- Golden Era of Sri Lankan Cricket
- Memories That Linger
The glorious game that originated from the empire on which the sun never sets, became the pride of a tiny island in the Indian Ocean for once in history, pushing Ceylon Tea to second place. Fond memories keep replaying in my mind as the stature of this sport keeps fading over the years on that tiny island.
My mind jumps to a beautiful year of Sri Lankan cricket. In 1984, the lion flag rose high at Lord’s, the home of cricket, erasing the cricketing world’s doubts about Sri Lanka gaining Test status. A memorable score of 190, which we still cherish after forty years, came from the bat of an elegant player who played in the true spirit of the game, during that one-off Test match. The following year, 1985, was remarkable. The island recorded its first Test victory, completed by a fine bowler with a one-handed catch off his bowling at the P. Sara Stadium on a September evening. We certainly enjoyed the public holiday declared to celebrate this historic win, which came just a few years after gaining Test status.
As I remember, 1995 was also a productive year for Sri Lankan cricket and then came 1996, the year we conquered the Everest of cricket. On a beautiful night under the lights at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, a dashing batsman, calm and fearless in the worst situations, was nearing his hundred. He became only the third player to score a century in a World Cup final, following two mighty West Indians. He completed his hundred with a comfortable boundary. “A hundred by a fantastic batsman,” the commentator said; words I remember vividly even after 28 long years. Steering the ship through severe storms, with hard work and courage, the captain himself was fortunate enough to score the winning runs.
And soon it was 1997, my final year at Law College. I remember how we rushed to the R.Premadasa Stadium, skipping our morning lectures, to witness a record partnership between a fearsome blaster batsman and a quiet gentleman of the game. Believe it or not, my friends and I returned to our lectures feeling disheartened because we failed to enter the stadium to watch these two super knocks, a triple century and a double century. That was the historical test match which is still recorded in the books as having the highest team total in an innings – 952/6d.
Good old days, a penniless sport where gentlemen played for the love of the game. It was an honour to wear the lion cap. They played in style as true ambassadors of the country. The boundary line remains the same; a hit over it is still a six, overstepping it is still a no ball, and hitting the wicket still means the batsman is out. What and where did it go wrong? ‘Financial rewards’ have replaced ‘fundamental values.’ ‘Quality’ is now a rare word and it’s all about fame and wealth. Hairstyles and accessories have become more important than decency and discipline, well maybe I am old-fashioned.
Since childhood, I was glued to the television and radio, choosing cricket over studies, much to my mother’s dismay. My father had no complaints, as he was the one who introduced me to watching and reading about cricket. Despite the sport’s fading stature, I’m still grateful to it, as it kept me smiling when the nation was covered with the dark cloud of war. Over the years, I’ve come to realise that more than the nature of the sport, it is the players that matter most. They were like family, and we truly cared for them. They sacrificed individual glory for team strategy, with an overwhelming team spirit. Their dedication and discipline made us proud TO BE SRI LANKAN. And that’s how they earned a permanent place in our hearts, without an expiry date, beyond the numbers they left behind on the scoreboard when they retired from the game they loved.
By Thimali De Silva – Sydney, Australia
