A Snapshot of Wesley’s Cricketing History
1887
The Principal’s prize day report mentioned that permission had been granted to use
Price Park Pettah for Wesley’s cricket practice
1892
Wesley 1 st XI met Royal College “A” team on the 3 rd of March including some masters.
This is the first recorded cricket match by Wesley College Colombo.
1893
Wesley met Royal in their inaugural 1 st XI match. Royal beat the inexperienced Wesley
team.
1895
References from Wesley’s 75 th anniversary souvenir indicate that Wesley played Trinity
and later St. Benedicts in a 1 st XI match.
1896
The first match recorded against St. Benedicts College Kotehena was played at the Racquet grounds (now known as Chalmers Granaries Pettah) on the 11 th and 12 th March.
Cricketer R.F.Honter became the first Wesleyite to earn an English University
scholarship. He obtained a M.A. (History) at Cambridge University and was subsequently
appointed Director of public education in the British Colony of SierraLeone.
1897
Wesley beat Royal and did so for the next three years. Emergence of the most graceful
Batsman in Ceylon cricket, C.E. Perera was a memberof the Wesley team.
1898
M.L. Warish and C.L. Wickremasinghe represented the 1 st Combined Colleges Team.
Wesley played St. Thomas’ Mt. Lavinia in their Inaugural 1 st XI match.
1899
C. E. Perera was appointed captain of the combined colleges XI against Colts C. C., the
strongest Ceylonese combination at the time. Combined colleges lost by one run on the
first Innings. W.O. Nathanielsz and C.L. Wickremasinghe from Wesley were also
selected
1899
Victory by an all Sinhalese schoolboy cricket team led to the formation of the Sinhalese Sports Club on the 28 th of March. The convener of the meeting to form the SSC was the old Wesleyite cricketer H.J.V.I. Ekanayake. Theinaugural meeting washeld
at Wesley College in Dam Street Pettah. Mr.D.B. Jayatilleke who was later Knighted by King George the fifth in 1932 presided at the meeting. M. Mohamed was in the Wesley
team,who was later Sir Mohamed Macan Markar and became the Minister of
Communications.
1904
Wesley met St. Joseph’s in their 1 st XI Inaugural match.
1907
Wesley’s proudest product and greatest batsman of the time C. E. Perera passed away
on February 2 nd . He was elected captain of SSC at the Annual General Meeting a month
prior to his death and never got the opportunity to lead the team.
1907-11
The golden age of Wesley Cricket. Royal were beaten for five years. Wesley produced Some fine cricketers during this period, mainly left arm bowlers and batsman. T. Sathasivam, R.E.S. Mendis, F.W. Dias, S.Gunasekara, D.M.Rupasingha, E.J.Melder, And C.A. Perera (all left handers, batting and bowling).
1910
Wesley met Ananda College in their 1 st XI Inaugural match in 1910.
1914
Wesley was one of the seven ‘A’ division colleges in the first ever public schools cricket Association in Ceylon.
A.E. Seneviratne and P.L. Pestonjee selected for the 1 st Public Schools XI to play Rev.
E.F. Waddy’s team from New South Wales Australia
1930-31
Surrey cricketer W.C. Razor Smith appointed for special coaching of the Wesley team.
1935-36
H.N. Duckworth and M. Sathasivam selected for Ceylon Public Schools XI against the
Indian University Occassionals
1936-37
S.W. Jayasekera selected for Ceylon Public Schools XI against Sir Julian Cahns team.
S.Nagendra selected for Combined CollegesXI against Aligarh University
1936-39
Wesley produced their best cricket teams since 1905-1910 period under coach
Mr. John Halangoda.
1940
Principal Mr. P. H. Nonis purchased the Tamil Union C & A pavilion at Campbell Park. It was declared open by Hon G.L.S. Corea, an old boy, then Minister of Labour,
Industries and commerce who was later bestowed a Knighthood by the Monarch of the British Empire on the 19 th January 1940.
The transfer of deed was signed between the Tamil Union Cricket & Athletics Club and
Methodist Trust Association on the 18 th January 1940.
1943
College cricket activities abandoned due to World War II.
1944-45
T.I. Cassim and A. Ramachandra selected for Ceylon Combined Schools against All India
1945
Keith Miller of the Australian Services team visited Wesley
1947
Revival of Wesley cricket under the captaincy of Edmund Dissanayake. Wesley’s
performances were excellent. Future cricket fixtures between St. Benedicts was stopped
by the Principal Rev. James Cartman after his car was stoned after the game at Railway
Grounds.
