Sri Lanka and the outside world. As a `keeper', he represented Ceylon in 9 unofficial Tests between 1940-1952. The countries were M.M.C., Australia, West Indies, India and also toured India and Pakistan with Ceylon teams. He played for the Commonwealth XI (Ceylon, India, Pakistan and Australia) led by F.C.de Saram in 1952. There has been no stronger and fitter man on a cricket field in Ceylon who has stood the test of time, climate and adverse conditions. Keeping wickets in the course of a match is not sufficient to provide his the exercise he needs. A couple of sprightly rounds on the ground thereafter, were meat and drink to him. He has been, with short-breaks here and there, the undisputed prince of wicket-keepers. In the good old days, there was V.C. Schokman, Alfred Aluwihara and W. Rozairo, the all-time champions. In style and polish, it is reported that Ben would rank close to his predecessors, but no whit would he concede in safe dependability and effective brilliance. And of all the stumpers, he was most brilliant taking the ball on the leg side, whipping off the bails like lightning, all in a flash. Incredible happening There was an incredible happening in Ben's career, when his somewhat musical appeal, he had the umpire somewhat bewildered and it is on record that the umpire forgot to rule the batsman out. `Too good, too fast,' the umpire was heard to mutter some moments later. It is a fact that in his prime Ben would anticipate a batsman's lunge and lift of the foot. He would remove the bails in a flash that the batsman didn't have the time to move forward. He was a picture of physical fitness in his young days. He had set himself standards which by average measure rate extraordinarily high. It is a tribute to his character that he never deviated from his beliefs and self-imposed principles. That Ben Navaratne was so agile could be attributed to the fact that he was non-alcoholic and non-smoker. He was the dynamo who was always on his toes and by that example, kept the fielding side on the go-go from the first to the last over. It was like having 12 fieldsmen on the side, with Ben on the side. He was the most mobile wicket-keeper on and off the field. His love of movement was projected into the cricket field. One moment he would stand behind the wicket; then like a flash he would dart yards wide, on the on or off side of the wicket. Then with the bowler he would be hunting for a catch or LBW. Yet in the next moment he would sprint down to long-leg to pounce on the ball and fling it in for a possible run out. His wicket-keeping was immaculate and there is no question that had he played for any other recognised Test side, he would have found his place in a World XI. Praise from Don When Sir Donald Bredman's Australians played a `whistle-stop' match here in 1948, the great Don Bradman is reported to have said that he would have liked to have Ben in his side that year, this depite the fact that Bradman had Tallon on his side. Discerning captains in Ceylon, asked to pick their teams, would without hesitation ask for Ben. A bowler became twice powerful with Ben to keep wickets and sensible captains always consulted him during the course of a game. It is no small wonder, therefore, that his hands and fingers are so cruelly damaged, and frightfully disfigured. Like the gnarled roots of an ancient tree his fingers spread all awry when he stretches his hands. Ben would laugh away any reference to his hands. The fingers are excellent for milking, he would exclaim. He ran a farm and would be up before dawn each day to milk cows and feed them. His work and cricket came after. In spite of apparent flashiness Ben was never deliberately ostentatious. He was too good a keeper for that kind of thing. Those lightning stumpings were too quick for spectators to follow from afar. Cruel knocks Yet he paid a price for such attempts. He would take cruel knocks from the bouncing ball. The first slip would occasionally hear him moan in pain but that was all. No show! Not even the batsman knew it, he would be too busy keeping his feet in order. No cricketer wore his scars with greater honour. How he sat at his typewriter and kept pace with the spoken word was a miracle. Yet he collected every word as he sat behind the bench in the courts of law as miserly as he gathered the ball behind the wicket conceding no byes. Ben's appeals to umpires for catches or stumping were never quiet questions. They were violent explosions, arms upraised. Petitions to heaven were never made with greater intensity. That tremole he produced caused batsmen to break into cold sweat. Ben Navaratne, one of the greatest wicket-keepers Ceylon, Asia and even in other parts of the world, is no longer with us (he died in June 1979), but the cricketing deeds performed by this unassuming man will live long in the memory of all those who had the good fortune to see. |
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