1992-93 Australia in Sri Lanka Aug/Sep 1992 (3 Tests) Tour
18th Aug 1992.
A working day. I was in my seat fighting with some files. Telephone rang.
Somebody said "Bala call for you". Casually lifted the receiver closer to my ear.
"Bala.. I'm calling from sports division of S.L.B.C.. Can you do the commentery in Tamil
of the SriLanka - Australia cricket match at S.S.C "
"But the test match has started already.. yesterday..no.."
"Yea.. it has started yesterday..but Minister has raised a big issue in the parliment
yesterday, asking why no commentery in Tamil... Can you come down immediately
to S.S.C to start from lunch time"
"I'm in office...."
"Please apply for leave and come..I'll be waiting for you at the entrance of S.S.C grounds."
This is how my career as a Cricket commentator started...
Australia Vs. SriLanka - 1st Test
A match Sri Lanka should've won easily, but lost unexpectedly with a sudden collapse
in their 2nd Innings. Music allround the grounds suddenly stopped.
Laughter in our commentator's room thinned out.
Former captain Micheal Tissera, Tamil Union Cricketer Skandakumar, Commentator in
Sinhala, Premasara Epasinghe and lot of others connected with SriLankan Cricket
were crestfallen and looked around with blank looks seeing a well deserved victory
slipping away. When the end came.. a loss for SriLanka.
I just said something as summary and left the grounds in a hurry, not even waiting
for Epasinghe's final summary in Sinhala.
I was sick for three days.
Southern District Vs. Australia at Matara Uyanvatte Stadium.
Matara is similar to Jaffna in many ways. Plenty of Bicycle riders and Tution Institutes
are among of them. My visit to Matara was memorable but not the match.
Just a boring affair. The man who did Tamil commentary on the first day in my absence
was the private secretary to the Governer of Southern Province (Gamini Fonseka),
a muslim friend who is more fluent in Sinhala than Tamil.
1992-93 : New Zealand in Sri Lanka : Nov/Dec 1992 ( 2 Tests)
In addition to Test Matches, I was also invited to do the Commentery in Inter-club
and Inter - School matches for Premadasa Trophy at Kettarama Stadium and
Big matches like ROYAL- THOMIAN at Oval Grounds.
114th Battle of the Blues Royal Vs St.Thomas
( A note about this big match series below)
A wonderful experience with that big match flavour catching us also.
Really enjoyed every moment. Lunch with J.R, Anura and Gamini Dissanayake(Old boys)
Match of course ended in a draw, as usual in a Big Match.
Year S.T.C Royal Result
1st inngs 2nd inngs 1st inngs 2nd inngs
1992 328 for 9 6 for 1 145 351 Drawn
