Sidath Wettimuny… Laudable Class At Lords
Former St Joseph’s, Sri Lanka School’s And NCC Opener.
Sidath Wettimuny’s batting technique should have been carved in marble – truly. Eyes nailed to the swirling seam, left elbow way up among the clouds – as the willow ran so sweetly through the ball – with Ian Terrance Botham comprehensively running out of his ‘bawdy’ bag of expletives.
Epic British pace was met with epic Lankan class. If that wasn’t enough, Sids then waltzed across Lords – chasing after English spin – the spin of Pocock, Tavare and Mark, as the hordes at Lords rose in glorious appreciation of that huge hundred – 190 to be specific. Those who had come to jeer and sneer had stayed to cheer for sure. The slender vegetarian-teetotaller, battling against the best and beefiest of British bowling repelled 10 hours of temptation to then drown us in such whopping cricketing pride.
Eastern Artistry
I do have a picture stacked up someplace of a stunned MCC membership, all togged up in their egg and tomato hued neckties, applauding in awed reverence – a few even raising their gin and tonics to our little Lankan battler, the 28 year old, rising phoenix-like from our embittered, embattled war-torn isle. Oh yes the Brits knew all about our tea and coffee – But to have batted like Sids did. That particular ‘Lords Test’ was the turning point of our game. Sure had some scurrying for sea-charts on the Indian ocean and the fairer sex were buying up the road-maps to Park Road – in pursuit of the highly respected English ‘Cricketer’ magazine’s ‘Cricketer Of The Year’ – Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Four.
Elfin From Park Road
In spite of the shy, reserved and genteel manner, at just about 13 years of age, Sidath was banging his drums for inclusion in the school’s first eleven. He remembers having his ‘flaws fixed’ by his beloved guru Bertie Wijesinghe and being relentlessly egged on to play the summer game, by his cricket mad dad, Ramsay Wettimuny. Dad Ramsay was so enamoured by what he saw in his boys, that he rigged up a fully fledged ‘practice’ wicket for them at the Health Grounds Borella, way back then – in the early 60’s or so. The bushy-tailed, wide-eyed Sidath was the first down to breakfast – all togged up for a whackabout – ever so hungry for runs on his plate. Their precious mum Indrani must never be forgotten in the equation – the ‘hand’ that rocked all those priceless cradles – is mercifully in good health at 86 years of age – and lives now with Sunil Wettimuny.
Ceaseless Parade
Ramsay Wettimuny’s indefatigable faith in his boys was fully vindicated. From the 60s onwards, brilliance simply poured out from Campbell Park in a ceaseless parade of Wettimunys – Sunil, Mithra, Sidath, Ranjan, Nimal, and Suvin. That the Wettimunys with their sense of style and innate finesse added heaps of stature to Ananda College, is the view of millions – truly. Sunil and Sidath donned the Sri Lankan flag with such distinction and Mithra did so too – for added measure.
Clean Limbed Anandian
Having opened the batting a couple of times with the ‘legend’ for Combined Colleges, I did have a ringside view of how the right hander functioned. Firstly the elegant glide to the tarmac ready for take-off, arms and shoulders flailing – first the right shoulder then the left – Sidath’s characteristic loosening up processs. Thence a violent swivel of the hips – to crush the ruddy ‘butterflies’ in the tummy as it were- followed by gentle caresses into the covers to ‘churn’ out the adrenaline. Thence the neat wristy, compact, unhurried style would take over the auditorium – all classy lines and angles. Only the stance, with his legs spread so wide apart – seemed out of place and so inelegant. Sidath Wettimuny’s cover drives could be as crisp as anyones and he swept just as handsomely. His silken square cuts would bisect cover - like butter – if you like.
Whippet Of A Bowler
Sidath was a whippet of a right arm medium pacer, especially at Campbell Park, with a ‘whirly’ sort of action, and could bounce the ball a bit. Did he bowl off the wrong foot? I well remember him wrong-footing many a schoolboy batsmen, for his Campbell Park school with much frequency. On the field he was so nippily nimble, scurrying this way and that – wide brimmed white sun hat flopping all over him – and a very good arm too. With time he was sucked into fielding in the slips cordon – sucking up many a nippy edge over there.
Mean Guitar Man
Besides his classy batting, Sidath did play a ‘devilishly mean box-guitar’ and owned a splendid pair of tonsils. Wettimuny, in tandem with that other exquisite Anandian opening bat Thilan Wijesinghe, would treat their Combined School teammates to a sumptuous medley of the hits of the 60s and 70s. Fare of truly professional dimensions. Those lovely shindigs took-off as we travelled across the land, for Combined Colleges exhibition cricket matches – sponsored by that priceless cricket historian, S S ‘Chandra’ Perera. I believe Sidath was a ‘moving force’ behind the stream of dazzling ‘Country and Western’ concerts held in the land in the recent past.
