Top sportsman Hemasiri on death bed

by Dilwin Mendis - Moratuwa Sports Corr.

CRICKET: Sampathwaduge Hemasiri Mothilal Fernando of Moratuwa, popularly known as ‘Heme’ to his friends, started his education at Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa and Methodist High School, Moratuwa.

From his small days, he was keen on sports, especially cricket and in track and field events. He became the under-12 and under-14 athletic champion and was selected for the under-12 cricket team. When in the under-14 age group he was selected to play for the school first eleven team as the ‘Baby of the Team’. During this period Methodist High School played their ‘Big Match’ with Moratu Vidyalaya and Hemasiri represented Methodist High School in 1955.

Cricket really caught his fancy and he went from strength to strength and in athletics too, he had plenty of success.

In 1956, he was admitted to Richmond College Galle. During this period Richmond was the leading education institute in the Southern Province. He was in the college hostel. In 1956, he became the champion at the college inter-house athletic meet and in 1957 he was selected to the school first eleven team as a fast bowler and opponents were scared to face the new ball. His bowling was so fast that in one of the school matches he bowled, he broke the stumps into two pieces. He opened bowling with Jayantha Peiris who is also a Moratuwite.

His prime period was from 1958 to 1960. In 1958 season against St. Aloysius, he had a match bag of 9 for 22 against Prince of Wales 8 for 63 against Wesley 5 for 51 and 9 for 36 Dharmashoka respectively. In the 1958 ‘Big Match’ under the captaincy of Nandasir de Silva, Richmondites beat their arch rivals Mahindians and Hemasiri took 4 for 31 and 7 for 29 and carried away the Man-of-the-Match Award.

In 1959, under A.D.A. “Barty” Gunasekara he went from strength to strength and he was among the wickets and in the Big Match time saved Mahindians and Hemasiri took 2 for 12 and 6 for 30 a match bag of 8 for 42.

In his final year in 1960 under Hemasiri Hettige “subby” too he blossomed as a fiery.

Fast bowler and in the “Big Match’ he took 4 for 27 and 5 for 30 which enabled Richmondites to beat Mahinda very easily. In 3 big matches he captured 28 wickets for 129 with an average of 4:67 which is a record in the big match series. All these three years Hettige, Hemasiri and Hamilton represented their Alma-Matar in Big Matches and these 3 were popular as three “H”s. Later three of them joined Air Force and represented Adastrians with distinction.

In Athletics Hemasiri was the senior champion in 1958 and he did 100 yards 200 yards and high jump.

Hemasiri won his events easily at the Southern Province Sports Meet and represented public schools in hundred yards and placed second to R.A.F. Perera of St. Anthony’s, Kandy and beat.

In 1961 he joined the then Royal Ceylon Air Force and played for the Air Force team until he left in 1972 to join the Central Bank. He played for the combined services for several years and Air Force was promoted to Sara Trophy after winning the Donoven Andree Trophy in 1966. In this tournament Air Force played 12 matches and won 11 to become the worthy champs. His contribution in these matches was worthwhile. In the 1st match against more fancied and formidable Bloomfield team, he claimed 6 for 13 to give Air Force an astonishing 1st innings win. His contribution to Air Force cricket was immense.

Right now, Hemasiri Fernando is a sick man and is somewhat counting the days that he will be able to meet his friends and spend the happy life that he spent in the past.

When in the Air Force his prowess in sports grew and all Airmen who came in contact with his will vouch for his good showing.

So, the time is right now to meet Hemasiri Fernando and be with him in the last few days of his life.

Heme is a well behaved and true sportsman.