Thomian prankster nearly routed his team

Geoff Wijesinghe

One of the most humorous and interesting incidents in the 131-year-old Royal-Thomian series, which is still a high point of discussion at the Big Match, was the irrepressible prank played on the Thomian team led by the burley Shelton (L.S.) Gauder in March 1933. When both Royalists and Thomians remember and hear it they laugh their sides out. It was so hilarious, yet nearly so tragic for the Thomians.

The match was played on the old SSC grounds at Victoria Park opposite St. Bridget’s Convent, a beautiful green sward surrounded by picturesque imposing shade trees. Right in the centre was the pavilion, a replica of the quaint old pavilion in England, which graced the Colombo Cricket Club and the Nondescripts Cricket Club.

Royal was captained by the famous opening batsman W.L. Mendis and the Thomians by the inimitable Shelton Gauder, a left arm bowler who bowled in-swingers and was a hard hitting batsman.

Included in the Royal side was F.W.E. Bill Porritt, who could bowl both left and right arm and who later played for Ceylon. There was also A.H. (Kele) Gooneratne, whose fastest ball was known to have broken many a ‘box’ which guarded the vitals. He later opened bowling for Ceylon.

There was M.S. Ahamath, who I believe is the one who used to umpire matches during my days. He opened batting for Royal. The Reid Avenue side made 182 in their first innings and 146 in their second.

A feature of the second innings was the bowling of Alex Wijesinghe, elder brother of Bertie, who took six for 37, and with his four wickets in the first innings, had a match bag of 10 wickets. M.O. Gooneratne, who to my mind was the best leg spinner ever produced by this country, who bowled in the Clarrie Griemett style, Australia’s biggest wicket taker. Mervyn in fact scored a century and had a match haul of eight scalps in the 1935 Royal-Thomian. He used to spin a mile wide and had the best batsmen baffled.

S. Thomas’ in their first innings were all out for 231, with skipper Gauder scoring a hard-hitting 55. Batting a second time with only 98 runs for a win, the School by the Sea was cruising to victory through their most polished openers Bartholomeusz and Wijesinghe batting sedately.

But with the score at 58, a young lad ran onto the wicket and handed over a slip of paper, or chit, to one of the batsmen.

It said, ‘Hit out or get out’ and the stunning order was purported to be from the captain L.S. Gauder. Once the chit was received, Wijesinha and Bartholomeusz seemed to go berserk and two wild swipes quite unbecoming of the two polished opening batsmen accounted for their wickets at the same score.

At close of play, S. Thomas’ were barely holding on with nine wickets down for 91 runs. A great escape indeed.

Following this incident, there was much controversy as to who was responsible for the mysterious chit which was responsible for the Thomian debacle. Strong suspicion has it that either Chriso Abeywardena, former well-known golfer, or the mischievous Lassie Abeywardena, who himself later coached the Thomian first eleven was responsible for this astounding situation.

Gauder seemed to be inclined to think it was Lassie, who in fact was quite a mischievous imp at the time.

In those days, after a sumptuous lunch with the warden at Mt. Lavinia, the Thomian team proudly walked to the Mt. Lavinia railway station followed by a large number of excited Thomians. Finally, from Bambalapitiya to Victoria Park, the members of the team were driven in rickshaws wearing their blazers and cream flannels, with large crowds flanking the roads to watch the spectacle, which in fact was a carnival.

There were the raucous shouts of Thomian parippu and Royal victory from students of the two schools. Tents were gaily decorated.

The famous Julius, an old Thomian who took liquor as a duck to water, rallied the spectators. He was both sad and amusing and finally died destitute, although he came from a very good family. Some threw confetti at him, others rotten oranges. It was great fun, camaraderie and healthy competition.

Finally a Royal-Thomian narrative is incomplete without the mavericks of the famous Saravanamuttu brothers.

At an encounter in the mid-1923s, S. Sara, a big burley banger of the ball, who was going great guns, suddenly walked off the field without a word to anyone. Everyone stood in consternation and gaze wondering what the cause of the stoppage was.

They all stood and stared as S. Sara walked into the pavilion. A few moments later, he returned to the crease. What had happened was, while batting, he had suddenly seen his brother Manikkam involved in a fight in the Thomian tent. He had walked off the ground, stood beside his brother, thrashed the opposition and came back to resume his hectic battle on the field.