Sachin a wicket keeper with a future

It is Cricket crazy time in Sri Lanka with the greatest cricketing extravaganza the ICC World cup being played on home soil. In spite of this mega spectacle the Schools Big Match fever too has managed to maintain its spirit on a high note. In fact the oldest inter school cricket match in the world between two rival schools ‘the Battle of the Blues’, played between Royal College Colombo and St Thomas’ College Mt Lavinia. This year it will be the 132nd Battle of the Blues and will be played this week at the SSC ground.

There have been many note-worthy performances in this series and some of which are etched in memory for a long time. There have been great fight backs from both schools time and time again and the greatest Thomian fight back was witnessed in 2009 at the 130th Battle.

Royal going out as favorites were truly on their way to a resounding victory after just one and half days in this three day game. After scoring a formidable 313 runs in their first innings Royal dismissed the Thomians for a paltry 99 runs in their first innings. Following on 212 runs behind, just before the lunch on the third day, the score board read a precarious 285 for 6, with 73 runs to win and only 4 wickets in hand with more than 2 sessions of play left. It was then that a mere 15 year old lad by the name of Sachin Peiris walked in to the middle to face the hat trick ball of Haroon Mawjood who was in a mesmerizing spell of high quality spin bowling. After adding a very valuable 57 runs for the 7th wicket with his senior partner Salim.

Thereafter it was Sachin Peiris all the way as he played the innings of his life to hold the Thomian batting together in a fighting knock of 59 before he was adjudged run out. Eventually the Thomians scored a massive 411 all out which is the highest total in the history of the battle of the Blues.

He also accounted for a brilliant catch in the Royal second innings to dismiss Kithruwan Vithanage which made Royal put down their shutters and play safely for a draw.

It was “Thomian Grit” that was in display in all its glory and underlined that it was not a myth. This big match in 2009 signaled the arrival of the talented Thomian wicket keeper batsman Sachin Peiris to the cricketing arena.

Sachin has not looked back ever since and this year he is the vice captain of the St Thomas’ College team. He has already scored more than 650 runs this season with 6 half centuries and 1 century. The century he scored against Zahira College was a mammoth effort occupying the crease for more than 400 minutes and facing 276 balls stroking 13 fours and one over the fence. In fact he was the stand in skipper for that match as the regular captain was indisposed. St. Thomas’s went on to score 290 runs on the back of Sachin century in reply to Zahira’s 193 all out.

He is also an agile wicket keeper and has accounted for nearly 50 victims this season behind the wicket. He is a natural wicket keeper and proves the old adage, that “Wicket keepers are born not made”. He has been a wicket keeper batsman from his small days and has captained St. Thomas under 15 and under 17 sides leading his side to the quarter finals of the all island inter school cricket tournaments for the respective age groups.

He also represented the Sri Lankan schools under 15 cricket team on its tour to Malaysia in 2008 and was in the Sri Lanka under 17 National squad for its tour to India in 2010.

Sachin also balances his cricket with studies and he obtained 7 A’s and 2 B’s at the GCE Ordinary level examination last year. He is presently following London A/L at St. Thomas’s College. Asked for his future ambitions he says “with God’s blessings I would like to captain my alma mater St. Thomas’s College to victory over Royal next year in the big match and do well in life be it cricket or studies. After all, my ambition is to be a responsible citizen of this country.”