That Long Awaited Celebration in Retrospect, the ‘Battle of the Golds’ Ing of a Seven-Day-Old Lenten Season

12 Tuesday 29th March, 2011

BY REVATA S. SILVA

oday dawns another great day in the histo- ry of Sri Lanka cricket. Most probably the Tmost important cricket match of this gen- eration will be played today on Sri Lankan soil, As New Zealand take on the hosts, who are strong favourites to win this 2011 ICC Cricket Word Cup semi-final this evening, weather permitting. Percy Abeysekera too will surely be at the R. Premadasa International Stadium, Colombo, to witness the proceedings and cheer on Sangakkara and Co.

Walimuni Simon Mendis Abeysekera, Percy’s father, and his mother, Dolly Margeret de Zoysa Siriwardene.

That’s what we gathered after Southern Province. He died at age of 97 and had three meeting him last Saturday, March 26, sons, Susil, Cyril and Percy and two daughters, as he left his Kalutara residence for the Padmini and Sirimathie. Now Padmini is the only World Cup quarter-final between Sri Lanka sibling of Percy who is still living. and England. In 1949, M. Holsinger, Principal of the Govt. In this first part of a series of five articles, the English Training School in Colombo, introduced amusing, enterprising yet encouraging journey of Simon Mendis to a team of English educationists as the world renowned one-man cheering squad, we ‘a landmark of the Ceylonese Education Department.’ Percy Story - 1 would shed light on the serious side of the man, his In fact, Percy, Simon’s youngest child, was named

He would dress up in his bluish T-shirt posting rich family roots,going back to a pioneering ancestry after three English Directors of Education, under the letters ICL and grab his Lion’s flag before leaving of highly regarded school teachers and principals in whom he had served, Denham, Percy and- Gimson. his 88-year-old elder sister, Padmini Amarasinghe, a southern Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon). Percy was born in Boosa near Galle on July 30, highly respected retired school teacher and one time ‘I know my cricket, and my etiquette’ 1936 and he always quips, it was two days after the English teacher of Aravinda de Silva, at D. S. This, of course, is a famous saying by Percy. birth of the legendary Sir Garfield Sobers, who was Senanayake College, Colombo, before jumping into a “Our culture and agriculture is better than your born in Bridgetown, Barbados. He went to Richmond Colombo-bound bus from Kalutara North. He might culture and agriculture.” College, Galle up to the 4th standard and then to St. get a seat if a younger cricket fan recognises him.... Walimuni Simon Mendis Abeysekera, Percy’s Aloysius’ College, Galle till he did his SSC then from Colombo up to Maradana, where he will father, was from Balapitiya, near Galle and he was Examination. find the stadium at Khettarama. the son of a Notary Public. Simon Mendis’ grandfa- In 1959, his short stint at Colombo’s Aquinas Stadiums have changed, the nature of spectators ther has been a lecturer in Pali, Singhalese and College abruptly ended when he skipped an examina- have changed, cricket and the nature of the crick- Sanskrit at Christ Church College, Seminary, tion paper to see the famous C. I . Gunasekera whack- eters too have changed But Percy, who will be 75 on Beddegama. ing a century against Tamil Nadu in a Gopalan July 30 this year,after cheering for Sri Lanka for over Percy’s mother, Dolly Margeret de Zoysa Trophy match at the Oval (P. Saravanamuttu 50 years and shouting for the country while carrying Siriwardene, was a Headmistress for 38 years His Satdium). the National Flag for over 30 years, still shows his mother’s brother, Francis de Zoysa, was a famous Percy’s father had then met the college’s head, unrelenting spirit and passion for the sport. In spite King’s Counsel and his son Stanley de Zoysa was the Rev. Father Peter Pillai and taken Percy out of the Percy of the frailties that have come with age, Percy looks Minister of Finance in the 1956 S. W. R. D. school and provided him with a job at Associated almost unchanged. He believed in the Lankans’ poten- Abeysekera Bandaranaike government . All Ceylon cricketer and Motorways in Kalutara. tial then, even at the hardest of times, Glenn Turner, commentator Lucien de Zoysa was one of Percy’s That was in 1961. The very next year, Percy joined Martin Crowe, Jeff Crowe and Sir Richard Hadlee, mother’s cousins. ACL, a subsidiary of the AMW, where he still works, etc.,the New Zealand legends,massacred the min- Percy’s father Simon Mendis retired in 1950 as a as its Public Relations Officer. nows, some 20 to 30 years ago. He still believes in the school Principal after serving in eight schools in the (To be continued) Lankans’ might.

