By Maxie Kariyawasam
It just takes four words to describe the life and times of that distinguished Old Royalist. Conroy Ivers Gunasekera – A right Royal Achiever. As he enters the "Nervous Nineties" on Monday, one's mind goes back to the latter part of the 40's when his legion of fans wished they had their first view of this majestic and dashing figure as he strode out to face the invincible. Australian team led by that legend of cricket, the late Sir Donald Bradman. This was not to be, due to bad weather. However C.I went on to dazzle spectators both here and abroad for the next 17 years of his illustrious international cricket career with many a power packed innings which labelled him as the original master blaster produced by the country.

That he shone in Cricket, Tennis and Golf was a testimony to the enormous reservoir of talent that C.I. possessed. While still a schoolboy C.I. partnering elder brother Dallas went on to win the national doubles tennis title in 1940. In Golf too he showed immense capability and once playing with a handicap of 12 went on to defeat the All Ceylon and Indian champ, the late W. Pin Fernando, the golfing maestro. However it was cricket that made C.I. the former All Ceylon captain a living legend.

In a career that spanned 34 long years, CI playing for his Club SSC, his firm Walker Sons & Co Ltd and his country blasted a mind boggling 36 centuries. Among his most memorable innings were his knock of 135 playing for the Commonwealth XI against the M.C.C. in 1952, his record breaking 212 runs in the Gopalan Trophy Match in Madras in 1959, not forgetting his brief cameo innings in 1961 against the visiting Australians led by Ritchie Benaud where he virtually destroyed the much heralded reputation of spinner Lindsay Kline by plundering 28 runs in one over.

In real life too, C.I. went on to reach great heights when he was elevated to the covenanted staff of Walker Sons & Co Ltd on par with the British staff who manned the top executive posts there. Now in retirement C.I. leads a sedentary life, recalling those glorious days on the cricketing fields and he could proudly say in the words of that popular song of yesteryear "Memories are made of these" . The Sunday Times joins his many fans to wish him many happy returns of the day. .