R Dwight: Thomians make historic tour to UK (19 May 1997)

Monday 19, May 1997

Thomians make historic tour to UK

By Richard Dwight

For the first time in the annals of Thomian Cricket, a representative cricket squad comprising sixteen players, will embark on a three-week tour of England, when they take flight on British Airways on May 21.

Considering, the social obligations revolving around a historic venture, such as this and for other good reasons, the warden of S. Thomas' Neville de Alwis, will accompany the team along with the master-in-charge, Rohana Ekanayake and the Coach Dinesh Kumarasinghe.

Incidentally, it was Royal College who broke fresh ground, when they did make a tour of Australia in 1936, under Ryle de Soysa. This present Thomian team setting out on tour under Nilanka Peiris, boasts of a fine array of cricketers, who climaxed their fine performances during the season, by winning both the big match and the limited over game. This tour then, apart from being an appreciative gesture of their fine showing, will more importantly be yet another rare form of education, where they will see, hear and learn, from the places they visit and be richer by that experience.

By way of direct involvement with the game itself, S. Thomas' will play seven matches inclusive of school as well as county games. The main county match will be against Surrey under 25, which will be telecast locally, the others being against a Sussex combined eleven and a Sussex under 19, with an under 17 game against Northants. The two key school matches will be against Haberdasher's Aske XI at Hertfordshire and the other against Tunbridge School XI at Kent. There will also be a reunion match, when the team takes on the UK Old Thomians at Surrey.

Admittedly, this is the best time to be in England, when it is at its brightest best, with much to offer by way of sports and the arts and culture. The team will watch the Australians play Sussex and witness a day's play in the Test match at Edgbagston. Visit Lord's and see Middlesex play Northampton and also be present at the festival of cricket in Brommley Kent. In addition they will visit palaces like Alton Towers, Stratford upon Avon and Oxford. Amidst all this, there are quite a few dinners, Luncheons and a barbecue lined up. Chief among which will be the dinner given by His Excellency the High Commissioner in Sri Lanka S. K. Wickramasinghe and felicitations by the Sri Lankan philanthropist Nigel Kerner and the UK Old Thomians. A day has been set apart for shopping before the team emplanes for return on the 14th of June.

The warden speaking to the Daily News, said he was grateful to Krishan Perera of the UK Old Thomians Association and the London Observer Correspondent Reggie Fernando, another Thomian, who did much to ensure that this tour became a reality. He was deeply mindful of the assistance given by two old Royalists, Gamit Amarasekera and the former Royal Captain Asitha Jayaweera. He had a word of thanks as well for the old boys here, the parents and well-wishers and concluded saying that this is yet another medium by which students could further develop.

The team by staying together, with oneness of spirit, will learn to adjust and adapt themselves to one another's likes and dislikes, strong and weak points and benefit thereby. By and large, this tour will be a memorable one and live in the memory of those privileged to make it, and what's more, those who aspire to play Test cricket, will experience early, what it means to be on tour.

Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)