Even the boldest writer of sports fiction would not have dared to invent such an implausible finish to a cricket match. With half an hour to go, a side chasing 191 runs has reached 154 for 3. 25 minutes later, 7 wickets have fallen for 23 runs, and the other side has won. Impossible! But it happened in the Royal-Thomian of 1951, which saw the most nerve-racking Big Match finish in living memory and the second closest of the series.

It began quietly. Royal batted first and made a disappointing 146, relieved by attractive driving by Unamboowe (31), and Ubhaya de Silva (31), a few strokes by Jayawickrama (24) and a sound 34 by Wignarajah. Barrow (5 for 18) and Samarasinghe (3 for 28) did the damage. Not good enough at all on a good wicket with the powerful Thomian batting to follow. But the Thomians had batted only a couple of overs when rain washed out any further play on the Friday. With playing hours those days being from noon to 6.15, this left an effective playing time of only 5i hours for three innings on the Saturday. There would have to be some sensational cricket for a result to emerge.

Play started on Saturday on a wicket which was damp and lively, but not "sticky". Royal skipper Vairavanathan sized up the behaviour of the pitch after a few overs. He brought on Wille, a medium-pace bowler with an unusually low arm action, who used to bowl a nagging length outside the off stump and move the ball into the batsman. Normally he was steady but not parti­cularly difficult. On the moist turf he turned out to be deadly, pitching on a length and skidding through. For a time Jayalingam looked as if lie might break free, but a shrewd piece of captaincy claimed him. Jayalingam was a belligerently aggressive batsman, accustomed to seeing fielders retreat respectfully into the distance. Vairavanathan did the unexpected by himself moving up to silly mid-off. Wille was not the bowler to produce catches to silly mid-off. The move was provocation pure and simple. An outraged Jayalingam, determined to punish this affront, swung invidiously at Wille and was bowled for 16. Wickets fell steadily, and we began to see the spectacular fielding by Royal that was to be a feature of this match. Inman hooked Unamboowe hard and clean, and Nirmalingam at short leg, six yards from the bat, stood his ground and held the catch. Most fielders would have taken evasive action. Inman sportingly shook him by the hand before he turned for the pavlliion. The Thomians had slumped to 28 for 5 when Samarasinghe and Titus made the only stand of the innings. It ended when Samarasinghe pushed the ball uppishly towards the vacant short square leg region. While the batsmen set off for a single, Jayawickrama from short mid-wicket came in very fast over 20 yards and scooped up the ball inches off the ground, a thrilling catch. When Wille bowled Titus next ball Inman declared at 61 for 7. It was a good declaration, because the remaining batsmen would probably have been shot out anyway, and it made sense to get Royal in while the wicket was still lively. Also, it was a challenge. How would Royal respond?

The crowd did not have to wait long for an answer. There was a buzz of excitement when Vairavanathan came in himself with Unamboowe to open Royal's second innings. Neither of them had ever been an opening batsman, but Vairavanathan could never refuse a challenge. The gauntlet had been thrown down, and he was letting it be known that it was being unhesitatingly picked up. Royal were going for a win. The match was alight.                    

Then came disaster. Titus produced two beautiful out-swingers to dispose of Unamboowe and de Silva, and Jayawickrama was walking out with the scoreboard reading 4 for 2.

Vairavanathan and Jayawickrama, cricketing colleagues throughout their school careers, set about the most important rescue operation of their lives with the assurance of professionals skilled in their craft. There were no time-wasting mid-wicket conferences.  The Thomians tried desperately for the additional wicket that might have ripped the innings apart. Titus and Bandaranayake moved the ball sharply in the air, and Barrow's off-breaks bit and spun over afoot, but in this vital half hour the batsmen tamed the attack with impressive confidence and technique, Vairavanathan playing strokes, Jayawickrama defending, both clearly in control.

