Royal College Cricket Team, 1931
Source:Thuppahis
Mevan Pieris, adding a Note to the photograph of the ROYAL COLLEGE CRICKET TEAM of that year which Thuppahi secured via the descendants of JCW Rock, a Sri Lankan descendant of a Barbadian in the Ceylon Civil Service.
Royal was captained by F.C. de Saram who scored 140 in Royal’s 1st Innings total of 258. The Thomians were captained by Robert Senanayake and were skittled out for just 60 runs. Following on the Thomians got 218 with N.A. de S. Wijesekera scoring 105 runs. F.C de Saram as the opening bowler got 6 wkts for 52 runs.
Royal scored the required runs of 26 for the loss of 2 wickets and won the game by 8 wkts.
NOTES & REQUESTS From The Editor, Thuppahi
A = I would appreciate bio-data about all the young gentlemen in this photograph and links to the living generation (noting that I have email links with Dijen de Saram in Colombo already; while wondering whether OOsh Chanmugam is still batting).
B = As fas as I recall, I acquired this photograph from Michael de Zoysa whose father Lucien de Zoysa (another talented cricketer) married Jean Rock, the daughter of JCW Rock, a West Indian in the CCS.
C = FC de Saram went on to attend Oxford University and performed the unique distinction of scoring a century for the University against the touring Australian cricket team led by Bradman.
FC de Saram in Military Uniform for Ceylon reservists .[for e.g. on duty during 1958 anti Tamil pogrom]
Derek de Saram in pensive reflection watching at his beloved SSC ground … [maybe in the late 1960s?]