HEAD OVER HEELS
In the year 1985, Sidath so blissfully fell helmet over heels in love with vivacious Sharmini- vivacious still. Posh performers both. The ‘star’ Test batsmen and the ‘Governess’ of the Lankan symphony orchestra- such truly elite backdrops. Their two kids quickly followed, a delightful fusion of two hugely diverse religions. Sids is a deeply devout Buddhist and Sharmini is of the Anglican faith. The children have done the couple proud. 21 year old Sanjay is already plumed in a flying degree and 19 year old Shamara is deep into her books – on ‘International Relations’.
Retired Deeply Hurt
At Ananda they knew that he knew the clever bits and the hallowed citadel of learning slapped the captaincy on him in the year 1976. At the pinnacle of his schoolboy powers then, he was bestowed with the ‘Schoolboy Cricketer Of The Year’ award in that particular year as well. For his school he got tons of runs. For Sri Lanka in 23 Tests - fetched him 1221 runs with that 190 at Lords as his highest with another classy 157 against Pakistan for good measure – plus 6 fifties to add to the booty. In 33 ODI innings Sidath notched 786 runs with 86 as his best. In 55 first class outings the right hander chalked up almost 3000 First Class runs with 227 against Indian opposition as his best. Following that 227 not out, and at the peak of his batting powers, Sidath was dropped and ‘benched’ at length. Utterly devastated, he called it quits, long before his ‘reservoir’ of panache had run out – at just 31 years of age – in 1987 to be specific. For his huge following – that axing was difficult to digest.
Worried Brow
Wettimuny’s troubled brow is creased, and so is ours. The world of cricket is getting itself into a world class pickle. So many ‘elite’ players charged with cheating the game…crazed tycoons toying with our precious sport….spot cash for no balls, in such unbridled greed….stars burning their country’s precious cap, for a ‘tan’ in the Indian league. If it is not one thing, it is another. A noble game that was crammed with noble characters, such as Sidath himself, are fast vanishing. Only a handful are left – with so much ‘tinkering’ with the charm of the game – what a shame.
A Man Of Wide Horizons
Having slipped off his cricket boots, Sidath’s qualities of integrity and honesty were highly valued, and as such was roped in to serve as an International match-referee. Besides which he stood in for awhile as our Chairman of Selectors, and is presently the President of the Lankan ex-Test Cricketers Association. Professionally, Wettimuny is the Vice President of the Nobles Group of Companies – dabbling as they are in the garment export business trade. With business commitments sucking up his valued time, Sidath has shifted interest from cricket to golf and has bagged the utterly prestigious Donald Steel golfing award, to comprehensively drive home the point of his new found prowess.
At 54 years of age, the locks are a few shades greyer, but each one of them are in place. He’s still very ‘lean’ in the hips and so characteristically soaked in heaps of humility – that ‘marks’ true character eventually.
Former St Joseph’s, Sri Lanka School’s And NCC Opener.
Sidath Wettimuny’s batting technique should have been carved in marble – truly. Eyes nailed to the swirling seam, left elbow way up among the clouds – as the willow ran so sweetly through the ball – with Ian Terrance Botham comprehensively running out of his ‘bawdy’ bag of expletives.
Epic British pace was met with epic Lankan class. If that wasn’t enough, Sids then waltzed across Lords – chasing after English spin – the spin of Pocock, Tavare and Mark, as the hordes at Lords rose in glorious appreciation of that huge hundred – 190 to be specific. Those who had come to jeer and sneer had stayed to cheer for sure. The slender vegetarian-teetotaller, battling against the best and beefiest of British bowling repelled 10 hours of temptation to then drown us in such whopping cricketing pride.
Eastern Artistry
I do have a picture stacked up someplace of a stunned MCC membership, all togged up in their egg and tomato hued neckties, applauding in awed reverence – a few even raising their gin and tonics to our little Lankan battler, the 28 year old, rising phoenix-like from our embittered, embattled war-torn isle. Oh yes the Brits knew all about our tea and coffee – But to have batted like Sids did. That particular ‘Lords Test’ was the turning point of our game. Sure had some scurrying for sea-charts on the Indian ocean and the fairer sex were buying up the road-maps to Park Road – in pursuit of the highly respected English ‘Cricketer’ magazine’s ‘Cricketer Of The Year’ – Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Four.
Elfin From Park Road
In spite of the shy, reserved and genteel manner, at just about 13 years of age, Sidath was banging his drums for inclusion in the school’s first eleven. He remembers having his ‘flaws fixed’ by his beloved guru Bertie Wijesinghe and being relentlessly egged on to play the summer game, by his cricket mad dad, Ramsay Wettimuny. Dad Ramsay was so enamoured by what he saw in his boys, that he rigged up a fully fledged ‘practice’ wicket for them at the Health Grounds Borella, way back then – in the early 60’s or so. The bushy-tailed, wide-eyed Sidath was the first down to breakfast – all togged up for a whackabout – ever so hungry for runs on his plate. Their precious mum Indrani must never be forgotten in the equation – the ‘hand’ that rocked all those priceless cradles – is mercifully in good health at 86 years of age – and lives now with Sunil Wettimuny.
