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It was the British who first introduced Cricket and Tea to this country. The Cricketing voyage you are about to read, started over 150 years ago, and the adventure of Tea, about a decade and a half later.  Like our Cricket, the epic saga of “Ceylon Tea” continues to enthral the world. Read more about this enchanting story, at the end of this Webpage. Its titled  “A Glimpse of a Second History – Ceylon Tea”.   Sri Lanka Tea Board dedicated to the promotion of 100% pure Ceylon Tea, Sri Lankas gift to the world, promotes well-being. Its a Beverage like no other and panacea for illnesses. Click Here Look for the “Lion Logo” on every pack you buy. It’s your guarantee for Quality pure Ceylon Tea, packed in Sri Lanka. TEA PROMOTION DIVISION. No: 574 / 1, Galle Road. Colombo 3. Tel: 94 – 11- 2582122 / 2582236, Fax: 94 – 11 – 2587341 Email: promotion@pureceylontea.com

THE LONG ROAD TO TEST STATUS. The first  ‘All-England’ played ‘All-Ceylon’ in 1882 and the first 3-day match in Ceylon was played in 1889. However, Sri Lanka (Ceylon then) is the only ‘Test-playing’ Country made to travel a very long gruesome path to gain the ICC full membership.  This lasted almost one hundred years until 1981 and saw 51 ‘unofficial’ test matches in addition to numerous international games being played.  From 1975 until 1981, Sri Lanka’s application for full membership was put off year after year.  It was then left to the eloquence and impassioned plea of Mr. Gamini Dissanayake, the Minister for Lands and Mahaweli Development and also the dedicated President of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL), to win for us the ‘right’ to be where we are .  He had hardly played even junior level cricket but studied his subject and had the Cricket – educated ICC audience listen to him intently.  As a result, Sri Lanka gained ‘Test Status’ on 21st July 1981 by a unanimous vote of the test playing countries.  His monumental efforts include introducing Cricket as a profession and as a new wage-earning concept  and also building a home for cricket administration on land leased from Sinhalese Sports Club. This was the culmination of a ‘Cricketing Voyage’ that began well over 150 years ago in mid 19th century, through the genius and immense skills of a rich plethora of players abounding with natural talent and sets of illustrious Cricket Administrators.  Coming in to ‘Big League’ (Test Match Cricket,) was not something that happened even after 100 years for us.  This is the long long story of sweat, tear and toil of our  ‘Cricketing Forefathers’  who lit the torch and carried the flame through infancy to ultimate fruition almost 150 years later.  Remember, it was the era where they did not have  tools and  ingredients which we feel today as vital and essential, in the form of infrastructure, continuous encouragement, assistance, lucrative awards, sponsorships and money, but had in their possession ‘wealth’ in the form of commitment to the Game and the feeling of “Country rather than to Self ” at all times.  It is from them only, the present generation has inherited its ability and planted prominently this ‘Emerald Island’ in the cricketing map of the world. FOUNDATION LAID AND PLATFORM SET. Cricket was first introduced to Ceylon (Sri Lanka now) by the Englishmen who occupied the martime provinces in 1796, the pioneers being the militia-men in Colombo, Trincomalee and Galle along with the early coffee and tea planters in the central highlands.  There is no record traceable of cricket having been played in Ceylon prior to 1832, but every possibility is there that the British military units then here, would have played the game earlier.  In fact the first match in Ceylon on records was between a Military XI and the Civilians of Colombo. When the whole island came under the British Empire and its Rule by 1815, there was an influx of British here, not only as planters and military men, but even as educationists, administrators, etc.  Amongst those were county players, cricket enthusiasts and even academics such as Cambridge and Oxford ‘Blues’.  We owe a great debt of gratitude for the splendid foundation they then laid for the game here.  Thus was set the platform of our cricketing heritage. START OF THAT GREAT LONG VOYAGE… A leaf disease in 1865 ruined the coffee industry here almost overnight.  Recovery began through ‘TEA’.  This brought more young men from the English public schools and universities, sportsmen and even a Lord or two.  They also made ‘Ceylon’ the leading ‘Crown Colony’ of the British Empire.  In fact records indicate that in an introduction by (Sir) Pelham F. Warner to a book on Ceylon Cricket it is noted that, “there is no place in the British Empire where Cricket is played more enthusiastically and in a finer spirit than in Ceylon “.  The forgotten personality today in the Sri Lankan Cricket Heritage who had a very big hand for that  was Ashley Walker M.A., of whom I will write later in this article.  It was Kandy District and not Colombo, that first became the hub of early cricket activity in Ceylon.  