This blog is about new entrants to the Colombo Medical Faculty of the University of Ceylon (as it was then known) in June 1962. There were a total of 166 in the batch (included 11 from Peradeniya).Please address all communications to: colmedgrads1962@gmail.com.You may bookmark this page for easier access later.
Header image: Courtesy Prof. Rohan Jayasekara, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo (2011 - 2014). Please use the search bar using a key word to access what interests you
This post is mainly for cricket fans who have been following the game from early days. There are well known names among those who had played for their respective schools in 1957. Among them Prof. AH Sheriffdeen (no introduction needed here), the late Lasantha Fernando (National tennis champion) who married our senior Dr. Manel Bogollagama and father of former internationally ranked tennis player Lihini Weerasuriya, Sports journalist Elmo Rodrigopulle, former Army Commander the late Gen. Cecil Waidyaratne (whose brother Dr. Kulasiri did the 6 months course with us in 1961), the late Major General Lucky Algama who died in a bomb explosion during an election rally.
Lionel Fernando was in the famous Nomads cricket team under DH de Silva that scored some 900 runs in an innings in a Sara Trophy match. DH's brother DP and Anu Polonowita also played in that team. DP and DH were brothers of Sri Lanka cricketer DS de Silva. I think Lionel Fernando also played a few matches for All Ceylon. Allan Gunasekara and Rayen were good hockey players as well. Together with Elmo R and Neville Casiechetty, both of them played for Tamil Union later.
Anton Rambukpotha and Ranjit Doranegama were at the Peradeniya Arts Faculty.
I recall with much nostalgia the great school matches and the fine cricketers when the game was played by gentleman. I recall watching cricket in the blistering heat in many of the school grounds including Asgiriya, Randles Hill, St Anthony's Katugastota, Galle Esplanade in addition to the many in Colombo. Ah! those were the days. Where have all those years gone?
Lucky, my knowledge of cricket won't cover the surface of a cricket ball but I find the above and the link you included fascinating. Cricket in the 50s takes me back to my memories of my brothers playing cricket for their school and me acting as score keeper as my brothers and neighbours played cricket in our garden. At least one of them played in St Benedict's team. He is no more, sadly. Thanks a lot! from Zita
As quite a few of us (including Zita) have been keen followers of the game over the years, I will be starting this as a new thread (like Creative Spot). Let me assure ND that Wesley won't be forgotten. I will probably have to tap his own Double Blue International website at some time. I have that and Speedy's website in my favourites list.
1958-61 I lived with my parents in Kolonnawa. Our neighbours children went to Ananda and that family was mad over cricket. Hence I was taken to all the Ananda matches home and away. Ananda then became my adopted side and got to know the teams well. Yatagama Amaradasa became my hero.
Thank you Lucky for posting this very interesting topic. From 1954 I have not missed a Royal-Thomian cricket match unless I was abroad. In 1997 I came for the match from England. During the last few years in school we used to traverse the streets of Colombo in an old "croc"in fancy dress. Our RC 1954 group has being meeting annually since the 1960s on the Friday night of the Royal -Thomian cricket match without a break. For the last few years it is a lunch on Sunday after the match (Problems of night driving as we age!) I used to watch most other cricket and rugby matches that our school played since 1954.I also used to watch the Stubbs Shield boxing meet and the Public Schools Athletic meet and Group meets. Sanath
Reading the enthusiastic exchanges amongst all of you about this fantastic subject of cricket, I start to think, what makes this game special? I who never played it remember that my father supported England and my brothers Australia in international games and they would have heated arguments on the subject. I think it is because cricket is one of those games which is 'civilised' has all the elements of leisure, thrill, skill, and one can spend a sociable time with friends watching it at the stadium or in your sitting room (watching it on tv, but note: No TV at that time in the 50s) and there is an element hero worship and there is fairness, so much, that we say 'it is not cricket' in common speech. Well that's enough! And cricket can bring out this comment from, Zita
I knew that sooner or later, this topic will draw a comment from Sanath. Unlike him, I have never watched Stubbs Shield boxing, but was always an interested spectator at inter school cricket, Clifford Cup Rugby and the Public Schools meet for the Tarbat Cup. I have seen only one boxing meet at the Stadium Sports Club, Bambalapitiya where Sumith Liyanage was pitted against Hector Ekanayake (My classmate at Ananda and Sumith's brother Lakhi Liyanage who is now in UK and his wife will be joining us on a 9 day tour of China on October 25th)
At the Tarbat Cup (Athletics) there were excellent athletes during our school days. WDM Abeysekere(Royalist) used to win many events(long jump, hop,step and jump 120 yards hurdles and was also a member of the relay team). He competed regularly with Vijitha Wijesekera (younger brother Rohitha was in our junior batch) in the hurdles and Vijitha used to beat him. JC Fernado and his younger brother Asoka used to win the 440 yards event. Royal. St. Josephs and Ananada used to dominate the Tarbat and Jefferson cups at that time. My class mate Darrell Lieversz (whom I met in Melbourne last May) was an excellent athlete and cricketer and went on to represent the country in both games. He broke the 440 yards national record of Dr.HMP Perera (paediatrician) in 1962. It was the longest standing track record at that time as HMP established it in 1948. HMP and Duncan White competed in the Empire Games together. Darrell holds both the National records for the 220 yards and 440 yards which would never be broken because we went metric after that!.Darrell also ran through the Pakistan cricket team in Colombo, captained by Javed Burki and we went on to win the match. Sanath
Thanks for the link to "Quadrangle" which I found of great interest.
