{"id":89193,"date":"2022-03-27T15:33:48","date_gmt":"2022-03-27T15:33:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=89193"},"modified":"2022-03-27T15:33:48","modified_gmt":"2022-03-27T15:33:48","slug":"sri-lankan-gullivers-facing-cricketing-goliaths-in-1975-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/sri-lankan-gullivers-facing-cricketing-goliaths-in-1975-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Sri Lankan Gullivers facing Cricketing Goliaths in 1975"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sri Lankan Gullivers facing Cricketing Goliaths in 1975<\/span><\/h1>\n

\"Sri<\/p>\n

Source:<\/span><\/strong>Thuppahis<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Nicholas\u00a0Brookes,\u00a0<\/strong>in\u00a0The Cricket Monthly,<\/em>\u00a0\u2026.\u00a0<\/strong>where the title is \u201cBrave As Loons, Poor as Mice,\u201d \u2026. with highlighting emphasis inserted by The Editor, Thuppahi<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In 1975 the Sri Lankan cricket team had never toured outside Asia.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>But those who\u2019d been paying attention would have known that their inclusion as one of the eight teams competing in the World Cup that year was well earned.\u00a0In the past 18 months they\u2019d dismissed West Indies for 119, fallen 17 runs short of victory in Pakistan and had the better of a drawn game against India.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Standing L-to R<\/em>: Dulep Mendis, Lalith Kaluperuma, Sunil Wettimuny, Tony Opatha, HSM Pieris, DLS De silva, Ds De silva,Dennis Chanmugam, Anura Ranasinghe, Bandula Warnapura, \u2026\u2026..<\/span><\/p>\n

Seated L to R:<\/em>\u00a0David Heyn, Anura Tennekoon (captain), KMT Perera (manager) Michael Tissera, Ranjit Fernando.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pix derived from\u00a0The Prudential Cup Review<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>by Gordon Ross, page 9.<\/span><\/p>\n

The one-day game posed a new set of challenges \u2013 Sri Lanka had only played nine limited-overs matches in their history \u2013 but the squad was blessed with a cast of players naturally suited to short-form cri<\/strong>cket.\u00a0What\u2019s more, the World Cup offered a rare opportunity for them to show what they could do. Perform well and it might prove a stepping stone towards Test status. A seat at cricket\u2019s top table beckoned.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Board of Cricket for Sri Lanka realised what was at stake and decided to arrange a two-week pre-tournament trip to an army camp in the hill country town of Nuwara Eliya\u00a0. For the players \u2013 used to sneaking in an hour\u2019s practice between the end of work and the six o\u2019clock sunset \u2013 this was a welcome novelty.<\/span><\/p>\n

The journey to their temporary base took the best part of ten hours. When the coach broke down en route, players had to get out and push. Notwithstanding Nuwara Eliya\u2019s remoteness, it seemed the ideal place to prepare for the challenges ahead. High in the misty hills, clouds hang low and the air is often chilly. Sri Lankans fondly refer to the town as \u201cLittle England\u201d \u2013 it was as close as they could get to replicating the alien English conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

But\u00a0the ground at Radella where they practised was far from perfect<\/strong>.\u00a0The wicket was slow and stolid, the boundaries tiny. After days of gleefully smashing sixes into the surrounding tea plantations, some of the lower-order batsmen began to think facing Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson might be a doddle.<\/span><\/p>\n

The board also saw fit to recruit\u00a0a trainer<\/strong>\u00a0for the team. \u00a0Wickramasinghe was an Air Force officer by trade: he took to running the side into the ground with all the grim sadism of a drill sergeant.<\/strong>\u00a0They were up at six each morning for circuits around the racecourse, then back to the camp for cold showers before training. \u201cThere was only one tap,\u201d recalls wicket-keeper and opening batsman Ranjit Fernando. \u201cAll of us used to go there to bathe. It was severely cold.\u201d A hot-water line was finally installed when some of the players started getting sick.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was not ideal preparation, but the team left the camp fitter than when they had arrived<\/strong>. And they managed to find time for a tour of the \u00a0\u2013 a trip one or two enjoyed more than they should have. Still, they deserved to let their hair down. It had been a tough fortnight\u2019s training, and hanging on the horizon was some of the hardest cricket they would ever play.<\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

