Sports

Tambyah Murugaser – An All-Rounder in the Truest Sense!

Published

2 years ago

2024/07/18

I thought long and hard before I put finger to keyboard to write this eulogy about my esteemed father, whose 101st birth anniversary falls on July 28.

Muru, as he was affectionately known, “Appa” to me, was born with the proverbial silver spoon to a prominent Tamil family. His maternal grandfather happened to be Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam, the erudite scholar and statesman, whose achievements are well-chronicled. Muru’s father was a wealthy property tycoon, Murugaser Tambyah.

Muru’s academic career in Royal College was crowned by the Lorensz Prize, which is awarded to outstanding Classics students. He was one of those amazing all-round students, whom we don’t see very many of these days due to the heavy emphasis on academia. He opened batting for the First Eleven, played soccer, tennis and table tennis for the college and also indulged in rifle-shooting while being a member of the college Cadet Corps. I believe he was a Coloursman in all those that offered the award.

I remember my grandmother telling me how she surreptitiously bought him his cricket gear, to avoid him being reprimanded by his father for neglecting his studies. In fact, if I recall correctly, his father didn’t even know that he played in the Royal-Thomian in 1941. He played in 1942 too.

One of Muru’s biggest regrets were that he wasn’t allowed to study at Cambridge (the family had a long lineage of Cambridge scholars) on account of World War Two, as his brother Professor T.Nadaraja, (later to become Dean of the Law Faculty) was allowed to do. Muru entered University College, the precursor to the University of Ceylon, in Colombo. He continued following his passion, Classics, and secured a Second Upper, while captaining the University Cricket team. He also represented the University at Tennis and Table Tennis. Appa could play just about any sport.

In 1947, Muru married his childhood sweetheart Maheswari, who, as happened in those days, just happened to be his first cousin. They were a smart, well-groomed couple and very socially involved. They were intrepid travellers too, both in Sri Lanka and abroad. They had a daughter Sarla, a son Pratap and Little Ol’ Me!

Muru joined the star-studded Tamil Union side, which won the inaugural P. Sara Division One Tournament in the 1951/52 season. Some of his contemporaries in that side were Sathi Coomaraswamy, M. Sathasivam, Kasipillai, Dharmalingam and the brothers Parathalingam and Jayalingam. He continued playing for the Club for many years, captaining it, and then ending up as President, and Patron in his latter years. The Tamil Union honoured him by naming its prestigious “B” block after him, for which the family is deeply grateful.

He loved sharing stories of his early days and would proudly tell me of his first job cycling from butcher to butcher as a meat inspector in the Food Dept. Obviously, this was not his true calling as he entered the Inland Revenue Department, and swiftly demonstrated his prowess with the taxation process.

The enaction of the Official Languages Act in the late fifties saw a mass exodus from the government service from all communities, and my father was no exception. He was warmly accepted into the mercantile sector, where his good friend and mentor Terrence De Soysa welcomed him to the country’s biggest rubber exporter C. W. Mackie and Company.

Muru retired in the mid-eighties as Senior Director in charge of Finance, Personnel and Administration, and many are the tales I’ve been told by people who worked for him of how he nurtured them in their careers, sorted out their personal and financial problems, and steered the Company through the turbulent early seventies with the insurrections, strikes et al.

Prior to retirement however, in the business sector, Muru did not confine himself to the rubber industry alone. He was a Director of the Central Freight Bureau, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Shippers’ Council and was instrumental in setting up the Association of Shippers’ Councils of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka (ASCOBIPS), and for his efforts, was made its Founder Chairman, which was quite an achievement, given the status of his contemporaries from the other countries.

He was also invited to serve on many Boards – Ceylon Shipping Lines, Riverina Hotels, Eden Hotels, Ladyhill Hotels, Ceylon Services and Supplies are some I remember. Muru had a gut instinct for commerce and business, and was one of the first investors in Tourism, which soon developed into being a Thrust Industry of the future for Sri Lanka. He was so convinced in fact that I too was shepherded into the fledgling Aitken Spence Travels as one of its first three employees. It is now one of the largest Tourism Companies in Sri Lanka!

Appa lived, loved, and breathed cricket. Soon after his retirement from playing the game, he became extensively involved in the then Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL), ably led by Dudley Senanayake’s brother Robert. A dedicated band of people guided cricket into the major leagues, working pro bono and many times dipping into their own pockets to ‘get the job done’. I still remember the early morning starts on match days and late nights this fun-loving, multi-ethnic band of die-hard cricket enthusiasts endured.