Athletic, Boating, Cricket and Dancing (ABCD) Club in Kandy were the pioneers of Cricket and fielded a very strong, exclusively European cricket team.  In fact these men, carrying their cricketing gear and other material had to walk on foot and then back also, for miles and miles for a game that started at 7 a.m. with a 3-hour break for lunch to avoid the noon-day hot sun.  These hardy planters, soldiers and sailors in playing on under-prepared rough turf, always had danger to life and limb.  However, they not only kept Cricket (and Rugby) alive, but promoted it under such difficult circumstances. “The Colombo Journal” was the only newspaper in and around 1830.  In September 1832 it had carried a notice towards establishing a ‘Cricket Club’ requested those gentlemen who may feel inclined to lend assistance towards this, to be present at the Colombo Library on Saturday the 8th September at 2 O’Clock precisely. This newspaper then had reports to say that the “Colombo Cricket Club” met the 97th Regiment in a game in Colombo in November that year, at the Army’s Rifle Parade Grounds, (the present Rifle Green) .  This is said to be the first recorded Cricket match played in Ceylon. Rev. Joseph Brooke H. Bailey M.A. (Edin.) an excellent cricketer, then came to Colombo as Assistant to Head Master to the Colombo Academy (which later became Royal College Colombo).  He is regarded as the ‘First’ to introduce Cricket to this School (and also to Ceylon Schools) and did much to make the game popular amongst the local population during his era (1835 – 38).  1864 saw the first cricket match in which a School played.  It was when St. Thomas’s Collegiate School Mutwal (founded in 1851) played Small Pass Cricket Club in Dam Street (Colombo 12) .  It was also the first recorded cricket match between two Ceylonese teams. The First ‘Big Match’ in Ceylon on record took place in Kandy on 5th August 1867, between the Central Province and Colombo and the match is reported to have ended in a tie.  1869 saw the formation of the ‘Dimboola-Agrapatana Cricket Club and soon thereafter opening of the most picturesque cricket ground, Radella.  At 6,600 ft. above sea level, it is said to be the Ground at highest altitude at which cricket is often played today in the world!  From 1873 onwards, this big match changing names to ‘Colombo vs Up-Country’ had been played annually.  By then DACC along with Dickoya-Maskeliya Cricket Club (DMCC) with their Grounds at Darrawella, established themselves as the premier Cricket Clubs of Up-Country. By then around 1000 Malay troops of the Dutch colonial army, opted to join the British forming the Ceylon Rifle Regiment and this saw the Malay Soldiers take to the game.  A newspaper report indicates that they played the Civilian Members of the Colombo Cricket Club on the Rifle Regiment Grounds (site of the present Slave Island Police Barracks.)  Their interest in the game saw the establishment of Malay Cricket Club, the first all Ceylonese Cricket Club, in 1871 / 72.   Cricket Clubs by then had begun to appear, established mostly by English settlers and were thriving as matches came to be played regularly between them OUR CRICKETING STALWARTS INCLUDE ………. Number of Cricketing Stalwarts who were men of integrity, fostered the game here in its infancy providing encouragement for further advancement with time.; Their names and exploits to be named even in a nutshell, will need volumes.  Hence I am compelled to limit that to a handful with reluctance.  Ashley Walker (Cambridge (1864-66) and Yorkshire) about whom I mentioned earlier, came out to Ceylon in 1876 as an Assistant to Principal G. Todd of the Colombo Academy.  He had played cricket in the best company in England representing Swansea (later Glamorgan County CC) even against the MCC at Lord’s in 1875.  As their “Boarding Master” he taught the boys the game with enthusiasm.  In fact he was responsible for starting the First ever Inter-School Cricket Match in Ceylon in 1879, between Royal College and St. Thomas’ College, now famed as the “Battle of the Blues”.  Walker was also responsible for initiating the first “Europeans vs Ceylonese” Cricket Match in 1881 producing cricket of a high order, which in turn played a major role in uplifting the overall standard of play here; In fact what Lord Harris did for England Cricket, Mr. Walker did for Ceylon Cricket. The pioneering sponsor, selector, captain and arbiter, all 4 in 1 of Ceylon Cricket was George Vanderspar (Somerset), a Dutchman.   In fact his association with the M.C.C. authorities, enabled him to originate the ‘Whistle Stop Matches” in Colombo for the M.C.C. (this was how the England team sailing out of the UK was known then) on its way by ship to Australia.  The first International team thus to visit Ceylon was of Hon. Ivo Bligh’s English team in 1882, followed by G. F. Vernon’s team in 1884.  