Rain swirled around west London as the Air Lanka flight touched down on the tarmac at Heathrow. The players were underwhelmed by their first glimpse of an English summer. Some were surprised when they boarded their bus and saw a white man behind the wheel, others taken aback by the sprawling scale of the city. All were shocked when they arrived at their lodgings in Bayswater.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sri Lanka\u2019s cricketers understood that their board survived on a shoestring budget. None expected a red carpet rolled out for them, but\u00a0they weren\u2019t fully prepared for the disaster that was the Ceylon Student Centre.<\/strong>\u00a0The building was soon to be condemned. The rooms were like dungeons, blankets were threadbare. As in Nuwara Eliya, there was no hot water. Seamer Dennis Chanmugam\u00a0was in the bathroom when a section of the ceiling collapsed on his head. \u201cThe facilities were terrible, but we couldn\u2019t complain,\u201d reflects former captain\u00a0 Michael Tissera\u00a0. \u201cWe had no money. And we had the opportunity to play in a World Cup in England, so why grumble? In the end it was all good fun.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

There were some bright spots too. \u00a0\u201cThe food was very good. Good rice and curry,\u201d recalls David Heyn, a left-handed batsman noted for his fielding in the covers . And in the lobby there was a TV \u2013 a device not introduced to Sri Lanka until 1979. One evening the players were sat around when rain started spurting through the roof onto the set. They found a bucket, placed it on the TV\u2019s hood and continued watching.\u00a0This was a group that took all in their stride.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Having arrived in London three weeks before the start of the tournament, there was plenty of time to acclimatise. In the absence of proper training facilities, the players organised impromptu sessions in public parks. The board, unable to budget for meals, had arranged for them to attend endless functions where food would be provided. But this meant trekking all over town, which quickly became a distraction. They had come to play cricket.<\/span><\/p>\n

And there was plenty to be played. During their first week Sri Lanka had five warm-up matches. The opposition, largely club sides, put up little resistance. There were nonetheless hurdles to overcome.\u00a0\u201cAt times, the cold was unbearable,<\/strong>\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0remembers future captain Duleep Mendis. It was aggravated by the fact that the board had been late ordering cricket jumpers; the team had to do without during their first game against Hampstead. They arrived on the morning of Sri Lanka\u2019s second match. Still, players found that balls hit hard could sting the hands. \u201cSome of us didn\u2019t even know how to stretch,\u201d explains Tissera. \u201cThe climate is so different. It posed a lot of challenges.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, there were novelties too. The team were happy to be in London \u2013 and after thrashing Finchley, they took a trip to the cinema in Piccadilly Circus. But they hadn\u2019t realised it was the eve of an England-Scotland clash at Wembley; football fans swarmed the streets, transforming central London into a carnival. The scene was so raucous that black cabs decided to give potential passengers a wide berth. The players couldn\u2019t catch a lift no matter what they tried. Eventually 12 of them had to pile into a single car back to Bayswater.<\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

Things took a turn for the better once tournament sponsors Prudential took over.<\/strong>\u00a0The team was shifted to the Kensington Close Hotel, two miles and a world away from the Ceylon Student Centre. Competition also stepped up a notch. Although Sri Lanka lost two practice matches against New Zealand in Eastbourne, there were positives to take from both. Ranjit Fernando made a classy unbeaten 98 in the first; in the second, the team was going well in its chase until 18-year-old Anura Ranasinghe was bizarrely run out. Comfortably home in his crease, he jumped to avoid being struck by a throw from the field. The ball clattered into the stumps and he was given out by the umpire. Sri Lanka\u2019s fans, sat in their parked cars around the ground, began to honk their horns. The noise rose into a cacophony: the game had to be stopped until silence was eventually restored.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

