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The Lord's of Sri Lanka cricket

by Sa'adi Thawfeeq

February 17 marked the twentieth anniversary of Sri Lanka as a Test-playing nation. The day passed almost without notice. The day is one, which all Sri Lankan cricket followers and those connected with the game will cherish. It was the day that Sri Lanka played England in their inaugural Test at the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium.

The event was one of joy and happiness because it marked an end to seven years of trying to convince the international ruling body for the sport, the International Cricket Council (ICC) that Sri Lanka were good enough to be granted full membership of the ICC and prepared to play Test cricket.

It was former Pakistan captain Abdul Hafeez Kardar who initially proposed to the ICC in 1974 that Sri Lanka be granted Test status, but for reasons best known to the ruling body, Sri Lanka's case was deferred until July 1981 when finally, Gamini Dissanayake, a high ranking cabinet minister and then president of the BCCSL, finally managed to convince the hierarchy at Lord's that the time had come for them to stop the stepmotherly treatment meted out to Sri Lanka and to take up the case seriously.

That the Saravanamuttu Stadium was chosen as the venue for the first Test was in itself quite appropriate. In the pre-Test era it was the only international ground of repute this country had, and all visiting teams played on the hallowed turf.

Some of the cricketing giants of the game bestrode the ground wielding their willows with gusto and breathing fire to extract that extra bit of bounce and movement off the pitch which to this day still remains, one of the best in the country.

The Colombo Oval or the Wanathamulla Oval as it was initially referred to was constructed from marshland in 1940 by the first president of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL), P. Saravanamuttu, who was also president of the Ceylon Cricket Association (CCA) as it was known then. The ground was renamed in 1976 in honour of this great man and became the 53rd Test venue when it hosted the inaugural Test against England in 1982.

Sri Lanka winning the toss and batting first made 218 to which England replied with 223. By the end of the third day, Sri Lanka were strongly placed to put pressure on England finishing at 152-3, but a dramatic collapse on the fourth day triggered by England off-spinner John Emburey, who achieved a spell of 5 for 5, saw Sri Lanka lose their last six wickets for just eight runs off 68 balls. England left with 171 for victory knocked the runs off losing three wickets to win the contest by seven wickets. Sri Lanka were in no way disgraced and were given due credit by the visiting English journalists for the plucky fight they put up to be in contention on the first three days of the Test.

The Test was notable from Sri Lanka's viewpoint for the performance of a schoolboy by the name of Arjuna Ranatunga, who made the country's maiden Test half-century. He was to leave an indelible mark, both on and off the field, in a long and distinguished and sometimes controversial career that followed.

But 17 months later, at the height of July 1983 ethnic conflict, a group of persons stormed the Sara Stadium and burnt down the pavilion and bar. It was a sad and tragic day for Sri Lanka cricket, which, for almost four decades had depended entirely on this single venue for its international commitments.

"It was equally sad that the BCCSL at that time, did not offer any assistance for restoration," recalled S. Skandakumar, a former BCCSL secretary.

Two years after the sad turn of events, the Sara Stadium was the venue for Sri Lanka's first-ever Test win. They beat India by 149 runs, but lack of funds and the absence of BCCSL support, led to an inevitable decline of the stadium and, after August 1994 when Sri Lanka played Pakistan in a Test, it was totally sidelined from international cricket.

Four years later, Skandakumar on being elected president of the Tamil Union C&AC, to whom the Sara Stadium belonged, initiated the redevelopment of the stadium.

"It was a huge team effort run in four laps. Chandra Schaffter initiated the first in early 1998, the committee of my time ran the second and third vigorously. Tryphon Mirando, the current president ably supported by equally committed office-bearers, did an outstanding anchor lap to ensure the completion of the dressing room (assisted by the BCCSL) and the sports complex," said Skandakumar.

Perhaps the best compliment made about the stadium came from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Tim Lamb who wrote: "We recall with sadness the events of 1983 on your stadium because I know that the 'Oval' to Sri Lanka cricket was, in many ways, what Lord's is to us today. I have no doubt that you will receive the fullest support in your efforts to restore the stadium to its former glory".

The BCCSL has thrown out a challenge so to say, to the Tamil Union, that if they can have the media centre finished by July this year, Test cricket could be restored to the Sara Stadium with the visit of Test cricket's minnows Bangladesh, who are due to play two Tests.

Like Sri Lanka who struggled for 'Test status' of the ICC, the Tamil Union membership has a challenge ahead of them to win back 'Test status' for the Sara Stadium.

There is no Gamini Dissanayake in the Tamil Union hierarchy to do it for them, but certainly there are members competent enough to take up the challenge and succeed.

Being among a handful of surviving journalists to cover the inaugural Test at the Sara Stadium, it would be quite appropriate to proudly say that 'I was there' when Test cricket returns to this time-honoured venue.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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