The credit for initiating the idea of sending Ceylon Cricket Teams overseas (the first overseas tour was to Calcutta India in 1884)  and also introducing coir matting for cricket here, belongs to this Dutchman. His efforts also saw two Ceylonese School Boys, Colvin Kelaart and Allan Raffel (both from Royal College Colombo) for the very first time being given an opportunity to play for All-Ceylon.  He was also responsible for starting the Colombo – Madras annual cricket series, visiting each other in alternative years.  1889 saw the first ‘Un-Official’ Test against All-Ceylon, a three – day match against G. F. Vernon’s English Team at the present Bogambara Grounds in Kandy. From 1880 to about 1910, the exclusive European Colombo Cricket Club (formed in 1832 – see paragraph five above), was the dominant factor in Ceylon Cricket.  Arranged by Ashley Walker, the first match of the series that continued until 1933 between Ceylonese led by A. C. Edwards and Europeans under Colombo Cricket Club and led by Ashley Walker, took place in 1881.  The Colombo CC based at Galle Face Grounds, in 1894 shifted to its new location at Maitland Place in the Cinnamon Gardens area of Colombo.  This made George Vanderspar to purchase the Galle face Grounds and form the Colombo Sports Club, the first proprietary Club. Samuel Peter (S.P.) Foenander M.B.E., the eminent cricket journalist in the (1910-1960) period and known as ‘Ceylon’s Walking Wisden’, rendered yeoman service to the game and helped to put Ceylon on the ‘Cricket Map of the World’.  In 1913, due to the untiring efforts of him and Dr. John Rockwood, a committee drawn from the Cricket Playing Clubs in Colombo (minus Colombo CC) was established to run the game in Ceylon.  This turned out to be the starting point of the Ceylonese taking over the administration of Cricket in this Country from the Europeans who did the job until then.  Dr. Rockwood’s visit to England in 1920 at his own expense and with the help he received from Dr C. H. Gunasekera there then, led to the formation of ‘Ceylon Cricket Association’ in 1922 (this was liquidated in 1965).  It was their effort that saw the hiring of the first professional coach, W. C. Razor – Smith from Surrey England, to improve the standards of the game in Sri Lanka. Having learnt the rudiments from the masters, and given their natural abilities blessed with the basic ingredients required to be a natural cricketer, it was not long before the pupils got into their own.  Amongst many such talented Ceylonese, the first notable perhaps was Douglas de Saram, a powerful cricketing personality.  He along with his brothers Shelton, E.R. (and Fred), emulated the famous ‘Grace Brothers’, W.G., E.M. and G. F.(1880) by turning out together for their Country (against Australia ) in 1912.  Then came another Cricketer, Dr. C. H. Gunasekera to play a significant role in the further development and promotion of Cricket in Ceylon; He was the youngest of another quartet of ‘Cricketing Brothers’, D.B., E.I., V.R. and C.H.  After Schooling at Royal College Colombo, he left for England in pursuit of a medical degree.  If not for the World War – one that broke out, he was a certainty to gain his ‘Blue’ in the first year itself at Cambridge.  He was later invited to play for Middlesex CC under Sir Pelham Warner and thus became the first Ceylonese to play for an English County that even won the County Championship (1920 & 1921) in his days with them there.  He then became the conduit through whom the local administrators worked with the M.C.C.  Helped by the formation of the Ceylon Cricket Association (C.C.A.) in 1922 as said before, many a M.C.C. team passing through Ceylon by ship, broke journey here to play a match in Colombo, which in turn further helped to promote and develop the game here.  In 1946, C.C.A. sought membership for Ceylon in the Imperial Cricket Conference, without any luck. BIRTH OF THE CEYLON CRICKET BOARD ( BCCC ). The desirability of forming a Board of Control for Cricket in Ceylon (BCCC) came about, as a result of certain players refusing to play in the C.C.A. teams against a visiting team from India, (the Ranji Trophy Champions led by C. K. Naidu).  The first proposal was made for its formation in 1939, at a committee meeting of the C.C.A.  Restrictions due to the Second World War then, made them to postpone this decision till the end of the War.  The Ceylon Schools’ Cricket Association was born on 11th October 1946, with Rev. Cartman, Principal of Wesley College Colombo as its founder President.  A historical inaugural meeting held at the Malay Sports Club Pavilion, Rifle Green Slave! Island  on June 25th, 1948, saw the birth of a new controlling body for Cricket in Ceylon (BCCC) with Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu as its founder President.  They then set about promoting the game in earnest and we witnessed much cricket activity in Ceylon in the next six years, that included many tours here of two-weeks duration, first by West Indies followed by Pakistan, India, Australia, and England, notable one being the initiation of the annual Gopalan Trophy matches with Madras. In 1949 at Calcutta, saw the establishment of Asian Cricket Conference, on 5th January.  