By Srian Obeyesekere
The still, quiet Wednesday night engulfs the overhead skies that comes alive, lit up by modern sophistication’s lighting tiers transforming nature’s usually hovering darkness around the Singhalese Sports Club Grounds, better described as the SSC by the cricket fraternity, bathed in a noon day illumination.
Indeed, cricket’s 126 year old ground comes alive in the neon lights modern science lighting up the game in the fascination of day night cricket.
The day is a sprucing up of the SSC, situated in groovy heart of Colombo 7 environs down Maitland Place, pathway where cricket meets in a oneness housing Sri Lanka Cricket at one end and three other clubs starting with the Colombo Cricket Club, and a hop step and jump away the Nondescript Cricket Club and a stone throw’s way the SSC as is the SLC in a binding significance, when it will make history in becoming a top international cricket hosting venue of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup curtain raiser this February the 7th.
It is rife that the SSC, hugely regarded as the haven where cricket has been rooted over the ages founded in 1899 where a clan of the by gone and contemporaries have done the country proud in taking the country to the ultimate International Cricket Council (ICC) fold, on this January Thursday the 28th met its ultimate destination in a fitting canopy of color by such architectural transformation of gigantic men and machines as the men running the game headed by that far sighted and much loved charismatic ever smiling cricket passionate Shammi Silva, President of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) together with his executive committee gathered as one cricketing family under one symbolic umbrella with the SSCs President, Ranjith Pandithage, the well known motor company man whose passion runs deep into cricket with his club officials, past and present SSC members gathered in full force to mark this historic milestone day with Sports Minister, Sunil Kumara Gamage officially declaring open the new makings in triggering off the lighting system in the four cornered grounds.
Going down memory lane, such famous names do rhyme to this day by their great contributions such as Sargo Jayawickrema and C.I. Gunasekera of a bygone era that planted the seeds for Sri Lanka, then Ceylon’s international recognition and Duleep Mendis, Arjuna Ranatunga, Roy Dias, Asantha de Mel, Marvan Attapattu, Mahela Jayawardene of a later generation to contemporary white ball captains Charith Asalanka and Dasun Shanaka carry on the torch.
The occasion found its momentum by the words of SLC President Shammi Silva to my question how best he found it. “The lights have come, the lights have come,” were his smiling jubilant retort going on to quip, “A great day.”
SSC President Ranjith Pandithage voiced his delight saying, “Its a great day for the SSC. I am proud of it that the SSC has come under floodlights. The SSC has been a historic haven for cricketers setting them up at all levels in the game to represent their country.”
Courtesy Sri Lanka Cricket