Col. F. C. De Saram - colourful cricketer

Premasara EPASINGHE

In cricket history, this brilliant cricketer can be considered as the “Most Colourful Cricketer, Coach and Cricket Administrator.” In world cricket history, William Gilbert Grace, (W. G. Grace) (1848-1915), was considered as the “Father of English Cricket”. He is a colourful personality, who captained Gloucestershire, and England and collected 54,896, first class runs and captured 2876 wickets.

The “Local Grace of Sri Lanka,” was undoubtedly Fredrick Cecil de Saram, who played for Sinhalese Sports Club and captained the Ceylon Cricket team for many years.

Versatile sportsman

F. C. de Saram was born on September 12, 1912, to a cricketing family. His father Fred, De Saram, and his uncle both played cricket for Ceylon and won their cricket colours. De Saram was reared on the playing field of Royal College, Colombo. He was a versatile sportsman, who captained Royal College in Cricket, Tennis, and Rugby Football. Academically too he was brilliant. He held the prestigious position of Head Prefect at Royal College. Further, he won the prestigious Donhorst Memorial Prize for the most outstanding schoolboy Cricketer.

Scores 140 in the 52nd Royal-Thomian

De Saram played in four Royal-Thomian encounters in 1928, 1929, 1930 and captaining Royal in 1931.

The year he captained Royal in the “52nd Battle of the Blues”, Saram scored 140 runs and was L. B. W to L. S. Gauder. Further he captured 6 for 52 in the Thomian second innings. Thomians were led by Robert Senanayake, brother of Dudley Senanayake, who played for S’ Thomas’ from 1927 to 1929 the Jubilee Match. In 1927, Dudley Senanayake remained unbeaten with 48 runs.

In this Big Match played at the SSC grounds on 12th and 13th March 1931, Royal won by eight (8) wickets. The Royal Team consisted of W. L. Mendis, B. R. Heyn, F. C. de Saram (Captain), H. R Van Dort, A. I. Weinmen, F.W. E. Porrit, A. L. Gunasekera, J. C. W. Rock, H. S. R. Goonerwardena, D. H. Labrooy and H. L. De Krester.

After leaving Royal College, he proceeded to Keble College, Oxford and studied law. Although, he was the finest batsman at either universities – Oxford and Cambridge, he was not given his due place at Oxford. Therefore, he played Tennis and gained his Blue. In 1938 F. C. de Saram joined Hertfordshire in Minor counties and in eight (8) innings, scored 479 runs with two centuries.

F. C. de Saram, in 1934, scored an “Epic Innings” of 134, probably the first batsmen to score a century against mighty Australians, which included the brilliant bowler Clarie Grimmet.

(Tests – 37, Innings – 50, Not outs – 10, Runs – 557, H.S. - 50, Catches – 17, Bowling – balls – 14,513 – Runs given away – 5231, Wickets – 216).

After returning to Ceylon, he joined SSC and excelled as a fine batsmen. The other legendary batting star of Ceylon, who captained Royal in 1930, Sargo Jayawickrema (S. S. Jayawickrema) and de Saram, who both played for Royal, later joined Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) together.

Saram and Sargo Jayawickreme were batting Artists. Their contribution to Ceylon Cricket was enormous. Both of them captained Ceylon later.

In February 1953, in the first ever Gopalan Trophy match between Tamil Nadu and Ceylon played in Chennai, De Saram led the Ceylon Team to victory. Against the visiting England side, facing the pace trio of Brian Stathem, Frank Tyson and Peter Loader and spinner Jonny Wardle, the Ceylon batsmen, scored a brilliant 43. He was at his brilliant best against Pakistan Services XI, which included A. H. Karder, M. E. Z. Ghazal, Shajjuddin - the legendary batsman De Saram was at his brilliant best, scoring 148 runs.

De Saram was a Batting Machine. In club circuit he scored centuries against Tamil Union in 1940, 1952, 1955, and 1957. He remained not out twice with 156, 126.

In the late 1950’, in a Sara Match I was playing for Saracens, under my Nalanda Cricket coach Gerry Gooneratne. The match was played at Rifle Green, (present Air Force Cricket Ground, Chittampalam A Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo 2), Mahawatte Premaratne, the brilliant off-spinner of Nalanda was operating from Slave Island Police Station End. I was keeping wickets. F. C. De Saram took a step out, hoisted the ball to the Roof of the Police Station and turned round to me, hitched up his trouser and remarked smilingly to Gerry Gooneratne, “Gerry, after five years, I lifted a ball”. The captain of Saracens, who was fielding at Gully quipped “Marvellous shot Derrick”. Both were shrewd captains and contemporary players of Ceylon. Both of them were thick buddies. Best of Friends.

F. C. De Saram was a perfect Gentleman, and a great competitor. He was a fine human being who calls a “Spade a Spade”. He is always ready to help the young cricketers. Further, he was a strict disciplinarian.

Another game thats is etched in my mind was SSC versus Saracens match played at the SSC grounds. Nalanda Off-spinner, freak-bowler Mahinda Athulathmudali, captured 8 wickets, including the prize wicket of F. C. De Saram. After the match, he called “Atu” to a side “young man if you join SSC today, you will play for Ceylon tomorrow.” Witty as ever Mahinda Athulathmudali, replied in characteristic style “Thank you sir, for your very kind offer. Sir, you grant me the Ceylon Cap today. I will play for SSC tomorrow. Saram was taken back. “Son, that’s a bloody good one” stated great F. C. De Saram.

F. C. Saram retired from first class cricket in 1960. This remarkable, jovial, lovable, cricketer, who enjoyed cricket, collected 63 centuries in his distinguished first class cricket career.

This great cricketer, a lawyer by profession was a Man of many parts. His greatest virtue was his ability to laugh at his own expense. He makes nasty remarks, blunt expression, but, he never meant it. He possessed a golden heart.

He was a brilliant English scholar and a Military officer. He was one of the main suspects in the 1962, coup-d-etat against Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike Government. He was in Remand Jail for a few years, but later acquitted.

After he was released he coached his club SSC, Royal College and S. Thomas’ College.

This great cricketer, completed his colourful innings on 11th April 1983. He is a legend in the cricket history of this country.