Gerry Charles Gooneratne

Wisden Overview
Gerry Gooneratne was a left-handed batsman and left-arm seam bowler, playing for St Joseph's College for three seasons (1934-36) before joining Saracens SC and later SSC before breaking into the national side. Aged just 20, he narrowly missed out on a debut century against India, scoring 96 in an unofficial Test in Bombay in 1940-41. During the 1960s he became a national selector in 1976 was appointed chairman of the selectors. However, it was as a coach that Gooneratne made an indelible mark. He coached Nalanda College - one of Sri Lanka's big cricket schools - for an astonishing 35 years. A strict disciplinarian, who fiercely opposed the introduction of limited cricket into schools, he was also served as a national coach. Charlie Austin