Jubilee celebration for Sunil Fernando's unbeaten '64 side

Last Sunday the Bens were in their element as their "benediction" rang out loud and clear recalling the time honoured cheering chant: "What's the colour? Green and white 'St.Benedict's Kollo Vasai, Yakkada Pollu dekata kadai Abdul Hameed, Doom, doom, doom'

Joining in this revelry were former captains, loyal Old Bens and well wishers gathered at the imposing schools pavilion to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Sunil Fernando's champion 1964 cricket team and host some of the members of that champion team and also reminisce about old times.

The felicitation ceremony began with his Lordship Rt.Rev.Dr. Emmanuel Fernando conducting the Eucharistic celebrations at 9.30 a.m. in the pavilion - co-celebrated with Fr. Lalith Felix Perera (Rector of St.Aloysius seminary), and with Fr, Louis Navaratne.

Also present were Rev Fr. Ranjith Felician Perera (Parish Priest of All Saints Church Borella) - a keen cricket fan -Rev Fr.Christopher Kurera, (formerly Bro.Leander- Director SBC Bro. Janka Fonseka and Bros. Granville Perera and Gurusinghe.

Those who made the occasion possible were Ranjit Fernando who needs no introduction who led the school in 1962, Lal Wickrematunge who Captained the school in 1970, Joe who captained in 1969.His brother Vivian captained in 1972. Felix Dias was captain in 1965 and '66.

Before the 1964 champion team, there were teams led by Toto Abeydeera in 1955 who were unbeaten and when Lovellyn Rayen led the first unofficial inter-school cricket champion team in 1957.

The occasion was fittingly celebrated with a lot of fun, frolic and bonhomie and everyone had a jolly good time with the bending of elbows, singing and dancing toasting the champion team. The singers who held centre stage were Old Bens Sports Club President Malsiri Perera, Upula Fernando, Jaiya de Silva and Radley Cruez.

Directors who helped make champion teams were Rev.Bro Oliver, Rev Bro.Alban and Rev Bro.Athanasius and Rev Bro.Lawrence. The Masters in charge were A.Gnanapragasam, Bede Puvimanasinghe, Felix Fernando and N.D.G Reginald. The coaches were Edward Kelaart, Bertie Wijesinha and Francis Casiechetty, Bro Condrad, Bro.Ladislaus and Bro Stanislaus.

Special mention must also be made of Rev Bro. Alban who gave to the school the turf wickets and the imposing pavilion in 1958, which is the best pavilion which other schools lack and which is now named after him.

Then one can't forget the curator the one and only Rogus Perera whose preparation and reading of wickets could not be matched at that time. He could be seen braving the burning sun to tend to ground that was carpet like.

The presence of former Basketball Captain Cosmas Mahagama Perera who was also the first ever Benedictine to captain the national team in the 1960s took every Ben present by surprise. He had flown down the previous night from the States to join in the celebrations.

Among the distinguished gathering was that little dynamo of the 1950s and '60s and who probably was the first to introduce cheering to the school. His dynamic voice was unmatchable. The name Kenneth Dabrera was household. That was the era when thousands of spectators would throng the new ground at Bloemendhal Road to watch the excitement unfolding when matches started at 12 noon on both days.

As the souvenir put out to mark the Golden Jubilee says, Dabrera was the pied piper. He led a cheer squad with all the students and even some old boys behind him encouraging the cricketers who responded by taking wickets scoring runs and winning matches. The refrain continued:

COME on College, Come on College

Madurawanta api baya na, bayanam api enath ne When the going gets tough, the tough gets going What's the matter? Minor matter Are we worried? No.no. then are we up-hearted: yes.yes. Joining Dabrera who could be said to be a trail blazer among the cheering fraternity, were Joe Sandanam fondly known as 'chico' and his cousin 'small chico' who were both wizards on the drums and then there was Don Nimal Senadhipathy who is now a Consultant Psychiatrist in Melbourne, and Denzil Perera of Denzil and Bosco singing fame.

The felicitating of the champion team was organized by the Cricket Wing of the Green, White and Green school which was formed in 2007 and initially comprised Lasantha Rodrigo, Ravi Irugulbandara, Dinesh Madawela, Denzil Perera, Srilal de Silva, Nevin Noyhar and Shantilal de Silva.

Credit should go to Ranjit Fernando, Selva Perumal and Marlon Fernandopulle for producing a souvenir at short notice. Everything you need to know about Benedictine cricketing history is all there. The writer prides himself of being the only Benedictine bowler to capture two hat tricks at under12 in 1953 level and later in the first team in 1961.

When Sahid Afridi buried the Indians

When India meets Pakistan in any form of sport, it is akin to a war. A cricket meeting between these two protagonists has been tagged the 'Mother of all Battles'.

Very rarely do these two countries meet on the cricket field. In the Asia Cup it is must that they face each, because each team has to play each other.

But in the 50-over World Cup and the Twenty World Cup, they are at the mercy of the draw and depending on how the teams fare and the points totted up that make a meeting possible.

And when it is known that the meeting is on, the cricketers and the supporters go berserk readying for the excitement, the thrills and spills that this game is destined to provide. The countries stop working.

And for the teams, countries and supporters, winning is not the things, it is THE thing and how does not matter. Winners become heroes and losers outcasts. To both teams losing is anathema.

When Pakistan lost 9 wickets for 236 with an over to go, Pakistan needed 9 more runs with off spinner Ravichandra Ashwin bowling bbeautifully and threatening. But unfortunately for Ashwin, he conceded a single and had the big hitting Sahid Afridi to bowl to.

Now Afridi is not tagged 'boom', 'boom' for nothing. When he got to the striker's end Pakistan needed 9 runs from the last four balls. And the man who could win or lose the game was Afridi.

It was a situation tailor made for him. When Ashwin ran into bowl, the situation was tense. Hearts of both sets of spectators would have missed a beat.

But Afridi would have had his supporters hearts beating beating again the arrogant manner in which he blasted the next two balls for sixes to send every Pakistani into raptures. The moment the ball left his bat it was hurtling for six, the Pakistani supporters on the ground went berserk and so would have others all over the world. The Indians stood frozen and stunned.

While Pakistan and Sri Lanka would have contested the Asia Cup final yesterday, what would have disappointed India was that with those two sixes Afridi hit sent their arch rivals tumbling out of the tournament.

Afridi's effort has not gone unrewarded. Property tycoon Malik Raj has announced that he would give Afridi a residential plot in a newly built housing scheme in Karachi, saying the all rounder had made the nation proud.

This gesture reminds us of the fortune that former Pakistan Captain Javed Miandad ran into when he hoisted Chetan Sharma for a six off the last ball in a tournament match in Sharjah.

Then to prove that his heroics was no flash in the pan Afridi peppered the Bangladesh bowlers hitting seven sixes and two fours in making 69 in 18 balls to register the second fastest half century in cricket.

When Bangladesh made 313, Pakistan at one stage looked like conceding the game until the arrival of the sixer hitting Afridi. He took the Bangladeshi attack by the scruff of its neck and wrung it over and on to the fence with disdain.

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