Sri Lanka Schools: 'Blues battle' sans crowd invasions (17 March 1999)

17 March 1999

Sri Lanka Schools: 'Blues battle' sans crowd invasions

Richard Dwight

Accustomed as we have been to disruptions in the past, it was hard to believe, of the none existence of any form of interruptions to the entire three days of play through crowd invasions, both in the last year's Royal-Thomian cricket encounter and the current one just concluded - a very welcome, healthy salutary achievement indeed. Those earlier ghastly displays of unruly behaviour, apart from causing erosions into valuable playing time (a loss of at least 90 minutes per day) was also becoming a source of embarrassment and inconvenience, to those who had the interest and welfare of these two Colleges at heart and as well, to the many lovers of a good game of Cricket.

This malaise of stupid clowning and hooliganism was allowed to prevail unabated for a little over two decades, where the 1997 encounter almost ended in disaster, with the match on the verge of being abandoned at the closing stages.

Enough was enough and the joint organizing committee (JOC) of the 1998 Royal - Thomian cricket encounter, was hell bent on eradicating this menace of disorderly conduct once and for all. This they accomplished with meticulous finesse with the military personnel assisting, within the grounds and the police outside it, which was widely acclaimed and quite rightly earned the plaudits of many.

Any good thing that emerges must be so sustained, in order to enjoy continuity and the current JOC have done well in much the same vein leaving no stone unturned to have a trouble free 1999 Big Match. Reassuring it was, to witness smartly attired military police officers patrolling right round the ground. They walked around abreast in pairs, leisurely in militaristic measured steps within the pathway, between the boundary line and the enclosures. Their presence had a sober restraining influence on would be errant mischief-makers.

With the assistance of a three foot circular wall right round the ground, fortified by built in steel stirruped barricades, students, spectators and revellers were confined to their respective enclosures, stands and tents, come to think of it, in those good old days, people were amenable to discipline through their own volition, but today it has become necessary to enforce it through barricades, partitions and the like-verily a sad commentary of the times we live in.

Be that as it may, however, the green sward of the picturesque SSC grounds during the playing hours on all three days, became the sole domain of the players and two umpires, the central figures, who were allowed to perform unhindered free from any encumbrances - truly a pleasant sight to behold.

In a much looked forward to major event of this nature, there had to be merry making of a high order which was encouraged. The cheering, dancing and singing to the accompaniment of bands during playing hours, took place within the areas around the respective stands and tents. Students and revellers were however permitted to have a feel of the grounds when the intervals, lunch and tea was on and before play commenced in the morning and after play ended in the evening. They made good use of it to have fund and frolic, parading and gambolling with the bands in attendance.

What struck us as distinctive, was the absence these many years of lads attired in fancy dress, there was the mundane, unimaginative weak resorting to of wrapping the flag round the waist or around the neck and head, that's all. In those good old days boys exhibited a senses of intellect and wit to be innovative, to painstakingly appear in fancy dress. One was like a huge Gorilla, another a Hanuman monkey with a large tail, a gate Mudaliyar/Muhandiram, an Astrologer, a Bridal couple, a R.I.P. Coffin with mourners carrying wreaths and a funeral band in front. To crown it all was an enterprising youngster, sporting the colours of a race horse jockey with riding boots, whip, cap and all, who mounted a table to give an eloquent horse racing commentary which went thus, yes! They're off first to break the line was 'lady bobs', followed closely by 'hands' and squeezing in from the outside is 'thighs' ... we cannot proceed any further, for what was said thereafter cannot be printed here.

But nevertheless had the spectators in roars of laughter. The young man turned out to be a leading surgeon, whilst the others turned out to be highly qualified professional men. They had the holistic approach of combining studies, sports and humour ever so well, to be successful. Caught up in the highly, pressurized competitive pattern of living these days, with the ever increasing pace, we are sadly losing our hospitable ways and the art of laughing at ourselves, for which we were known.

The Chairman of the match arrangements and security committee, Nimal Dias Jayasinghe speaking to the 'Daily News' taking the three-day match in all its entirety said the exercise was a complete success with the restoration of confidence in the minds of parents and well meaning followers of the game, resulting in a marked improvement in the attendance and the addition of a millennium tent to the already existing mustangs, stallion and colts. Jayasinghe admitted that toward the end there was an incident or two, which were minor and tacitly nipped in the bud by the army officers.

It is a pity that there will always be a lingering few aversed to the enforcement of discipline. As for the cricket, Royal did not enjoy the same measure of luck the Thomians had, who now forge ahead into the next millennium with a victory.

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