Story of the inaugural 50-overs Royal-Thomian match in 1975
Extracts from an appreciation by Wg Cdr E H Ohlmus (SLAF Retd)
Lankanath De Silva was a founder member of the 43rd Group of Royal College. He was also at Lake House, The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd, functioning as the Director Operations, and serving as its Acting Chairman on numerous occasions, between 1978 and 1989.
An Old Royalist and former All- Ceylon Cricketer, wrote this about the inaugural Royal Thomian limited over Cricket match in the Daily News (16.3.95): -
Lest it gets wrongly established in history, I would like to point out that the first one day limited over match between Royal and S. Thomas for the Mustangs Trophy was sponsored and inaugurated in 1975 by the 43rd Group of Royal College, and not the Mustangs as wrongly believed.
Lanka, was quite taken aback when he read this in the papers, but remained non-committal. However,the late Brigadier Denis Hapugalle was livid and took a no nonsense attitude. He immediately contacted the secretary of the inaugural committee who responded with a clarification in the Daily News (27.3.95). Excerpts from this clarification is worth recalling here:- The article on 16.3.95 in the Daily News prompts me to supply further and perhaps hitherto unpublished facts as to how that first encounter came to be staged. It was indeed Lanka Silva, AVM Harry Goonetilleke and Brig. Denis Hapugalle, who at a bridge table thought of a limited overs match to follow the Royal-Thomian the previous weekend. This bridge session took place at the old Air Force Officers Mess (where the Colombo Renaissance now stands). Two other Air Force Officers made up the usual quintet. Later Wg Cdr Noel Fernando and Mr Tissa Gunaratne were contacted to get the nod from the two principals. Two meetings were held in the CCC pavilion Lanka Silva advanced funds and an account was immediately opened at the People’s Bank Head Office. Lanka Silva who was also Chairman of the Gymkhana Club handled ground arrangements. Two cricket bats were presented by Brig Denis Hapugalle and Wg Cdr Noel Fernando at the end of the match, AVM Harry Goonetilleke arranged for the stumps to be burnt and the Ashespreserved for the future.
Before the game, a group photograph of the two teams and the organising committee was taken. It was the three Royalist founders at the bridge table who invited me (a Josephian), to act as Secretary of the Committee only for the reason that I was one five at the bridge table that evening.
Tissa Gunaratne and Wg Cdr Noel Fernando were the other members of the Organising Committee. Lanka treasured the memory of his role as the proactive Chairman and the group photograph, which appeared in the Daily News on Saturday March 19, 1998, and which also adorns his home at Maitland Crescent bears Testimony to an efficient, effective and dedicated group, led by Lanka, who got the first ball bowled in under a week!
THE FIRST MUSTANGS TROPHY MATCH
The first Royal -Thomian limited overs match for the Mustang Trophy was played at C. C. C. Grounds on April 12, 1975, nearly one month after the Main Battle of the Blues Encounter.
It is well known that the originators of this first match were three staunch Old Royalists, namely Mr. Lanka de Silva, Air Vice Marshal Harry Goonatilleka and Brigadier S. D. N. Hapugalle.
Mr. Lanka de Silva was the first chairman of the organising committee. The committee was well supported by the media who had given them the fullest exposure to conduct this maiden encounter. Thanks to the initiative of this trio of old Royalists, the game has gone from strength to strength thereafter.
During the first match, there was a moving scene in front of the Mustangs Tent during the tea interval. The two skippers, Prasanna Kariyawasam and Mohan De Silva walked back for the tea interval carrying with them a stump, which was later burnt by Mr. Robert Senanayake President of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board, himself an old Thomian captain. The flame burnt on amid the sounds of the two school anthems sung by the crowd. Later the ashes of the stump were entombed in the Trophy.
The following awards were given away at the end of the match which was won by Royal on a technical point when rain interrupted play just after the tea interval.
Enomal Mendis
Sydney Australia