The taming accomplished, Vairavanathan switched to full-scale attack, driving, hooking, cutting until he was out for a fine forcing 38, the score 69 for 3 after a priceless partnership of 65. The value of the stand was underlined when wickets began to tumble again, until Van Twest held out while Jayawickrama gradually opened out. Soon after Jayawickrama got out for 39 Vairavanathan declared at 105 for 8, leaving the Thomians 191 to win in 140 minutes - a perfectly timed, sporting declaration which gave both sides a chance to win.

Royal's first objective was to break the opening partnership before tea. By then the early afternoon moisture had dried out, the wicket was playing true, and the openers were in no trouble against the new ball. This time Vairavanathan brought on left-hand spinner Arichandran and moved up to silly mid-off for a catch. The batsmen only played down the spin with extra care. The stock response is to move even closer, or bring up another fielder. Mahes Rodrigo, Royal's charismatic coach, and a master strategist, had impressed upon Captain and team the need to use their heads in this kind of deadlock. Crowding a good batsman would often merely freeze him up without producing a catch. More subtle tactics were required. Vairavanathan dropped back to extra cover. Sure enough, Keerthiratne, freed from the inhibition of a close fielder, drove at Arichandran after a long spell of defence, hit too early, and Vairavanathan had the satisfaction of taking the catch himself.

After tea came the unforgettable final session, Ian Pieris came in at No.3 and soon made It clear that the Thomians in their turn were going flat out for a win. He led the onslaught with an exhilarating display of powerful strokes, and Samuel scored fluently. To add to Royal's problems a light shower began to fall, not enough to affect the wicket but enough to make bowling and fielding a nightmare. The fifty partnership came up at well over a run a minute. Sixty, seventy, and then came the first break. Pieris went for a big hit off Ubhaya de Silva, mistimed, and the ball soared up square on the off, spinning like a top. Unamboowe, Royal's star fielder, was at cover. Even under normal conditions it would have been a tricky catch, but one he would have taken with ease. Now, as he positioned himself under the bail, he had the presence of mind to recall how greasy the ball was, and, superb fielder though he was, would not trust himself to take this vital catch the normal way. In a marvel of daring improvisation, he let the ball hit his chest and simultaneously closed his hands over it. OutwentPieris forabrilliant 47. This was to be the first of five successive dismissals, all crucial in which Unamboowe was to feature. Jayalingam came in and soon took over where Pieris had left off. Runs flowed unabated. Then Unamboowe struck again. He was bowling to Jayalingam when the batsman pushed him to the off and went for a short single. Faster than the off-side fielders, Unamboowe pounced on the ball. Jayalingam scampered back. Unamboowe swung round, saw Samuel stranded well down the wicket, but no one at the bowler's end to take the throw, because it had all happened so fast. He ran for the bowler's end, found himself being outpaced by Samuel, and aimed a quick underarm throw which broke the wicket. Samuel run out 51.

Jayalingam, as if to avenge the run out, unleashed his dazzling array of strokes. He was the most exciting Thomian batsman, and in his swashbuckling way he even began to predict where he was going to hit the ball. The score roared past 150 for 3; only 41 more to win in Aalfan hour.

Paradoxically, this was the period that saw Vairavanathan's captaincy at its best. Even a good captain might at this stage have despaired and let the game drift out of control, or resorted to purely defensive tactics. Vairavanathan, by sheer force of personality and an infectious confidence, held the team together, and, unbelievably, kept spurring them on, not to save the game, but to win it! The side responded magnificently. Outstanding were Unamboowe, bowling and fielding with sustained hostility; and Hewavitarne out on the boundary, who cut off several fours with brilliant one-handed pick-ups at top speed.

