I met Kamal Samarasinghe in 1970 when he played first XI cricket at S.Thomas’ College against St Benedicts. I myself had been at S.Thomas” Prep, for five years and had fond memories of my time there. St Thomas’ to me was a second home. Kamal was a wicketkeeper and a batsman of no mean repute.

Our paths did not cross till we matched wits against each other at cricket. He with the bat and I with the ball. Memory fades but some remain despite the advent of time. Thomian openers in 1970 were Ravi Sathasivam and fresher Kamal Samarasinghe. The Thomian-Bens match heralds the school’s first XI season at the end of the first weekend of each year. Coming into the season was Kamal with an eighty-something against Prince of Wales and a fifty vs St Sebastians, upstaging Ravi. P L D Kariyawasam was leading them again whilst I was skip of Bens.

Bens had made a paltry 127 and the Thomian openers placed them on a sound footing at stumps with Kamal getting 38 and Ravi twenty-plus to close at 68 for two. I was cock a hoop coming into this game having got 6 for 9 in the previous year to bundle them for 42 runs but a repeat was thwarted when Kamal nonchalantly ignored the swinging outswinger. The game was drawn but Kamal had made a point. Kamal would bat giving none away with bat and pad close together. He placed a high price on his wicket and was extremely selective in his shot selection in building an inning.

We were to forge a firm friendship when both of us ended at the same Company in 1978. Kamal joining as an Accountant from AMS and me from the Police. Our Office was in front of the Oberoi (that was what it was called then) and right adjacent to S.Thomas’ Prep on the seaside. Others to join were Ajitha Pasqual of Royal fame with Lalith Wijayasekara the Royal and Sri Lanka Hockey goalkeeper. A motley bunch if ever. With extra time in our hands, we were often pitching our wits at Chess in a loft room (he taught me what a fool’s mate was) or walking to the Taj Samudra sea fish restaurant to lunch where Kamal’s father G V P Samarasinghe frequented along with the Army Commander Sepala Artygalle et al. Kamal’s dad was the Cabinet Secretary at the time. More often than not Kamal’s father noticing us would pick up the tab but never engaged us in a conversation. I was quick to realize where Kamal’s nonchalance was honed.

 Kamal and I had finished playing serious cricket. He at SSC and I, in the Police. Soon, we were drafted to play for Burgher Recreation Club at Sara Trophy level. I recall BRC playing against CCC. Gehan Mendis fresh from English County Cricket had been drafted to open for CCC. He had great scores in England, and much was expected of him. Even as opponents we were looking forward to his batting. Ranjit Rajapaksa was very quick, and he bowled the first over to Gehan who was all grace and but watchful. Stroking a single he crossed to take the second over which was mine. The first two balls were big swinging outers which Mendis left. The third was from way outside leg swinging into him. He almost played two shots as the ball came like a slow-moving boomerang and hit him around ankle height plumb in front. Kamal lost his usual stoic self and burst into laughter. I asked why he was laughing when the rest of the team was clapping. “Even his second shot was too early”, was Kamal’s reply. Cheeky. 

Two seasons that we played together at BRC cemented our friendship before Kamal tied the knot. Shirakthi, affectionately called Dinky snared Kamal and there he lost his nonchalance. Or rather was not allowed to. The young couple left our shores to deep Africa. Some godforsaken place called Kaduna and we lost contact briefly. We did meet time and again when he visited Sri Lanka, often at his estate in Weligama, where we filled the gaps and reminisced of a time gone by. Coincidentally I was posted to Sydney in 2015, by which time Kamal and Shirakthi had already settled down in Canberra. Kamal had given up smoking by this time despite introducing me to that habit and decided to have two children instead. Shi Ara and Manuk have done their parents proud.

 Amongst my busy schedule in Sydney, I found it exhilarating to visit my mate in Canberra to spend a weekend with Kamal and Shirakthi at their lovely home in Canberra. We reminisced over good times gone by, often bending our elbows. We found solutions to all the problems of the world quite forgetting that our generation had contributed to them partly. It was fun and relaxing nevertheless.

We played together at the RoyTho seniors in Sydney and Canberra. I qualified through my stint at Prep, but the Royalists insisted that I was an import. By this time Kamal couldn’t bat and I couldn’t bowl as before. The enjoyment was yet the same. A near fifty-year-old friendship with a kind, gentle and intelligent Thomian to his bootlaces, has been a silver lining in my life. We were of a kindred spirit. Shirakthi, Shi Ara, and Manuk are the icing on his cake.

Thank you for the memories mate. Throw a shrimp on the barbie for me.

Esto Perpetua  Kamal. Cheers too.

Lal Wickramathunga  (former Sri Lanka Consular General NSW & QLD, Australia)