Category Archives: cricket for amity

March 26, 2023 · 5:30 am

Cricket Crazy Cricket! Abbott and Costello Capers from the Sri Lankans at Eden Gardens

Michael Roberts

I happened to watch most of the Sri Lankan innings against New Zealand at Eden Gardens today the 23rd March 2023. I had no great expectations as I anticipate losses in all their matches in the seamer friendly conditions over there.

Henry Shipley’s maiden five-for came in just his fourth ODI  •  AFP/Getty Images

However, ….. however, ……. the performances at Eden Gardens had touches of craziness jumbled together with idiocy. If the batting revealed measures of clumsiness, the running between the wickets suggested touches of Abbott and Costello at their most comic.

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March 26, 2023 · 1:11 am

Serving Sri Lanka: Skandakumar on Mevan Pieris

Somachandra Skandakumar’s Address at the Launch of Mevan Pieris’s THE COMMUNITY,21 March 2023 … with highlighting imposed by The Editor, Thuppahi

Chief Guest Professor G.L Pieris, Guest of Honour, the  Reverend Warden Marc Billimoria, distinguished Guests, Ayubowan ,Vanakkam, Assalam Aleykum, Good evening,

It was three years ago that an equally eminent Thomian Anura  Tennekoon invited me to speak at the launch of his book. Today I am privileged again by one of similar standing and must thank Mevan for the opportunity. Such moments merely reinforce the values of our two great Institutions, where the fierceness of competition on the playing fields have led to the strongest of bonds off it .

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March 25, 2023 · 9:06 pm

In Suspense: The Hundredth Royal-Thomian Match in 1979

Richard Simon  … with highlighting imposed by the Editor Thuppahi

The 1979 Royal-Thomian cricket match may not actually have been the hundredth in the series, as it was proclaimed to be, but was certainly regarded, at the time, as the most important Royal-Thomian ever played. Richard Simon’s forthcoming book, STC: The Unauthorised History, captures not only the game itself, but also much of the behind-the-scenes competition, lobbying, manoeuvring and occasional skulduggery that accompanied the selection of coaches, team members and other important participants. Below is part of Simon’s description of the match.

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March 24, 2023 · 4:00 pm

The Royal-Thomian Cricket Match: Its History

Uthpala Wijesuriya, in The Island, 17 March 2023,where the title presented is  “The Earth’s Greatest Rivalry” … while the highlighting in this presentation has been imposed by a Thuppahiyaaaaaaaaa.

The Royal-Thomian or the Battle of the Blues, the world’s second oldest uninterrupted cricket battle, will unveil for the 144th consecutive year this week. The encounter pits the boys bearing the crests of the Elephant and Palm Tree against those bearing the Cross and Dove.

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March 23, 2023 · 3:58 am

Monga’s Incisive Analysis of Australia’s 50 -Over Triumph

Sidharth Monga, in ESPNcricinfo.com, 22 March 2023,  “Zampa and Co stifle India to take series 2-1″

Australia snatched the No. 1 ODI rankingAustralia Outplay India in Final Fifty-Over ODI and snapped India’s four-year unbeaten series streak at home with a thrilling win in the defence of 269 in Chennai. Australia went all in from the moment they won the toss and gambled against the dew by choosing to bat on a dry and soft surface. They attacked the new ball in the powerplay, but kept attacking, which resulted in quite a few starts but no fifty.
Adam Zampa claimed 4 for 45  •  BCCI

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March 22, 2023 · 4:01 am

TW Roberts R.I.P. ……. July 1976

A Vale in[1] Appreciation, From Miss Norah Roberts                                                                                                            Fort, Galle,  10th July 1976

Letter to: The Editor, “Sunday Observer”, Colombo

  T.W.ROBERTS ……………………………. An Appreciation[2]

At the age of 17 my father, Thomas Webb Roberts won the Barbados Scholarship from Queens College, Barbados, and entered the Oxford University where he passed both the Classical Mods and Grates in the first class before he was 21. He topped the list in the open competition for the Colonial Civil Service. He also found time to get married when he was only 18, to my mother[3] who was also 18. When he came out to the C.C.S. at 21 he had 3 children, Isabella, T.F.C and G. C. Roberts.[4]

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March 18, 2023 · 2:40 am

India beat Australia in Hard-Fought 50-over ODI Match

Hemant Brar in Cricinfo, 17 March 2022 ... where the title reads  “Rahul, Jadeja stay cool to seal tough chase of 189”

India 191 for 5 in 39.5 overs (Rahul 75*, Jadeja 45*, Starc 3-49) beat Australia 188 (Marsh 81, Shami 3-17, Siraj 3-29) by five wickets

KL Rahul might have had trouble in Test cricket of late, but he once again proved his worth as an ace No. 5 batter in ODIs with a high-quality half-century in tough batting conditions to give India the series lead in Mumbai.

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March 15, 2023 · 3:32 am

In Appreciation of Dr Carlyle Perera’s University Cricket Career

Merrill Gunaratne, in The Sunay Island, 9 October 2022, where the title reads  “Carlyle Perera : Doyen of University Cricket”

 Dr.Carlyle Perera of St Joseph’s College and University of Ceylon who died a few days ago was a gifted cricketer, well known in cricket circles in the 1950’s and 60’s. He left his imprint on University cricket by winning the Saravanamuttu cricket trophy in 1962-63. It was a unique achievement, for not only did he wrest the trophy from the monopolistic control of established clubs, but also created a record by achieving a feat unrivaled before or after by the University.

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March 6, 2023 · 11:13 pm

Don Bradman at Cricket in Ceylon in 1930 …. Yes, 1930

Rex Clementine in The Island, 5 March 2023, where the title reads  “New book says Bradman played at CCC in 1930”

All of us cricket nerds have heard stories of Sir Don Bradman’s visit to P. Sara Oval. There are a couple of images too; one where he strides out to bat and another where he walks alongside Ceylon skipper Mahadevan Sathasivam for the toss.

 

There are other famous stories as well about how the greatest batsman the game has seen appreciating the scoreboard at The Oval and him finding out the inadequacies of the pitch. Some even believed that P. Sara Oval was the only ground in Asia where Bradman had played.

However a new book ‘An Island’s Eleven’ by British writer Nicholas Brookes reveals that Bradman had played at Maitland Place in 1930 en route to England for the first time. Brookes’ book is a well researched document on Sri Lankan cricket and gives a vivid description of cricket in the island in the pre- Test era. The writer has spoken to many stalwarts of Sri Lankan cricket from S. Skandakumar to Kumar Sangakkara and elaborates how the game evolved.

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March 4, 2023 · 7:32 pm

The Tall and Short ‘Storeys’ in Cricket Commentary

Tony Greig and Sunil Gavaskar take to the field with A ‘Mike’

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