And now Royal's persistence began to earn its reward. The untiring Unamboowe bowled Yatawara. 154 for 4, and only 37 to win in half an hour, which should be simple with Jayalingam completely dominating the bowling. Vairavanathan was nothing if not resourceful. If Jayalingam was too good for the bowlers, he would try something else. He waited until Jayaiingam came to the non-striker's end with Unamboowe bowling and altered the field, changing his own position from mid-off to very deep mid-off, and making sure that both batsmen registered his own new location. Unamboowe pitched up on the off. As Inman made the anticipated push to mid-off, Vairavanathan was racing in. In the meantime Jayalingam, according to plan, had backed up and set off for the run without looking round (why should he, when he had noted a moment ago that Vairavanathan was at deep mid-off, and that a push would yield a quick single?). Too late Inman noticed that Vairavanathan was fifteen yards closer than he was supposed to be, and tried to send Jayalingam back. Vairavanathan picked up, took time to ensure that his throw was exactly over the stumps, and Unamboowe equally coolly flicked a bail off. Jayalingam was run out by yards for 33, victim of a match-winning trap.

Hardly had the applause died down before there was another sensation. Inman hit Unamboowe straight back overhead, a full-blooded drive that should have hit the sight screen first hop. Unamboowe, off balance after the delivery, recovered in a flash to leap into the air and take the red-hot drive cleanly in his left hand, the arm perfectly vertical and at full stretch at impact. It was a stunning catch that brought the crowd to its feet. 162 for 6.

Royal supporters breathed easier. With their fastest scorers out, the Thomians would have to struggle to get 29 more runs in 20-odd minutes. No one seriously considered the possibility of a Royal win except Vairavanathan. In a prodigious final effort he summoned up all his resources of skill and leadership towards the task of getting four wickets in the last 20 minutes. There was an unerring touch now to his bowling changes. He brought Arichandran back, and Titus snicked a catch to keeper Dharmaratne. He came on himself for the final spell, and had Samarasinghe stumped. 173 for 8. 18 to win, 15 minutes left, the sudden realisation that Royal could win, the crowd roaring encouragement to both sides, the atmosphere electric. Wignarajah replaces Arichandran and bowls Barrow. 177 for 9, 14 to win, 7 minutes to go, still anybody's match, and the tension unbearable. This is the time a side can crack, this is the time to keep calm, this is the time, above all for leadership. Vairavanathan rallied his team, called for a supreme effort, and took the ball himself. No one was better equipped for this situation. He was an accurate bowler of slow medium off-breaks, and, most important at this time, he could outwit any batsman.

A good length off break, and batsman Jayawardena plays back. As Vairavanathan walks back he flashes a glance and a smile at the off-side fielders. In the heightened rapport among the team there is no need for words. Instantly they get the message. Vaira is going to keep the ball up on the off to find a way through the batsman's defence. If in the process he is driven to the off, the off­side cordon must take the catch or cut off the four. They nod back at him. Understood, we're with you. Another off-break, a little further up, and again the batsman plays back. Vairavanathan continues probing with a ball flighted higher this time, and Jayawardena just manages to fend it off. The next one is pitched still further up and flighted even higher. The batsman has been playing back with increasing difficulty. Back or forward to this one? He prods hesitantly, misses, the ball is through and heading for middle and off stumps, the bails go flying, and Royal has won.

Pandemonium breaks loose. Thousands of jubilant, whooping Royalists erupt on to the field and charge for Vairavanathan. They collar him and hoist him aloft, then look for the others. The whole team is carried triumphantly back to the pavilion.

What a finish! At 5.45 the Thomians seemed certain to win by 6 or 7 wickets. At 6.15, just 25 minutes later, Royal had won by 13 runs! All honour to both sides and to captains Vairavanathan and Inman for their determination to go for a decision and scorn a draw. Royal fought their way through from adversity to victory. The Thomians played glorious cricket in that last unforgettable session. Royal thoroughly deserved to win. St. Thomas' didn't deserve to lose. The margin of victory remains the narrowest since 1881.

One final tribute. Cricket is a team game, and every member of the Royal team pulled his weight, with Unamboowe magnificent in the last session. But if ever a match was won by inspiring, intelligent captaincy, it was the Royal-Thomian of 1951. Vairavanathan, take a bow.

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