I don’t think there was a prouder man than Appa when, as Vice President of the Cricket Board under Gamini Dissanayake, Sri Lanka attained Test Status in 1981. This dedicated band compiled the bid and other processes presented by Gamini to the TCCB in his own inimitable way. Implementing the plans was also these peoples’ responsibility.

Appa was over-joyed that the Colombo Oval, owned by the Tamil Union, was the single reason that the English Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB – the precursor to the ICC) allowed Sri Lanka into the hallowed halls of Test Cricket – a dream envisaged by the late, great P. Saravanamuttu in the late thirties, when he designed, raised the finances, and built the Stadium. Thanks to the Hatton National Bank’s generous sponsorship and the Club members’ contributions, the venue was upgraded according to TCCB standards for the inaugural Test Match in 1982.

In July 1983 the Oval Pavilion was burnt to the ground by a hostile mob, thereby robbing it of all its treasured documents, records and photographs. Appa was heart-broken as he related the whole story to me much later.

Muru and the Club Committee at the time (people like Dr. G Wignarajam, Chandra Schaffter, Felix Perumal, Tryphon Mirando, Somasunderam Skandakumar, P. Somasunderam (also the BCCSL Treasurer then), and others too numerous to mention here, put their shoulders to the wheel, and raised funding to rebuild the Club. Apart from the Colombo Cricket Club’s donation and the Insurance monies received, there was no funding forthcoming from the Government nor the BCCSL. The P.Sara Stadium/Colombo Oval continues to stand unflinchingly, hosting not only cricket, but other sports as well.

I don’t think there was a happier man than Appa when he was appointed Manager of the Sri Lanka World Cup Cricket team in 1983 under Duleep Mendis. Players like Roy Dias and Sidath Wettimuny still regale me with anecdotes about my father and Sir Gary Sobers, who was the Consultant to the Board on that tour, and a legendary Party Animal. Muru was the ultimate social diplomat, comfortably able to network at all levels of society, among whom he moved freely.

An important facet of his life were his clubs. Apart from the Tamil Union, he was also President of the 80 Club (where many a Saturday afternoon was spent, much to my mother’s chagrin!), CR & FC and the Golf Club.

Muru was also an avid coconut plantation owner. He loved spending time on his Annaletchumy estate, a little over 100 acres of Coconut and Paddy in Nattandiya, and would visit almost every weekend, and stay over at the lovely old bungalow on the property. Savouring the cool breezes, the inspection walks, the home-cooked food (including lagoon crabs, if we got lucky), and his beloved milk cows brought him deep contentment. Although there was no electricity, he had hooked up a Lister generator, so we could get a few hours of evening light before bed. He ensured that he kept up with the latest cultivation techniques to obtain bountiful crops.

As the reader can imagine, given all this activity, it is fair to say that in my early years, I didn’t get to see much of my father. He took a keen interest in my life when I was well into my late-twenties – especially when my family and I decided to seek greener pastures in Australia in 1988. He was overjoyed when I returned in 1992 for a few years, as he then got an opportunity to get to know his two grand-daughters Divya and Archana, and I know how much he enjoyed having us all together.

This was probably when I got closest to him and was able to absorb a lot of what he knew about “mice and men”. I know I am the better man for the advice I gained, and it has helped me immensely in both my business and personal lives. It’s difficult to encapsulate all the facets of a marvelous life, lived by an all-rounder in the truest sense, but I’ve done my best!

Suresh Murugaser

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Harshitha’s composed knock seals Sri Lanka’s semi-final berth

Published

8 hours ago

2026/09/7

Priyan

Harshitha Samarawickrama took Sri Lanka home with her unbeaten 48 [ACC]

Harshitha Samarawickrema’s splendid 48 not out off 37 balls took Sri Lanka over the line in a low-scoring thriller against Bangladesh. The defending champions secured a semi-final berth with a four-wicket win, and by virtue of topping Group B, will play the side that finishes second in Group A on Friday.

An excellent opening spell of 2 for 17 from Marufa Akter put Bangladesh in firm control of the match after they posted a below-par target of 115, thanks to Chamudi Prabodha’s career-best figures of 3 for 21.

Sri Lanka found themselves behind the required run rate for much of the chase after losing their top order inside the powerplay and slipping to five down by the tenth over. But a resolute Samarawickrama brought Sri Lanka back into the contest by absorbing the pressure throughout the middle overs before landing the final punches to seal the win. This was Sri Lanka’s seventh consecutive win over Bangladesh.

