A timeless classic: Bens-Wesley

By Sujith Silva 

During the 1980s, as I was a just little schoolboy at St. Benedict’s College and hailing from Mutwal or the area known as Modera in Colombo 15, it was news among friends at College or more like rife speculation in the neighbourhood when friends gathered from various schools to play cricket and it was in the grapevine too at College that a ‘Bens-Wesley’ Cricket Big Match was on the cards. We were wishful and looking for affirmative news from College. 

I was playing a bit of Cricket, and my dream was to wear the baggy green cap and represent St. Benedict’s College 1st XI against Wesley College. I never realised my dream, nor did the College make any progress on the ‘Bens-Wesley’ match. I stepped out of College prematurely and St. Benedict’s-Wesley did play Cricket, but it was only a 1st XI fixture in the 1990s. 

However, it is with great pride and joy that I’m penning this down at the doorstep of seeing that dream coming through, not that I’m playing 1st XI Cricket again but for many generations of Benedictines and Wesleyites to follow, after spending 125 years dreaming, that these two great Christian institutions have now come together to build a stronger partnership and host the annual Cricket encounter with much fanfare. Here’s a bit of historical perspective of ‘Bens-Wesley’; the story is good enough for a timeless classic and it is like a match made in heaven.

St. Benedict’s College commenced playing cricket in the early 1880s based on what is gathered so far by the writer and they used the College Quadrangle as their cricket playing field or Racquet Court Grounds in Colombo Fort. 

The first record of St. Benedict’s College playing a cricket match was unearthed from 1887 (as per Times of Ceylon 10 May 1887) when St. Benedict’s College hosted St. John’s College, Kalutara at Kotahena on 30 April and 1 May, which confirms St. Benedict’s College was playing cricket by then. 

Back then newspapers referred to College Cricket as St. 

Benedict’s College Cricket Club, St. Benedict’s Institute, St. Benedict’s Union, etc. Nevertheless, St. Benedict’s College continued to play cricket against some schools and perhaps clubs though no references could be unearthed (so far) regarding the matches they played.

However, during the same period, there were references to Kotahena Union Cricket Club playing against Clubs in Colombo and also a match between 2nd XI of Kotahena Union against De La Salle Cricket Club played in 1891, presumably a team comprising of De La Salle brothers as De La Salle College was yet to be formed back then.

The Kotahena Union CC team cards carry many names of Benedictines, those who may have been students. In 1890 Prize Day report, there was a mention of the John De Clovis Prize for Cricket being awarded to A. VanGeyzel. The present College quadrangle was relayed, and a cricket pitch was built on this in 1895 and an Old Boys Vs. Present Boys Cricket match was played to mark the opening of the pitch. 

Meanwhile Wesley College, which was located back then in Dam Street, Pettah at the Mission House started to play cricket by 1887. As per the Wesley College Principal’s Prize Day Report (1887) there was a mention that permission had been granted to use Price Park Pettah for cricket practice. This was in close proximity to Kotahena.

In 1887 the Wesley College Principal’s Prize Day Report carried a mention about granting permission to use ‘Price Park’ Pettah for cricket practice. During those days, Wesley College played against clubs including Colombo Colts, Colombo Cricket Club, Government Secretaries and even Agriculture School in Pettah. 

As per official records, Wesley College played the very first cricket match against a College was played against Royal College (then Colombo Academy situated in San Sabastian, Pettah) on 3 March 1892, which has been played since then uninterrupted. However, this match is not considered as the inaugural schoolboys’ match as Masters also played in this game and two Royalists (C. Pate and Ekneligoda) fielded for Wesley College.

The very first match between the students of the two schools started in 1893. Wesley College in 1897 commenced playing against S. 

Thomas’ College Mt. Lavinia (at that time it was in Mutwal) followed by Prince of Wales College in the same year.

Though both St. Benedict’s College and Wesley College were located in close proximity to each other, as per what has been unearthed so far both schools would not meet in cricket until 1895 or to be precise till 1896. There had been few mentions, as per recollections of past cricketers of that era (referred on old College magazines) that both schools played a cricket match in 1895. However, to date there is no official record on this match, nor could a newspaper report be found to verify this claim. 

The next available record for both schools meeting in cricket was available in 1913 and thereafter, regular meetings could be found for both schools in cricket until 1947 and continued to date after almost a three-decade gap from 1975 onwards. 

There had been many exciting games between these two schools and many noteworthy performances. Likes of 8 wickets for 11 runs by Wesleyite K. Balakrishnan in 1943/44 which was undoubtedly the best bowling figures of the series and best bowling and best all-round performances of 7 for 52 and scored 40 runs in the same innings by Shanthilal Silva for Benedictines in 1984/85 season. 

In 2017, Shenal Dangalle captured 8 for 39 for Wesley College coming closer to better Balakrishnan’s feat. Former Sri Lanka Cricketer Farveez Maharoof had 6 for 17 runs in 1999 and in the following year he grabbed 7 for 13 runs. The best batting performances of the series belongs to Benedictine Saranga Nandalal who scored 137 not out in 2007. This remains the only century to be scored in the series so far from either side, since 1895. With a hunch of knowing that there would have been a cricket match between St. Benedict’s College and Wesley College played during the 1880s or 1890s as both schools were keenly playing cricket and located in close proximity to each other, the writer took up the challenge to find the missing link or find the initial match. After spending many months scanning old newspapers at the National Archives, the writer managed to unearth the vital information, a cricket match between these two schools being played in 1896. 

As extracted from Times of Ceylon 13 March 1896, perhaps the historical inaugural match or the second match (till 1895 match officially found or dispelled) between St. Benedict’s College and Wesley College was played on 11 and 12 March 1896 at Racquet Court (Grounds), Colombo present day area in front of Colombo Fort Railway Station. Wesley College won this match by 64 runs. The full report, a reproduction of the original article with the score card, is published elsewhere in this souvenir.

Ironically it took 125 years to find this scorecard, and that too at a time two schools were discussing building a partnership for the future of ‘Bens-Wesley’. Now, the discussions have been fruitful and both schools have signed an MOU and formed a joint Bens-Wesley Committee to strengthen the alliance.

This no doubt will be an epic encounter, like its past story and will bring both communities together for a greater camaraderie and nostalgia. Our next generation will script their own tale and the story will continue to enthral Benedictines and Wesleyites. Here’s wishing both schools a memorable century ahead!