by Gayathra Manamendra
The
most looked forward to sporting and social event in the
calendar of both past and present Royalists and Thomians, the
Royal vs. S. Thomas' big cricket match will be played for the
130th time on the March 12, 13 and 14 at the SSC at Maitland
Crescent in Colombo.
S. Thomas' College Mount
Lavinia, a private Anglican School has about 2,400 students on
its roll while Royal College Colombo, a Government run
non-denominational school has approximately 8,000 students.
Origins of Ceylon
Cricket
History records S. Thomas'
College Colombo (first in Mutwal and later in Mount Lavinia)
as the first school to play cricket in Ceylon (as Sri Lanka
was then known). In 1864, S. Thomas' has played the first
match against the small Pass Cricket Club in Colombo. The
result is recorded as an 8-run victory for the College. More
importantly this 1864 match has gone down in history as the
first recorded Ceylonese Cricket match played in the country.
From 1864 to 1877, S. Thomas' has continued to play matches
against the clubs - including the elitist European dominated
Colombo Cricket Club - as there was no other school played
cricket during that time in Ceylon.
The sub-warden of the College
Reverend Felton Falkner, a Cambridge 'Blue' has rendered
Yeoman service to develop cricket at S. Thomas' during those
initial years. A pioneer of cricket in Ceylon, Rev. Falkner
has coached the boys and was the Thomian Cricket Captain for
several years.
Mr. Ashley Walker also a
Cambridge 'Blue' arrived in Ceylon in January 1877 to take up
duties at the Colombo Academy in the Pettah (later renamed
Royal College and shifted to Ried Avenue). Mr. Walker started
coaching the Academy boys and organized the first Academy
cricket team in 1878. The very first 'College vs. Academy'
cricket match (as the Royal-Thomian was then called) was
played in 1878. Incidentally this is the first cricket match
played by the Colombo Academy, thus becoming the second school
to play cricket in Ceylon.
Although the scores are not
given, the result is recorded as a win for the College team by
an innings and 3 runs. The second match in 1879 has ended in a
win for the Academy team by 56 runs. But both these matches
are not taken into account as masters played in both teams.
The first schoolboys only
'College vs. Academy' match was in 1880. J. W. de Silva
captained the Academy and F. W. McDonnell led S. Thomas'. The
result was a 62 runs win for the Academy.
World class cricketers
Since the 1880s, the hallowed
match, which is the oldest uninterrupted and unbroken cricket
series in the world, has churned out world class cricketers.
Royal's Dr. C. H. Gunesekera, Sargo Jayewickrema, Col. F. C.
de Saram, Sathi Coomaraswamy, C.I. Gunesekera, Gamini
Goonesena, Ranjan Madugalle and Thomians A. C. Amath, D. L. de
Saram, S. Saravanamuttu, Vernon Prins, Michael Tissera, Dr. B.
G. Reid, Anura Tennekoon and Duleep Mendis, have captained the
country at different levels against foreign teams.
Leaders as Cricketers
Even Sri Lanka's national
leaders have played in the prestigious 'Battle of the Blues'.
President J.R. Jayewardene played for Royal in 1925. The
'father of the nation' D.S. Senanayake played for S. Thomas'
in 1901 and 1902, and Sir Francis Molamure played also for S.
Thomas' from 1898 to 1903. Sir John Kotelawala has played for
Royal in 1914 and 1915 and Dudley Senanayake played for S.
Thomas' from 1927 to 1929. National hero Edward Pedris has
turned out for S. Thomas' in 1907, while the only Ceylonese to
be awarded the Victoria Cross for valour Basil Hosfall was a
bit unfortunate to be named the 12th man in the Thomian team.
Great benefactors
Some of the great benefactors
of Ceylon Cricket have also come from these two schools.
