A TIME TO REFLECT AND CELEBRATE...... THE
SPIRIT OF THE GAME!
In the 1999 Big Match although not too far
off in history saw the Thomians coming from way behind to take
the game from Royal, of course it was a Thomian victory which is
obviously all important. However looking past the obvious
this game provides a great insight into this wonderful term
referred to as the "Spirit of the Royal-Thomian".... Now!! To
anyone other than a Thomian or a Royalist the "Spirit of the
Royal-Thomian" would mean consuming barrels and barrels of beer
and crate after crate of Arrack! True, but not quite so!
We were not over excited about the Big Match
even though it was almost the end of February. The team was relaxed
and focussed, when disaster struck, at the last outing before the
Royal-Thomian where the Peterites smashed the daylights out of us in
a terribly tensed match. All hell broke loose at STC!!
The team was completely demoralized. However
much I tried to build the lost confidence, it was in vain. With this
frame of mind, we went into resident camp. A full programme was
organized for us, with practice twice a day, fitness, both mental
and physical and a balanced diet. The team worked hard to build our
lost confidence.
Before the Peterite game we looked at the
Royal-Thomian as something that we had to win, but we had no plan on
how. After the defeat the process of planning took place. Every
evening, myself, Coach Mr Kumarasinghe and Mr Kumar Boralessa, would
sit down and discuss plans and strategies to be adopted, after which
I would discuss them with the team and we would make the final
decision. Two to three days before the Royal-Thomian we would bowl
and bat till about seven in the night using the nets to do spot
bowling, bat drill and the like. There was a general feeling amongst
the players that the one who worked the hardest would be the
"luckiest". This helped us all. Finally the Big day dawned with each
of us wishing for another day to get a bat lift corrected or to work
on a run up even though we were very well prepared for the task
ahead.
Then came the most crucial moment for me - "The
Toss"!!! What in the world was I going to do! Even though I had
given it a lot of thought and I had my plan worked out in my mind, I
did not want to show the team that the toss was very vital. What I
had told them was that we were ready either to bat or to bowl.
My thoughts were as follows : it was a known
fact that the reason for our defeat at the Peterite game was our
batting "inexperience" (although very talented) and I did not want
to expose my top order to the swing the SSC offers in the morning of
the first day. If we lost early wickets, it would be difficult to
pose a good target. Royal had a very strong top order and I did not
want to give the best innings, which was the second innings of the
game, with the swinging ball. I expected to take an early wicket or
two although this failed. So, I won the toss but elected to bowl and
didn't I have to face the music!!
I knew I had more coming my way when Royal were
cruising along with Ravi Peiris and Thotiwilage going well. Although
the ball did move I don't think myself and Lakmal Fernando bowled
well enough to get a wicket. Finally when Thotiwilage got out
Thushan Amarasuriya started hitting out. I knew that this would be a
day I would want to forget. When Royal reached 100 we decided to
hold them back for as long as possible as the wicket was easing up.
The best way to get wickets I thought was to stop the flow of runs
and frustrate the free flowing Thushan Amarasuriya, which worked as
he scooped me a caught and bowled chance, which I accepted
gleefully. Even though Ravi Peiris was batting well he was slow in
getting runs. When he was finally out for 90, we were glad to see
his back. Royal reached 288 for 3 wickets before their declaration
but the fact that I stressed to the team was that it took them 81
overs to achieve this which was not a total domination over us.
Now we had to bat! This was probably the most
anxious moment for me in this match. Our openers Zakeer and Heshan
Peiris although very talented had to face 14 overs to see the day
through. Unfortunately we lost Heshan Peiris the first day. We went
in to the second day at 15 for 1 wicket.
At this point the Coach Mr Kumarasinghe, Mr
Boralessa and I had decided to alter the batting line up in order to
protect the top order from the early morning movement that would be
advantageous to the bowlers, especially Harshana Rajakaruna, who
bowled well on the first day. So I was to come in at No.4 and Lakmal
Fernando to come at No.5. As we expected, Harshana Rajakaruna bowled
well to get rid of Zakeer who was caught behind the stumps. Now the
tremors had started to occur in the dressing room. Panadols were
taken to ease the nerves -Gihan Fernando started skipping (which is
always a sign of tension) and Meshad Peiris started his dry jokes -
amidst all this I walked into the field feeling fairly jittery
because of the situation we were faced with. We had to make 139 to
avoid the follow on. My main objective was to remain at the wicket
and keep Caldera till lunch without further loss. But a good ball
from Harshana Rajakaruna had Caldera caught at slips. Lakmal
Fernando came in next and played a shot that made my blood curl and
was out soon. Then walked in the man who made the come back
possible. Gihan Fernando walked in looking very serious as usual,
but there was a gleam of confidence in him that reassured me to some
extent. Lunch was taken on the second day at 65 for 4 wickets. Lunch
that day was strangely noisy and cheerful rather than what I
expected.