ReplyDeleteAwait Ananda, Nalanda, Royal, St. Thomas' teams of the late fifties
ReplyDeleteI recall with much nostalgia the great school matches and the fine cricketers when the game was played by gentleman. I recall watching cricket in the blistering heat in many of the school grounds including Asgiriya, Randles Hill, St Anthony's Katugastota, Galle Esplanade in addition to the many in Colombo. Ah! those were the days. Where have all those years gone?
ReplyDeleteLucky, my knowledge of cricket won't cover the surface of a cricket ball but I find the above and the link you included fascinating. Cricket in the 50s takes me back to my memories of my brothers playing cricket for their school and me acting as score keeper as my brothers and neighbours played cricket in our garden. At least one of them played in St Benedict's team. He is no more, sadly. Thanks a lot! from Zita
ReplyDeleteAs quite a few of us (including Zita) have been keen followers of the game over the years, I will be starting this as a new thread (like Creative Spot). Let me assure ND that Wesley won't be forgotten. I will probably have to tap his own Double Blue International website at some time. I have that and Speedy's website in my favourites list.
ReplyDeleteGreat, look forward to some cricket nostalgia. My life was consumed by school cricket in the 1950's
ReplyDelete1958-61 I lived with my parents in Kolonnawa. Our neighbours children went to Ananda and that family was mad over cricket. Hence I was taken to all the Ananda matches home and away. Ananda then became my adopted side and got to know the teams well. Yatagama Amaradasa became my hero.
ReplyDeleteLucky, you seem to have touched the right spot! Go man go!
ReplyDeleteThank you Lucky for posting this very interesting topic. From 1954 I have not missed a Royal-Thomian cricket match unless I was abroad. In 1997 I came for the match from England. During the last few years in school we used to traverse the streets of Colombo in an old "croc"in fancy dress. Our RC 1954 group has being meeting annually since the 1960s on the Friday night of the Royal -Thomian cricket match without a break. For the last few years it is a lunch on Sunday after the match (Problems of night driving as we age!)
ReplyDeleteI used to watch most other cricket and rugby matches that our school played since 1954.I also used to watch the Stubbs Shield boxing meet and the Public Schools Athletic meet and Group meets.
Sanath
0
Reading the enthusiastic exchanges amongst all of you about this fantastic subject of cricket, I start to think, what makes this game special? I who never played it remember that my father supported England and my brothers Australia in international games and they would have heated arguments on the subject. I think it is because cricket is one of those games which is 'civilised' has all the elements of leisure, thrill, skill, and one can spend a sociable time with friends watching it at the stadium or in your sitting room (watching it on tv, but note: No TV at that time in the 50s) and there is an element hero worship and there is fairness, so much, that we say 'it is not cricket' in common speech. Well that's enough! And cricket can bring out this comment from, Zita
DeleteI knew that sooner or later, this topic will draw a comment from Sanath. Unlike him, I have never watched Stubbs Shield boxing, but was always an interested spectator at inter school cricket, Clifford Cup Rugby and the Public Schools meet for the Tarbat Cup. I have seen only one boxing meet at the Stadium Sports Club, Bambalapitiya where Sumith Liyanage was pitted against Hector Ekanayake (My classmate at Ananda and Sumith's brother Lakhi Liyanage who is now in UK and his wife will be joining us on a 9 day tour of China on October 25th)
ReplyDeleteAt the Tarbat Cup (Athletics) there were excellent athletes during our school days. WDM Abeysekere(Royalist) used to win many events(long jump, hop,step and jump 120 yards hurdles and was also a member of the relay team). He competed regularly with Vijitha Wijesekera (younger brother Rohitha was in our junior batch) in the hurdles and Vijitha used to beat him. JC Fernado and his younger brother Asoka used to win the 440 yards event. Royal. St. Josephs and Ananada used to dominate the Tarbat and Jefferson cups at that time. My class mate Darrell Lieversz (whom I met in Melbourne last May) was an excellent athlete and cricketer and went on to represent the country in both games. He broke the 440 yards national record of Dr.HMP Perera (paediatrician) in 1962. It was the longest standing track record at that time as HMP established it in 1948. HMP and Duncan White competed in the Empire Games together. Darrell holds both the National records for the 220 yards and 440 yards which would never be broken because we went metric after that!.Darrell also ran through the Pakistan cricket team in Colombo, captained by Javed Burki and we went on to win the match.
ReplyDeleteSanath