(UTV|COLOMBO) – For over 120 years, the Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club has played a strategic role in defining Sri Lanka’s cricket landscape. From being the prestigious venue for the first ever Test match played in the country to being recognized as the only Asian venue which witnessed the masterful batmanship of Sir Donald Bradman, Tamil Union has enjoyed an unparalleled heritage, resplendent with some of the finest moments of cricketing history in Sri Lanka.
The legacy of Tamil Union is also replete with stories of remarkable achievements and victories – one of which is the tremendous undertaking of getting the venue up and running to host the country’s first ever test match against England in 1982. It took a gentleman whose shoes are still too big to fill, cricketing legend C.T.A Schaffter, who tirelessly worked around the clock to get the country’s first venue designated for an international caliber Test match to be ready in a short period of time.
And now, the Tamil Union legacy turns a new chapter as a new committee with Ramesh Schaffter at the helm as the president, takes over at a time when the 120 year old club is ready once again to make significant strides in cricket.
As a step towards consolidating its commitment towards excellence in cricket, the Tamil Union recently unveiled its new indoor nets initiated by immediate past president N. Vasanthakumar. The newly built indoor nets equipped with a state-of-the-art lighting system, offers young cricketers the opportunity to train and master their craft be it in batting, bowling or fielding. The new indoor nets were put up at a substantial investment and are expected to encourage the young cricketers of the Tamil Union to master their game as they get ready to give their best for their club and their team. It is also open to others to use to hone their skills.
Five Tamil Union cricketers have taken part in the recent World Cup –Jeewan Mendis, Dananjaya de Silva, Suranga Lakmal and Isuru Udara; Suranga and Isuru took part in the World Cup 2019 for the first time.
The club which has produced Sri Lankan cricketing legends from Mahadevan Sathasivam to Muthiah Muralitharan, Niroshan Bandaratilleke, Upul Chandana and Rangana Herath. (DN)
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