‘Aravinda the greatest Lankan batsman’

Hailing a ‘maxi’ from the hotel I stay and taking a drive to the Queen’s Park Oval, in Port of Spain in Trinidad was indeed an unforgettable experience.

In the Caribbean a bus is termed a ‘maxi’. I manage to find a front seat by the driver and seeing me sporting a Sri Lankan shirt, and who says his name is Clayton, asks me whether I am going to the cricket. I say ‘yes’ and we get talking.

He says: ‘Mann, you have some wonderful cricketers’. I say ‘yes’. ‘But greatest are Aravinda de Silva and Sanath Jayasuriya. They play like the West Indians and any day I will stop my ‘maxi’ and pay any amount to watch them bat,’ he says.

I reply: ‘Mann, you havent’ seen batsmen of the calibre of Mahadevan Sathasivam and Ivers Gunesekera’, I say. ‘Were they greater than Aravinda and Sanath’, he poses the question.

‘That was a different era’, I tell him.

Then reaching the Queen’s Park/Oval he points out and shows me Brian Lara’s mansion. ‘Mann, you know who Lara is? I say ‘why not’. Lara broke Sir Garfield Sobers’ batting record of 365 and then went on to break Matthew Hayden’s score of 380, making another 400 unbeaten runs, he tells me. ‘That’s history mann’, I tell him.

Then I tell him about Lara’s exploits in Sri Lanka where he made a double hundred. He listens with eye brows raised.

‘Lara should still be in the Windies side’ he says wishing me good luck and asking me to convey his regards to Aravinda, and Sanath. I said I certainly would.

Queen’s Park a picture

Queen’s Park Oval, where Sri Lanka played their first round games in the 2007 World Cup and was given a dressing up for the occasion is still looking a picture.

When I walked in what greeted me were the Jeffrey Stollmeyer, Gerry Gomez Media stand and the Sir Learie Constantine Stand.

I don’t remember Constantine playing. But I know he visited Sri Lanka in the early fifties and went round visiting schools and spotting talent. He visited my school St. Benedict’s College too.

In those days ‘Redifussion’ was in vogue-that was in the early fifties. I would stay glued with my friends, Kenneth, Patrick, Edgar, Cosmas and Edward to the ‘Redifussion’ listening to Prosper Fernando of Radio Ceylon saying: Listeners we will now take you to Brisbane Cricket Ground, and the first day’s play in the First Test between Australia and West Indies and to commentator Allan McGilray.

What sweet music that was to the ears, considering that we were all cricket mad.

I vaguely remember that the Windies openers were Jeffrey Stollemeyer and Allan Rae. And the Aussie opening bowlers were Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller.

Gerry Gomez in whose memory the media box has been named was a stubborn middle order batsman who made many useful, contributions with the bat.

In the media box I get talking to a veteran broadcaster in Don Lee who is the Sports Editor of that Radio Station and ask him to name some of the greats who have played for Trinidad on the Queen’s Park Oval.

The first name he writes down for me was that of Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine, two of the greatest Spinners of that era. Incidentally when West Indies won their first ever Test Series in England was coined the famous Calypso - with those little pals of mine, Ramadhin and Valentine - Don hums that Calypso that is still famous here.

Then I ask Don if he could help me with all of the cricket songs sung in honour of windies cricket and the one-whose grovellin’ now, coined when Tony Greig, then captaining England said he would make the Windies grovel. Don promises to give me a disc before I leave. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

He then mentions the names of famous cricketers who have played at the Queen’s Park Oval, the home ground of Trinidad and Tobago.

Among them are - Joey Carew, a middle order batsman and a former selector, Charlie and Bryan Davis. If my memory serves me right I am sure Bryan played in Sri Lanka. Bernard Julien an all-rounder also played in Sri Lanka. So did Larry Gomes. Gus Logie and Ian Bishop are the other names he mentions.

It was indeed an unforgettable experience seated in the Media Box and taking in the action and describing it for the ‘Daily News’ and the ‘Sunday Observer’. I was here at this time last year for the World Cup 2007.