ALL the cricketing men assembled at lunch at the Lord\u2019s Cricket Ground<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

One final pleasantry had to be performed before the tournament could begin: a presentation at Buckingham Palace followed by an official lunch at Lord\u2019s.<\/strong>\u00a0The Royals wandered around amiably chatting. Of course, the players had not been briefed on protocol, and David Heyn tried to strike up conversation with the Queen by asking her a question. He was greeted with stony silence. But the team enjoyed every minute of the experience. \u201cTo visit a place like Buckingham Palace was a dream come true,\u201d reflects captain Anura Tennekoon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

That dream quickly turned into a nightmare when Sri Lanka\u2019s World Cup got underway against West Indies the following morning<\/strong>.\u00a0The players arrived at Old Trafford to find the ground enveloped in low-hanging cloud. Clive Lloyd won the toss and elected to field;\u00a0the combination of gloomy skies and a green wicket enabled Bernard Julien to do things with the ball the Sri Lankan batsmen had rarely seen.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cHe was moving it in the air and off the pitch,\u201d remembers Tennekoon. \u201cWe couldn\u2019t counter it.\u201d The team batted less than 38 of their allotted 60 overs, scoring only 86.<\/span><\/p>\n

In reply, West Indies lost just Roy Fredericks as they cantered towards their target.\u00a0\u201cIt was over by lunchtime,\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0recalls off-spinner Lalith Kaluperuma. To add insult to injury, a busload of Sri Lankan fans had been delayed and now they arrived as the game was petering out. The crowd continued to swell, but there was no cricket to entertain them. \u00a0. \u201cBy playing that, we were totally demoralised,\u201d says Fernando. \u201cThoroughly dejected,\u201d agrees Mendis. \u201cBut Australia was another game and everyone was keen to play better.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

The team travelled back to London with fire in their belly. But they were dealt a blow on the eve of their second match. David Heyn \u2013 without doubt the side\u2019s best fielder \u2013 arrived back at the team hotel 15 minutes after curfew. He was promptly suspended. Sri Lanka were not the most athletic outfit, so this was a loss they could little afford.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fielding first, they had to work hard as Australia made the most of a true Oval wicket. With the boundaries pushed back to the fence, batsmen were able to run four on several occasions. Having raced away to 182 for 0, they eventually reached 328 for 5. Sri Lanka would not die wondering. Fernando bludgeoned Lillee for three boundaries in his first over, including a glorious cut over the waiting slip cordon. He and Bandula Warnapura went, but Sunil Wettimuny and Mendis steadied the ship.\u00a0After 31 overs, the scoreboard read 150 for 2<\/strong>.\u00a0The chase was on course.<\/span><\/p>\n

Australia captain Ian Chappell would later describe the match as \u201chaunting\u201d<\/strong>. Since arriving in England, his team had been hounded by the press over their persistent short-pitched bowling. Chappell saw the game against Sri Lanka as a perfect PR opportunity. He instructed his bowlers to pitch the ball up. But by this stage he\u2019d seen more than enough dashing drives for one day. Chappell threw the ball to Jeff Thomson. Captain and bowler\u2019s minds were in perfect harmony. It was time to see if the Sri Lankans could play off the back foot.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1975 Thomson was at his zenith.<\/strong>\u00a0None of the batsmen who played in this game hesitate to describe him as the fastest they faced. All agree the challenge was compounded by his slingy, round-arm action. \u201cHe came in like a javelin thrower, so you had no idea what to expect,\u201d explains Tissera. \u201cBecause of the action, you picked it late,\u201d agrees Tennekoon.\u00a0In those days, with no helmets or chest guards, that was a daunting prospect.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Standing at the non-striker\u2019s end, Duleep Mendis had a more visceral reaction. \u201cWatching Thommo\u2019s thunderbolts at 100-plus mph was no joke. Marsh was collecting his deliveries over head height \u00a0almost another 22 yards back.\u201d Nonetheless, Mendis was without fear. When Thomson bowled short outside the off stump, he tried to take him on. His bat found only fresh air. The next ball pitched in the same spot; Mendis attempted the same stroke. But the ball cut back off the wicket and went crashing into his forehead. He crumpled in a heap. The crack, like a gunshot, was sickening. Horrifically, the ball raced off towards the cover boundary.<\/span><\/p>\n