BY REEMUS FERNANDO Chrysanth Swaris) during the past 45 which was the key for their victory. St. his season tally by scoring a century place when their much celebrated alumni years. Both Cooray and Neil Rajapaksha, Sebastian’s used only 64 overs to amass while Sri Lanka Under-19 bowlers Duleep Mendis captained the school in It is a time of repentance for those their coach, say that probably a note in a 363 for five wickets declared, after Sanitha de Mel and Amila Aponso lived 1969. practicing Christianity. Yet joyous cheers dressing room wall written before the restricting the Cambrians to 201 runs in up to their reputations to share the bowl- Having registered outright victories and sounds of celebration could be heard start of the cricket season would have the first innings. “No cautious approach- ing honours. against some formidable teams including in the vicinity of St. Sebastian’s College, boosted Sebs’ morale daily to do well es. They went for the kill,” says a former a comeback victory against Royal College, Moratuwa, situated in a predominantly against the Cambrians. Sebastianite. In fact, it is the highest A rare achievement Colombo, the team was in terrific form Catholic area, just seven days after Ash According to them, the note said: “We innings total scored by St. Sebastian’s in St. Sebastian’s had seen some distin- going into the ‘Big Match’ and coach Wednesday. will win both the ‘Big Match’ and the One the series, which began in 1933 and it was guished past national cricketers donning Rajapaksha says that he sensed that the As the First XI cricketers of St. Day match.” only the fifth occasion where they scored their jersey as captains and players at the team was really geared up to register a Sebastian’s, accompanied by a distin- The Sanitha de Mel led team did over 300 runs. ‘Big Match’ but they could not accom- victory. “They were brimming with confi- guished alumni, who had proudly donned dence, that was something that I did not national colours in cricket, emerged in notice last year,” says Rajapaksha, who is front of a flag waving assembly of young in his second stint as coach of St. Sebastiantes, it resembled Christmas Eve Sebastian’s. at St. Peter’s Square, rather than a morn- That long awaited celebration In retrospect, the ‘Battle of the Golds’ ing of a seven-day-old Lenten Season. As enthusiasts saw for the first time the Sebs officials say, all these wild celebrations recording victory in both the two-day and were sparked off by a small note written the one-day encounter. This is a first. But in the dressing room notice board at the not all the Cambrians would be as disap- beginning of the school cricket season. pointed as one could expect them to be. In fact, the past 45 years had been like Pemlal Fernando, the last Cambrian cap- an everlasting period of Lent for St. tain to record a victory in the series some Sebastian’s, who had not had an opportu- three decades back, was openly encourag- nity to indulge in a celebration of this ing both teams to be positive for some magnitude. They were searching for a vic- time now at the ‘Battle of the Golds’. tory in vain against Prince of Wales When de Mel’s team annihilated the College, in the traditional ‘Big Match’. Cambrians, Fernando was officiating as Instead, during that period they had an umpire at Kurunegala at a club match. twice been beaten by the Cambrians. No sooner he heard about the The Seb’s 10 wicket victory under the Sebastianites’ victory, he rang ‘The captaincy of Sri Lanka Under-19 player Island’ to convey a congratulatory mes- Sanitha de Mel on Saturday March 12, sage. “I congratulate de Mel’s team for 2011, was the ideal way and probably the ending the long victory drought,” he told only possible margin that could end such ‘The Island’. a long wait. But probably, the general school crick- What the Sebs achieved that day was et enthusiasts would not have the same their third victory in the 61 editions old heart Fernando had to congratulate de series. With that they reduced the victory Mel, whose commitment to the Sri Lanka defeat gap also. As of now, St. Sebastian’s Under-19 team was questionable, during have three victories against Prince of the latter part of the England Under-19’s Wales’ six. The First XI team of St. Sebastian’s College 2011 with officials: home series here. Although a disciplinary The magnitude of the celebrations Seated from left: Frank Cooray (MiC), Deshan Dias, Anuk de Alwis, Sanitha de Mel (Captain), Rev. Fr. Bonnie Fernandopulle breach by de Mel and another Sri Lanka themselves spoke what the victory meant (Rector), Charith Fernando (Vice Captain), Amila Aponso, Oshada Fernando and Neil Rajapaksha (Coach). Standing from left: player with political affiliations during the said series deserved punishment, the for the Sebs. The victory made the Rector Ramesh Mendis, Angelo Silva, Rusiru Gunathilaka, Nishamal Fernando, Luke Jayadeva, Vishwa Fernando, Marlon Fernando, of St. Sebastian’s, Rev. Fr. Bonnie Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association’s Fernandopulle declare Monday, March 14 Anushka Perera, Ruwan Fernando and Kalana Silva. disciplinary Committee adopted a sur- a holiday and March 16 was almost an prising stance. And it allowed both play- unofficial holiday. The felicitation cere- accomplish both. Incidentally, 10 days As the form book suggested, their plish the rare task of becoming a ‘Big ers to continue playing for their respec- mony compelled at least two former after recording the two victories, they highest scorer of the season, Oshada Match’ winning captain. As the series tive schools. Incidentally, Rohana national players to deviate from their met the Cambrians again in the Inter Fernando was the top scorer with a cen- stats indicate, in 1979, former Test player, Karunarathne, the Principal of Prince of busy morning schedules to join the party. School Under-19 Limited Overs tury. Fernando got past 1000 runs for the Roger Wijesuriya’s team had been 74 runs Wales College, as the President of the Sri More is expected to happen, with a victo- Tournament pre-quarter final. This time, second consecutive year. During the past behind the target with eight wickets in Lanka Schools Cricket Association, had a ry tour to Australia in the pipeline. the match was played at St. Sebastian’s couple of years, only two Under-19 crick- hand (after the Cambrians declared at 153 huge say in that controversial decision. As for Frank Cooray who had wit- College Grounds and the result was even eters had the honour of scoring 1000 runs for six) when the match ended in a draw. Ironically, when the Sebs hit the final nail nessed all three wins by the Sebs, in the worse for Prince of Wales. The in two consecutive seasons. In 1988, Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup win- on the Cambrian coffin on the second day series as a player, an immediate pass-out Cambrians were soundly beaten by 168 Incidentally, St. Anthony’s cricketer ning team member Romesh of the ‘Big Match’ it should be remem- and now as the MiC. It was only on two runs. Hiran Wickramasekara is the other. Kaluwitharana’s team, set a target of 158 bered that it was de Mel who laid the other occasions that the Sebs had been According to the opinion of several The Sri Lankan junior team selectors runs to chase (the Cambrians declared at linen inside it with his five wicket haul close to a win (in 1971 under Ralph former St. Sebastian’s players, it is the did not consider the duo suitable for Sri 77/4), were 60 for four wickets at close. on the first day. What a way to comple- Gunawardena and in 1984 under positive approach of the current outfit Lanka Under-19 spots. Fernando justified Regrettably, the ‘Big Match’ did not take ment Karunarathne!