SCHARENGUIVEL THE MAGNIFICENT
A hundred and more years ago James Arthur
Scharenguivel, ILLUSTRIOUS THOMIAN CAPTAIN OF 1898, from
the prominent Scharenguivel family of Kalutara, played in and
for Scotland soon after he left college. He became the FIRST
CEYLONESE to play for a FOREIGN COUNTRY. So little is
known about Scharenguivel, so little written about one who must
have truly been one of our great cricketers and like so many
others, an unsung hero.
How good was James Arthur Scharenguivel? This
question can only be answered by looking at the limited writings, of
some that saw him play, and others who have written about him at
infrequent intervals. I do know that his batting record in Royal -
Thomian matches was not significant but he did capture 19 wkts in
the three matches he bowled including a match bag of 11 wkts. He was
CAPTAIN OF THE FIRST EVER COMBINED COLLEGES XI IN 1898.
The erudite, articulate Leonard Arndt wrote in
the 1951 S Thomas' College Centenary number a most interesting
paragraph in a lyrical, colourful article: GREAT THOMIAN CRICKETERS
-"/ pass swiftly to our greatest name: Scharenguivel the
Magnificent. Heard for the first time in 1894, it has reverberated
for half a century having been heard also in Scotland and Malaya.
Still going strong, Scharenguivel remains our wonder while with the
modest charm of greatness he helps the school at Gurutalawa. Names
dwarfed by his scale are: Julian Heyzer, C. Orr,
O. G. d'Alwis, the Edirisinglie brokers, the
Abeykoon brothers. When Arthur Scharenguivel left as Cricket Captain
lie was the best all round player in Ceylon. He had made 77 against
the Colts; he had bowled 8 wickets of the Colombo Club for 24 runs
and again 7 for 25. In 1897 and 1898 from 18 innings lie got a
baiting average of 52, and in bowling he took 77 wickets with an
average of 4. Within a few months of arrival in Scotland he was in
the British News. Just as the habitat of the balls lie hit with
grace and ease was the tops of the trees beyond the verges, so lie
continued to top the averages (once it was 47) in Aberdeen while he
studied medicine. He figured in International games though not
against England by a mischance. Douglas de Sarain stood for election
as Captain with Scharenguivel. Rarely is a syzygy of two such
brilliant stars seen. Beau Douglas (as a later generation was hound
to have styled him ) more sturdily but less generously built
eclipsed his rival in some respects. At any rate he was nearer our
time and always in our eye, for he remained in Ceylon "
The hugely built Scharenguivel the Magnificent
and the debonair Beau Douglas - what a duo they must have been as
schoolboys annihilating Royal in the only two "Big Matches" they
played together. What a tragedy they were not seen playing together
in maturity, combining to demolish our Colonial mentors! What a
tragedy so few have been made aware of his contribution to our rich
cricket history. As F. L. Goonewardena has stated in his memoirs
"They were unquestionably the greatest pair ever turned out by a
Ceylon School."
S. P. Foenander, the doyen of our cricket
historians, in his classic history - SIXTY YEARS OF CEYLON CRICKET
1863 - 1923 had this to say. "Dr. J. A. Scharenguivel has claims to
rank as one of the six greatest cricketers Ceylon has ever produced.
In his school days at S. Thomas' he enjoyed a remarkable reputation
as an all round cricketer, and before he left school he had the
honour of playing in representative cricket for the Colts against
file Europeans. His achievements with bat and ball at S. Thomas'
were such as to stamp him as an exceptionally lifted cricketer. As a
schoolboy he equaled the record for the highest score ever made. up
to that time, against the Colts. After leaving school lie studied
medicine at Aberdeen University and while in Scotland he shone both
as a brilliant left hand batsman and a deadly left-hand bowler. He
was INVITED BY A. C. MACLAREN TO PLAY FOR LANCASHIRE, and was
qualifying for that honour, when he was called away to the Far East
by the serious illness of his father. In Singapore he has proved
himself one of the greatest all round cricketers that the Straits
have ever had.
S. P. Foenander's book was published in 1924,
long before Dr. Scharenguivel came back to his native land in the
late 1920s.
The recent (1999) Janashakthi Book of Sri Lanka
Cricket compiled by S. S. Perera reveals more and records that
Scharenguivei was CAPTAIN OF THE FIRST COMBINED COLLEGES XI -
"The first time a Combined Colleges XI was raised to play the
powerful Colts CC was in 1898. J. A. Scharenguivel of S Thomas'
Mutwal, captained the schoolboy team. The others in the team were D.
L. de Saram and C. E. Anult (S. Thomas).
M. L. Warish and C. L. Wickramasinghe (Wesley).
C. H. K. Scharenguivel, F. A. Obeysekera, A. W. Beven and E.
Weerasooriya (Royal), J. Fernanda and C. O. de Silva (St. Joseph's).
The Scores:
Colleges XI 99 and 136 for 6 (Scharenguivel 77
not out, the highest score against the Colts up to that time) drew
with Colts CC -194 (Scharenguivel 5 for 38). The match was played at
Galle Face".
The Janashakti book further records that
"THE FIRST CEYLONESE CRICKET PROFESSIONAL, THOMIAN ALFRED HOLSINGER,
(Ceylon's fastest bowler) and probably the first "coloured cricket
pro" was performing great feats in English League Cricket in 1902,
when another old S Thomas' boy, James Arthur Scharenguivel, was
proving equally efficient with the bat (left-hand) and ball
(left-arm) for Aberdeenshire in Scottish County Cricket.
