FC De Saram as Captain of Royal College’s highly successful team of 1931 — Pic courtesy of Lionel Gunasekera
FC de Saram batting in the 1930s … perhaps when he made 128 in the second innings total by Oxford University against Bradman’s 1934 Aussie Touring team in May 1934
Australia in England, 1934
Oxford University v Australians
Christ Church College Ground, Oxford
19,21 May 1934 (3-day match)
Result: Australians won by an innings and 33 runs
Toss: Australians
Umpires: A Stoner and JH King
Close of play:
- Day 1: Australians 319, Oxford University 5/2 (DF Walker 3*, NS Mitchell-Innes 0*)
Australians 1st innings WH Ponsford c Singleton b Dyson 75 WA Brown lbw b Townsend 20 *DG Bradman lbw b Dyson 37 LS Darling lbw b Tindall 100 SJ McCabe b Tindall 15 EH Bromley b Barlow 3 AG Chipperfield c Stainton b Barlow 40 +WAS Oldfield b Tindall 8 CV Grimmett b Tindall 0 HI Ebeling c Walker b Tindall 0 LO'B Fleetwood-Smith not out 2 Extras (b 13, lb 4, nb 2) 19 Total (all out, 89.4 overs) 319 FoW: 1-48, 2-114, 3-181, 4-229, 5-242, 6-274, 7-303, 8-303, 9-307, 10-319. Bowling O M R W Tindall 24 3 94 5 Barlow 32.4 2 102 2 Townsend 9 3 18 1 Singleton 7 0 38 0 Dyson 17 4 48 2 Oxford University 1st innings DF Walker st Oldfield b Fleetwood-Smith 20 DCH Townsend b McCabe 0 FC de Saram b Ebeling 2 NS Mitchell-Innes b Fleetwood-Smith 8 *FGH Chalk b Fleetwood-Smith 0 RG Stainton b Fleetwood-Smith 0 RG Tindall b Ebeling 18 EA Barlow b Ebeling 3 +MH Matthews not out 11 AP Singleton b Ebeling 0 JH Dyson st Oldfield b Fleetwood-Smith 8 Extras 0 Total (all out, 24.3 overs) 70 FoW: 1-1, 2-5, 3-15, 4-15, 5-15, 6-48, 7-48, 8-57, 9-57, 10-70. Bowling O M R W Ebeling 12 3 34 4 McCabe 3 1 6 1 Fleetwood-Smith 9.3 2 30 5 Oxford University 2nd innings (following on) DF Walker c Oldfield b Ebeling 16 DCH Townsend b Ebeling 9 FC de Saram c Brown b Grimmett 128 NS Mitchell-Innes c Oldfield b Grimmett 11 *FGH Chalk st Oldfield b Grimmett 10 RG Stainton lbw b Grimmett 12 RG Tindall lbw b Grimmett 9 EA Barlow st Oldfield b Grimmett 6 +MH Matthews c Ebeling b Grimmett 4 AP Singleton lbw b Fleetwood-Smith 2 JH Dyson not out 0 Extras (b 6, lb 3) 9 Total (all out, 84.3 overs) 216 FoW: 1-21, 2-28, 3-45, 4-69, 5-124, 6-168, 7-176, 8-186, 9-212, 10-216. Bowling O M R W Ebeling 23 10 28 2 McCabe 4 2 7 0 Fleetwood-Smith 21 7 63 1 Grimmett 36.3 11 109 7
Satha, Allen, FC and others walk out to field against Bradman’s Invincibles at the Oval in 1948
FC immortalized by Collette in the 1950s
Forever a Serious Student of Cricket — FC at the Oval watching the Sri Lankans take on a Commonwealth team in the 1960s … Pic by Chandi Chanmugan
It was sad to watch Oxford University struggle even after F.C. de Saram battled heroically against the same Aussie bowlers. Grimmet and Fleetwood-Smith
and he masterminded a coup too
As far as I ecall there was a COLLECTIVE behind the plot and Jungle, Sidney and Dougie Liyanage were the key figures with OEG and Dudley as silent “OK” partners. FC put his hand up when the plan dismantled because Stanley Senanayake got cold feet.
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