Ceylon together with India, Pakistan, Burma and Malaya sat together to plan out a program for the development of the game in this region. In fact in all too short a life span, Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu achieved a miracle for Ceylon Cricket.  At the height of World War II, he was the Architect and also the Builder of the First Cricket Stadium (Colombo Oval) in the short span of three years.  “P. Sara” , the fond way he was popularly known as, passed in to the Ceylon Civil Services and served the British Government for nearly three decades of time.  After his untimely death, BCCSL offered a Trophy in his name for Division I Clubs in 1950/51 season.  But he will be remembered best as the person to begin the tradition of providing employment in Government Departments under his supervision to the best Public School Cricketers, such as in Tea Control and Rubber Control Departments. Robert Senanayake is best known in Sri Lanka Cricket Circles for his long connections with the administration of the game (1957- 976 as the President of the BCCSL).  Known as the ‘Devoted Servant of Ceylon/Sri Lanka Cricket’, he deviated from the family traditions and abandoned politics for Cricket and Business.  It was during his tenure of Office that India sponsored Ceylon for the ICC associate membership and Ceylon was elected an ‘Associate Member’ on 16th July 1965.  To help Ceylon soon gain thereafter ICC Full-Membership, in 1966 he initiated the first  three-day Cricket tournament in this Country. (Please note: On May 22nd 1972, Ceylon officially became the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.) A GLIMPSE OF A SECOND HISTORY — CEYLON TEA. — It was the British who first introduced Cricket and Coffee followed by Tea to this country. Like our Cricket, the epic saga of Ceylon Tea, (an infusion made by pouring boiling water over the dried leaves of an evergreen plant termed “Camellia Sinensis”), continues to enthral the world and challenge those who follow in the footsteps of the indomitable pioneer planters. The cricketing voyage started over 150 years ago and the adventure of Tea, about a decade later. It all began around 1865 when a leaf disease ruined almost overnight the coffee industry in then Ceylon. The coffee planters, financially broken but undaunted in spirit, saw the possibility of transforming a mere 70 odd hectares of land that had tea, into the beginning of a completely new industry here and, with great determination set about replanting with the tea bush, the waste-land where once coffee had flourished. SRI LANKAS FIRST INDUSTRY.     The rise of Ceylons tea plantations over the grave of the coffee industry into an even greater and enduring industry, is a fascinating story. In 1867, on 19 acres at Loolecondra Estate near Kandy, James Taylor, a Scottish planter, planted first tea to be grown commercially. It became the model for future development, not only from the point of view of cultivation, but also by being a self-contained unit with its own factory. The first shipment of tea in 1872, five years later, was only two small packs containing 23 pounds valued at a mere Rupees 58 (fifty eight), a literal drop in the ocean compared to the 280 million kilograms the country exported in 2002. But, those were hard times when methods of manufacture under difficult growing conditions requiring highly skilled, scientific and technical processes, were woefully primitive. The pioneers went on to fight back the jungle to bring an ever increasing area under cultivation. In just seven years time, six-fold increase of acreage of tea were already flourishing and by the year 1900, the real fruits of labour were being gathered from 120,000 hectares of shimmering tea land. Today, over 220,000 hectares are planted with an average annual production exceeding over 290 million kilograms of tea to be ranked as the 3rd biggest tea producing country globally. Today, Sri Lanka is the largest exporter of value-added teas in the world and commands a 20% share of all tea traded globally. Ceylon Tea from Sri Lanka have been researched and developed to cater to the varied tastes of tea drinkers all round the globe. Consumers in over 60 countries delight in the pleasure of a cup of “Ceylon Tea”. One reason for its continuing popularity is that no harmful properties have been associated with tea over the period of more than 45 centuries since the time of its discovery. Tea is exported in different forms and in different popular pack sizes, according to market requirements. A complete range of tea bags, a wide range of packs of packeted tea, a variety of flavoured tea are the major exports along with soluble instant tea, green tea and bio tea. Sri Lanka also enjoys the distinction of conducting the largest tea auctions in the world which has been in operation since 1883. The Story of the Tea Industry in Sri Lanka, is a valuable part of our History. Click this LINK to know more about the significant chronological milestones of the long long journey of Ceylon Tea http://www.pureceylontea.com/History.htm