Scharenguivel scored THE FIRST CENTURY BY A CEYLONESE OVERSEAS.
Scharenguivel returned to Ceylon in the late 1920s and played for
the Kalutara Town Club and the Nondescript CC. In the last years of
his life lie migrated to Australia and passed away there in his 90th
year. In 1938 when he was 58 lie opened the batting for the NCC with
D. Vollenhoven an 18 year old from Royal. In 1940 lie represented
the Kalutara Town Club in the Daily News Trophy Tournament. Kalutara
Town club in 1938 were the winners of the inaugural Daily News
Trophy Tournament, the first organised cricket tournament in
Ceylon.
Neil Leitch and Tim Lamb (prominent cricket administrators in U
K) have revealed to me that one of the Aberdeenshire club histories
notes the following: -.
"J A Scliarenguivel was a noted player with
Aberdeenshire. Although Aberdeen University had long been a rich
source of talent for Aberdeenshire C C. 1899 introduced a fresh vein
with the introduction at Manno field of overseas student cricketers.
The first of these was J. A. Scharenguivel, a native of Ceylon, who
for 7 seasons proved himself to be one of the most talented
left-handed bats in the Club's history. In each of his best seasons
(1899, 1903 & 1904) his runs aggregate exceeded 500, while in each
of the other years his contribution was such that he finished in the
top five in the Club. In the light of such batting success, it seems
strange that lie had been recommended to the Club as a bowler, a
role in which he produced only slightly less formidable results,
still. however, taking well over 100 wickets for the Club.
The history also confirms his score of 105*
against Stirling County in 1902. He also scored 7 50s in Scottish
County matches und once took 5 wickets in (in an innings.
Scharengnivel does not however appear on the list of Scottish
Cricket Cups as he never played in any recognised as a full Scotland
game. He did however play for "15 of Scotland" in July 1905 against
Australia. The match was played at West of Scotland's ground in
Partick. Glasgow, Scliarengnivel scoring 15 & 5. The match against
South Africa may have been In 1901 when the tourists traveled to the
North of Scotland to play R Williams Aberdeenshire XI and also
Aberdeenshire ".
Dr J. A. Scharenguivel became one of the
leading cricketers in the Straits Settlements and did play against a
visiting Australian side led by Monty Noble, (the then current and
famous Captain of Australia) in November 1909 on the Singapore
Padang. Unfortunately he failed to score in that match. The
Singapore Matches had other players, N. E. Grenier, A. W. Beven and
Martensz who surely must also have been Ceylonese. The Australian
visitors had with them Warwick Armstrong (subsequently a remarkable
Captain of Australia), Albert Cotter (the fastest bowler of his
time), Frank Laver and A. J. W. Hopkins. I am indebted to Imran
Khwaja of Singapore for the material he has provided about
Scharenguivel in Singapore.
Many of this huge family migrated to all
corners of the globe. Despite this, from those who were left, many
figure prominently in our sports history. A very close relative,
(half brother or young uncle) Albert Julian Richard Scharenguivel
played for STC from 1899 - 1901 and subsequently went on to hold
high office in the PWD. Cousin C. H. K. Scharenguivel, an
outstanding wicket-keeper for Royal (1897 - 98). Lloyd Scharenguivel,
an uncle but younger than James Arthur played for STC in 1904.
Lloyd's eldest grandson Wyvill Captained the water polo and swimming
teams and coached at STC in the late '50s.
CHK's grand daughter Deanna married the
record-breaking batsman Ronnie Reid; grandson Cecil was a prominent
schoolboy athlete in the late '50s. The distinguished Thomian tennis
player Rupert Ferdinands and Royalist cricketer and ruggerite,
Lorensz Pereira were mothered by younger cousins of James Arthur.
The Scharenguivel dynasty lives on, young
cousin Hugh, schooled in Kalutara, was an enormously successful
bowler for Kalutara Town Club playing a huge part (88 wkts in 11
matches) in the Daily News Trophy triumph of 1938. Present Sri Lanka
Captain Marvan Attapattu and his cousin Marion Von Hagt are direct
descendants of James Arthur through their grandmother. Incidentally
their grandfather Adrian Francke was a member of the winning 1938
Kalutara Town Club side. Douglas Scharenguivel, Ceylon Davis Cup
player who played regularly at Wimbledon and won the West of England
Tennis title was a young cousin.
Apart from his cricket exploits Dr. James
Arthur was a prominent public figure and according to Mr. R. D. P.
Gunewardena of Kalutara "Burly Dr. Scharenguivel, a nominated member
of the Kalulara U. C. was a Medical Practitioner who rendered his
service reasonably and dedicated to common people living in and
around Kalutara without monetary considerations. When he heard about
the railway disaster of Katukurunda in 1928 he at once rushed to the
spot to treat casualties."
It appears that he lived in the Bandarawela
area for some time during World War Two as the History of the
Gurutalawa School states that "Dr J. A. Scharenguivel offered free
services free of charge as the College Doctor. He has always been
willing to come to help us at any hour of the day or night. ft is
impossible to express adequately the debt of gratitude the boys of
the Branch owe to him."
It is almost impossible for us who have followed in the footsteps of
giants to adequately express our gratitude for the example and
inspiration they have set.
P. I. PIERIS
(Mr. P. I. Pieris Captained the Thomian Team in
1953, lie was also a Centurion and holds the record for the highest
5th wicket partnership for S. Thomas' with G. L. W. Wijesinghe. His
contribution to this souvenir extends far beyond this article and
the editors are truly grateful for his help)
<<
BACK
