Darrell Lieversz, Double International in cricket and athletics, 80 not out!
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Darrell Lieversz born on June 7, 1943 attended Royal College, Colombo, daring seam bowler, captained the cricket team in 1962. In 1961 he toured India with the Ceylon Schools Cricket team and same year he captained the Royal College athletic team. At the Public Schools Athletic meets 1960 and 1961 he won the finals of the 220 and 440 yards. He was a member of the Public Schools Athletic team that toured Australia in 1960. After leaving school he joined Colts Cricket Club, and in his first season of level one club cricket, he took 72 wickets at an average of 9.78, setting a new record for the number of wickets in the tournament.
Continuing his athletics career, he broke the 400 metre Ceylon record and represented Ceylon in the 100, 200 and 400 metres in the 4th Asian Games in Jakarta in 1962.
He made his first-class debut in cricket representing the Board of Control for Cricket in the annual Gopalan Trophy match against Madras in 1963. He went on to be selected to open bowling for Ceylon against Australia captained by Bobby Simpson.
In August 1964, he was Ceylon’s best bowler, running through the Pakistan batsman taking 5 for 40 and 4 for 28 in both innings beating a very strong Pakistan team Captained by Imtiaz Ahamed in Colombo.
He then toured India with the Ceylon cricket team in 1964-65, beating India in Ahmedabad. Unfortunately he had to give up first-class cricket after that tour since he went to work as a tea planter for the Duckwari Tea Estate in Rangala in Central Province, thus unable to practice to keep in good form. However, he continued playing cricket for Kandy and Dimbula clubs in the Daily News and Donovan Andre tournaments and was selected to represent the Central Province team to play against England (MCC) Captained by Colin Cowdrey.
In 1976 he and his young family moved to Ontario, Canada working as a production planner in North Bay and Burlington. He played club cricket in Toronto and Ottawa and baseball for the company team.
In 1986 he emigrated to Melbourne, Australia along with his wife Shanti nee Dias and their three daughters Sheani, Michelle and Dianne, where he worked for Coca-Cola. He is now retired and spends time enjoying the company of his seven grandchildren and takes pleasure in his hobbies of photography, watercolour painting and wood carving.
We wish Darrell a happy 80th birthday and Gods abundant blessing for the rest of his life down under.
- Christopher Dias