Happily the administration of Sri Lanka Cricket is back on an exciting path. Yes, there have been controversies but at the end it is for the sustainable benefit of the game that competing parties yielded to a no-contest Annual General Election held on Thursday.
Sri Lanka Cricket the most eyed body among all sports bodies in the country had several allegations levelled at it including legal action and threatened with dissolution and an Interim Committee appointed as it faced all these vicious bouncers. That they came out victorious is great credit to them.
Those opposing Kanagadiran Mathivanan, Bandula Warnapura and Nishantha Ranatunga threw in the towel and withdrew from the contest with the present set taking over power with a broad smile uncontested. Knowing full well that the Mathivanan team, to use cricket parlance would suffer an innings defeat, pulled out of the contest. It left their supporters having to drown their sorrows.
Now that the Silva administration has retained power, it is best that their critics rise above parochial interests, accept the umpire’s ruling and let those empowered with the daunting task of putting SLC on track to continue doing the good work.
We have the power set of: incumbent Chairman Shammi Silva, Vice Presidents Jayantha Dharmadasa and Ravin Wickremaratne and Secretary Mohan de Silva, to rely on.
The shining star in the world cricketing firmament among the four and who has been an example to all holding office in national sports bodies is that leading businessman Jayantha Dharmadasa. Even when Dharmadasa held the high post as Chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket he led a clean administration and there was not even a whisper of any allegation pasted on him.
Being the Chairman of the Navaloka Hospitals and steering several other successful companies under the Navaloka business umbrella to success, he has it in him, not to bow to pressure and not have his name sullied with a scratch of an allegation.
He is described as being squeaky clean and he will see that allegations made against the SLC are sent to the garbage pit, by keeping it clean because all Test playing nations will be watching.
Bens please note
The committee members of the old boys associations of Wesley college and St. Benedict’s College must be congratulated for successfully conducting the first ‘special match’ between the two reputed colleges, although rain interrupted.
Wesley playing the better cricket won the match on the first innings played at Kotahena and carried away the Rev Hartman trophy to Borella. The one-day game had to be postponed owing to the spread of the dreaded covid-19.
Now in saying this we are not trying to belittle the good work done by the Bens Organizing Committee. While respecting the great Rev. Bro. Luke Gregory a former Director of the Green, White and Green school in whose memory the one-day game was to be contested, would have been more appreciated and acknowledged had the one-day game being contested for the Rev. Bro. Alban Patrick Trophy or Shield.
We say this because it was during Bro Alban’s period as Director of SBC from 1954 to 1958 that the ground saw the laying of turf wickets. Not only that Bro Alban also set in motion the building of the pavilion, which all Bens could be proud of because no other school in the country is in possession of such a magnificent pavilion.
What prompted Bro Alban to perform these two great and memorable deeds was because in 1957 the college produced the first ever unofficial unbeaten cricket team where the team led by Lovelly Rayen beat every other school on the first innings.
Going down memory lane the coach was Edward Kelaart, Prefect of Games A. Gnanaprgasam and the curator the unforgettable Rogus Perera who once the turf wickets were laid looked after it and the ground that was like a billiard table as they belonged to him.
No other Director of SBC in its history has done so much for the college and its sports activities and it was wonderful to see the pavilion named after Bro Alban Patrick after much controversy. The name board stands proudly on top of the pavilion.
The naming of the pavilion was proposed by the late Army Commander Cecil Waidyaratne one of the finest opening bowlers produced by the college and seconded by the one and only cheer leader of that era Kenneth Dabrera who also prides himself as being the shortest goalkeeper the Colombo University had at 5 feet 4 inches.
It must be mentioned that in 1964 Sunil Fernando’s team beat all schools to emerge champions with Sunil’s brother Ranjit who was the Guest of Honor in the two-day game also a member of that team.
One must also congratulate Lalith Madapulli and his efficient committee for finally getting this game off the ground. Madapulli, in addition is doing a helluva lot of work for the college and its progress and activities and is said to be a man of less talk and more work. Old boys of the caliber of Madapulli is the need of the hour with the college going through a transitional period.