There was no stretcher at the ground, so teammates Mevan Pieris and Dennis Chanmugam rushed to the middle to carry Mendis away.<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cHis eyeballs were turning,\u201d remembers Pieris. \u201cHe was in a very bad way. But he had the strength to put his arm around me, I could feel him holding on.\u201d Mendis says he was \u201cfully unconscious\u2026 I came back to my senses only when I was being carried off the field. When I woke up the next day, it was like I was carrying 100kg on my head.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Tennekoon\u00a0\u00a0had seen the incident from the other end and\u00a0escorted Mendis to the dressing-room, so it was a good ten minutes before he made his way to the crease. The crowd might have thought\u00a0Tennekoon\u00a0he wasn\u2019t coming at all. Some booed the bullying Thomson, but he remained unperturbed. Wettimuny was made to wear a couple around the\u00a0in his\u00a0, before Thomson sent a vicious yorker hurtling into the big toe of\u00a0heel of\u00a0 As Wettimuny hopped around in agony, the bowler threw his stumps down. None of his teammates joined the appeal, but he remained remorseless.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s not broken, but if you face the next ball, it bloody well will be,\u201d Thomson told the wincing batsman. He was true to his word.\u00a0The next ball cannoned into the identical spot. Wettimuny could take no more. He hobbled halfway to the boundary rope, before he too had to be helped from the field.<\/span><\/p>\n

The fallen pair were taken to St Thomas\u2019 Hospital.\u00a0Wettimuny had a broken foot, a cracked rib and a badly bruised body; by some miracle, Mendis suffered no serious damage to brain or skull<\/strong>.\u00a0While Wettimuny was lain up, a policeman began asking questions. \u201cWho hit you?\u201d \u201cThomson,\u201d he replied. \u201cWhere?\u201d \u201cAt the Oval.\u201d \u201cWhat were you doing?\u201d \u201cPlaying cricket.\u201d Still the constable was unable to join the dots. He looked stern. \u201cDo you wish to press charges?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With two of their batsmen in hospital, Sri Lanka could easily have wilted.\u00a0But Tennekoon and Tissera batted bravely, standing up to the attack to make 48 and 52 respectively<\/strong>.\u00a0The team ultimately fell 52 runs short of their target, but the 276 they scored remained a World Cup record for a side batting second through to 1983.<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, they had shown the world they possessed skill and spirit in abundance. After the match, the Australians invited them for a drink in their dressing-room. \u201cI think they felt a little bad about sending two of our guys to hospital,\u201d Tennekoon reflects. But it was more than guilt.\u00a0Down to a man, the Australians knew they had been given a hell of a game. This was a performance Sri Lanka could be proud of<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

It was disappointing, then, that they limped out of the tournament against Pakistan<\/strong>.<\/strong>\u00a0Zaheer Abbas played a gem of an innings; in reply, Sri Lanka\u2019s batsmen never got going. In many ways, this was more disheartening than the West Indies defeat. The track was good for batting, the foes familiar. But on the day, it just didn\u2019t happen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Though the team\u2019s results were mixed, there were several mitigating factors. They had no knowledge of English conditions and little experience of limited-overs cricket. Few would disagree that their group contained the tournament\u2019s three best sides. And the lack of a support team was undoubtedly costly. Sri Lanka had no coach, physio or trainer. Had they been able to hire an English pro who was familiar with the format and conditions, it would have been a great help. But there was no money. The players had to figure things out for themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

