INTERNATIONAL CRICKET VENUES IN SRILANKA – By Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam On Wednesday February 17 1982, when Bob Willis bowled to Bandula Warnapura, Sri Lanka became the eighth test playing country in cricket. That moment was none symbolic than the country arriving as a force in cricket. The honour of hosting that match fell on Colombo Oval, later renamed as P. Saravanamuttu stadium, the home ground of Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club. In seven months since ICC decision to grant test status to Srilanka in July 1981, preparations had been made for this match, and more than £100,000 had been spent on modernising that venue, to increase the capacity to more than 20,000. Subsequently tests and international games have been staged in other venues such as Sinhalese Sports Club, Asgiriya ground Kandy, Galle esplanade, Premadasa stadium, Colombo Cricket Club, Dambulla stadium, Pallekele stadium and Rajapakse stadium. * Oval – Saravanamuttu ...
History of Festival of Cricket UK – By Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam Concept of conducting a cricket tournament among old boys associations in the UK was the brain child of GC Perera of Ananda, whose proposal was accepted by his OBA and intimated to other OBAs. Thus the first event was started in 1989 with the participation of six OBAs viz, Ananda, Royal, St. Anthony’s, St. Peter’s. St. Thomas’ and Trinity. It is the biggest sporting event among the Srilanka community outside their motherland. It offers them a day of entertainment in the form of food, music and funfair in addition to watching cricket. It brings together people of varying interest, and gives the opportunity for them to meet with their old school mates and friends. Surplus funds collected from the event is distributed equitably among the participating OBAs to be used for the welfare of their parent school in Srilanka. ...
Tale of two Institutions – Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam Image Source : wikimedia Front view of school Image Source : Merchant Taylors linkedin Aerial view of school Image Source : routeyou Grounds with Pavilion Merchant Taylors’ School, London Merchant Taylors’ School, one of the leading boys’ school in England was established in central London in 1561 and moved to the present location in the Moor Park region in 1933. It was founded by Mr. Thomas White. It stands on 285 acres of land with 10 cricket pitches. The school colours are Black and Gold and the motto is “Concordia Parvae Res Crescunt”. Royal College Colombo, Sri Lanka Image Source : wikipedia Front view of school Image Source & Feature Image Source : rcu Aerial view of school Grounds with pavilion Royal College which is the premier government boys’ school in Sri Lanka, was started in central Colombo in 1835 and moved to the present ...
Emerging Evidence of Pre-Historic Civilisation in Srilanka – By Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam It is told in history books that a group of exiles from Bengal arrived in Srilanka, over powered the inhabitants, set up their kingdom in Anuradhapura and started a glorious civilisation. Recent archaeological findings have emerged to the contrary to this established view point by proving the existence of ancinent civilisation prior to this. When 4000 year old civilisation is being unearthed along Vaigai and Thamiravaruni rivers in Tamil Nadu, which is only 25 miles away, to say that Srilanka remained uncivilised, cannot be accepted. In several parts of the world, civilisation took effect along rivers and Srilanka is not an exception to this phenomenon. The river plains in Srilanka where ancient civilisation had blossomed are along Aruvi Aru (Malwattu Oya) and Yan Oya, flowing out at Manthai and Pulmoddai respectively. Anuradhapura was made capital, as it was ...
Rewriting Srilanka history based on scientific findings – By Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam Image Source : tamilnet Mahawamsa which was first written by Bhikku Mahanama, has documented the history of Srilanka since the 3rd century CE. Though the record has been accepted as correct in most instances, there were discrepancies in para-history and proto-history. The concept of origin of Sinhala race as a result of union of a male lion with female human which is not biologically possible, is not acceptable. Also, the narrative regarding Lord Buddha making three unaided flying visits to Srilanka which is not feasible, is not tenable. This makes the early part of Mahavamsa text prone to be challenged. As for proto-history, Mahawamsa is largely silent. It does not say about the people who inhabited the land and their civilisation. Modern advances have exposed data contrary to entrenched beliefs. It is postulated by geologists that Srilanka had once ...
History of Royal College Crest – By Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam (Excerpts from the book History of Royal College published in 1981) Royal College crest serves to identify the school from other schools and gives a seal and significance to documentation. However it had not been mentioned in any writing prior to 1892. As Ceylon was crown colony of the British Empire, the imperial emblem – The Lion and the Unicorn was the badge of the country. As Royal College, then known as Colombo Academy, was a government educational institute, it had to use the British Royal Arms. The first display of Royal crest was in the first College magazine of 1893. Subsequently there had been alterations made to Royal crest in 1910 and 1912. In 1922, the government sanctioned the issue of the new crest in place of the one used in the past. Description of the ...
Brief History of Royal College Boarding House (Hostel) – By Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam (Excerpts from the book “Royal College School of our fathers” compiled by D.L. Seneviratne) The first boarding house of the Colombo Academy was established in San Sebastian in 1868. It had about 20 to 30 boys and the principals who lived in the premises, joined the boarders often for breakfast and dinner. Mr. Ashley Walker became the first boarding master in 1876, and cricket teams at the beginning were composed mostly of boarders. The boarding was on top floor of the main building, which was previously the Government House overlooking the Beira Lake, with a splendid view of the sea. The boarding was closed on around 1905. There was stern resistance to establishing the boarding again, as it was deemed to be a day school. However in 1939, due to much effort by RCU, a spacious bungalow ...
Swinging & Tampering of Ball – By Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam ...
INTERNATIONAL CRICKET VENUES IN SRILANKA – By Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam On Wednesday February 17 1982, when Bob Willis bowled to Bandula Warnapura, Sri Lanka became the eighth test playing country in cricket. That moment was none symbolic than the country arriving as a force in cricket. The honour of hosting that match fell on Colombo Oval, later renamed as P. Saravanamuttu stadium, the home ground of Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club. In seven months since ICC decision to grant test status to Srilanka in July 1981, preparations had been made for this match, and more than £100,000 had been spent on modernising that venue, to increase the capacity to more than 20,000. Subsequently tests and international games have been staged in other venues such as Sinhalese Sports Club, Asgiriya ground Kandy, Galle esplanade, Premadasa stadium, Colombo Cricket Club, Dambulla stadium, Pallekele stadium and Rajapakse stadium. ...
HISTORY OF TEA AND CRICKET IN SRILANKA – By Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam (Excerpts from the book by David Colin-Thome) Following British colonization, coffee had been introduced to the contours and elevated central districts by 1830. However from 1860, coffee industry was progressively decimated by the coffee rust disease. In 1867 when the Scotsman James Taylor cleared and planted tea in 21 acres at Loolecondera, its implications could not have been realised at that time, which later created an unprecedented prominence for the country. When tea industry flourished planters and executives employed in the trade, contributed to the development of cricket. Though the first cricket club (Colombo Cricket Club) was formed in 1832, it was not until four decades later that the game finally took root in the country. In some way the period in which tea was introduced, coincided with establishment and organization of cricket further, steadily increasing the popularity ...
