- Wistful memories of cricket at Wesley during 1950-62 By Dr. Nihal D. Amerasekera, sent exclusively for The Daily Morning Sports
On a breezy Sunday evening Muaard Razick of The Daily Morning Sports spoke to Dr. Nihal D. Amerasekera, a walking encyclopaedia of his old school’s and former Ceylon’s glorious past. He single handedly built a website – Double Blue International which is arguably his alma mater’s greatest treasure in the world wide web. He spent most of his life at the college hostel at a time where boarding school culture was at its prime in Ceylon. After his life-changing stint at Colombo University Medical Faculty, Dr. Amerasekera spent a marathon of 40 years in medicine in the UK and now lives there in retirement.
Dr. Amerasekera, take us through your early days of cricketing memoirs.
I joined Wesley College on 8 January 1950 and remember to this day being mesmerised by the elegant sweep of the beautiful buildings. Playing and watching cricket was one of the most enjoyable things of my time at Wesley. There was a park behind the school we called the small park. It was in a dip in the Karlsruhe hill, a veritable dust bowl. Here we played soft ball cricket before school started, at the intervals, and also after the school closed. Cricket then was all consuming.
A tangle of emotions tumble through my mind as I reflect on the cricket matches at Campbell Park. Sixty plus years is a long time. I have travelled into the past and searched the deepest crevices of my mind to gather these memories. Looking into those archives was a wonderful experience and it is my hope this will remind Wesleyites of their own time at school.
Tell us a bit about pre-match and match rituals in the ’50s.
The cricket team was announced on Friday, at assembly. It was the custom to sing the College song. The school matches started on Fridays and Saturdays at 12 noon. Each side played two innings. Campbell Park was our amphitheatre. Watching the school matches was a ritual never to be missed. Despite the 60 plus years I still have vivid and nostalgic memories of the matches. Even now while reading and recalling them, the tension of the games is never far away. The schoolboys, old boys, and well wishers lined up on the Campbell Place side of the park and the visitors gathered on the opposite side. The boys assembled in large numbers under the massive “Mara” trees adjacent to the main road. Seated on the grass, with the sun on our backs, we sang and chanted waving the school flag. Our war cry – “Zam Zam Zakey” and the school song broke out spontaneously. L.A Fernando, an old Thomian, a senior teacher of my time, often rallied the troops to sing and support the school. When wickets fell we sang “What’s the matter, minor matter”. There was a carnival atmosphere all around the park. Alerics and Piccadilly ice cream vans, with their whirring engines provided the sustenance while the “achcharu” ladies and peanut vendors enjoyed a brisk sale.
To play first eleven cricket for the school was a great honour and a privilege. Cricketers were idolised and were greatly respected by all. That intoxicating amalgam of praise and public acclaim can be destructive. Despite their teenage years they received this adulation with poise and dignity. Conceit grows imperceptibly and the person who is afflicted is unaware of it. The hard knocks of our lives at school and those in the cricket field were enough to tone it down. Much has to be said about the discipline and training at Wesley which helped to groom such men of modesty and valour. I must say I looked at them with immense reverence and respect.
Cricket in independent Ceylon; how was it during your schooling days?
Cricket in those days was a gentleman’s game and more so was school cricket. Umpires word was sacrosanct. We congratulated the opponents’ achievements in the field. We walked away when we felt it was out although the umpires did not see. The players never showed dissent. When we lost, although crestfallen and frustrated, we clapped the opponents back to the pavilion. Those injured in the heat of the battle were comforted by the opposing captain. Such was the spirit of sportsmanship amongst the players.
Who were the stars of your time? And the team combos.
The 1950s and ’60s were the “golden years” of cricket at Wesley. It was over a decade of excellence. Bryan Claessen, M.N. Samsudeen, Abu Fuard, and L.R. Goonetilleke had the distinction of being selected to play for Ceylon/Sri Lanka while at school. This was a great honour and a prestige for the school. D.B.C. Mack captained the two successful years of 1950 and 51. After completing his university degree he returned to teach at school, briefly. 1952 to ’53 were the Claessen years when Radley and then Bryan captained the teams. The hostile bowling of M.N. Samsudeen and the Claessen brothers and the aggressive batting of Patrick Schockman brought us tremendous success.