Royalist Dr. John Rockwood was the founder President of the
Ceylon Cricket Association. Thomian P. Saravanamuttu was the
first President of the Board of Control for Cricket, and
President of the Ceylon Cricket Association as well. Thomian
Robert Senanayake was the longest serving president of the
Board of Control for Cricket-20 yrs. He was also the President
of the Ceylon Cricket Association. The Thomian Captain of
1899, F. L. Goonewardene of Kandy was another prominent
benefactor.
Cricket Legends
Over the years, these two
Colleges have produced many cricketing legends who went on to
bring glory and honour to Sri Lanka. The first All-Ceylon
Cricket Captain Douglas Lee de Saram (1922) who's also the
first Ceylonese to get his name in the cricketers 'Bible' the
Wisden (1912) played for S. Thomas' from 1989 to 1902. William
Greswell, the top English County Cricketer who played in
Ceylon during that time, has said in an interview: "If the
Ceylon players are understudying their popular idol D. L. de
Saram, they should continue to do so. No better model
cricketer or sportsman ever donned flannels in Ceylon".
Famous sports writer S. P.
Foenander has said: D. L. de Saram is the finest all-round
cricketer and the most popular in the history of the game in
Ceylon. For sheer stroke production and power he has never
been surpassed and his presence in the cricket field has made
him a cricket personality second to none in the history of the
game in the island.
"Royalist Ranjan Madugalle is
the Chief Match Referee of the International Cricket Council.
Thomian Alfred Holsinger became Ceylon's first Cricket
Professional (in England) in 1902. Thomian Dr. James Arthur
Scharenguval is the first Ceylonese to play for a foreign
country and also the first to play against a Test Country. He
played for All-Scotland vs. South Africa in 1902 and vs.
Australia in 1905. Thomian Michael Tissera captained
All-Ceylon to its first ever unofficial Test victory over a
Test Country in 1964 (Pakistan). He also led All-Ceylon to
victory over India in India in 1965. Thomian Anura Tennekoon's
innings of 169 not out against India ('74/'75) is rated as the
finest technically correct innings played by a Ceylonese in
the unofficial Test era. Thomian Duleep Mendis captained Sri
Lanka to its first ever official test win in 1985 (India) and
the first Asia Cup win in 1986 (Pakistan).
Royal-Thomian series
records
Royalist Sumithra 'Charlie'
Warnakulasuriya's marathon 197 scored in four and a half match
sessions and spread over two days in 1980 is the highest
individual score for the 3-day match. Thomian Duleep Mendis's
champagne innings of 184 runs in 1972 remains at the top for
the 2-day match. Thomian Bathiya Karunaratne's 100 runs in 101
balls (he scored 116 in 1997 is the fastest century. Thomian
Fred Thomasz's 8 for 3 runs in 1884 in a single innings and
Thomian Leonard Arndt's match bag of 14 for 55 are the best
bowling feats. Another Thomian Ernest Wanduragala has also
taken 14 for 76 in 1906. The wicket keeping record goes to
Thomian Carl Cooke. He has had 9 dismissals - 2 st, 6 ct and 1
run-out - in the 1923 match.
Not many know that the time
honoured match is played for the most coveted D.S. Senanayake
Challenge Shield.
Arch-rivals
So after 129 'Battles' the
score according to Royal records, stands at Royal College won
33 matches while S. Thomas' has won 34 matches. But according
to S Thomas' College statistics the tally is: Royal College
won 33 and S. Thomas' - 35 won! The difference is obviously
due to the controversial 9-run match played in 1885. The
Royalists say the match was drawn, but the Thomians record it
as a win! Since then the fierce tussle for supremacy between
the arch-rivals has brought out the very best in 'Royal
Courage' and the fame 'Thomian grit' on the field and off it
as well.
When asked to comment on the
relationship between the two schools, former Royal College
principal Bogoda Premaratne has had this to say: "There is no
Royal without S. Thomas' and no S. Thomas' without Royal!"
(The writer is a Life member -
Royal College Union and the Group of '76)