Praboda strangles Bangladesh

This was only the sixth international match the 17-year-old left-arm spinner had played after making her debut against Pakistan in a three-match T20I series last month, and she doubled her tally of wickets on Sunday.

As Bangladesh looked to rebuild after Juairiya Ferdous fell in the fifth over, Praboda struck in her first over, the seventh of the match, to send the dangerous-looking Dilara Akter back to the hut two balls after being hit for a boundary by her. Dilara made a run-a-ball 26 after adjusting to the slow surface. She made her attacking intent known in the third over when she dispatched three consecutive balls from Sri Lanka pacer Chethana Vimukthi for boundaries.

Praboda and the other Sri Lankan spinners bowled with great discipline and used their variations with great guile to put a stranglehold on the Bangladesh batters, who managed just 114 for 8.

With Sobhana Mostary (34 off 41) and Shorna Akter (9 off 14) stretching their steady 41-run stand into the death overs, the Bangladesh dugout must have anticipated a much bigger total than what they eventually managed. Their hopes were bulldozed by Praboda in her last over as she accounted for both batters inside three balls. The left-arm spinner bamboozled Mostary with flight to have her stumped before drawing Dilara into chipping a tossed-up delivery back to her.

An unlucky outing for Athapaththu

Nilakshi Silva and Vimukthi dropped sitters off Chamari Athapaththu’s bowling, with the former putting down Mostary in the 14th over. Athapaththu eventually got a wicket in her last over, but missed out on a second when on-field umpire Humaira Farah turned down a clear caught-behind appeal off the last ball of her spell.

During the chase, her stay at the crease lasted only two balls, as Fahima Khatun took a sharp catch at first slip when she advanced down the pitch to smash Marufa over the top of her head. That shot, on any other day, would have landed in the stands, as is often the case when Athapaththu charges at the bowlers.

Marufa turns a straightforward chase into a contest

Bangladesh needed early wickets to make a contest of what many expected to be a cakewalk for Sri Lanka, with the required rate below a run-a-ball at the start of the chase. Marufa delivered exactly what was needed, accounting for both Sri Lankan openers.

Marufa had Athapaththu caught at first slip off the last ball of the first over before bowling a jaffa in her next over, rattling Imesha Dulani’s stumps with one that ripped through the gate. Her three powerplay overs yielded 2 for 17.

Sri Lanka’s middle order crumbled under pressure as Sanjana Kavindi was bowled by Sultana Khatun off the last ball of the powerplay. They were soon five down for 44 in the tenth over, but a gutsy 38-run stand between Samarawickrama and Nilakshika Silva brought them back into the contest and threatened to take the game away from Bangladesh.

Desperate for a breakthrough, Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana returned to her trump card in the 17th over, and Marufa obliged with a perfect over to shift the momentum back in her side’s favour. The seamer bowled Silva and conceded only four runs to finish with career-best T20I figures of 3 for 21. It was the fourth time in her 48-match T20I career that she had taken three wickets in the format.

Samarawickrama finishes the job

Ritu Moni had been immaculate in her first three overs, but Samarawickrama plundered 16 runs off her last over – the most conceded in an over in the match – to swing the game in Sri Lanka’s favour.

A lucky inside edge off the second ball raced to the fine-leg boundary as Moni followed Samarawickrama after she backed away to make room on the off side. The next ball landed straight into the advertising cushion at midwicket as the batter swept the medium pacer for six. She then danced down the wicket to launch Nahida Akter for a towering six down the ground, reducing the equation to two off the final over.

The win came off the second ball of the final over, with the ball trickling past the keeper after brushing her pad.

Scores:
Sri Lanka Women 115 for 6 in 19.2 overs (Imesha Dulani 12, Harshitha Samarawickrama 48*, Nilakshika Silva 18, Kaushini Nuthyangana 11*; Marufa Akter 3-21, Sultana Khatun 1-14, Ritu Moni 1-29) beat Bangladesh Women 114 for 8 in 20 overs (Dilara Akter 26, Juairia Ferdous 14, Solbhana Mostary 34, Fahima Khatun 14; Sugandika Kumari 2-22, Chamari Athapaththu 1-20, Chamudi Praboda 3-21, Kavisha Dilhari 1-17) by four wickets

[Cricinfo]

Sports

Pathum rejoins Sri Lankan team after surgery

Published

8 hours ago

2026/09/7

Thilina Walpola

Prolific top order batter Pathum Nissanka taking part in religious observances before heading off to London on Saturday

by Rex Clementine

Prolific top order batter Pathum Nissanka has rejoined the Sri Lankan squad after three months on the sidelines following wrist surgery.

