Former Prince of Wales’ College, Moratuwa, Cricket, Athletics, Football and Table Tennis captain and Moratuwa Sports Club, Singhalese Sports Club, Prisons Department, Government Service, Peoples Bank, Nationalized Services, Board eleven and the then Ceylon Cricketer Stanley de Alwis passed away last week after a brief illness at the age of 83 years.
Stanley who hailed from Lunawa, Moratuwa was a devout Methodist and he had his entire education at Prince of Wales’ College. He was a very fine sportsman during his hey day who captained his Alma Mater in under 19 teams of Cricket, Football, Athletics and Table Tennis and he won College Colours for all these games. In Cricket he represented his Alma Mater in the under 12, 14, 16 and first eleven teams and went on to Captain in all these four formats. In addition he was the Juvenile, Junior and Senior Athletic Champion and a House Captain and he did 220, 440 yards and High Jump and went on to represent POW in Western Group meets and Public Schools.
He commenced playing for the first eleven in 1952 under R D Peiris and then under Don Premaratne in 1953 and in 1954 under Herbert Fonseka and then he went on to captain in 1955 and in 1956 he played under Lasantha Rodrigo. Cambrians commenced playing St. John’s College, Panadura and St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa in 1903 and 1933 respectively. The Cambrian-Sebs Big Match commenced in 1933 and due to unknown reasons it came to a halt in 1937. The then cricket loving Principal J B C Rodrigo consulted the authorities of St. John’s and the Big Match with them started in 1938 and went up to 1955. When Cambrians revived their Big Match in 1954.
Stanley played four Big Matches against Johnians and Leading in 1955 he won both Johnians and Sebs matches. He played all together in eight Big Matches against these two schools. His name will be long remembered by those who witnessed the match against Royal College captained by Fitzroy Crozier in 1955. Royal made 143 and 149 for 7 and Cambrians scored 51 and 244 for 9 and they beat Royalists by one wicket. In their second essay Stanley scored a scintillating 163 runs which included eleven sixes and nineteen fours. In 1954 and 1955 as a schoolboy he played for Moratuwa Sports Club in the Daily News Trophy Tournament and in 1956 he joined the Singhalese Sports Club and represented them until his retirement. This fiery All Round Cricketer represented All Ceylon team against MCC, Australia, Pakistan and Gopalan Trophy Tournaments.
Big Match 1955 Vs. St. Sebastian’s
Prince of Wales – 274 (Jakath de Soysa 105, Herbert Fonseka 44, K T P Wijedasa 44 and 56/1 – Jakath de Soysa 30.
St. Sebastian’s – 139 – Karlile de Silva 32, Stanley de Alwis 5/66 and 190 – (K Fernando 32, K. Wimalarathne 5/61.
Big Match 1955 Vs. St. Johns
PWC – 242 – Stanley de Alwis 63, K T P Wijedasa 35 and 48/1
St. Johns – 162 – U. Sigera 6 and 123 – U. Sigera 42, Stanley de Alwis 3/15.
“May His Soul Rest in Peace”.
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