Who could ever forget his master strokes
Suranjith Mendis, former Prince of Wales’ College Moratuwa 1959 Big Match winning Captain and skipper of the school’s Senior Volleyball Team, popularly known as “Sura” among his cricket fans and colleagues is no more. He died at the age of 81 years after a prolonged illness.
He was a devout Methodist who hailed from Puwakaramba, Moratuwa and his entire education was at this prestigious school. Three of his four younger brothers Nihal, Hemal (Snr.), and Ajith also represented Prince of Wales’ at cricket. He, Priyalal Suranjith, played for the Under 12, 14, 16, Second Eleven and First XI cricket teams with distinction and went on to captain the First XI in the 1958/59 season.
His counterpart at the Big Match was Sirimal Fernando of St Sebastian’s and it was only the fifth occasion that the Cambrians beat their arch-rivals in the 69-year-old history of this Big Match. Also he became the second Cambrian to score a century in the Big Match series with a magnificent knock of 105 runs in 1959 at the Sebs ground, the first centurion being Jagath de Soysa.
During this period the Big Match was played on matting wickets over two days and commenced at 12 noon. In this particular year of 1959, the Big Match ended at 2.30 p.m. on Day Two giving victory to the Cambrians who had gone into the match as the underdogs, proving yet again that cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties. Sura, an opening batsman was a fine left hand bat with an array of strokes and a “master” on the matting wicket.
Sura holds a very rare record - as a schoolboy he scored a century (107 runs) for Moratuwa Sports Club against the formidable Moors Sports Club, Colombo in their own den in the Sara Trophy final round match in February 1959. He pulverized the strong Moors bowling attack to all corners of the ground and when he reached his scintillating century, his opening partner, another Cambrian, D. D. Mahindapala had not crossed the double figure mark. His century was of no avail though, as the game ended in a draw.
He was a member of the Daily News Team of the same club when they won the Trophy in 1955 and got promoted to the Sara Trophy. Whilst at school he played against the visiting Indian Schools team in 1958 captained by Milkah Singh when the strong Moratuwa Schools team met them at the De Soysa Park, Moratuwa. I had the honour of playing alongside him for the same club in a later year.
In addition to cricket he captained the College Volleyball team in 1958 and among the members of the team were former Navy Commander Clancy Fernando. L. D. Haripala, Ceylon Cap C. P. Attanayake, G. S. Abesiriwardene, Walter Senanayake to mention a few.
After an unblemished educational and sports career he joined the then Ceylon Transport Board and represented them in “A” Division Cricket, going on to play for the Nationalized Services Cricket team. His burial took place at the General Cemetery, Rawathawatte after a church service at Methodist Church, Koralawella, Moratuwa.
May the turf lie lightly on this cricketing friend.
A friend and cricket lover