Ceaseless Parade
Ramsay Wettimuny’s indefatigable faith in his boys was fully vindicated. From the 60s onwards, brilliance simply poured out from Campbell Park in a ceaseless parade of Wettimunys – Sunil, Mithra, Sidath, Ranjan, Nimal, and Suvin. That the Wettimunys with their sense of style and innate finesse added heaps of stature to Ananda College, is the view of millions – truly. Sunil and Sidath donned the Sri Lankan flag with such distinction and Mithra did so too – for added measure.
Clean Limbed Anandian
Having opened the batting a couple of times with the ‘legend’ for Combined Colleges, I did have a ringside view of how the right hander functioned. Firstly the elegant glide to the tarmac ready for take-off, arms and shoulders flailing – first the right shoulder then the left – Sidath’s characteristic loosening up processs. Thence a violent swivel of the hips – to crush the ruddy ‘butterflies’ in the tummy as it were- followed by gentle caresses into the covers to ‘churn’ out the adrenaline. Thence the neat wristy, compact, unhurried style would take over the auditorium – all classy lines and angles. Only the stance, with his legs spread so wide apart – seemed out of place and so inelegant. Sidath Wettimuny’s cover drives could be as crisp as anyones and he swept just as handsomely. His silken square cuts would bisect cover - like butter – if you like.
Whippet Of A Bowler
Sidath was a whippet of a right arm medium pacer, especially at Campbell Park, with a ‘whirly’ sort of action, and could bounce the ball a bit. Did he bowl off the wrong foot? I well remember him wrong-footing many a schoolboy batsmen, for his Campbell Park school with much frequency. On the field he was so nippily nimble, scurrying this way and that – wide brimmed white sun hat flopping all over him – and a very good arm too. With time he was sucked into fielding in the slips cordon – sucking up many a nippy edge over there.
Mean Guitar Man
Besides his classy batting, Sidath did play a ‘devilishly mean box-guitar’ and owned a splendid pair of tonsils. Wettimuny, in tandem with that other exquisite Anandian opening bat Thilan Wijesinghe, would treat their Combined School teammates to a sumptuous medley of the hits of the 60s and 70s. Fare of truly professional dimensions. Those lovely shindigs took-off as we travelled across the land, for Combined Colleges exhibition cricket matches – sponsored by that priceless cricket historian, S S ‘Chandra’ Perera. I believe Sidath was a ‘moving force’ behind the stream of dazzling ‘Country and Western’ concerts held in the land in the recent past.
HEAD OVER HEELS
In the year 1985, Sidath so blissfully fell helmet over heels in love with vivacious Sharmini- vivacious still. Posh performers both. The ‘star’ Test batsmen and the ‘Governess’ of the Lankan symphony orchestra- such truly elite backdrops. Their two kids quickly followed, a delightful fusion of two hugely diverse religions. Sids is a deeply devout Buddhist and Sharmini is of the Anglican faith. The children have done the couple proud. 21 year old Sanjay is already plumed in a flying degree and 19 year old Shamara is deep into her books – on ‘International Relations’.
Retired Deeply Hurt
At Ananda they knew that he knew the clever bits and the hallowed citadel of learning slapped the captaincy on him in the year 1976. At the pinnacle of his schoolboy powers then, he was bestowed with the ‘Schoolboy Cricketer Of The Year’ award in that particular year as well. For his school he got tons of runs. For Sri Lanka in 23 Tests - fetched him 1221 runs with that 190 at Lords as his highest with another classy 157 against Pakistan for good measure – plus 6 fifties to add to the booty. In 33 ODI innings Sidath notched 786 runs with 86 as his best. In 55 first class outings the right hander chalked up almost 3000 First Class runs with 227 against Indian opposition as his best. Following that 227 not out, and at the peak of his batting powers, Sidath was dropped and ‘benched’ at length. Utterly devastated, he called it quits, long before his ‘reservoir’ of panache had run out – at just 31 years of age – in 1987 to be specific. For his huge following – that axing was difficult to digest.
Worried Brow
Wettimuny’s troubled brow is creased, and so is ours. The world of cricket is getting itself into a world class pickle. So many ‘elite’ players charged with cheating the game…crazed tycoons toying with our precious sport….spot cash for no balls, in such unbridled greed….stars burning their country’s precious cap, for a ‘tan’ in the Indian league. If it is not one thing, it is another. A noble game that was crammed with noble characters, such as Sidath himself, are fast vanishing. Only a handful are left – with so much ‘tinkering’ with the charm of the game – what a shame.
A Man Of Wide Horizons
Having slipped off his cricket boots, Sidath’s qualities of integrity and honesty were highly valued, and as such was roped in to serve as an International match-referee. Besides which he stood in for awhile as our Chairman of Selectors, and is presently the President of the Lankan ex-Test Cricketers Association. Professionally, Wettimuny is the Vice President of the Nobles Group of Companies – dabbling as they are in the garment export business trade. With business commitments sucking up his valued time, Sidath has shifted interest from cricket to golf and has bagged the utterly prestigious Donald Steel golfing award, to comprehensively drive home the point of his new found prowess.
At 54 years of age, the locks are a few shades greyer, but each one of them are in place. He’s still very ‘lean’ in the hips and so characteristically soaked in heaps of humility – that ‘marks’ true character eventually.