1947-48
J.V.B. Perera and W.P.S. Abeywardena selected for Ceylon Combined Colleges against the visiting West Indies team
1948
First Inter School cricket matches at Campbell Park since 1942. Rev. James Cartman. Became the first president of Ceylon schools cricket association and a member of the First Board of control for cricket in Ceylon
1949
West Indian test cricketers Everton Weeks and Clyde Walcott visited Wesley College
1951
E.B. Claessen selected for the Combined Colleges XI against the Indore Rotarians
1952
E.B. Claessen selected for the Combined Colleges XI against Indian Services and Madras University Occasionals
1953
M.A.H. Fuard and M.N. Samsudeen selected for Combined Colleges XI against the
Pakistan Services
1952-53
Wesley team led by brothers Radley and Bryan Claessen were unofficial champions.
Bryan Claessen was picked to represent Ceylon as a schoolboy. M.N. Samsudeen was
Picked to play for C.C.A. team.
1956
Lou Adhihetty scored a total of four centuries to equal Bryan Claessen’s record.
1957
L. Ebert selected for Combined Colleges XI against Tamil Nadu CA.
1960
M.N. Samsudeen selected for the Ceylon Schools against the Pakistan Eaglets
1961
L.C.R. Wijesinghe selected for Ceylon schools tour of India
1962
Wesley under the captaincy of L.C.R. Wijesingha won the largest number of victories.
In a season. Won six matches, five of them in succession. Kenneth de Silva was Selected as runner up “schoolboy cricketer of the year “.
1963
Wesley won the inaugural Lifebuoy shield for the best team under the captaincy of
M.Muthuvaloe. Darryl Maye was selected as the “schoolboy cricketer of the year”.
1964
D. Thuraisingham and Russell Harmer selected for Ceylon Schools against Indian
Schools
1966
Nihal Seneviratne selected for Ceylon Schools against W.A. Oldfield Australian schools team
1969
Wesley won the Lifebuoy shield for the best schools team under the captaincy of A. Rajaratnam.
1971
Tyrone Jansz and Delmar Achilles were selected to represent the CombinedColleges
against Bombay Gymkhana.
1972
Tyrone Jansz was selected for Combined Colleges to play Tamilnadu CA.
1975
The fixture against St. Benedict’s College revived as a third term game after 28 years.
1977
Dilrukshan De Alwis broke the batting record against St. Peters scoring 190 runs
1978
Shammy Rajendra was voted as the most popular schoolboy cricketer of the year
1980
Left arm spinner Chithral De Silva was selected the runner up best bowler in school
cricket
1981
Navin De Silva was adjudged the best schools captain and the best all-rounder.
He was appointed as captain of the first ever Sri Lankan schools team to tour England in
1981 which remained unbeaten.
1982
Herbi Felsinger was the first Wesleyite to be appointed International Cricket Umpire. He
officiated in Sri Lanka’s first official Test match against England played at the Colombo Oval.
1983
Sanjeeva Wijesinghe represented Colombo schools against the outstations XI.
1984
M. Dissanayake became the youngest ever cricket captain of Wesley
1985
Wesley won the “Bata Observer” award for the best all island schools team under the
captaincy of M.Ganesh.
Mahendra Dissanayake was selected to represent Colombo Schools against Outstation schools.
1989
Danesh Dissanayake was selected as the best all round cricketer in schools and was the
runner up schoolboy cricketer of the year.
1991
The first cricket match between the past and present was played on the newly laid turf
at Campbell Park.
Roshan David was selected to play for combined schools
1997-98
Dharshika Jayakody scored eight centuries for Wesley.
2001
Anderio Toussaint was selected as the most “popular schoolboy cricketer of the year”.
2002
Farveez Mahroof was selected for Sri Lanka schools team. He broke the batting record
scoring 243 not out against Richmond Galle
2004
Farveez Mahroof was selected as the captain of the Sri Lanka schools cricket teamforthe
world cup under 19 tournament. He made his Test Debut for Sri Lanka in the same year.
He was honouredwith the Prince of Wales Trophy as the most outstanding schoolboy
cricketer.
