Churchill Gunasekara

In the days before Sri Lanka was a Test nation and when overseas players from the subcontinent were a rarity, Dr. Churchill Hector Gunasekara was an exception. He made a reputation at Royal College, Colombo, which he captained in 1912 where he also won his colours at football and athletics. From there he went to Cambridge, but his very real chances of a Blue disappeared with the outbreak of the Great War. Afterwards he played a number of times for Middlesex in 1919 and when they won the County Championship in 1920 and 1921. In 1919 against Essex at Leyton he scored 58 and took 5 for 90 runs, and in the game with Lancashire at Old Trafford took 5 for 15. Returning home after completing his medical studies, he represented Ceylon 12 times, nine of them as captain, and he led Ceylon touring sides in India in 1932 and Malaya in 1938. He also played lawn tennis for Ceylon, carrying off both the singles and doubles Championship.
Martin Williamson