Cricket At St. Sylvester’s – A Proud History

A school which has reached great heights in the field of cricket is St. Sylvester’s College, Kandy. The school is celebrating its 70th year this year and during this period it has had a proud cricketing history. Over the years the school has produced some fine cricketers who have gone on to represent top clubs, the district, and the country with distinction.  The school’s past cricketers are now planning to organise a six-a-side tournament among the Kandy schools’ past cricketers.

In 1955 St. Sylvester’s College made a modest beginning by playing a few inter school matches. Their first inter school match was against Vidyartha College, which is today their big match.

The first school team was coached by J.Denlow and Ronnie Stephen. The side was led by T. Direckze and had players like Nihal Pelpola, T. Sathyamurthi, H. Dias, T.G.M. Peries, N. Ratnayake, Vernon Nanayakkara, V. Croos, U.Ariya Chandra, I. Heppenstol, M. Direckze, V.W. Wanigasekara, R.Tilly, and U de Silva. The rector at the time was Fr. Paulinus Vedakapattany. It was M.E. Marikar who became the first Sylvestrian to play representative cricket, at a time when St. Sylvester’s College had not taken to cricket in a big way. He played for Moors SC, Sinha Regiment, Kandy Lake Club, Kandy Sports Club and Central Province. Nihal Samarasekara   became the first to play for the country — before we got test status. Ishak Sahabdeen was the first test player, and then there was Nimal Lewke. A fine spinner, in 1967, he was placed second in the Schools’ Best Bowling list. He later played for the Police and Government Services. Malcolm Perera, the present Sri Lanka Cricket Coaching Manager, his brothers Anton and Roland, David brothers — Gerad, Kingsley, Sydney and Rodney, N. Herathge, Jayatilake brothers  — Rangith and Bandu, Gerry Alexander Hidalarachchi, and Mervyn Rodrigo all did well. Rodrigo was the first Silvestrian to win the ‘best outstation school boy’ award.

Some of the other outstanding players were T. Thirimane, Iqbal Haniffa, Rajarathne brothers Prasana and A.S., Sarath Basnayake, Nimal Rajakaruna, Motha brothers Quintus and Brenly, Colombage brothers Edward and Ranjith, Sena L Wijesinghe, Hassan brothers T. S, Kamil and Baba, Michael Denlow, M.H.M. Niyas, M. Nazeem, T.E.Badurdeen,L.S.B.Cabral,M.S.M.Fazal, M. Ayub,I.F.A.Nanayakkara, S.I. Premacahandra, Tudor Gunaratne, Marikar brothers Hilmy, Foumy and Faleel, Tikiri Kobbekaduwa the present Central Province Governor, Namal Hettiarachchi, A. Kodithuwaku, J.G brothers. Thilakasiri and Udayatilake,A.S.Dange,M.Y.M.Fazleen,S.Daluwatta, T. Jayasekara,Ajith Wanasinghe, C.N.B. Rajapakse, Mervyn Perera, Anura Devapriya, C.K. Rajapakse, S.Samidon, D.J.S. Keragalle, Chnaka Wijasinghe, Ranga Dissanayake, Tharaka Jayasekara, Arosha Perera, Shiraz Ajireen, S. Gunasekara, A. Abeyasekara, Vandort brothers Duncan and Malcom, Anil Gunawardene, and Hemantha Wickramaratne.

Undoubtedly 1994 was the greatest year for St. Sylvester’s cricket. Under Roland Perera’s coaching and   late Bertie Nilagoda’s stewardship as principal, the school won the all Island League Championship but they were deprived of the ‘double,’ when they got knocked out in the semi final by Ananda College.
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