Remembering a great Friend – Randy De Silva – By Peter Wijeratne & Yohanne Samarasekera
Source:Thomiana – S.Thomas’ College Old Boys Association Australia Branch Newsletter
I have been asked to pen a few lines about my cricketing buddy Randolf DeSilva and I am delighted to do so. Randy as we all knew him was a fantastic friend to have and I had the privilege of playing alongside him in the 1985 and 1986 Royal Thomian Cricket encounters.
Randy to me was a very consistent and genuine friend. Someone who I lost touch with for a long time but when we met again it was as though we hadn’t lost our connection at all. That no doubt is the sign of a true genuine friend who was always someone we all could count on.
Randy’s passing was a shock to all of us and difficult as it is life must go on and it is with great
fondness that I write these few words about Randy my cricketing mate.
Randy was one of the first mates to visit me when I came to Australia and offered a helping hand in any which way he could and I will never forget that of him. In a time when I had come to a strange land Randy had already established himself and was always giving me good tips and advice on how to move around and get things done.
During our many social encounters I was mesmerized as to the amount of detail that Randy brough up about our cricketing days at STC and all the nuances and hints of conspiracy that went with them.
Randy and I played college cricket when it was expected for batsmen to play within the V for the 1st few overs and hit a ball only when it was a half volley. While that being the norm I personally think that it curtailed Randy’s batting skills to a certain extent. He was a classic free flowing left hand batsman who had the natural ability to slash a good length ball over extra cover for a boundary only to be told off by the coaches at the time that it was not the way to bat. I reckon if Randy was allowed to bat with his free flowing Symonds bat that he used he would have been another Sanath Jayasuriya before slashing and driving on the up was a norm rather than an exception.
Cricketing skills aside, Randy was always the guy who rallied the boys together for a social gathering and kept the flag flying. There was never a social occasion which we didn’t finish without the College song. Esto Perpetua.
Yohanne Samarasekera was a fellow teammate who was much closer to Randy than I was as a friend so Yohanne will also share a few thoughts about our dear mate Randy.