Nissanka suffered the injury during Sri Lanka’s tour of the West Indies in June and subsequently flew to London for surgery. The setback ruled him out of the LPL, the Test series against India and the start of the domestic season.

He returned to action for NCC in the domestic T20 competition last week, using the outing to prove his fitness and earn a recall to the national side.

Nissanka travelled to London with the Sri Lankan team on Saturday. The tourists will hold several training sessions in the capital before heading to Southampton for the first T20I next week.

While Nissanka has cleared the fitness hurdle, white-ball skipper Kusal Mendis has not been so fortunate. Mendis, who has been nursing a hamstring injury, was withdrawn from the T20 squad along with left-arm seamer Binura Fernando, with both yet to prove their fitness.

Sri Lanka Cricket announced that Charith Asalanka will lead the side in Mendis’ absence, while Pavan Rathnayake and Dilshan Madushanka have been added to the squad.

There will be plenty of focus on Nissanka during the tour, not least because of the memories he created in England two years ago, when a stunning hundred at The Oval set up one of Sri Lanka’s most memorable overseas Test wins.

Chasing 219 under gloomy, overcast skies, with conditions tailor made for England’s seamers, Nissanka produced an innings of rare quality. Early on, his judgement outside off stump and ability to counter the moving ball drew admiration. Once his eye was in, however, caution gave way to command. Elegant drives flowed before the cuts and pulls came out, underlining that he was anything but a one dimensional player.

Wisden, reflecting on the innings, observed that there was a touch of Roy Dias in Nissanka early on before the Duleep Mendis in him emerged after he had passed fifty. It was an especially fitting comparison given that Roy had coached Nissanka at Sri Lanka Under-19 level.

Nissanka’s unbeaten 127 came from just 124 deliveries and proved instrumental in Sri Lanka securing their first Test victory in England in a decade.

Attention will also be firmly fixed on how Sri Lanka fare in the T20s, a format in which they have struggled in recent months. Their ODI fortunes, however, have been considerably brighter, with victories over Australia and India, two of the world’s leading sides, during the last 24 months.

Sports

Carey, Wadduwa Central clash in U17 Division II semi-final

Published

8 hours ago

2026/09/7

Thilina Walpola

Carey College Colombo will meet Wadduwa Central College in the semi-final of the Under-17 Division II Inter-Schools Limited Overs Cricket Tournament at Ananda Mawatha today.

‎The tournament, conducted by the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association, began with 65 teams divided into eight groups. The top four teams from each group advanced to the second round, where the competition switched to a knockout format.

‎Carey College entered the second round as group champions, while Wadduwa Central progressed as runners-up from their group. Carey then defeated St. Aloysius’ College, Ratnapura, St. Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya (B), and Trinity College, Kandy (B), in successive knockout rounds.

‎Wadduwa Central overcame Zahira College, Colombo, Anuradhapura Central College and S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia (B), to book their place in the last four.

‎Carey College will be led by Akid Ossen, while Anuja Gihan will captain Wadduwa Central in what promises to be a keenly contested semi-final.

Carey College (from):

Akid Ossen (Captain), Tuan Jappar, Omika Sanhiru, Irusha Vidarshana, Dinan Ekanayake, Thenula Ekanayake, Siluna Sandil, Dulina Nanayakkara, Sandila Nanayakkara, Nethum Peiris, Shenal Jayasekara, Oshada Bandara.

Officials:

Shehan Lasantha David (Master in Charge), Preethiraj Walpitagamage (Coach)

Wadduwa Central (from):

Anuja Gimhan (Captain), Dinith Newumal (Vice captain), Sumesh Malka, Imesh Chathuranga, Ishan Priyadarshana,Vikum Sathsara, Lesandu Sanhindu, Nadith Prabodha, Daham Didula, Yasiru Nethsara, Chamesh Mokshan, Praveen Theekshana, Kaveesha Sayuranga, Senuth Hesara, Binara Gimsara.

Officials:

Gayathri De Silva (Teacher in Charge), Dhanushka Ranmuthu (Head Coach)