The plan after lunch was for me to attack and
for Gihan Fernando to bat on for as long as possible and attack we
did. As usual I went charging down the track to the off spinner and
was stumped clean by Andrew Perera.
Then walked in the "hero" of the day. His
innings were laden with drives and cuts that would have made Mark
Waugh feel inferior. He took on the Royalists, shook them and tore
them to pieces. He was none other than Meshad Peiris. From this
point there was no looking back. After we reached 250 the decision
had to be made for the declaration and declare we did at 258 for 9
wickets leaving Royal to bat 15 overs before the close of play on
the second day. When it was time for us to bowl for the second time
every one of us were determined to put the first innings behind us
and go all out to reduce the Royalists for a low score, as we had
not abandoned the thought of victory. We had planned at the end of
the first day that we would fight till the last minute and as soon
as we had an opening we would attack with all the force. We had just
got that with Meshad Peiris' mesmerizing 103. Now we were going all
out to win. We being 30 runs behind the Royal first innings total
was not discussed at the team meeting as I preferred to keep that
away from the boys as we were to attack from the first ball itself.
Ravi Peiris was sent back early in the Royal
second innings, when the ball nipped back in sharply to have him LBW
to me when Royal had 8 runs on the board. They were 41 runs for the
loss of 1 wicket at the end of the day's play enjoying a lead of 71
runs with 9 wickets in hand.
The day was not going to end there for me as I
was taken to hospital at 11.30 in the night to take fluid out of my
knee which I twisted while bowling in the second innings. I was
greatly disappointed because I knew I could not bowl again on the
next day. Furthermore it was the most important day for the match
and I knew that I would never bowl at a Royal-Thomian again.
However, when we were all gathered at the
dressing room five minutes before taking the field, I sensed that
the guys were all feeling the same thing that I felt, anger and
determination to make amends for what happened to us in the Royal
first innings. This is where Thomian grit overtook all realistic and
logical thinking. As I could not bowl any more due to my knee injury
Lakmal Fernando had a double task. He opened the attack and bowled
with such venom that Zakeer behind the stumps had difficulty
collecting the ball and he soon got rid of Thotiwilage who pulled at
a bouncer to be well caught at fine leg by John. Since John was well
known for his fielding we had our hearts up in our throats for a
while, but it all ended well. Next, John again surprised all of us
and did a brilliant piece of fielding to run Ruchira Jayasuriya out
before facing a single ball.
Lakmal Fernando bowled a beauty to Thushan
Amarasuriya to have him caught, well taken by Zakeer. The collapse
had started. We had smelt blood and I knew that this was the only
thing that our young side needed to get them back on the track.
Every one was hurrying around. The fielding was tight; we did not
want to give an inch to the Royalists who embarrassed us on the
first day.
Then came Suranga Peiris. He in his silent and
expressionless way took the ball from my hand and said to me that he
will see the next three wickets through. He ended up with figures of
13.4 overs 8 maidens 18 runs for 5 wickets. I could safely say that
he did more than what I expected. He bowled so well I could make any
change on the field and was sure that the ball would not go anywhere
near the gaps. He had Angelo Perera trapped LBW and had Harith
Rajakaruna, Harshana Rajakaruna and Ahamed caught with his
tantalising loop and clean bowled the confused Sanjeewa Udumalagala
and after Zakeer had Andrew Perera stumped off a beauty we were well
home.
After the Royalists were dismissed after lunch
for 80, the lowest ever total for the last 38 years, I expected the
guys to be charged up and over excited but the boys showed exemplary
temperament as they were quiet and thoughtful. We sat down at the
large table in the SSC dressing room and discussed how we were going
to make the 111 runs to win the Royal-Thomian.
Whilst everyone talked and gave in their
suggestions young Heshan Peiris was silent and in a tense mood. We
all knew that he was under a lot of external pressure to score runs.
However, just before the openers walked out we re-assured Heshan
Peiris that we all had confidence in him, and he proved us right as
he played an innings of wonderful timing, elegance and precision
that was extraordinary for a youngster of 15 years playing in his
first Big Match. The victory was finally achieved in great style as
Heshan Peiris glided a ball from his hips for four and that
signalled not only a Thomian victory but revenge well taken from the
Royalists.
Then started the celebrations and
congratulations came from all over. However we found time for our
prayers and thanked God for giving us the courage to fight back.
This victory was the second in three years. I
attribute this to the transformation of STC cricket from individual
brilliance to the current system of mental and physical training.
This system drills into the individual players
that if they did not do their part the whole cycle of achieving the
ultimate goal will be lost. This strategy was put together in my
second year in 1997, when Nilanka Peiris led his side to a
comprehensive victory at the Royal-Thomian. Here again it was
brilliant team work.
A Thomian victory at the 120th
Encounter in 1999 would not have been a reality without the efforts
of each and every player, team spirit and the co-operation they
extended to me.
Esto – Perpetua !
Haren Ratwatte
