(1893-1899)
by
F. L. GOONEWARDENA

I think I was particular fortunate in being at St. Thomas' College, during a period when Thomian cricket was at its strongest and during a period when St. Thomas' College turned out its finest products of the game. Between 1893 and 1899 we lost one out of seven matches against Royal which was our only School rival and we more than held our own against the leading clubs, who had occasion in those times to put forward their strongest teams to meet us unlike at the present day. When I first joined College in May 1893, I was as keen as mustard on the good old game and soon found that I had tumbled into very congenial surroundings. I well remember being told of Edirisinghe's 66 against the Royalists, of Shelton de Saram's "Yorker" which fetched the wicket of the Royalist captain Van Rooyen, of Wickwar's catch in the far field which also accounted for Van Rooyen's down­fall in another match, on the very first day I arrived in College. The thing that struck me most was the splendid organisation at St. Thomas'. There was the Big Club where all the bigger boys met every evening to play serious cricket. The cricket captain and the next senior first XI man chose sides and downright serious cricket was played with more enthusiasm and earnestness than one sees at present in the inter-school contest. Mr. Stephens was on one side and Mr. Schneider on the other and about 25 formed a side so that one had to be jolly good to come through such training. The Small Club had exactly the same kind of practice and Mr. Stephens used to visit the small boys three times a week. The first XI in 1893—1894 was a powerful side. F. Dias, who was captain, was a hard-hitter, a fine fast bowler and a capital field. Then there were the brothers Shelly and Fred Edirisinghe, two of the finest right-hand batsmen one could wish to see. Claude Orr was another. Shelton de Saram and Christopher de Livera were the crack left-hand batsmen of the team, while 0. G. de Alwis, Jim Ludovici and Rambukpotha were a fine array of left-hand bowlers. Harry Jansz was wicket-keeper and Herbert Bartholomeusz the change right-hand bowler of the side. It was a splendid side and scarcely lost a match. It was during this period that I first came into touch with J. A. Scharenguivel and D. L. de Saram who were unquestionably the greatest pair ever turned out by a Ceylon school. It was the big event in the Small Club— the Day Boys vs. the Boarders. Scharenguivel captained the Day Boys and Douglas de Saram, a lad of twelve, was the last choice in the Day Boy's team. I well remember a huge partnership on the Boarders' side when Ondatjie and Bartholomeusz each were unbeaten with over fifty. In despair Scharenguivel singled out the small boy of the side and Douglas de Saram broke up the partnership by "yorking" both batsmen in his first over and ultimately got seven wickets for a few runs. I well remember Mr. Stephens telling some of the first XI including the elder brother Shelton, "Learn how to bowl from that Baby." Scharenguivel himself created a sensation by knocking up 70 in that match, but Douglas failed after making two big off-drives.

I instinctively felt that these two boys were destined to play a big part in the world of cricket, and today we know that they have made history. Mr. Stephens never tolerated slackness and he always insisted that a school boy must perfect his defence before he attempted to score and he always set a high value on fielding. It was a treat to see O. G. de Alwis at cover or mid-off and Shelton de Saram in the slips or in the outfield. Scharenguivel soon found his way into the eleven and played four years though had he been in school at present when the age limit is 20 we should have seen him playing for about seven years. As right-hand batsmen during my time the two Edirisinghes, Claude Orr and de Alwis must take first rank. The Edirisinghes were masters of leg-side play-was great on late cutting and extra cover-driving while de Alwis with his straight bat like a picture plate from one of the Books on Cricket was tremendous on the off drive and the square leg pull. Gooneratne was another first rate batsman but was not the physical equal of the above. For defense I have never seen the equal of E. M. Anthonisz. He had a hawk's eye and the patience of Job and was an invaluable asset in a team. Of our left-hand batsmen of course Scharenguivel and Douglas  De Saram will be remembered by generations as the two greatest left-handed batsmen turned out by St. Thomas'. It was my privilege to play with both of them in the same team and I well remember  the unbounded confidence with which we always entered the field. If we won the toss one or I these left-handers got going and set things right. If we lost the toss they soon bundled out the I side without a change in the bowling. We had several other left-handers during this period  of course, suffered by comparison, but Shelton de Saram, Jim Ludovici, Christopher de Liven and Rambukpotha would have all taken high places as batsmen at any other time. Of left-hand bowie had quite a surfeit; it would be a difficult task to say who the best left-hand bowler was during them under review. O. G. de Alwis was really dangerous and had many brilliant performances to his credit. He was particularly good on turf and I well remember his remarkable feats on the C.C.C. ground I would not undertake to say that de Alwis was a better bowler than Jim Ludovici or Scharenguivel or Basil Tennekoon. They were all classy bowlers who always required watching. Erick Arndt Rambukpotha were also a couple of rare left-hand bowlers.

Of right-hand bowlers I think I must place Claude Orr, A. E. Abeykoon, Douglas dei and A. C. Amath as the most effective quartette. Orr was perhaps the most classy bowler of his ci Abeykoon had an off-break and length which I have failed to discern in any school bowler during it past 20 years. De Saram and Amath of course are familiar to us. There are many who think that de Saram was at the top of his bowling form in 1898. We had some very fine wicket-keepers during this period, O. G. de Alwis again being perhaps the pick of the basket. Harry Jansz, E. N. Abeykoon, Mark Gooneratne and A. J. R. Scharenguivel were all as good as the wicket-keepers of our first clubs. The finest fielders during this period in my opinion were O. G. de Alwis, F. Dias, J. A. Scharenguivel and A. F. Molamure. Having had the opportunity of watching the Eton and Hi match in 1912, I unhesitatingly say that men like de Alwis, J. A. Scharenguivel, D. L. de Saram, Claude Orr, Jim Ludovici and the Edirisinghe brothers were quite up to first-class English Public School! an opinion with which famous old cricketers like Col. Ward and C. Brooke Elliott have concurred.

(Reproduced from "Royal vs. St. Thomas' — A Complete Record" by E. W. Foenander)

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