In those days, the barometer of success was the performance against S. Thomas’, Royal, and St. Joseph’s. We remained unbeaten in those years. In that decade we had a galaxy of exceptional talent. Ansar Fuard captained in 1954. He was an astute captain and was ably assisted by his brother Abu’s fine off spin bowling to complete a very successful year. Ansar and Abu followed in the footsteps of their father who captained in 1915. Lou Adhihetty captained in 1955/56 and we were unbeaten. Lou is still considered one of the most brilliant all-rounders in the school’s history. Dr. Lou Adhihetty later became principal at Wesley in the 80’s. He was the first Ceylonese to win the Hockey “Blue” at Cambridge University. L.R. “Lucky” Goonetilleke must be the best fast bowler we’ve ever had. His accurate left arm spears broke the back of many school teams. I must pay homage to Harold Juriansz who captained in 1957, Nalendra Abeysuriya 1958/59, Senthil Sinniah 1960 and Don Kodituwakku in 1961. L.C.R Wijesinghe captained a successful unbeaten team in 1962. They were all inspirational leaders and were a credit to the school. Their cricket will be remembered and admired forever for their dignity, integrity, and sportsmanship.
How’s your memories of great times at Campbell Park?
The enchantment of the cricket matches of my childhood still haunts me. At school, cricket was not only a game but a way of life. My lasting memory of cricket at Campbell Park is the sight of the setting sun behind All Saints’ Church with its lengthening shadows. The church bells rang at 6 o’clock. As the bails were lifted, we all departed discussing the ebb and flow of the day’s play. Losing a match in those days was like the end of the world, but we always bounced back. It was certainly a good training to face the peaks and troughs of our own lives. The songs we sang and the friends I made are etched deeply in my memory. After leaving school in April 1962, I continued to watch matches at Campbell Park. The magic and the aura of this extraordinary spectacle seemed to change imperceptibly with the passage of years. Then, building my career and raising a family took precedence. I never saw any matches at Wesley again. Ah! Those were the days.
Tell us about the great people behind the sporting success during your era?
We are greatly indebted to the many who have played an important role in maintaining the high standards of cricket at Wesley. The ascendancy in cricket began during the Principalship of Rev. James Cartman (1945-49). His support and enthusiasm for the game is legendary. He will be remembered forever for introducing the Wesley College War Cry: Zam Zam Zakey, Zam Zam Zay, Ishuba Ishuba, Hoo Ha Hay.
I appreciate the huge support given by the Principals, C.J. Oorloff, P.H. Nonis, and A.S. Wirasinha. P.H. Nonis was a fine cricketer and captained the school in 1921, during the highfield era. Until 1943, Campbell Park was the grounds of the Tamil Union Sports Club. When P.H. Nonis was the vice principal, he procured Campbell Park for Wesley College. We will remain eternally grateful to him for his exceptional foresight and wisdom. No one has had a greater impact on cricket at Wesley than Edmund Dissanayake. He captained the school in 1946/47. He is rightly called the “doyen of cricket” at Wesley for his tremendous commitment to the game. He has served as the master-in-charge and also coached for over a period of nearly 40 years. My heartfelt thanks posthumously to Wilbert the chief groundsman, cricket coaches A.V. Fernando and B.J.H. Bahar and also the master-in-charge of cricket in the 1950’s – J.L.F. De Mel. They made it all happen in the background while we sang and beat the drums beyond the boundary.
Looking back to the glorious past and cherished moments.
To me, those years at Wesley have been one rich gift. Wesley College has played cricket since 1893. This is an opportunity to pay homage to the many who represented the school over the years. I dedicate these notes to all who entertained us but have now departed this world. They have done us proud. We hold them all in high regard.
Although the atmosphere at school matches have changed, the ethos of the game of cricket is timeless. This indeed is an account of school cricket from a different era but in no way diminishes the value and the prestige of the game played in Campbell Park in the 21st century. I recognise and admire those who represent the school now and hold them in high esteem. Although I live in London, there are times my mind crosses the mighty oceans and the vast swathes of land to that green and pleasant Campbell Park, the grounds where as a schoolboy I once watched the cricket unfold. The sheer magic and the memory of those games will live with me forever.
As George Bernard Shaw said: “The English invented cricket to give them an idea of eternity.”