SOME FAMOUS THOMIAN CRICKETER OF MY TIME
(1893 - 1899) BY F.L. GOONEWARDENA
By F. L. GOONEWARDENA
I think I was particular fortunate in being at
St. Thomas' College, during a period when Thomian cricket was at its
strongest and during a period when St. Thomas' College turned out
its finest products of the game. Between 1893 and 1899 we lost one
out of seven matches against Royal which was our only School rival
and we more than held our own against the leading clubs, who had
occasion in those times to put forward their strongest teams to meet
us unlike at the present day. When I first joined College in May
1893, I was as keen as mustard on the good old game and soon found
that I had tumbled into very congenial surroundings. I well remember
being told of Edirisinghe's 66 against the Royalists, of Shelton de
Saram's "Yorker" which fetched the wicket of the Royalist captain
Van Rooyen, of Wickwar's catch in the far field which also accounted
for Van Rooyen's downfall in another match, on the very first day I
arrived in College. The thing that struck me most was the splendid
organisation at St. Thomas'. There was the Big Club where all the
bigger boys met every evening to play serious cricket. The cricket
captain and the next senior first XI man chose sides and downright
serious cricket was played with more enthusiasm and earnestness than
one sees at present in the inter-school contest. Mr. Stephens was on
one side and Mr. Schneider on the other and about 25 formed a side
so that one had to be jolly good to come through such training. The
Small Club had exactly the same kind of practice and Mr. Stephens
used to visit the small boys three times a week. The first XI in
1893—1894 was a powerful side. F. Dias, who was captain, was a
hard-hitter, a fine fast bowler and a capital field. Then there were
the brothers Shelly and Fred Edirisinghe, two of the finest
right-hand batsmen one could wish to see. Claude Orr was another.
Shelton de Saram and Christopher de Livera were the crack left-hand
batsmen of the team, while 0. G. de Alwis, Jim Ludovici and
Rambukpotha were a fine array of left-hand bowlers. Harry Jansz was
wicket-keeper and Herbert Bartholomeusz the change right-hand bowler
of the side. It was a splendid side and scarcely lost a match. It
was during this period that I first came into touch with J. A.
Scharenguivel and D. L. de Saram who were unquestionably the
greatest pair ever turned out by a Ceylon school. It was the big
event in the Small Club— the Day Boys vs. the Boarders.
Scharenguivel captained the Day Boys and Douglas de Saram, a lad of
twelve, was the last choice in the Day Boy's team. I well remember a
huge partnership on the Boarders' side when Ondatjie and
Bartholomeusz each were unbeaten with over fifty. In despair
Scharenguivel singled out the small boy of the side and Douglas de
Saram broke up the partnership by "yorking" both batsmen in his
first over and ultimately got seven wickets for a few runs. I well
remember Mr. Stephens telling some of the first XI including the
elder brother Shelton, "Learn how to bowl from that Baby."
Scharenguivel himself created a sensation by knocking up 70 in that
match, but Douglas failed after making two big off-drives.
I instinctively felt that these two boys were
destined to play a big part in the world of cricket, and today we
know that they have made history. Mr. Stephens never tolerated
slackness and he always insisted that a school boy must perfect his
defence before he attempted to score and he always set a high value
on fielding. It was a treat to see O. G. de Alwis at cover or
mid-off and Shelton de Saram in the slips or in the outfield.
Scharenguivel soon found his way into the eleven and played four
years though had he been in school at present when the age limit is
20 we should have seen him playing for about seven years. As
right-hand batsmen during my time the two Edirisinghes, Claude Orr
and de Alwis must take first rank. The Edirisinghes were masters of
leg-side play-was great on late cutting and extra cover-driving
while de Alwis with his straight bat like a picture plate
from one of the Books on Cricket was tremendous on the off drive and
the square leg pull. Gooneratne was another first rate batsman but
was not the physical equal of the above. For defense I have never
seen the equal of E. M. Anthonisz. He had a hawk's eye and the
patience of Job and was an invaluable asset in a team. Of our
left-hand batsmen of course Scharenguivel and Douglas De Saram
will be remembered by generations as the two greatest left-handed
batsmen turned out by St. Thomas'. It was my privilege
to play with both of them in the same team and I well remember
the unbounded confidence with which we always entered the field. If
we won the toss one or I these left-handers got going and set things
right. If we lost the toss they soon bundled out the I side without
a change in the bowling. We had several other left-handers during
this period of course, suffered by comparison, but Shelton de
Saram, Jim Ludovici, Christopher de Liven and Rambukpotha would have
all taken high places as batsmen at any other time. Of left-hand
bowie had quite a surfeit; it would be a difficult task to say who
the best left-hand bowler was during them under review. O. G. de
Alwis was really dangerous and had many brilliant performances to
his credit. He was particularly good on turf and I well remember his
remarkable feats on the C.C.C. ground I would not undertake to say
that de Alwis was a better bowler than Jim Ludovici or Scharenguivel
or Basil Tennekoon. They were all classy bowlers who always required
watching. Erick Arndt Rambukpotha were also a couple of rare
left-hand bowlers.
Of right-hand bowlers I think I must place
Claude Orr, A. E. Abeykoon, Douglas dei and A. C. Amath as the most
effective quartette. Orr was perhaps the most classy bowler of his
ci Abeykoon had an off-break and length which I have failed to
discern in any school bowler during it past 20 years. De Saram and
Amath of course are familiar to us. There are many who think that de
Saram was at the top of his bowling form in 1898. We had some very
fine wicket-keepers during this period, O. G. de Alwis again being
perhaps the pick of the basket. Harry Jansz, E. N. Abeykoon, Mark
Gooneratne and A. J. R. Scharenguivel were all as good as the
wicket-keepers of our first clubs. The finest fielders during this
period in my opinion were O. G. de Alwis, F. Dias, J. A.
Scharenguivel and A. F. Molamure. Having had the opportunity of
watching the Eton and Hi match in 1912, I unhesitatingly say that
men like de Alwis, J. A. Scharenguivel, D. L. de Saram, Claude Orr,
Jim Ludovici and the Edirisinghe brothers were quite up to
first-class English Public School! an opinion with which famous old
cricketers like Col. Ward and C. Brooke Elliott have concurred.
(Reproduced from "Royal vs. St. Thomas' — A
Complete Record" by E. W. Foenander)
