REMEMBERING A PAST DECADE - 74 YEARS AGO
This decade was an era when Royalists performed well in all
sports. Reference here is mainly to the CRICKETERS. The
personalities, (the students), who brought credit to Royal
College.
The Cricketers of note from 1932 - 1942 were,
1. F, R. De Saram
2. W.L.
Mendis
3. F.W.E. Porritt
4. C.I. Gunasekara
5. G.R.J. De Soysa
6. S. Coomaraswamy
7. P.C.D. McCarthy
8. E.F.E. De Kretser
9. O.W. Wambeek
10. S.G.Salgado
11. L.E. deZoysa
12. J.C.W Rock
13- A.H.G.Goonaratna
14. FH.de
Saram
15. E.C. Kelaart
The wizard of them all, appeared in 1931 F.C. De
Saram, who shone in cricket and Tennis at Oxford University. Among
his feats was a blazing 128 runs against the 1934 Australian team in
England. He on his own admitted to the boys that he was a poor
fielder. Some of the others mentioned, were brilliant fielders such
as P C D McCarthy Most of them were efficient in both cricket
athletics and tennis and won their Colours.
Brother F.R. De Saram bowled his wayward googlies
and leg breaks which were mysterious. Next comes Billy Porritt with
oversized palms and bowled many an unsuspecting batsmen with his
huge off breaks. Porritt's batting was like his bowling: top order.
He played for ALL CEYLON in 1934. Next there was Ryle De Soysa and
Sathi Coomaraswamy both fine all-rounders who made a minute study of
the game. Then there was Pat McCarthy, who wielded the bat like a
sword. He later was the first to play in an Australian State cricket
team. (Western Australian). Pat McCarthy was a fast scoring batsman.
He was also a superb athlete. A Hundred Yards Champion, and he
soared in to space at Pole-Vault. Louis Mendis was later a doctor -
the professor type, took things quietly. He made a study of cricket
and motivated students at practice. The doctor himself clinically
analyzed the young cricketers. Then there were two Captains, E.F.E.
De Kretser, commonly known as Earnleigh, who was the opening bowler
and an 'outstanding batsman. He was followed by Owen Wambeek. He,
amongst all, was a feared bowler in school cricket because of his
"huge" off-breaks. No school cricketer at that time bowled such
'huge' breaks which took the "BOX" apart. It hurt and only those at
the receiving end could relate to what they felt one had to wear the
fox to protect ones vitals. A story I would like to relate in short
about Owen's father's car which was used by the cricket team after
the inter-school matches on Saturday evenings to "loaf around
Colombo and got even the SUDDAS" to switch off their lights late at
night. Owen's car comfortably accommodated at least fourteen of us.
By now World War Two had started. And lastly there was S.G. Salgado,
who was under good disciplinary rule and as a Prefect instilled that
discipline in school as well. Salgado's two 90 run partnerships and
his own contribution of 112 runs enabled Royal to win comfortably.
Then there was C.I. Gunasekara, brilliant at tennis too, and as a
batsman his hits were felt by the fielders like bullets. He was a
fielder's nightmare!. D.L. De Zoysa
Many of those mentioned represented or Captained
All Ceylon in unofficial tests. And also I have to mention that all
of them were brilliant Fielders. Also I have to mention that the
vast majority of Old Boys, when called upon, came in with a HELPING
HAND to coach the young cricketers. There was no coaching fee
offered unlike in the present day. If I remember right, there was
one Englishman. He was WC 'Razor' Smith of Surrey County, who
coached here for some years in the early 30's. For the Old Boys who
coached it was a case of helping their old school.
Some of them excelled in other sports. Some of
them were strict but mild. Take the talent in such names as Raju
Coomaraswamy J.C.W. Rock of West Indian origin, the Jilla brothers -
D.N. Jilla and M.N., D.C.T. Pate, L. E. de Zoysa, A.N. Dharmaratne,
F.H. de Saram popularly known as "Mad Dog". Then there was 'Dontha'
Vollenhoven and F.C. (Kavity) Vandervet They were the opening pair
of batsmen and because of their size ....they were also known as
PLUS and MINUS. Then there were the bowlers - S. Pathmanathan, Ernie
Kelaart, Harry Aldons and Minoo Jilla who was very fond ofBuriyani.
Minoo was an excellent wicket keeper and hard hitting right hand
batsman.
There were two Kadiragamar brothers in the late
30's both who opened batting Rajan our permanent opener in the early
40s whilst his brother S. Kadiragamar played the occasional match in
the early 40's. Rajan was in charge of the College Senior Cadet
Corps and later was the first C in the Royal Ceylon Navy.
Almost every one of them down the decade, when
called upon by the Principal, helped to coach the students in
various sports. Finally, When Royal was known as the COLOMBO
ACADEMY(11th and 12th March 18 79) the school played its very first
cricket match. It was against the All European CCC. The Royalists
team was captained by an earlier All England Captain Lord Harris and
the match was played on the Galle Face Grounds, now the home of
Hotel Taj Samudra. Lord Harris was on a holiday in Ceylon at that
time. The Principal persuaded Lord Harris to play for the academy.
BOWLING RIGHT AND LEFT ARM - F.W.E, Porrit the
Royal captain of 1934 changed to slow left arm from his usual right
hand. It was a move By Porrit to a batsman the Thomian captain
Fairweather who was in full cry whose partnership for the 3rd wicket
at this moment was 126 runs along with............... Fairweather a
hard hitting right hand batsman was on sixty nine runs. Then a
wonder of wonders occurred, Fairweather hit Porrit to the boundary
line where he was caught by .................... It was the 1st time
in the history of the big match that some player had bowled right
and left arm. Porrit won his colours at
cricket/rugby/tennis/athletics and was Cpl; in the cadet corp. When
one looks back 70 years from now it is a pleasure to have young
students who are emulating there elders of 70 years earlier.