Mohamded Anver’s Recollections of His Years at St. Aloysius

Soccer was our forte at SAC and although we often had good performances on the cricket field, we were more often than not on the losing side. So, when we produced something out of the ordinary, we had every reason to be proud of ourselves.

The 1956 season was one such success story when we emerged unbeaten among the schools with Anver captaining the side. But it was a rough road for Anver leading up to that season, so let’s ask Anver to open the batting :

“The first touch of the leather ball was with my head in the first game I played for Neut House. Elster Perera, my House Captain made me keep wickets. The first ball passed me and the fieldsman behind me collecting it threw it towards the stumps but the ball found my head. I fell unconscious momentarily. That was the end of my first game!

After that mishap I continued to play as a bowler. Playing for the Under 14 side against Richmond, I dived forward full length on the gravel laden Richmond grounds to take a catch. Though I held the catc,/ I was badly injured and was bleeding from my hands and chin. I had to retire and did not play for the rest of the season.

Father Peter Gomez, who was the Under 16 Coach, found me too good and sent me to join the First XI. Batting at the nets and facing Lee Vedamuttu, one of the fastest among the schools, I was hit on the head by the second ball I faced. This flattened me to the ground and that was end of cricket for that season.

The Earlier Seasons

In the year 1952, under BEN FERREIRA, I was a reserve and played in two matches. The following year under Terence Jayasuriya I was a regular. The year 1954 saw us nearly beat Richmond under NOEL EDEMA. Unfortunately we missed out by 13 runs. This left me sad and I told myself that I would not leave SAC till we have beaten Richmond. The year 1955 under CARLYLE RODRIGO was a disaster, losing to Richmond by an innings.

Other matters besides cricket

In the meantime I sat for my Senior Exam in Science and the second time in Arts, but did not pass as I had no second language. However, staying on in school was difficult. Fr. Chiriatti, Acting Rector, and Fr. Peiris, Prefect of Studies, were not in favour of my continuing in school. But Fr. Morelli, the Rector, who as away, strongly supported my stay in school and informed Fr. Chiriatti by letter that I should continue to stay in school.

Senior teacher Mr. Vedamuttu, ckass master HSC, made it clear that he did not want me in his class. I reported this to Fr.Peiris and he promptly sent me to Commercial Class Two. Thus I sat for my Senior exam in Commerce and achieved the impossible of sitting for the Senior in Science, Arts and Commerce.

The 1956 Season

When the time came for the election of the captain for the ’56 season, the day before the election I headed straight to Fr. Chiriatti and asked him “Father, if I was elected captain am I to accept it ?” He thought for a moment and said “Why not my boy”. This I did due to my uncertainty in continuing in school.

I was duly elected captain unopposed with VERNON REGIS as my deputy. Others in the team were CARLYLE RODRIGO, MICHAEL ROBERTS, JOHNNY DE SILVA, CEDRIC AUWARDT, VINNIE VEDAMUTTU, OSWIN SILVA, ROY VANDERPUT, D.E. JAYANETTI. LAKSHMAN ABEYSUNDERE, NALIN PEIRIS, MELVIN DIAS and SHIRAZ CASSIM.

The games against Richmond and Mahinda take pride of place as they produced a high degree of commitment, tactics, excellent bowling and fielding performances and above all a spirited display of keenness and desire to come up victorious. I will deal with these two fixtures separately.