2006
Wesley emerge Champions in the Inaugural HNB Student Bankers Sixes Tournament
beating D.S. Senanayake Colombo under the captaincy of Shakthi Sirimanne. Anoj
Ketapearachchi was adjudged player of the tournament
2007
Ryan Kern and Imesh Jayaratne were selected to represent Sri Lanka Schools in the under 19 tri – nations tournament between India, Sri Lanka and Bangaladesh. Ishan Jayaratne was also selected to represent Sri Lanka schools in the under 19 tri – nations tournament between England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The Wesley College cricket council was formed to administrate cricket at Wesley on an invitation extended by the Principal Mr. M.A.P. Fernando. Lucky Goonetilleke was
requested to Chair the committee.
2008
A new astro turf and the redundant side nets with turf strips were constructed. A bowling
machine was donated to the College by the OWSC through the Cricket Council sourced
through some Australian old boys. The existing turf wickets were re-laid with 5 match strips under the supervision of SLC curator Anuradha Polonowita.In addition 4 full length practice strips were added to the center wickets.Along with this rehabilitation 54 pop up sprinklers were installed financed by Sri Lanka Cricket.
Wesley College 1 st XI cricket team was adjudged the most disciplined schools cricket team for the season 2008 – 2009. It was the first occasion such an award was given in the history of Sri Lanka schools cricket.
Ishan Jayaratne was selected to represent Sri Lanka in the U19 youth world cup held
inMalaysia
2009
The 18 th October 2009 the newly re-laid turf wickets wereceremoniously opened by the
oldest living Wesley captain Mr. Edmund Dissanayake amongst other past Wesley
cricketers and dignitaries.
2012
Wesley regained the Sir Frank Gunasekera shield against Royal College under the
captaincy of Ashen Fonsekaafter 43 years.
2012
A re-union of Past Wesleyites with an emphasis to celebrate 120 years of cricket at
Wesley was organized by L.C.R. Wijesingha (Past Captain 1962, Past Teacher & Past cricket coach). A special Assembly was held in the College Hall on the 6 th September
2012 hosted by the Principal Dr. Shanti McLelland. Approximately 70 to 80 past
Wesleyites gathered from all over the world along with families to take part in a series of
events. A banquet was held at the Galle Face Hotel on the 7 th Sept 2012 and a social at
the OWSC on the 9 th Sept 2012.
History was created for the first time at Wesley when an authenticated publication of a cricket book covering Wesley’s cricket history of 120 years (1892 -2012) was
launched on the 6 th Sept 2012 at a special assembly. Compiled by Jeremy Brohier
the first book was presented to the President of the Methodist Church Rev. Jabanezor
and to the Principal Dr. Shanti McLelland. The ISBN No.978-955-658-307-6
Wesley became runners- up at the Zahira College Invitation six a side tournament on the 9 th Sept 2012.
2013
Ishan Jayaratne was selected to the Sri Lankan T20 squad against Bangladesh.
2013
Wesley College became Runners – up at the Kothmale Choxschools T20 tournament
conducted by the SLSCA losing to St. Sebastian’s in the final on the 10 th April.
Wesley was beaten in the semifinal of the Lemonade Trophy 50 over tournament by St.
Benedicts College Colombo.
Basith Muzamil voted Most Popular Schoolboy cricketer of the year
2015
Right arm leg spinner Jeffrey Vandersay was selected to represent Sri Lanka in one day Internationals on the 28 th December against New Zealand in Christchurch and in T20 cricket
2016
Wesley were promoted to division 1 cricket after becoming Joint Champions with St. Mary’s Kegalle in the division 11.
2017
Thilina Perera broke the record for the higher score in the series by scoring 160 runs
against St. Josephs’
Wesley met St. Joseph’s in their centenary encounter for the Bryan Claessen Arthur
Hakel trophy
2018
Wesley met Royal in their 125 th Cricket Encounter at Campbell Park. The Chief Guest
for the match was Capt. Navin and Mrs. de Silva.
2021
Sahil Dias equaled legendary M. Sathasivam’s record highest score of 142 made by a Wesley against S.Thomas’ Mt. Lavinia in its entire series.
The Inaugural Encounter between Wesley and St. Benedicts played for the ‘Cartman
Cup’ on the 23 rd and 24 th April. The Captain of the Wesley team was Thenuka Perera. The game ended in a draw with Wesley gaining the honour of winning on 1 st innings.
2022
Wesley had a reasonable season although not exceptional. The highlight of the season
was when Wesley beat S. Thomas’ to win the Sathasivam trophy after 50 years.