RONALD JOHNSON REID 87 – By Ravi RUDRA
“Dear Ronnie, wishing you the Very Best of Health and Happiness on your 87th Birthday. Have a fantastic day with your family & friends along with your beloved band! – God Bless”
Ravi Rudra
(5th Oct 2024)
Stunning Royal-Thomian Batting Average of 108.33
RONALD JOHNSON REID HIGHLIGHTS OF A GLITTERING CAREER
Popularly known as ‘Ronnie’ he was one of STC’s finest opening batsmen, most prolific run scorer, and a superb athlete: a Public Schools’ quarter mile champion. Ronnie is the second of the ‘Famous Five’ Reid
Brothers of STC, one of the most prominent sporting families that Sri Lanka has produced.
A Bright Talent – About to be Unleashed
Born to John and Pearl Reid on October 5, 1937, Ronnie celebrates his 87th birthday today in Melbourne.
Ronnie joined S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia in January 1947 and left in December 1957. During that period he excelled in Athletics, Cricket and Table Tennis, and also represented the College in Rugby and Basketball. He was vice-captain of both the cricket (1957) and athletics teams (1956).
Ronnie Reid followed his record-breaking unbeaten 158 not out at the 1956 Royal-Thomian (when he broke Norman Siebel’s record of 151 n.o in 1936, which stood for 20 years) with scores of 65 & 65 n.o at the 1957 Royal-Thomian. In doing so he also broke records for both the highest aggregate (325 runs in five innings with two not outs) and the batting average – a staggering 108.33! He was awarded the Stephen Memorial Batting Awards in 1956 and 1957 for top-scoring at the Royal-Thomian.
After beginning his 1st XI career as a tail end batsman, Ronnie was quickly promoted as an opener (when he made 67, 41, 127 not out and 37 in successive games to head the team’s averages in his debut), a position he relished and mastered in his three seasons – 1955, ’56 & ’57.
Ronnie Reid in 1956 (left) & 1957 (right)
Photos courtesy of Michael Tissera
Ronnie was also an effective off-spinner, taking wickets at crucial moments, including a best of 7 wickets for 9 runs against St. Anthony’s College, Katugastota in a match at Mt. Lavinia.
‘Ronnie’s Memorable Souvenirs’ – One each from the 1955, 56 & 57 Royal-Thomian encounters. Surely no one else has a full set of stumps from the Royal-Thomian!
Ronnie plans to donate it the College Museum when travels to Colombo for 2025 Royal-Thomian. What a generous gesture on his part!
“Powerfully built, he could play with heart-breaking patience, or he could hit very hard. This ability to play either game or to mix the two made him a player out of the ordinary. His batting was founded on orthodox lines, extremely correct and seemingly without weakness.”
– JESSOP (Harold de Andrado)-
1967 photo – Ronnie Reid winner of F.L. Goonewardene Batting Shield for three successive years 1955 to 57. He scored 1,566 runs over three seasons with an average of 53.66. What a legend!
Anura Tennekoon repeated the incredible feat of winning the F.L. Goonewardene Batting Shield for three successive years in 1964, 65 & 66. When it was brought to the attention of Anura his humble response was:
“Hi Rudi, as requested checked the FL Goonewardene batting prize at the College hall and found that I had won it in 66,67,68. I was not aware of this achievement of mine. Anyway it’s a great honour to be listed with Ronnie Reid whom I consider the Best Batsman College has produced among those I have seen.”
– Anura T –
1957 was another memorable year for Ronnie who was voted Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year – a feat repeated by his brother Barney in 1965 – and was runner-up to Gamini Goonesena in the 1957 National Sports Star of the Year Competition.
Same year he was one of seven schoolboys picked to tour Malaya with the Ceylon Cricket Association team under the captaincy of H.I.K.Fernando.
Leaving school, Ronnie represented NCC (Sara Trophy Champions) and Ceylon (against Madras in the Gopalan Trophy) both under Vernon Prins – albeit in a career cut short due to work commitments during his heyday while based in Trincomalee and Galle. He also helped Aitken Spence win the Mercantile Cricket ‘A’ Division Championship without dropping a game.
“Athletics was my most favourite sport,” says Ronnie, who set the College ground record for 440 yards in 1956 with a time of 51.0s – timing better than the Pubs 440 record at that time. A few months later he won the Pubs 440 yards, beating the highly fancied Peterite Ranjith Wijesekera in atrocious underfoot conditions caused by heavy rain
I doubt if anyone else has broken the RT batting record and won an individual Pubs title in the same year as Ronnie did in 1956!
A Thomian Staunch and True
“Ronald Reid has had great success but has remained modest and unassuming.”
– Warden, Rev. Canon R.S. de Saram
In Dec 1995, Ronnie retired from Active Army Reserve service in the Australian Army.
Ronnie also helped STC win the Pubs 4 x 440 relay in both 1955 (3m 35.9s *New Pubs Record – breaking the previous record set by Royal College of 3m 37.4s) and again in 1956 in 3m 37.1s. Both years the win helped STC to share the coveted Jefferson Challenge Cup for relays with the highly fancied Royal College team.
” Winning the Public Schools 440 & the 4 x 440 relays were more satisfying than all my batting performances. Nothing to beat the feeling of breasting the tape at the finish”.
– Ronnie Reid –
Had Ronnie continued his athletics career after leaving school, perhaps in the Army (he missed out on a good position as he hadn’t completed his GCE ‘O’ Level exam in Sinhala), he certainly would have gone onto achieve greater national titles and representation at the Asian Games.
In Oct 1965 he was belatedly picked once more to open the batting for the Ceylon ‘Test’ team against the touring MCC when he top scored with an unbeaten 54 and was involved in an unbroken partnership of 59 with his brother Buddy when rain curtailed further play.
Following his migration to Australia, Ronnie, turning 40, signed off his cricketing career in style with Blackburn North Cricket Club (Melbourne, Victoria) – topping the batting aggregate and averages for two successive seasons in the local Shield grade competition – just like he did all those years ago at STC!
A Very Happy Grandad
With his Beautiful Granddaughters – Jasmine and Isabelle
With his favourite Lexington Buskers Band
“Dear Ronnie, thank you for your loving friendship over the past few years. Wishing you the Very Best of Health and Happiness on your 87th Birthday. Have a fantastic day with your family & friends along with your beloved band! Hope to see you soon in New Zealand – God Bless”
Ravi Rudra (5th Oct 2024)