Here are…….. Results of Other Games

Vs. St. Sebastian’s –       we beat them outright by 5 wickets even  though they gave us 35 minutes to get 75 runs.

Vs. St. Servatius’  –        we bundled out the Matara boys for 41 and 62 in their stay at the wickets and won easily by 165 runs.

Vs. St. John’s  –             Although we were cruising to victory, time intervened and we had to be satisfied by

winning on the first innings by 1 wicket and 4 run.

THE RICHMOND MATCH

 Against our arch rivals Richmond we did some research and studied their batting and found them weak facing the short pitched delivery, directing same on the leg stump with the field placed accordingly on the onside, with 2 slips and a short square.

Our weapon was VERNON REGIS. The Richmondites were all at sea against such tactics and folded in their batting efforts for 135 and 54, enabling us to register a great victory by innings and 23 runs. With CARLYLE RODRIGO playing a gem of an innings for his 87 we were able to put up a very respectable total of 212 runs.

Our last victory against Richmond was as far back as 17 years ago when we won back to back in 1938 and

THE MAHINDIAN ENCOUNTER

Our final game for the season was against Mahinda College. They boasted one of the best teams in school cricket that year beat some of the more reputed schools in Colombo including Nalanda.

Mr. Wijesooriya, Principal of Mahinda, telephoned Fr. Chiriatti and requested the Aloysian team not to adopt tactics used against Richmond. Fr. Chiriatti called me up to his office and asked me what this was all about. I assured him that the tactics we adopted were all within the rules. However, he strongly asked me not to use such tactics against Mahinda and warned me of the consequences.

Came the match and we made a disastrous start being shot out for a paltry 92. Mahinda did not fare much better getting a very modest 124. When stumps were drawn at the end of Day One we had lost 2 wickets for 14.

When the second wicket fell I sent in NALIN Peiris, to which our coach MARCUS JAYASINGHE strongly objected. However, Nalin scored a brisk 31 which turned the tide for us.

CARLYLE RODRIGO and MICHAEL ROBERTS chipped in with valuable scores of 34 and 39 respectively.

DECLARATION DENIED

Ten minutes before Tea in the final stage of the game I went up to our coach and informed him of my intention to declare at Tea. He advised me not to, and instead to declare ten minutes after Tea.

However, I decided to declare at Tea leaving Mahinda to get 180 runs in 120 minutes. Mahinda took up the challenge and scored a rapid 100 in the first hour for the loss of 2 wickets.

We did not panic. Quick bowling changes saw wickets fall. To save the game Mahinda went on the defensive. With the last to be bowled 8 wickets had fallen. VERNON REGIS took the ball for the final over and in his first delivery the 9th wicket fell.

Some do or die tactics

I then exchanged places with CEDRIC AUWARDT sending him to second slip. From mid-off I urged Vernon to bowl the next five balls short pitched on the leg stump, bringing in all the fieldsmen. The last man in fended the next two deliveries ducking and could not avoid hitting the next ball to Cedric at second slip who grabbed the ball to his chest with glee.

Our big and innings score of 213 for 8 gave us a win by 72 runs. Thus we completed a clean sweep of victories for the season.

The bulk of the bowling was shared by ROY VANDERPUT, VERNON REGIS, CARLYLE RODRIGO and J. M. G. VEDAMUTTU. This quartette proved to be a hostile attack and largely responsible for our success.

Some menacing performances came from Vanderput – 6 for 18 against St. Servatius’, Vernon – 6 for 19 against Richmond,  Vedamuttu 5 for 25 against St. John’s, while Carlyle’s 4 for 26 against Mahinda proved very valuable.

The bowling was backed up by some brilliant fielding, Cedric, Carlyle, Michael, Lakshman and Jayanetti snapping up some blinders. JOHNNY de SILVA and young M. DIAS did yeoman service behind the sticks. 

There was a special assembly on the Monday following the Mahinda game. Michael Roberts, Carlyle Rodrigo and myself were already coloursmen but all the remaining players were also awarded colours. A half holiday was declared the next day.

I was happy to have ended my cricket career at SAC with such a wonderful season achieved with the help of a fantastic band of Aloysian cricketers I had the pleasure of leading to victory”.