While their tournament might have been over, the tour was not.\u00a0One man\u00a0<\/strong>Sri Lanka could count on was Dusty Miller.<\/strong>\u00a0Ahead of the World Cup, he took the team to the shop of ex-Middlesex and Glamorgan spinner Len Muncer and told them each to choose a bat. And more crucially,\u00a0he organised and funded a post-tournament trip to Holland and Denmark.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It may seem unfathomable today, but the Dutch and Danish were up in arms about Sri Lanka\u2019s inclusion at the World Cup. Both thought that they were superior sides; Dusty\u2019s trip was a chance to prove them wrong. So after comfortably beating East Africa at Taunton, the team boarded a ferry to Brussels.\u00a0David Heyn celebrated his 30th birthday on the boat; three days later in The Hague he smashed a breakneck 73 not out to ensure victory against Netherlands inside two days. Much to their displeasure, the Danish were dispatched with equal ease.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In typical Scandinavian style, an enticing smorgasbord had been laid out for the post-match tea. But while the Sri Lankans gazed longingly at the table adorned with lager, sandwiches and sweets, Denmark\u2019s captain could be heard castigating his team in their dressing-room. For 15, 20, 25 minutes the visitors waited. After half an hour they had little choice but to leave. The team returned to England. The spread remained untouched. Perhaps the lecture still rolls on.<\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

When it was time to fly back to Colombo, more than half the squad were missing. Six had earned contracts to play league cricket in England.<\/strong>\u00a0This was groundbreaking. Every member of this side stresses the fact that they played purely because they loved the game. They had to: at this stage, being a cricketer in Sri Lanka meant making a real financial sacrifice. There was no money to be made \u2013 players had to hold down full-time jobs to support their careers. Michael Tissera even had to take his annual leave in order to play in the World Cup.<\/span><\/p>\n

The discovery that cricket could offer financial opportunities was a genuine surprise<\/strong>.\u00a0\u201cIt was life-changing for a lot of us \u2013 and not just for the guys who stayed, but for guys who came after,\u201d explains Heyn, who would emigrate to England in 1976 once it became clear the ICC would not immediately award Sri Lanka full membership. \u201cA precedent was set. You could go to England and make a little money. It opened people\u2019s eyes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the course of six weeks, this group of cricketers learnt a lot. But they also showed the world a few things. Many had thought they were coming to make up the numbers; instead,\u00a0they proved that on their day they could hang with the best of them. From this point on, the path to Test status was clear.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Forty-four years later, the squad\u2019s cricketing days are well behind them. What remains is friendship. Sri Lanka\u2019s cricketing circle in the 1970s was small, centred around a few Colombo schools and clubs. These guys had spent their lives playing together; to hear them laugh as they reminisce about the summer of \u201975 is to understand the kind of brotherly bond that sport can create. They made plenty of new friends too.<\/span><\/p>\n

One morning last year, Duleep Mendis \u2013 now coach of Oman \u2013 was sat in his apartment in Muscat. The phone rang. Without introduction, the caller launched into a tirade. \u201cPad up. And wear your bloody helmet and come to the nets. I want to blow your head off.\u201d Mendis recognised the voice straight away. It was unmistakably Thomson.<\/span><\/p>\n

***********<\/span><\/p>\n

SOME PERTINENT PICTURES<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/span>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sri Lankan Gullivers facing Cricketing Goliaths in 1975 Source:Thuppahis Nicholas\u00a0Brookes,\u00a0in\u00a0The Cricket Monthly,\u00a0\u2026.\u00a0where the title is \u201cBrave As Loons, Poor as Mice,\u201d \u2026. with highlighting emphasis inserted by The Editor, Thuppahi In 1975 the Sri Lankan cricket team had never toured outside Asia.\u00a0But those who\u2019d been paying attention would have known that their inclusion as one 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