Bertie Wijesinghe – Cricketer for all Seasons!
Many are the occasions in first class cricket when the game reaches a crisis – there is the batsman who, without compunction, is ripping the side and there’s no bowler to get him out; conversely, there is the bowler who is striking terror by wrecking the batting side and there’s no batsman who would be equal to the task; and then, there is the fielding side on its off-day where catches are being grassed with gay abandon and there’s no fielder in the side who, by example, would stem the rot!
If one were to find a cricketer who would meet the demands of all these challenges it would naturally have to be an all-rounder of the highest caliber as was Bertie Wijesinghe in his day. He walked into the sunset this week after the Good Lord drew stumps ending a glorious knock of 97 years—three short of the Century that would have pleased all of us who knew and admired him.
Over six decades ago when he was playing for Sri Lanka, he was “just the man any captain would have liked to have in the side” C.I Gunesekera, the Ceylon Cap once told me. Bertie, who had played with him, “was the Captain’s darling with his disciplined and quiet approach. He was the man for all seasons.” CI continued: “As a batsman or bowler or fielder he had few who matched his style and capability. At any stage of the game Bertie could come in and wrap it up”!
He was a magnificent fielder – especially in the covers. Many were the batsmen who had only got a start for a run when a throw from Bertie would have the wicket shattered!
Quite a few stories could be recounted of Bertie Wijesinghe, the fielder. One tactical incident was when Sri Lanka – then Ceylon – met the Pakistanis. Imtiaz Ahmed with the reputation of a centurion was at the wicket. At mid-on was Sri-Lanka’s Makkin Salih who, on that day, was a little slow. Imtiaz found it convenient to hit to mid-on and steal to few runs. Bertie was fielding in the covers and having noticed this waited for drinks to arrive to put to effect a plan he had in mind. After drinks, Bertie quietly switched places with Makkin Salih but wore Makkin’s cap. The unsuspecting Imtiaz Ahmed’s next shot was again to mid-on and Bertie had Imtiaz run out in a flash! It was only as Imtiaz walked back to the pavilion did he realize the new fielder at mid-on who was doffing the borrowed cap!
As a bowler Bertie was a medium pacer who had the ability to cut the ball both ways.
Using this skill, there is that memorable hat-trick that Bertie performed when the SSC, years back, toured Bombay. Many a Captain, when at crossroads would toss the ball to him and play the “Bertie Trump Card.” The record book shows him bagging a hat trick against St. Benedict’s College, Kotahena.
As a batsman old Thomians would recall in the Mustang Tent the time when Bertie, as a fresher in the Royal – Thomian, under Donald Fairweather threw caution to the winds and boosted the low morale of the Thomians with three consecutive drives to the boundary; and in his first Royal – Thomian – made twin half-centuries. In the following year he steered his school to victory returning figures of 3 for 33 and 5 for 67 and scoring 55. He captained the Thomian team that won the 1939 match by 5 wickets. He crowned his outstanding school career with an unbeaten double hundred- 235.
Bertie had the rare distinction in his career of having coached St. Thomas’. St. Benedicts and Trinity. He coached the Ben’s teams in 1959 under Lionel Fernando, 1960 under Elmo Rodrigopulle, ’61 under Sanath Jayawardena, ’62 under Ranjit Fernando,’63 under Quintus Perera and in 1964 under Sunil Fernando.—all captains of national repute. And it was at Trinity that he mentored Kumar Sangakkara.
Bertie Wijesinghe’s name adorns the record book for the long partnership he maintained with Lucien de Zoysa – as cricket commentators. They were a class of their own and one that we have not seen ever since in our country.
As the turf is laid to lie softly over him, its blades will sway to the hosannas as Bertie transitions to the Pantheon of Sri Lanka’s Cricketing Greats. He will be welcomed by his peers under the care of the Good Lord for having been the finest of Gentlemen he remained to the end. -M.V. Muhsin