Although 50 years have passed, Congratulations Anver on a brilliant season

 

SCORECARD SUMMARY

ZIMBABWE 358(148 OVERS)

1ST INNINGS

• Craig Ervine85 (187)
• Kevin Kasuza63 (214)

• Suranga Lakmal3/53 (27)
• Lasith Embuldeniya5/114 (42)

SRI LANKA 515/9d(176.2 OVERS)

1ST INNINGS

• Angelo Mathews*200 (468)
• Kusal Mendis80 (163)

• Sikandar Raza3/62 (16)
• Victor Nyauchi3/69 (32)

ZIMBABWE 170(92 OVERS)

2ND INNINGS

• Brendan Taylor38 (58)
• Sean Williams39 (79)

• Suranga Lakmal4/27 (20)
• Lahiru Kumara3/32 (21)

SRI LANKA 14/0(3 OVERS)

2ND INNINGS

• Dimuth Karunaratne*10 (13)
• Oonald Tiripano0/8 (

4:51pm And that is all from us! Thank you for sticking with us through this slow burner, and we hope it was worth it with this exciting finish. We’ll see you for the next Test. Have a good evening.

Dimuth Karunaratne: In the start there was nothing for the bowlers. After that it became slow and low and we knew we had that advantage. I think we bowled really well. We bowled lots of maidens overs, that’s what we want, build the pressure and then we can capitalise on it. Embuldeniya was really good in the first innings and in the second innings the seamers did a good job as well. It’s a good start but Angie is the only one who converted into a big score, so the other batters have to convert after they get a start. It was a tough game here, we have a three day break, we will try to relax before moving to the next Test.

Angelo Mathews: Firstly I thank the almighty for blessing me. I’ve worked a lot on my fitness in the past few months. Looking a bit slimmer, lost a few Ks and feeling good. [A hundred] it has been a while, I haven’t got one in 4-5 games. So once I made the start, I had to make it count. Credit must go to Zimbabwe, they gave nothing away. They kept pegging away with the umbrella field. We had a target – the plan was to try and get to 160. We didn’t want to bat in the second innings because there was variable bounce and turn. I’d been told as well, so I had to make sure we get to that target first.

Angelo Mathews is the Man of the Match.

Sean Williams: The guys have tried their hardest. There’s going to be hurdles we’re going to have to cross as a team, but it’s [captaincy’s] been enjoyable. 350 I would have taken any day, but 450 would have taken time out of the game and given us a lead. The wicket got difficult today, you couldn’t trust the bounce. Chakabva, the way he batted today was incredible and the seamers did well for us. Spinners – we need more discipline in that area. The seamers put in a hell of a lot of overs. The young guys coming into this side put their hands up. There are a lot other positives – the workload the guys took on, Brian’s innings. All in all, very proud of them.

4:37pm So in the end, we get a result. 24 hours ago, the pace of the game would have had many doubting, particularly as Zimbabwe’s openers took them solidly to the end of the day. But a fifth-day collapse, however small, is enough to change the game rapidly. Unfortunately for Zimbabwe, they had two such collapses. And they both came at the start of the first two sessions. That seriously impeded their chances of taking a respectable lead. Taylor and Williams batted beautifully before they fell in back-to-back overs. Suranga Lakmal the chief architect for Sri Lanka in that half of the day. In the second half, they were made to toil by Regis Chakabva and the lower order, but the pace and fire of Lahiru Kumara was a little too much for them. They were bowled out with just under an hour left in the game. Sri Lanka’s patient approach, particularly that of Angelo Mathews, all worked out to perfection. Bright performances from ZImbabwe’s four debutants, particularly Kevin Kasuza and Victor Nyauchi, who were among the top performers in the first two innings of this game. But Embuldeniya’s five-for and Mathews’ maiden double-ton and partnerships with the other seasoned cricketers in Mendis, Dickwella, and Dhananjaya de Silva proved to be the difference.

On the 17th may 2019 the International Cricket Council (ICC)” announced a stellar line up of commentators for the upcoming Cricket World Cup, beginning May 30 in England and Wales. Speaking about the World Cup being played in his home country, former England skipper Nasser Hussain said, “The whole of England and Wales is buzzing with excitement in anticipation of the massive summer of cricket ahead. This edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup promises to be the most entertaining one yet and I cannot wait to be part of this event broadcast and witness history in the making, first hand.”

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