SSC as one of the oldest sports club holds some of the richest traditions and boasts of patronage by the hierarchy of Colombo and Sri Lanka. The president of the club had been the president of the nation; starting from Sir John Kotalawala to D. S. Senanayake followed by J.R. Jayawardana.
After J.R. Jayawardana’s demise, the president was to be Chandrika Bandaranayake Kumaranathunga. However, since SSC did not entertain voting rights for the female membership a female president to the club was a controversial matter. After a vote it was finally ruled to pass on the presidency of the club to the most senior active member. According to the new rule the current president of the club is Tommy Ellawala. On to the cricketing history of the club, SSC has produced 6 – 7 Sri Lankan Cricket Captains. In the last 10 World cups played by Sri Lanka 7 of them were captained by SSC Club members, starting from Anura Tennakoon, Dulip Mendis, Arujuna Ranathunga and most recently Mahela Jayawardena.
Being the champions in the 2013 one day premier league, SSC believes the secret behind their success in the last season to be the unity they have developed with the last couple of years. “We were runners up for four years and we wanted a championship badly. So we got together as a club, the most experienced as well as the junior players, and came up with a new game plan.” Kaushal Lokuarchchi remarked on the seasonal perpetrations. “This wasn’t any magical or spiritual get together but mostly a team bonding session. It was about how you prepare yourself mentally for big games. We got the junior players to sit next to each other and talked on a one to one basis”
The club has analyzed its playing with different combinations of players in the team; including few outstanding players to not playing with juniors. Over time they have realized regardless of the contributions to the team from the outstanding players the final outcome remains unchanged if not for the equal contributions from every single member of the team. Hence they have given the old custom of hosting a post-match discussion. Two years ago this was re-introduced where every player in the team had to stay back for the discussion after the game. It was about the game and also about the issues they undergo as a team. This helped SSC to reach their championship even without much contribution from the national players.
Among key players Mahela Jayawardana, Kaushal Silva, Thilina Kandambi, Kaushal Lokuarachhi, Tharanga Paranawithana, Sachithra senanayake, Dilahara Fernando and Dammika Prasad are involved in the squad on a part time basis. With the international representation their contribution are immense yet limited. They are to share experience and help the youngsters reach a professional level.
SSC recruitments are done from evaluated performances of the players. Generally the seniors who have left the club, Mavan Attapattu, Promodya Wickramasinghe bring their best pick to the club from their coaching experiences. SSC also has built a network with the district coaches. “SSC is known to look after the players; hence coaches are happy to share their player with us,” Samantha Dodangwala lamented. The cricketing legends like Tharanga Paranawithana and left hand fast bowler Mirando have started their cricketing career in SSC dormitory and have passed on the opportunity for the youngsters as they gained reputation in the profession.
Currently the full squad consists of 20 -25 cricketers. The final team is named for each game based on the performance in the squad. “We analyze the playing of each individual player very closely at practice sessions. We also value the performances in T-20 matches, ”Kaushal Lokuarachhi noted. “ From the past practice sessions and performances Chaith Jayampathi and Upul bandara can be named as few upcoming players to watch out for. Chaith as a fast bowler did really well. He took 4 wickets for the SSC in the finals. Upul bandara is more of an all-rounder. Both of them are in their early 20s and we can expect a lot in the coming years.”
SSC is known as a one of the most resourceful clubs in Sri Lanka and it continues to expand on sporting achievements. Currently it boasts of three Swimming pools, Tennis courts, Squash, Badminton and most of all a stunning cricket stadium.
Any additional financial support is direct towards upcoming players. SSC has recruited many youngsters to the club to up bring new cricketing talents. Similar to any other sport, for those who are playing professional cricket also should be financially supported. A dormitory had been added to SSC sport complex 5 years ago in order to support the youngsters coming from out stations. Today SSC provides food and lodging for the upcoming cricketers and let them solely focus on the sport. Speaking from his own experience as a past cricket of the club, Samantha Dodangwala stated “We played for the prestige and the love of it. But now it’s a profession and without financial assistance it’s difficult to support the cricketers.”
Following is the cricket squad of Sinhalese Sports Club.
•Mahela Jayawardana – Batsman
•Thilina Kandambi – Batsman
•Kaushal Lokuarachhi – All Rounder
•Tharanga Paranavithana – Batsman
•Sachithra senanayake – off-spin
•Dilahara Fernando – Bowler
•Dammika Prasad – Fast Bowler
•Chaith Jayampathi – Bowler
•Upul bandara – All rounder
•Dhanushka Gunathilaka – All rounder
•Amil Prasad – Bowler
•Mithun Jayawikrama – All rounder
•Harith Madhuwantha – All rounder
•Kaushal Silva – wicket keeper
•Wishwa Wijerathne – wicket keeper
•Tiron Wijesuriya – Seamer
•Dasun Shanka – All-rounder
•Ramesh Mendis – Bowler
•Chanthupama Gunasinghe – Seamer
•Vimukthi Deshapriya – leg spin
