There isn’t any hue and cry, no additional publicity as the traditional clash between the Singhalese Sports Club and the Nondescript Cricket Club, takes place this weekend. Being neighbors and two teams that produce outstanding players, this game has always been a looked forward to encounter. This season the format brings the teams to clash against each other in the three day game and the one day game within the week.

It has been through club cricket that the game has produced players to the national team from the beginning when Ceylonese teams played against foreign opposition. The clash between Tamil Union and the S.S.C. was the original ‘Big Match’ amongst the clubs. This was in the pre-second world war times and the early years after. Subsequently as the N.C.C. grew in cricketing strength, the neighbors took over the ‘Big Match’ mantle.

As Sri Lanka gathered momentum in their bid to become a test playing nation, the playing standards of many clubs began to improve. Then the battle between S.S.C. and Bloomfield became the class of the Titans. Over the past two decades the top eight to ten clubs have been regularly producing evenly matched outfits. The Sri Lankan team and the ‘A’ team players being unavailable, due to international commitments often weakened sides. S.S.C., N.C.C., Bloomfield and Colts have often suffered as a result. It has provided an opportunity for other clubs to forge ahead. All a part of the evolution in domestic cricket.

During the season, Sunday would be the main day for watching club cricket, during my ‘growing up’ days, most club grounds used to have a couple of hundred spectators. Men from different walks of life used to turn up to support the clubs they fancied. In later years I learnt that there used to be plenty of betting going on amongst these groups, both on individual and team performances.

Never a hint of match fixing though! As Saturday was a half day of work both in the private and public sector, games would commence at one o’clock in the afternoon. That was the status when my club playing days began and if memory serves me right the first season of full day cricket was in 1974/75. By then the S.S.C. and N.C.C. had become arch rivals and around a thousand spectators would turn up. During that decade numbers attending began to increase both for school and club matches.

By the time test status was granted, close to a couple of thousand would witness the major club fixtures. One-dayers had also gathered popularity. It was the peak of the club game’s popularity. The print and electronic media also provided ample coverage of the games.

When my time came to move from school to club cricket, it was noticeable that past school ties existed among some clubs, in particular S.S.C. who had a majority of Royalists and Thomians, together with the Wettimuny brothers Sunil and Mithra in the side. Perhaps it was the influence of F.C. de Saram and P.I. Peiris that aided the Royal – Thomian flow to the S.S.C. They dominated administering and the development of cricket and the club during those very crucial years.

This years SSC vs NCC game in progress at Maitland Place yesterday. (Pic by Ranjith Perera)

The names were big: Anura Tennekoon, Sunil and Mithra Wettimuny, Duleep Mendis, Mevan Peiris, Sriyantha Rajapakse, Neil and Dennis Chanmugam, Jayantha Kudahetty, Ananda Jayatilleka were my mates at the S.S.C. The N.C.C. boasted of Michael Tissera, Ranjith Fernando, David Heyn, Nirmal Hettiaratchi, Joe Savirimuttupulle, Nimal Ranchigoda, Vijay Malalasekera, Vernon Caldera, Ranjan Gunatilleke, V. Mahendran, amongst their best. I was in high company, amidst players whose contributions helped raise the standards of the teams they played in and with it aided the quest for the country’s claim to reach International recognition.

Over the next decade, players kept coming in and going out of the ranks of these two clubs. For many they have been the stepping stones to reach higher levels. Of the last generation of players to grace fields around the world, Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva were born and bred from these two neighboring clubs.

Now the production line has produced Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara – two of the best players in the world. Only a fence separates the S.S.C. & N.C.C. The rivalry has been and is intense and healthy and so it will be for many, many years to come.

Ranil Abeynaike is a former Sri Lanka cricketer and curator of the SSC