Category Archives: cricket and life

Memories! I played with all of them and 1955 to 1958 and captained with Michael Roberts in 1957. Unfortunately, I was a member of the young 1956 team that got thrashed by SAC! The following year we nearly made amends when time ran out with 30 runs to be made with 5 wickets in hand! ………………………

Nandi.

Nandasiri (Nandi) Jasentuliyana …. President Emeritus, International Institute of Space Law……..Former Deputy Director-General, United Nations, and Director, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

A FURTHER NOTE by Michael Roberts, 16 February 2020

In attaching two news clippings from that era let me add further details about the Richmond match …dredged from my memory. I recall walking out to bat when we were in dire straits; but it ws Carlyle who shaped the recovery. Our victory, however, was due to

(A ) Anwer Jawath’s astute captaincy;

(B) our use of what we called “leg theory” at a moment in cricket history when you had no field restrictions behind the line of square leg …. with Roy Vanderputt bowling slow/medium pace left-arm round the wicket towards the batsman’s legs and Vernon Regis bowling right-arm fast medium round the wicket down the line of the body;

And, last but not least,

(C) excellent catching -with Carlyle (or was it Cedric?) and keeper Johnny snaffling two sliding hook shots …. while one Michael at gully calmly pouched a shoulder height catch off the left-handed opening bat with Vernon the bowler;

and (D) Lakshman Abeysesundera — easily our worst fielder –pouching two catches at cover point off Vanderputt when the latter strayed down the vacant off side

LEG THEORY = two fielders on the off at mid-off and cover point;………AND …… seven on the leg: 3 leg slips; deep fine-leg;  deep square-leg; short mid-wkt; midon.

PS: I believe one Nandi de Silva, a bright spark and budding hero if ever there was one,  was caught by Jayanetti when he hooked Vernon in the air.

POST MORTEM …. the death of leg theory THEREAFTER

Anwer’s leg-theory tactics was nothing like that of Jardine and Larwood’s leg theory. Vernon Regis was medium pace and on those matting-on-turf wickets was nowhere near a threatening Larwood.  The leading Richmondites batsmen were mostly outed because they took Regis on and were caught out; while two of their top order were tempted by the vacant of -side and slashed at Vanderputt and sent he ball to one of the only fielders in that vast space.

BUT leg-tthoery was a no-no. The Principla of Mahinda College phoned his Aloysian counterpart and told him in no uncertain terms that they would not tolerate such cricket. So: we cricketers were summoned to Fr Kotaa Peiris’ room with Fr Morelli present and Anwer in position and informed that we would not be deploying that strategy. There was no room for debate; it was an order.

PS : We beat Mahinda that year …. without any leg-theory.

PPS:  Both wins, I insist, were fair and square. That against Richmond remains in my memory as a concerted work of genius.

**  Note that an earlier version of this pot pourri item can be found in https://quadrangle.lk/the-aloysian-invincibles-of-1956/