Dear Fellow Royalists
In our earlier email to you, we invited all the over 50 year OBA members who were interested in participating in “Seniors” cricket this season, to contact our games coordinator Janaka Subasinghe ASAP.
After receiving confirmation from 27 guys, we have now finalised our “over 50’s” cricket schedule for the season 09/10.
As advised previously we intend giving all those “over 50 year old “ guys, who have shown interest in playing cricket with us this season, when possible, at least 2 games.
Based on this , the organisers have chosen the following to represent us in the first game of the season, to be played against the over 50 year old, Jaffna Central College boys.
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The Team:
Mahen Selvarajah (Captain), Tony Rankin ( Wicket Keeper ), Channa Atukorala, Indra Jayawardena, Anil Galappatti, Vipula Godamune, Deva Mylvaganam, Suren Chanmugam, Nad Balgunan, Sudharshan Shanmugarajah, Uma Kulenthirsrasa & all the way from ACT Gane Sanmugaratnam .
The game will be played on Sunday the 1st of November 2009, at “ Upjohn Park “, Kirby Street, Dundas , NSW 2117, starting around 12.30pm. This will be a 30 overs per team game.
Obviously we expect you and your friends to turn up and cheer the oldies, as well as catch up with all the latest gossip, at the game.
Back in , until 1971, Royal used to play against Jaffna Central soon after the Royal Thomian big match. We are not sure why this fixture was discontinued after 1971, but we are reliably informed that it had nothing to do with our own Pras Kariyawasam appearing in the 1st eleven side in 1972, and refute rumours that the legendary Kariyawasam appetite for “palmyrah toddy” and other hard substances!!! made the College authorities think twice about sending a team to Jaffna ..
For those of you, who might not know much about Jaffna Central College , our man “JP” has dug up some important facts to ponder .
The school was started by Wesleyan missionaries on the 1st of August 1816, making it one of the most recognized and oldest schools in . Cricket was introduced to this school in 1881 and their first “big match” encounter against Jaffna St. Johns * took place in 1901. This Methodist Christian School became a Government school in 1960 like many other Christian schools of that time.
Here is one more trivia, passed on to us by “JP” , for you to digest. Lloyd Lieversz, a Dutch Burgher & patriarch of the “Lieversz clan”, ie. father of Douglas ( big match winning Royal cricket captain – 1923 to 26 ) and Eardley Snr ( cricket coloursman – 1926 & 27 ) , grandfather of two subsequent Royal cricket captains , one of whom won the big match as well and one well known Royal rugby captain, attended Jaffna Central when it was a modest institution called “Vembadi Pallikoodam”, and received instruction in English and Tamil. Lloyd Lieversz was born in Point Pedro and spent 16 years of his life there, until 1890. His mastery of Tamil was so complete that he was consulted by Colombo Tamils on matters linguistic. In addition he taught Tamil to distinguished English civil servants during his life time. Unfortunately none of his off springs mastered the Tamil Language & in the case of his grandson “ECLL”, not even simple, every day English !!!!!
Looking forward to fun day with your presence.
Oh ! by the way, We intend playing with another set of 12 old Royalist against the Jaffna St. Johns* over 50’s, on Sunday 22nd of November , at the same grounds. As usual, we will remind you again before that game
Yours truly,
Over 50s organising sub committee
