ADDENDUM: Note the XI that faced the Australian Invincibles under Bradman at the Colombo Oval on 27th March 1948 ….. in batting order: M. Rodrigo, S. Nagendra, FC De Saram, M. Sathasivam, SS Jayawickrema, BR Heyn, CI Gunasekera, S. Coomaraswamy, CE Allen, RL deKRETSER, B Navaratne.
AN EMAIL COMMENT from EARDLEY LIEVERSZ inSydney, 23 May 2021:
“The Ceylon teams of the forties and fifties had some amazing talent. They were cricketing personalities. Larger than life. Characters, off the field as well as on it.
Unfortunately, they were not exposed to international cricket and therefore were unable to blossom with experience. Even NZ cricketers couldn’t advance because Australia sent 2nd XI teams to play them.
Very interesting!
Love it!
Can someone confirm that it is S. Nagendra and not Gamini Goonesena.
MORE COMMENTS via EMAIL to MICHAEL ROBERTS:
A= from MEVAN PIERIS, 24 May 2021: “I have seen just a little of many of them and had the honour of having CIG as a player of the SSC team I captained, when he decided to come and play a bit more cricket after his retirement. Even then (1978) he was a great player. In a friendly match played at the SSC about 1973, between the SSC team and past greats which included Mahadevan Sathasivam, I had the pleasure of bowling an over at him, and had greater pleasure to see him play and miss and stare at me. Ben Navaratne wanted to keep to me and played for the present SSC team and Mahesh kept for the past greats. Ben was as tough as nails and as agile as a panther, and dared to come and stand next to the stumps. I walked up to him and asked him whether it would not be better if he stood back. He scoffed at the idea in over confidence. The first delivery swung viciously and smashed his rib cage. He was so tough that he did not even rub. The next one crashed into him likewise, but yet he held ground. The third delivery swung even more and beat him all ends and went for 4 byes, and he then decided wisely that it was not his day. After the match he ended up in the bar singing O Sole Meo. I played with CI in the team in 1966 under PIP’s captaincy and it was for me a great baptism in club cricket to have played with many all time greats. I watched Sathi Coomaraswamy play for the Tamil Union and also for Ceylon against Polly Umrigar’s Indian team that played in 1956. OnIy Sathi and CI was the players in the picture played in 1956.
I shall always carry sacred memories of these master spirits.
May their Souls Rest in Peace and if there be cricket beyond the great divide, may they strike the ball as no other angel has done before.
NIHAL DE ALWIS IN nUGEGODA, 24 mAY 2021: “Ver ineresting”